Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

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Infectious disease

Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are investigating promising new approaches to prevent, diagnose and treat a wide range of infectious diseases. Our work spans the full spectrum of research from basic science to clinical research to implementation.

Research News

	Nothing to sniff at: Screening platform identifies drugs that could fight the common cold January 10, 2020 - A team led by Dr. Robin Parks has developed a new way to identify drugs that may be good candidates for treating the common cold. While many products can treat cold symptoms, there is currently no way to treat the viruses that causes the disease, suc
	New scientist profile: Dr. Krishan Yadav aims to improve care for skin infections December 11, 2019 - Dr. Krishan Yadav wants to find the best way to treat the patients with skin infections he sees in the emergency department. Currently there is little evidence on how best to treat common skin infections such as cellulitis.
	Taking CANImmunize to the next level October 1, 2019 - CANImmunize, an award-winning vaccine-tracking platform developed by researchers at The Ottawa Hospital, is transitioning into a startup company. The popular app-based platform will continue to digitally transform the delivery of immunization service
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	Unravelling the mystery of how one gene contributes to Parkinson’s, Crohn’s and leprosy September 25, 2019 - Researchers have struggled for years to understand how mutations in one gene, called LRRK2, can increase the risk of three very different diseases: Parkinson’s (a brain disease), Crohn’s (a gut disease) and leprosy (a peripheral nervous system diseas
	The next frontier in HIV research: Ottawa scientists to play key role in new $17M prevention and cure studies August 14, 2019 - Despite great strides in HIV research, over 75,000 Canadians are living with HIV and approximately seven more contract it every day. And this incurable virus continues to take a huge toll around the world. The Government of Canada recently announced
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded 13 grants worth $11.2 million from Canadian Institutes of Health Research July 26, 2019 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital have been awarded 13 grants worth a total of $11.2 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The new projects focus on areas such as cancer immunotherapy, hepatitis C infection, blood clots, ar
	New scientist profile: Dr. Derek MacFadden helps prescribers fight antibiotic resistance June 26, 2019 - Ninety percent of antibiotics are prescribed outside of hospitals, and a third are unnecessary. Dr. Derek MacFadden’s research aims to help prescribers choose the right antibiotic for the bacteria they’re fighting instead of using broad-spectrum anti
	$950,000 to help develop stem cell treatments for septic shock, lung injury and muscle degeneration May 17, 2019 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital, CHEO and the University of Ottawa are bringing discoveries made in the lab closer to human trials and therapies, thanks to four new peer-reviewed research grants from the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medici
	Ottawa researchers working with World Health Organization to improve response to public health emergencies April 4, 2019 - In response to the SARS outbreak, the threat of influenza pandemics, and the changing nature of public health emergencies, the World Health Organization released the revised International Health Regulations (IHR(2005)). These regulations are the most
	Immunization tracking brought into the digital age November 30, 2018 - Building on successful public health reporting pilot projects in Ottawa and Kingston, Ontarians will soon be able to use CANImmunize to immediately see and download their own, and their families’ official immunization records held by the province. CA
	Experimental contraceptive could give women the power to prevent pregnancy and STIs November 30, 2018 - While condoms are the gold standard for preventing pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), there is a need around the world for solutions that can be used independently by women. New research led by Dr. Nongnuj Tanphaichitr brings a pot
	Standardizing digital vaccination records in Canada: team behind CANImmunize launches Canadian Vaccine Catalogue July 12, 2018 - As provinces and territories across Canada work to digitize vaccination records, a team of Canadian physicians, researchers and policy-makers has released the first version of the Canadian Vaccine Catalogue (CVC). This comprehensive, standards-based
	Using viruses to fight viruses: new approach eliminates “dormant” HIV-infected cells December 18, 2017 - While Ottawa researchers are known for their work on cancer-fighting viruses, one team is applying these viruses to a new target: HIV. Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa have discovered that the Maraba virus, or MG1, c
	Stem cells for septic shock: world-first trial establishes safety, sets stage for larger trial November 2, 2017 - Stem cells are usually thought of as the building blocks of the body – able to give rise to all our cells and organs. But Dr. Lauralyn McIntyre, Dr. Duncan Stewart, Dr. Dean Fergusson and their colleagues are testing the idea that certain stem cells
	HIV kept at bay with single injection every 8 weeks August 17, 2017 - Over the last two decades, HIV has been transformed from a death sentence into a chronic, treatable disease, requiring just a single pill a day to keep the virus at bay for most people. A study co-authored by Dr. Jonathan Angel has now paved the wa
	New treatment for our sickest patients comes closer to reality June 30, 2017 - The Ottawa Hospital was one of the top sites for enrolling patients in an international clinical trial of a promising new treatment for shock. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that a naturally-occurring protein calle
	Dr. Gonzalo Alvarez presents Taima TB research program to parliamentarians June 5, 2017 - Dr. Gonzalo Alvarez was on Parliament Hill today presenting the Taima TB research program to the Parliamentary Health Research Caucus on Indigenous Health Research in Canada. Taima TB Summary The challenge Despite the ongoing efforts of d
	Could stem cells heal premature lungs, fight infections, build muscles and strengthen bones? May 25, 2017 - Ottawa researchers closer to finding out, thanks to $1.5 million from the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital, CHEO and the University of Ottawa are bringing discoveries made in the lab closer to huma
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded 18 research grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, worth $10.7 million May 19, 2017 - Eighteen research groups at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded nearly $11 million in the most recent project grant competition from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This represents a suc
	Government of Canada Supports Latent Tuberculosis Study March 24, 2017 - Tuberculosis (TB) is preventable and curable, yet it remains one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide. In Canada, rates of TB are low; however, there is greater incidence among Canadian Indigenous people and among foreign-born individuals
	Ottawa researchers develop rapid review process to help WHO respond to global threats December 22, 2016 - Ms. Chantelle Garritty and collaborators in the Knowledge Synthesis Group have developed a process to help the World Health Organization (WHO) quickly create guidelines during global emergencies. During an outbreak of a new disease, WHO needs to a
	Dr. Paul MacPherson awarded Research Chair in Gay Men’s Health from Ontario HIV Treatment Network September 7, 2016 - Gay men make up 58 percent of the people living with HIV in Ontario. Although overall rates of new HIV infections are declining, gay men accounted for 60 percent of new diagnoses in 2015, highlighting the continuing risk of infection within this co
	Researchers find compound that can protect mice from Ebola July 27, 2016 - Drs. Michel Chrétien (OHRI Emeritus Scientist), Majambu Mbikay and colleagues from the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg have found a compound that can protect mice from the Ebola virus, even when given as little as 30 minutes before i
	Ottawa research informs international Ebola guideline June 14, 2016 - Should clinicians wear double gloves or single gloves when caring for Ebola patients? What about full gowns versus coveralls? After Ebola broke out in West Africa in late 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) asked Dr. David Moher and his tea
	Two lives forever changed by 30 years of HIV drug research April 22, 2016 - Yves Brunet has taken part in 15 HIV drug trials at The Ottawa Hospital since the 1980s. Thanks to research, daily treatments have commuted a sentence of certain death from AIDS into a manageable condition. Yves Brunet and Andy Collins were di
	Landmark trial could expand revolutionary treatments to all hepatitis C patients February 3, 2016 - New targeted treatments have revolutionized care for hepatitis C, offering cure rates of close to 100 percent for people infected with the most common strain of the virus. Dr. Curtis Cooper and his team have played a major role in the research th
	Dr. Robin Parks awarded $790,000 from CIHR to study common cold virus December 16, 2015 - An average person will suffer around 400 colds in his or her lifetime and these colds account for 40% of all workplace absenteeism. Colds can also have much more serious consequences in people with compromised immune systems, as well as the very youn
	New treatments cure hepatitis C in patients co-infected with HIV July 29, 2015 - Around the world, between 4 and 5 million people are infected with both HIV and the hepatitis C virus. These patients have high rates of liver disease. Until now, effective treatment for co-infected patients has been difficult since the interferon-
	How does the liver affect the immune system? $175,000 grant to help find answers June 10, 2015 - Dr. Angela Crawley has been awarded a $175,000 grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to study how cells in the liver can influence the immune response. This project focuses on a kind of cell called a macrophage, w
	DNA test slashes wait times for tuberculosis diagnosis in Iqaluit March 23, 2015 - Study results prompt Government of Nunavut to fund TB test's continued use Tuberculosis continues to be a significant public health concern in Canada's North, where testing for TB takes far longer than in the country's major centres. A paper just
	Flu shots decrease overall risk of acquiring Guillain-Barré Syndrome January 19, 2015 - Drs. Kumanan Wilson and Steven Hawken published a paper this week that examines whether the flu shot increases or decreases the risk of getting Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare but serious autoimmune condition. Recent studies have associated

Researchers

Name	Scientific appointment	Diseases, conditions and populations of interest	Research and clinical approaches
Alvarez, Gonzalo MD, MPH, FRCPC	Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	First Nations, Inuit and Métis Health, Health in disadvantaged peoples, Infectious disease, Lung disease, Population health, Tuberculosis	Clinical research
Angel, Jonathan MD, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (Chronic Disease)	HIV, Infectious disease	Basic research, Clinical research, Translational research
Cameron, Bill MD, FRCPC, FACP	Senior Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	HIV, Infectious disease	Basic research, Clinical research
Cooper, Curtis MD, FRCPC	Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Hepatitis C, HIV, Infectious disease, Influenza	Clinical research, Immunization
Cowan, Juthaporn MD, PhD, FRCPC	Associate Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Autoimmune disease, Infectious disease	Immunization, Immunotherapy
Diallo, Jean-Simon PhD	Scientist (Cancer Therapeutics)	Cancer, Infectious disease	Basic research, Cancer biotherapeutics, Cancer immunotherapy, Drug development, Gene therapy, Immunization, Immunotherapy, Molecular and cellular biology, Oncolytic viruses, Translational research, Viral therapy
MacPherson, Paul MD/PhD	Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Anxiety, Depression, Gay men's health, HIV, Infectious disease, Men's health, Sexually transmitted infections	Behaviour, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Health promotion, Health services research, Knowledge translation and implementation research, Prevention, Psychology, Qualitative methods, Surveys
Manuel, Douglas MD, MSc, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Aging, Alzheimer's, Cancer, Dementia, Diabetes, Frailty, Global health, Health equity, Health in disadvantaged peoples, Health in older peoples, Immigrant and refugee health, Infectious disease, Obesity, Parkinson's, Population health, Stroke, Vascular cognitive impairment, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Big data, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Digital and mobile health, Epidemiology, Health research methods, Health services research, Prevention, Public health
Santos, Marlise MD (FRCPC), MSc, MPH	Clinician Investigator (Clinical Epidemiology)	Alzheimer's, Anxiety, Ataxia, Autoimmune diseases of the nervous system, Brain and neuromuscular disease, Brain cancer, Concussion, Dementia, Depression, Global health, Head and neck cancer, Health equity, Health in disadvantaged peoples, Infectious disease, Intellectual disabilities, Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Population health, Spinal cord injury, Stroke, Subarachnoid hemorrhage, Thrombosis / thromboembolism, Traumatic brain injury, Traumatic injuries, Vascular cognitive impairment, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Basic research, Behaviour, Clinical decision rules, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Critical care, Epidemiology, Health economics, Health research methods, Health services research, Health technology, Imaging, Patient safety, Pragmatic trials, Prevention, Public health, Qualitative methods, Quality Improvement, Shared decision making, Surgery, Surveys, Systematic reviews
Schreiber, Yoko MD, FRCPC, MSc (Epi)	Clinician Investigator (Clinical Epidemiology)	Infectious disease	Epidemiology
Tanphaichitr, Nongnuj PhD	Affiliate Investigator (Chronic Disease)	HIV, Infectious disease, Infertility, Men's health, Sexually transmitted infections, Women's health	Basic research, Contraceptive development, Drug development, Imaging, Lipidomics, Molecular and cellular biology, Proteomics
Wilson, Kumanan MD, MSc, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Global health, Infectious disease, Newborn and child health, Population health	Big data, Biomarkers, Clinical research, Digital and mobile health, Epidemiology, Health services research, Health technology, Immunization, Public health, Transfusions, Translational research
Yadav, Krishan MD, MSc, FRCPC	Associate Scientist (Clinical Epidemiology)	Infectious disease, Pneumonia, Skin disorders	Clinical research, Emergency medicine

Related Resources

Infectious disease research at The Ottawa Hospital: common cold, Ebola, Hepatitis C, HIV, immunization, Influenza, septic shock, sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis

Infectious Diseases Clinic at The Ottawa Hospital

Infection Prevention & Control at The Ottawa Hospital

University of Ottawa Centre for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation (CI3)