Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Inflammation and Chronic Disease Program

The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute’s Inflammation and Chronic Disease Program includes 614 scientists, clinician investigators, trainees and staff.

Our research touches on everything from basic science to improve our understanding of immune mechanisms in chronic diseases, to developing and testing new treatments, to implementing more effective care processes.

Some of the medical specialties based in our program include dermatology, endocrinology, family medicine, gastroenterology, general internal medicine, geriatric medicine, hematology, infectious diseases, medical imaging, nephrology, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopaedic surgery, palliative care, pathology and lab medicine, pharmacy, rehabilitation, respirology and rheumatology.

We are also home to a number of basic and translational scientists in areas such as kidney research, infectious diseases, cardiovascular disease and reproductive health.

We actively engage a wide variety of partners in our research, including patients and family members, medical and allied health professionals and others.

The Inflammation and Chronic Disease Program is led by Dr. Gregoire Le Gal (Program Director) and Dr. Dylan Burger (Associate Program Director).

Research News

	Small dose, big impact: Lower dose of blood thinner provides safer blood clot prevention in cancer patients May 15, 2025 - Thanks to new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine, people with cancer can now take a reduced dose of blood thinning medication to prevent recurring venous thromboembolism (VTE), a type of blood clot
	New scientist profile: Space science to better treat rehabilitation patients April 30, 2025 - Space anemia, the lowered red blood cell counts in astronauts during and after space travel, has puzzled researchers for decades. But thanks to Dr. Guy Trudel’s work with astronauts on MARROW, we now have a much better understanding of space anemia a
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded $3.9M from BioCanRx to develop new cancer immunotherapies April 9, 2025 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital have been awarded $3.9 million from BioCanRx to develop cutting-edge biotherapeutics that harness the immune system to fight cancer.
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	Blood thinners can prevent vein blood clots in those with cancer, but results for artery clots are mixed March 13, 2025 - “Blood thinners are an effective tool for preventing vein blood clots in people with cancer. The fact they may also prevent artery clots in eligible patients with pancreatic cancer should encourage their use in that population."
	ELEVATE seed grants help researchers at The Ottawa Hospital launch new ideas and collaborations March 3, 2025 - The grants, worth a total of $198,000, will advance research on muscle disease, stroke, ovarian cancer and scleroderma.
	Dr. Deborah Siegal honoured for groundbreaking blood research February 25, 2025 - Dr. Deborah Siegal has been awarded the prestigious Joe Doupe Young Investigator Award from the Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation in recognition of her groundbreaking research on treatments for blood clots and blood transfusions.
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 16 CIHR grants worth more than $8 million February 3, 2025 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are leading 16 new projects funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) through the most recent operating grant competition.
	New scientist profile: Dr. Ann Bugeja aims to increase living kidney donations, improve high blood pressure care January 21, 2025 - “High blood pressure is easy to take for granted because it’s so common, but there’s a lot of complexity in care, how it’s managed, and how people access care.".
	New Canada Research Chairs to advance regenerative medicine, thrombosis and stroke research at The Ottawa Hospital November 14, 2024 - The federal government announced a new round of Canada Research Chairs this week, including three based at The Ottawa Hospital.
	Psychedelic use linked to increased risk of schizophrenia, study finds November 13, 2024 - “While there is enormous enthusiasm for psychedelic-assisted therapy as a new mental health treatment, we need to remember how early and limited the data remains for both the benefits and the risks."
	Honouring our top researchers of 2024 November 7, 2024 - Each year, The Ottawa Hospital and its Research Institute honour a small number of outstanding researchers for discoveries and innovations that are improving patient care at TOH and advancing science around the world.
	Abnormal electrolyte levels in people with eating disorders may increase risk of death, poor health outcomes September 17, 2024 - A new study found that 32% of individuals with an eating disorder had abnormal electrolyte levels, which were associated with a higher risk of death from any cause.
	MicroRNA could protect the kidneys, according to animal study August 13, 2024 - “Our research shows microRNA holds promise for protecting against both acute kidney injury and its complications. We hope to test it soon in clinical trials."
	Nearly 1 in 5 physicians experienced PTSD during the pandemic August 13, 2024 - “We hope that our findings will inspire health-care leaders and physicians to work together to understand and address these mental health impacts."
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 14 CIHR grants worth more than $10 million July 18, 2024 - “Success at CIHR underscores the creativity, dedication and collaboration of our researchers and their teams. Funding for these innovative projects paves the way for groundbreaking advancement in biomedical sciences, improved patient care and progres
	New biomarker tool designed to improve astronaut health may be useful to earthlings June 11, 2024 - The Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA) includes samples from space missions, providing insight into short and long-term health impacts of spaceflight
	Treating sleep apnea for improved mental health in children June 4, 2024 - While not much is known about the link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and mental health problems in children, researchers from The Ottawa Hospital and CHEO have discovered that addressing OSA in children can have positive effects on their ment
	Can AI predict major bleeds from blood thinners? May 28, 2024 - “More research is needed before we can use AI tools in the clinic to predict bleeding risk, but this proof-of-concept study shows they hold great promise.”
	World-first trial shows benefits of finding, treating undiagnosed asthma and COPD May 19, 2024 - "It's estimated that 70 per cent of people with asthma or COPD go undiagnosed. This is the first study to prove that treating those people makes a real difference to their health and quality of life."
	Epigenetics may explain statins’ anti-inflammatory power May 17, 2024 - “If we can understand more about how statins reduce inflammation at the molecular level, we may be able to design new drugs that can complement statins and enhance heart attack prevention."
	Social factors affect dialysis choice for kidney patients April 30, 2024 - Individuals with kidney failure who have less education, who are unemployed or retired, or who are living alone at home or in a long-term residence are more likely to start hemodialysis than peritoneal dialysis.
	Exploring the frontiers of EVs & exosomes research February 26, 2024 - Our research community has emerged as a true innovator in EV/exosomes research, making new discoveries with potentially broad impact.
	Kidney donation: research shows benefits of new 1-day screening February 23, 2024 - If you were thinking of becoming a living kidney donor, would you rather do all your screening appointments in one day, or spread them out over six months?
	ELEVATE seed grants to help researchers at The Ottawa Hospital improve treatment for inflammatory and immune conditions February 21, 2024 - The Ottawa Hospital’s Research Institute is awarding four ELEVATE seed grants to help researchers understand the role of inflammation and the immune system in various diseases and develop better treatments.
	ELEVATE seed grants to help researchers at The Ottawa Hospital improve prevention and care for kidney disease February 21, 2024 - The Ottawa Hospital’s Research Institute is awarding five ELEVATE seed grants to kickstart innovative kidney research projects.
	When hormones hurt the heart February 14, 2024 - “This study shows even mild forms of primary aldosteronism can hurt the heart and blood vessels, even before someone develops high blood pressure.”
	Heavy cannabis use increases risk of developing an anxiety disorder, study suggests February 5, 2024 - Twenty-seven percent of individuals who had an emergency department visit for cannabis use developed a new anxiety disorder within three years, according to new research.
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 9 CIHR grants worth more than $5 million February 2, 2024 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are leading nine new projects funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) through the most recent operating grant and SPOR innovative clinical trial competitions.
	Cancer + past stroke increases stroke risk nearly 3-fold January 29, 2024 - A study co-led by Drs Deborah Siegal and Rinku Sutradhar found that people who had a stroke prior to a cancer diagnosis were nearly three times more likely to have a future stroke compared to other cancer patients.
	Wastewater monitoring: research aims to enhance TB prevention and detection in Nunavut January 16, 2024 - A groundbreaking research study is being launched in Iqaluit to explore wastewater monitoring as a tool to detect and prevent the spread of tuberculosis (TB) in Nunavut.
	New scientist profile: Dr. Yan Xu aims to better understand blood clots in racialized populations January 2, 2024 - “Our first step is to understand if there are ethnic and racial differences in the prevention and treatment of blood clots in Canada. And if so, what we can do about it.”
	Undiagnosed asthma and COPD a burden for patients, even in early stages December 6, 2023 - Adults with undiagnosed COPD or asthma have worse quality of life, greater healthcare use and are less productive at work than healthy adults.
	“Super-collaborator” helps patients breathe easier November 9, 2023 - Dr. Shawn Aaron is receiving The Ottawa Hospital’s Grimes Career Achievement Award for practice-changing research in COPD and other chronic lung diseases
	New scientist profile: Dr. Deborah Zimmerman is committed to improving quality of life for patients on hemodialysis October 13, 2023 - Dr. Zimmerman wonders whether starting some patients on hemodialysis more gradually at two days a week while they still have some kidney function would give them a bit more time to enjoy their regular activities. There has been very little research i
	Big blood savings: large trial in JAMA shows taking less blood for lab testing reduces transfusions in intensive care October 12, 2023 - A world-first clinical trial published in JAMA could provide an easy way to save tens of thousands of units of blood every year in Canada and much more worldwide. The trial, which involved more than 27,000 patients in 25 adult intensive care units (I
	Emergency department visits for substance use linked to higher risk of developing schizophrenia September 27, 2023 - People visiting the emergency department (ED) for substance use—particularly cannabis—are at high risk of developing schizophrenia, according to new research.
	Commercialization of cannabis linked to increased traffic injuries September 6, 2023 - Annual rates of emergency department visits for cannabis-involved traffic injury increased by 475 percent over 13 years, according to a new study from The Ottawa Hospital, Bruyère Research Institute, and ICES.
	Space travel depletes red blood cells and bone, but bone marrow fat may come to the rescue August 21, 2023 - A study of 14 astronauts suggests that while space travel depletes red blood cells and bone, the body can eventually replenish them back on Earth with the help of fat stored in the bone marrow.
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 13 CIHR grants worth more than $7 million July 21, 2023 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are playing a lead role in 13 new projects awarded more than $7 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
	Even a modest reduction in kidney function increases health risks in young adults June 23, 2023 - A study of more than 8 million adults in Ontario, Canada suggests that even a modest loss of kidney function is associated with increased health risks. The study, published in The BMJ, could lead to better approaches to prevent chronic kidney disease
	Space travel alters gene expression in white blood cells, weakening the immune system June 22, 2023 - The expression of (mostly protein-coding) genes in white blood cells changes rapidly when astronauts reach the International Space Station
	Emergency department visits and hospitalizations for cannabis use during pregnancy almost doubled since legalization May 23, 2023 - The number of pregnancies that required treatment for cannabis use in the emergency department (ED) or during a hospitalization in Ontario increased by 82% (from 11 to 20 per 100,000 pregnancies) following legalization.
	Obstructive sleep apnea linked with severe COVID-19 May 19, 2023 - A study led by Dr. Tetyana Kendzerska suggests that people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) could be at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 and having severe complications.
	Physicians struggled more with mental health during the pandemic than the general population April 19, 2023 - Outpatient mental health and substance use visits in physicians increased by 23%, compared to only 10% for the general public in the first 18 months of the pandemic, according to a new study from ICES and The Ottawa Hospital.
	New scientist profile: Dr. Joseph Shaw investigates best way to “turn off” blood thinners March 16, 2023 - Thrombosis physician Dr. Joseph Shaw knows blood thinners are great for preventing blood clots. But sometimes people taking these drugs need to be able to form blood clots again, like before a surgery, or if they start bleeding in the brain or gut.
	International team investigates cause of space anemia March 16, 2023 - Dr. Guy Trudel is leading a collaborative research project to uncover key mechanisms of spaceflight-related anemia.
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 15 CIHR grants worth more than $8.4 million February 3, 2023 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are playing a lead role in 15 new projects awarded more than $8.4 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
	ELEVATE seed grants to help researchers at The Ottawa Hospital develop better treatments and improve patient care February 1, 2023 - The Ottawa Hospital’s Research Institute is awarding five ELEVATE seed grants to early-career researchers to spur the development of innovative treatments and better patient care.
	A self-proclaimed nerd with a knack for nephrology January 26, 2023 - Dr. Kevin Burns never thought he’d be practicing award-winning kidney research in Ottawa. But after falling in love with Ottawa and with nephrology, Dr. Burns became an integral part of The Ottawa Hospital team.
	New online calculator predicts risk of developing kidney disease January 18, 2023 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital have developed and validated an online calculator that can estimate a person’s risk of developing chronic kidney disease. The method used to develop the tool was published in the Clinical Journal of the American Soc
	New scientist profile: Dr. Marisa Azad aims to improve care for artificial joint infections January 18, 2023 - Infectious disease physician Dr. Marisa Azad sees patients whose artificial knees or hips have become infected nightmares. These periprosthetic joint infections (PJI) are rare but devastating, and often result in additional surgeries and repeat infec
	Spirometry can’t catch all asthma diagnoses January 4, 2023 - A study led by Dr. Shawn Aaron suggests that asthma and eosinophilic bronchitis may be undiagnosed in a significant number of people who have symptoms, but have normal spirometry lung function tests.
	New scientist profile: Dr. Hesham Abdelbary’s translational research program tackles implant infections January 4, 2023 - As an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in complex cases, removing slimy layers of bacteria growing on prosthetic joints is one of Dr. Hesham Abdelbary’s toughest challenges. Unfortunately, these periprosthetic joint infections are not uncommon afte
	Tools can identify which patients should stop taking blood thinners for unexplained blood clots November 30, 2022 - Over 750,000 Canadians will have an unexplained vein blood clot in their lifetime, known as venous thrombosis.
	Electrolyte levels could help with early detection of eating disorders November 16, 2022 - A discovery led by Dr. Gregory Hundemer could help people with eating disorders get treatment sooner.
	Visionary scientist shaped Canada’s kidney research landscape November 2, 2022 - As a young man raised in Montreal, Dr. Kevin Burns had no intention of staying in Ottawa when he first came here to study nephrology as a medical resident. However, he grew to love both the city and his colleagues at The Ottawa Hospital and has since
	New biomarker could help predict severity of COVID-19 infection October 28, 2022 - New research led by Dr. Benjamin Tsang and Taggart-Parkes postdoctoral fellow Dr. Meshach Asare-Werehene shows that a blood protein called plasma gelsolin (pGSN) could help predict which hospitalized COVID-19 patients are likely to become severely il
	Bench to bedside: the quest to prevent cancer from coming back after surgery October 20, 2022 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital have made another important step forward in their quest to find innovative ways to stop cancer from coming back after surgery. While surgery often provides the best option for removing all or most of a tumour, resea
	Ottawa-area residents invited to participate in multivalent COVID-19 vaccine trial October 5, 2022 - Healthy adults are invited to participate in a clinical trial at The Ottawa Hospital to test a multivalent coronavirus vaccine candidate developed by VBI Vaccines Inc., a biotechnology company with Ottawa-based research and development facilities.
	Three COVID-19 vaccine doses significantly reduced infection, severe outcomes in organ transplant recipients September 14, 2022 - Dr. Greg Knoll led one of the few real-world studies of the effectiveness of a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine among organ transplant recipients by using linked healthcare databases.
	Hospitalizations for unintentional cannabis poisonings among Canadian children surged after legalization, particularly in jurisdictions where the sale of cannabis edibles was allowed August 24, 2022 - Canada has seen a 6.3 fold increase in hospitalizations for unintentional cannabis poisoning among children under the age of 10 since the legalization of recreational cannabis, according to a research letter published in the New England Journal of Me
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 19 CIHR grants worth more than $12 million July 20, 2022 - These projects will advance science and improve health in areas such as cancer, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, autism, Kabuki Syndrome, kidney disease, patient engagement, blood transfusions, sepsis, surgery, anesthesia, plasma donation, muscle
	Dr. Marc Carrier recognized as one of top blood clot researchers in Canada July 13, 2022 - Dr. Marc Carrier has received a major honour recognizing his outstanding contributions to advancing blood and blood vessel care in both in Canada and around the world.
	Questionnaire can find people with undiagnosed asthma, COPD June 2, 2022 - A team led by Dr. Shawn Aaron developed and validated a tool published in the European Respiratory Journal that can detect undiagnosed asthma and COPD in adults with symptoms.
	Ottawa researchers recognized with international awards for reproductive biology and health April 29, 2022 - Ottawa’s reproductive biology researchers took the lead in international recognition this year, receiving three of 12 prestigious awards from the Society for the Study of Reproduction.
	Ottawa researchers contribute to three important studies shaping COVID-19 care April 28, 2022 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital continue to play a key role in influential COVID-19 research, with three studies recently published in top-tier journals.
	New scientist profile: Dr. Sibel Aydin aims to personalize care for inflammatory arthritis April 28, 2022 - Rheumatologist Dr. Sibel Aydin wants to help her patients with inflammatory arthritis return to their regular activities by giving them treatments to reduce pain and protect their joints.
	Cancer-fighting viruses soften up their victims before attacking April 7, 2022 - A research team based at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa has developed a virus that infects and kills cancer cells without harming normal cells, while also sending out signals to prepare nearby uninfected cancer cells for viral attac
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded five grants for high risk, high reward and interdisciplinary research April 4, 2022 - The New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) 2021 Exploration competition has awarded $25 million to support 102 research teams across Canada that bring diverse disciplines together in pursuit of breakthrough ideas and high-reward outcomes.
	Research sets new standard for treating latent tuberculosis in Canada March 24, 2022 - A transformational treatment for latent tuberculosis (TB) is now the standard of care in Canada, thanks to research led by The Ottawa Hospital. The Canadian Thoracic Society’s new Canadian TB Standards, released on March 24, 2022, recommend 3HP (rifa
	New CIHR grants to support an equitable pandemic recovery March 16, 2022 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital have been awarded four grants as part of CIHR’s Emerging COVID-19 Research Gaps and Priorities competition, which was designed to support an equitable pandemic recovery for all Canadians.
	Bioluminescent bacteria enable translational research on hip implant infections February 2, 2022 - A team has developed a unique rat model of an infected prosthetic hip which can help researchers better understand and treat this challenging problem
	Physician mental health care visits increased 27 percent during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic January 21, 2022 - Annual rates of outpatient visits for mental health and substance use among Ontario physicians increased by 27 percent during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. There were 1,038 visits per 1,
	Being in space destroys more red blood cells January 14, 2022 - A world-first study has revealed how space travel can cause lower red blood cell counts, known as space anemia. Analysis of 14 astronauts showed their bodies destroyed 54 percent more red blood cells in space than they normally would on Earth, accord
	Dr. Gregory Hundemer appointed as first Lorna Jocelyn Wood Chair for Kidney Research January 13, 2022 - Dr. Gregory Hundemer has been appointed as the first Lorna Jocelyn Wood Chair for Kidney Research at The Ottawa Hospital. This endowed chair was created thanks to generous donations from the late Ms. Wood and her family to The Ottawa Hospital Foundat
	$3.3M grant to enhance management of tobacco dependence in marginalized populations January 13, 2022 - Dr. Smita Pakhale has been awarded $3.3 million from the Public Health Agency of Canada to develop better approaches for managing tobacco dependence in marginalized populations.
	Helping patients and saving money: Drug that prevents blood clots in cancer patients is cost-effective January 6, 2022 - People with cancer are four to seven times more likely to have a blood clot than the general population.
	Tiny clots in the lung put patients at risk of future blood clots December 16, 2021 - A study led by Drs. Grégoire Le Gal and Marc Carrier found that tiny clots in the lungs are not as harmless as previously thought, and in most cases should be treated with blood thinners.
	Researcher blazes a trail in ovarian cancer November 12, 2021 - Dr. Meshach Asare-Werehene is receiving the Worton Researcher in Training Award from The Ottawa Hospital in recognition of his cutting-edge discoveries and extraordinary leadership
	Tiny bits of blood vessel may warn of newborn complications November 4, 2021 - A study published in Biomarker Research co-led by Drs. Dylan Burger and Denice Feig found that extracellular vesicles may be able to predict newborn outcomes, at least in pregnant people with diabetes.
	Researchers update guidance on colorectal cancer screening in patients with IBDs November 4, 2021 - Dr. Sanjay Murthy was the lead author in a Clinical Practice Update (CPU) for the American Gastroenterological Association on how to prevent, detect and manage colorectal neoplastic lesions in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) based on
	Study establishes bleeding risk with long-term use of blood thinners for life-threatening clots October 20, 2021 - A new systematic review and meta-analysis now provides the best data yet on the long-term risks and consequences of bleeding with different blood thinners.
	MicroRNA protects mice from acute kidney injury October 6, 2021 - New research led by Dr. Kevin Burns shows that intravenous delivery of a type of microRNA can protect mice from acute kidney injury, a serious and untreatable condition.
	COVID-19 booster shot study recruits Ottawa-area volunteers September 29, 2021 - Ottawa-area adults who are fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine are invited to participate in a clinical trial of a locally developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate, as a third dose or late booster vaccine. To be eligible, participants must have
	Major study finds convalescent plasma doesn’t help seriously ill COVID-19 patients September 29, 2021 - A randomized controlled trial involving more than 900 patients has found that convalescent plasma does not reduce the risk of intubation or death for COVID-19 patients.
	Some inhaled corticosteroids for asthma, COPD safer and more effective for older adults September 29, 2021 - Study reveals important new information for physicians who prescribe inhaled corticosteroids to older patients, a common daily treatment for asthma and COPD
	Translational Research Grant could spark new approaches to diagnose, treat long COVID September 15, 2021 - Recent studies suggest that more than half of people with COVID-19 will continue to experience symptoms several weeks after infection.
	Full-dose blood thinners help moderately ill COVID-19 patients August 23, 2021 - Two Canadian-led studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine show that full-dose blood thinners help moderately ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients, but not critically ill patients.
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded eight grants worth $5 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research August 10, 2021 - These projects will advance science and improve health in areas such as cancer immunotherapy, orthopedic surgery, long-term care, neuromuscular disease, blood clots, vascular disease, aging, kidney disease and Inuit health.
	Plasma exchange may help treat rare blood clots related to vaccines August 6, 2021 - Canadian researchers have published the first study of plasma exchange as a possible treatment for rare blood clots related to certain COVID-19 vaccines.
	How well do COVID-19 vaccines work in people with cancer, immune conditions and other populations of interest? July 15, 2021 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa have been awarded more than $8 million to lead four national studies that will answer important questions about COVID-19 vaccines, including how well they work in people with cancer and
	How well do COVID-19 vaccines work in people with inherited and medication-related immune deficiencies? July 15, 2021 - People with inherited immune deficiencies have a greater risk of developing severe COVID-19 and may be less likely to respond to vaccines. People with multiple sclerosis, arthritis and other immune-mediated diseases may also be at risk because medica
	How long does COVID-19 immunity last and how can we enhance protection for everyone? July 15, 2021 - What is a protective immune response to natural SARS-CoV-2 infection? Does it differ from that induced by vaccination? How many vaccine doses are needed? How long does immunity last? Can natural or vaccine immunity protect against infection by viral
	Virus versus virus: novel approach shows promise against HIV in lab study July 12, 2021 - Thanks to the development of effective drugs, HIV has become a chronic, treatable condition for most people. But it still isn’t curable, and that isn’t good enough for Dr. Jonathan Angel and his colleagues.
	1 in 4 survey respondents who gave birth at The Ottawa Hospital during the 2020 spring lockdown experienced abusive behaviour from their partners before, during or after pregnancy June 15, 2021 - Survey results from 216 people who gave birth at The Ottawa Hospital between March and June 2020 showed that 52 (24 percent) experienced controlling or abusive behaviour from their partners during their perinatal period (one year pre-pregnancy, durin
	New Canada-Wide Research to Study Mixing-and-Matching COVID-19 vaccines May 20, 2021 - The Government of Canada, through the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) and the Vaccine Surveillance Reference Group (VSRG), is supporting a new nation-wide study that will look at the effects of ‘mixing-and-matching’ approved COVID-19 vaccines in
	Harnessing artificial intelligence and nanophotonics to fight ovarian cancer May 12, 2021 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa have been awarded $150,000 from the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Brain Canada Foundation to harness artificial intelligence and nanophoto
	Planned caesarean births safe for low-risk pregnancies May 3, 2021 - New research shows that planned caesarean deliveries on maternal request are safe for low-risk pregnancies and may be associated with a lower risk of adverse delivery outcomes compared with planned vaginal deliveries.
	Ottawa researchers lead $9-million COVID Variant Rapid-Response Network April 28, 2021 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are playing an important role in a University of Ottawa-led project which has been awarded $9 million by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to create a national network for better researching and responding
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 17 CIHR grants worth $7.5 million March 10, 2021 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are playing a lead role in 17 new projects funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
	Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and Faculty of Medicine support three translational research projects through Blueprint Excelerator March 10, 2021 - The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the Faculty of Medicine are providing up to $150,000 in in-kind support to help translate three laboratory research projects into clinical applications. The three projects will receive support from th
	New scientist profile: Dr. Darine El-Chaâr aims to help pregnant parents and their babies March 10, 2021 - Dr. Darine El-Chaâr’s research focuses on three areas: increasing breast/chestfeeding among patients with diabetes, cannabis use in pregnancy, and COVID-19 in pregnancy.
	Ottawa-area residents invited to participate in COVID-19 vaccine trial March 9, 2021 - Healthy adults are invited to participate in a clinical trial at The Ottawa Hospital to test a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by VBI Vaccines Inc., a biotechnology company with Ottawa-based research and development facilities.
	Blood thinners help keep hospitalized COVID-19 patients out of ICU February 17, 2021 - Full-dose blood thinners reduced the need for mechanical ventilation and transfer to the ICU in moderately ill patients hospitalized with COVID-19, according to interim results from an international clinical trial.
	New scientist profile: Dr. Deborah Siegal aims to enhance care for people taking blood thinners January 29, 2021 - Hematologist Dr. Deborah Siegal knows that blood thinners save lives by preventing strokes and blood clots in the veins. Unfortunately, these medications come with a risk of bleeding which can be fatal. Dr. Siegal wants to find out how to best manage
	Studying sex differences in kidney disease could open door to developing new treatments January 27, 2021 - During critical illnesses like septic shock, the kidneys are often the first to shut down and the last to recover, if they recover at all. Previous research has shown that men are more severely affected by this kind of acute kidney injury than women,
	Partnering with the marginalized December 11, 2020 - To tackle health-care inequities affecting vulnerable populations, Smita Pakhalé turns to community peer researchers in a grassroots approach to epidemiological research.
	COVID-19 and rheumatoid arthritis: using big data to understand risks and improve treatments December 10, 2020 - Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease that primarily affects the joints. Dr. Sibel Aydin is harnessing big data from ICES and the Ontario Best Practice Research Initiative to determine if people with rheumatoid arthritis are more or less li
	The Ottawa Hospital contributes to ‘a beautiful evolution’ in HIV research and care December 4, 2020 - In honour of World AIDS day, we take a look back at how The Ottawa Hospital played a major role in caring for patients with HIV, how it continues to lead life-saving research, and how it is transforming how HIV is managed today.
	Probing the mysteries of COVID immunity October 15, 2020 - Stop the Spread Ottawa is an initiative aimed at accelerating vaccine development against the novel coronavirus that has transformed our way of life.
	Research reveals potential approach to make ovarian tumours ‘hot’ September 23, 2020 - In recent years, researchers have begun to recognize that some tumours are naturally “hot”, meaning they contain lots of immune cells that are actively fighting the cancer cells. Other tumours are “cold”, meaning, meaning they have little to no immun
	HELP MD – A novel data-driven approach to study physician wellness September 21, 2020 - Physician-researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the Bruyère Research Institute are leading a novel data-driven research initiative to better understand and improve physician health and wellness.
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded six CIHR grants worth $2.6 million September 7, 2020 - Could a common diabetes drug help prevent ovarian cancer? Can a tailored screening program help prevent eye disease in immigrants? Is sepsis different in females versus males, and if so, can this help us develop better treatments? These are just a fe
	Preventing dangerous blood clots in COVID-19 patients June 26, 2020 - Drs. Lana Castellucci, Marc Carrier and colleagues are contributing to an international clinical trial to find out whether a high dose of blood thinner can prevent dangerous blood clots in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
	Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women and babies June 25, 2020 - Very little is known about how COVID-19 affects pregnant women and their babies. Drs. Darine El-Chaâr, Marc-André Langlois and their team plan to address this knowledge gap through several large studies. Dr Langlois’s team will be responsib
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded $4.7 million for COVID-19 research from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research June 25, 2020 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded $4.7 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for four research projects that could transform our understanding of COVID-19 and lead
	Helping COVID-19 survivors stay healthy June 23, 2020 - Drs. Sara J. Abdallah and Juthaporn Cowan will study the long-term effects of COVID-19 in survivors, checking in on them three, six and 12 months after they were initially infected.
	TOHAMO awards $1.2M for COVID-19 research projects June 12, 2020 - Could artificial intelligence help predict which COVID-19 patients will become gravely ill? Could a home-based spit test diagnose COVID-19? Could virtual care after surgery reduce patient returns to hospital?
	Understanding the challenge of COVID-19 for Ottawa’s most vulnerable people June 8, 2020 - Dr. Smita Pakhale and her colleagues will harness the trust and engagement they have built with Ottawa’s most marginalized communities over the last 10 years through community-based participatory action research to examine how COVID-19 has impacted t
	Could blood plasma shore up our COVID defenses? June 5, 2020 - A team led by Dr. Alan Tinmouth and Dr. Dean Fergusson is part of a collaboration aiming to settle the long-standing question of whether “convalescent” blood plasma from recovered patients can be used to treat actively sick ones.
	New Frontiers in Research Fund supports trailblazing research on autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s June 3, 2020 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital are involved in four new projects funded through the Exploration stream of Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund. The fund is designed to support high-risk, high-reward and interdisciplinary research.
	COVID-19 research on cell therapy, drug screening and marginalized populations funded through Ontario’s Rapid Research Fund May 21, 2020 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded almost $2 million from Ontario’s COVID-19 Rapid Research Fund for three research projects that could help in the fight against the virus. These three pr
	COVID-19 research moving at ‘lightning speed’, thanks to generous community support May 8, 2020 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are working around the clock to advance more than 50 potentially life-saving research projects to support the world-wide effort to find better ways to treat and prevent COVID-19. Now, nine of these projects have bee
	Clinical trial to test plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients as possible treatment April 28, 2020 - Researchers, clinicians and patients at The Ottawa Hospital will be contributing to the global effort to determine if plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 (called convalescent plasma) could be an effective treatment for actively infect
	How are you coping during COVID-19? April 20, 2020 - COVID-19 is changing core aspects of people’s lives in a unique manner. Social interactions, family and work are all affected. Researchers want to understand the impacts of these changes and determine what helps people cope.? They have launched a stu
	Don’t change blood pressure medication because of fear of COVID-19 April 17, 2020 - Viruses get inside our cells by latching onto specific proteins on the cell surface. In the case of COVID-19, the virus latches onto a protein that normally controls blood pressure. In fact, common blood pressure medications increase the level of thi
	Researchers join the fight against COVID-19 April 2, 2020 - As hospitals and communities band together to fight COVID-19, researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are harnessing their unique expertise and resources to help.
	More time in space linked with anemia February 19, 2020 - More astronauts are anemic after longer space flights, according to a study led by Dr. Guy Trudel. Anemia is a reduced level of red blood cells that can make people feel weak or tired.
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded nine grants worth $5.6 million from Canadian Institutes of Health Research February 3, 2020 - How can we treat depression when nothing else is working? How can heart growth be both good and bad? How can we increase patient participation in clinical trials? These are just a few of the big questions that researchers at The Ottawa Hospital will
	Ottawa doctor recognized as one of the top blood vessel researchers in Canada January 23, 2020 - Dr. Philip Wells has received a major honour recognizing his outstanding contributions to advancing care in blood and blood vessel sciences both in Canada and around the world.
	Liver could be new target for type 1 diabetes research, treatments December 18, 2019 - Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease often diagnosed in children and young adults, but the disease process probably begins much earlier. Dr. Fraser Scott’s team conducted one of the first studies to identify very early defects in the liver
	Researchers find potential biomarker to detect ovarian cancer earlier November 27, 2019 - The protein gelsolin may help doctors detect ovarian cancer earlier, according to a preliminary study led by Dr. Benjamin Tsang. Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at a late stage because there is no reliable screening test to catch it early.
	Researchers awarded $1.6M to improve care for cardiovascular disease November 13, 2019 - The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada has awarded $1.6M to researchers at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa.
	Potassium for high blood pressure? Study to test dietary alternatives to medication November 13, 2019 - Drs. Swapnil Hiremath and Marcel Ruzicka are leading a clinical trial to identify the best way for people with high blood pressure to eat more potassium on a regular basis.
	A Canadian First: Ottawa orthopaedic researchers win top clinical research award three years running September 13, 2019 - For the third year in a row, researchers from the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery have won The Canadian Orthopedic Foundation’s top clinical research award, worth $20,000.
	Acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease— newfound hope for treatment September 12, 2019 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are working together to help prevent and treat acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease.
	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
	Feature grant: Researchers investigate how cholesterol regulates inflammation in white blood cells August 7, 2019 - Drs. Xiaohui Zha and Alexander Sorisky were awarded $48,000 to test whether cholesterol regulates inflammation in human white blood cells by altering gene expression.
	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
	Drug for high potassium linked with increase in serious gastrointestinal injury June 26, 2019 - A study led by Dr. Manish Sood found an increased rate of severe gastrointestinal injury among patients taking sodium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS) to treat high potassium levels, a symptoms of chronic kidney disease.
	Are we using biologic therapy properly? June 13, 2019 - The introduction of infliximab (Remicade), the first biologic therapy approved for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), did not result in lower rates of hospitalizations or intestinal surgeries among patients living with IBD in Ontario
	Feature grant: researchers investigate why women on hemodialysis are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease June 5, 2019 - Drs. Dylan Burger and Marcel Ruzicka were awarded $48,000 to find out why women on hemodialysis seem to be at greater risk of cardiovascular disease.
	Clinical trials offer strong foundation for better patient care May 16, 2019 - Clinical trials are an important step toward developing new treatments and learning more about diseases and conditions. In honour of International Clinical Trials Day, read how some of the researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are making huge contribut
	Study updates sleep parameters for men and women in different age groups May 1, 2019 - Researchers hope new age and sex-based sleep parameters will improve the interpretation of sleep studies and the diagnosis of sleep disorders. They may also help reduce the unnecessary use of sleeping pills by older adults.
	Clinicians at The Ottawa Hospital launch 14 innovative projects to improve health-care delivery, thanks to funding from TOHAMO and The Ottawa Hospital’s Research Institute March 22, 2019 - The Ottawa Hospital Academic Medical Organization (TOHAMO) has awarded $1.169 million in Innovation Grants to 14 teams, with supporting funds provided by the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.
	Canadian astronaut takes part in made-in-Ottawa study of bone marrow health in space March 4, 2019 - Canadian Space Agency astronaut Dr. David Saint-Jacques is taking part in a made-in-Ottawa experiment on bone marrow health during his six-month mission on the International Space Station.
	Preventing blood clots from coming back March 1, 2019 - Dr. Marc Carrier and his colleagues pooled data from more than 22,000 patients around the world to compare the effectiveness of multiple blood thinners to treat venous thromboembolism.
	Enzyme could help develop better approaches to prevent chronic kidney disease March 1, 2019 - An enzyme called Nox5 may help researchers develop new approaches to prevent chronic kidney disease in people with diabetes or high blood pressure, according to a study published in Antioxidants and Redox Signalling.
	Research could help people with cancer avoid life-threatening blood clots February 20, 2019 - In September 2018, Harold Black had trouble catching his breath while singing in his church choir. It turned out he had a life-threatening blood clot – a condition that is more common in people with cancer, like Harold. Today, people with cancer have
	Researchers to advance science and improve health with new CIHR funding February 14, 2019 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, are playing a lead role in nine new projects funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). These projects will advance science and improve health in areas su
	Flu vaccination keeps people with COPD out of the hospital January 30, 2019 - A study led by Dr. Sunita Mulpuru found that the flu vaccine was associated with a 38 percent reduction in flu-related hospitalizations among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The researchers looked at the records of 4755 Cana
	New scientist profile: Dr. Gregory Hundemer wants to improve personalized medicine for high blood pressure January 30, 2019 - High blood pressure is commonly associated with age, diet, exercise and smoking. However, sometimes a hormonal imbalance is to blame. In these cases, diagnosis is more difficult and the health risks are greater, so Dr. Gregory Hundemer hopes to devel
	New scientist profile: Dr. Swapnil Hiremath harnesses science to bust medical myths January 29, 2019 - Dr. Swapnil Hiremath is inspired by his patients to uncover the truth behind medical dogma. For example, he played a lead role in busting the myth that contrast dye should never be used in medical imaging in people with serious kidney disease. He is
	How “exosomes” target injured kidney cells and bring them back to life December 20, 2018 - The kidneys are one of the most sensitive organs in the body. They are often the first to shut down during a critical illness like septic shock and the last to come back (if they come back at all). Dr. Kevin Burns and his team previously found that “
	Severe sleep apnea increases risk of irregular heartbeat December 11, 2018 - Severe sleep apnea increases the risk of hospitalization for new atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat, according to a study led by Dr. Tetyana Kendzerska. The study followed more than 8,000 people who were originally free of any irregular hear
	Drug dramatically reduces risk of dangerous blood clots in cancer patients December 4, 2018 - A Canadian clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine provides the first approach for safely preventing blood clots (or venous thromboembolism) in people with cancer. About half of people newly diagnosed with a solid cancer coul
	Decision tool identifies which patients with COPD are at risk of death, serious complications December 3, 2018 - A made-in-Ottawa decision tool can help emergency physicians identify which patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are at high risk of serious complications including death. The Ottawa COPD Risk Scale is better than current practice at p
	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
	Researchers get $788,000 boost from NSERC November 21, 2018 - Four scientists from The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, were successful in the recent discovery grant competition from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden and Da
	Chance discovery linking diet to type 1 diabetes started whole new field of research October 22, 2018 - In the early 1980's, Dr. Fraser Scott was conducting nutritional studies on rats that were supposed to develop type 1 diabetes—except they didn't. He discovered that changing the diet of these diabetes-prone rodents had prevented the disease. Making
	New research sinks lipid raft concept October 17, 2018 - Lipid rafts are in every cell biology text book, but new research led by Dr. Xiaohui Zha shows that they probably don’t exist in most real cells. Originally described in the 1980s, lipid rafts were thought to be semi-rigid blocks of cholesterol, sphi
	Researchers awarded $1.7 M to tackle stroke and heart attack from multiple angles October 2, 2018 - Five groups from The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, were successful in the Heart and Stroke Foundation's recent grant competition. Drs. Dar Dowlatshahi, Tim Ramsay and Elizabeth Rochon were awarded $290,000* to test whethe
	How does type 1 diabetes start? New research implicates early metabolic defects in the pancreas September 6, 2018 - Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is often diagnosed in the teenage years, but the disease process probably starts much earlier. New research led by Dr. Fraser Scott shows that cellular stress is linked to decreased insulin and increased glucagon production in t
	Nerve cell structure plays a major role in kidney function July 24, 2018 - Dr. Chris Kennedy’s team has found that the nervous system controls how quickly the kidneys filter blood, and one protein is essential to this process. In the first study of its kind, the team found that a lack of the protein ubiquitin C-terminal hyd
	$1.7 million to advance research on colon cancer, brain development, kidney disease and severe fluid loss July 20, 2018 - Four research groups at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded $1.7 million in the most recent project grant competition from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Their projects will advance sci
	Top Research Papers from The Ottawa Hospital 2015-2017 June 7, 2018 - Did you know that researchers at The Ottawa Hospital publish an average of four new scientific papers every single day? Our research is advancing science and improving health on a massive scale – both at home and around the world. The list below repr
	Can pneumonia cause inflammation in the blood vessels? Researchers get $153,000 grant to find out. October 5, 2016 - Drs. Vicente Corrales-Medina and Girish Dwivedi were awarded $153,000 from the Heart and Stroke Foundation to investigate whether pneumonia can cause inflammation in the arteries of older patients. Their team previously found that after patients ov
	Out-of-this-world research could help rehabilitation patients in Ottawa May 13, 2016 - Entrepreneur Raymond Nicholas spent three months in a hospital bed and another three learning how to walk again. His doctor Dr. Guy Trudel is studying astronauts’ health in space, which he hopes will lead to faster rehabilitation for patients like Ni
	Ottawa researchers shine in SPOR funding announcement April 12, 2016 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital are playing a lead role in two of the five chronic disease networks recently funded by Canada's Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR), managed by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research. Dr. Patric
	Hospitalized for pneumonia? Your risk of cardiovascular disease is higher: study January 20, 2015 - Ottawa – Your chance of having a heart attack or stroke increases significantly if you have been hospitalized for pneumonia, according to a paper published today in the influential JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association). "The main conc
	Grant valued at almost $1 million awarded for research into fetus and placenta health September 17, 2014 - Dr. Jay Baltz has been awarded a five-year grant valued at $936,703 by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to study how the care and handling of a woman`s eggs prior to them being fertilized and placed in a uterus can impact the health

Scientists

Scientists have PhDs, MDs or both and devote at least 40 per cent of their time to research (but typically more than 75 per cent). All our Scientists also hold appointments at the University of Ottawa and many are active clinicians at The Ottawa Hospital. Scientists generally hold major peer-reviewed research grants and work with a team of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, technicians and coordinators.

Name	Scientific appointment	Diseases, conditions and populations of interest	Research and clinical approaches
Aaron, Shawn MD, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Cystic fibrosis, Lung disease, Asthma	Clinical research
Alvarez, Gonzalo MD, MPH, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (ICD)	First Nations, Inuit and Métis Health, Health in disadvantaged peoples, Infectious disease, Lung disease, Population health, Tuberculosis	Clinical research, Epidemiology, Public health
Angel, Jonathan MD, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (ICD)	HIV, Infectious disease	Basic research, Clinical research, Translational research
Aydin, Sibel MD	Associate Scientist (ICD)	Arthritis, Autoimmune disease, Bone and joint degeneration, COVID-19, Population health	Epidemiology, Imaging
Baltz, Jay PhD	Senior Scientist Emeritus (ICD)	Infertility	Molecular and cellular biology
Burger, Dylan PhD	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Aging, Diabetes, Heart disease, Hypertension, Kidney disease, Maternal and fetal health, Obesity, Thrombosis / thromboembolism, Type 1 diabetes, Vascular cognitive impairment, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Basic research, Biomarkers, Disease models, Exercise, Extracellular vesicles / exosomes, Imaging, Model organisms, Molecular and cellular biology, Pharmacology, Proteomics, Regenerative medicine, Stem cells, Transgenic/knockout models, Translational research
Burns, Kevin MD CM, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Diabetes, Kidney disease, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Basic research, Biomarkers, Cell therapy, Clinical research, Disease models, Extracellular vesicles / exosomes, Gene expression, Molecular and cellular biology, Regenerative medicine, Stem cells, Transgenic/knockout models, Translational research
Cameron, Bill MD FRCPC FACP FIDSA	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COVID-19, Cystic fibrosis, HIV, Infectious disease, Sexually transmitted infections, Tuberculosis	Clinical research, Epidemiology, Immunization, Immunotherapy, Pharmacology
Carrier, Marc MD, MSc, FRCPC, DRCPSC	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Cancer, Thrombosis / thromboembolism	Clinical research, Patient engagement
Castellucci, Lana MD, FRCPC, MSc	Scientist (ICD)	Thrombosis / thromboembolism	Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Critical care, Patient engagement, Systematic reviews, Transfusions
Cooper, Curtis MD, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (ICD)	COVID-19, Hepatitis C, HIV, Infectious disease, Influenza, Sexually transmitted infections	Clinical research, Immunization
Cowan, Juthaporn MD, PhD, FRCPC	Associate Scientist (ICD)	Autoimmune disease, COVID-19, Infectious disease	Immunization, Immunotherapy, Patient engagement
Crawley, Angela Ph.D.	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Cancer, COVID-19, Hepatitis C, HIV, Infectious disease, Liver cancer, Liver disease	Basic research, Cancer immunotherapy, Clinical research, Disease models, Immunization, Immunotherapy, Molecular and cellular biology, RNA sequencing, Translational research
Duffett, Lisa MD	Associate Scientist (ICD)	Thrombosis / thromboembolism	Clinical research, Clinical trials, Epidemiology
El-Chaar, Darine MD, FRCSC, Msc	Scientist (ICD)	Autoimmune disease, COVID-19, Diabetes, Infectious disease, Inflammatory bowel syndrome, Maternal and fetal health, Newborn and child health, Population health, Pregnancy, Women's health	Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Health research methods, Health services research, Public health, Qualitative methods, Quality Improvement, Systematic reviews
Hiremath, Swapnil MD, MPH, FASN	Associate Scientist (ICD)	Diabetes, Health in older peoples, Heart disease, Hypertension, Kidney disease, Population health, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Health services research, Imaging, Pharmacology, Pragmatic trials, Public health, Quality Improvement, Systematic reviews
Hundemer, Gregory MD, MPH	Scientist (ICD)	Heart disease, Hypertension, Kidney disease, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Biomarkers, Clinical research, Cohort studies
Kendzerska, Tetyana MD, PhD	Associate Scientist (ICD)	Aging, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Heart disease, Lung disease, Population health, Women's health	Biostatistics, Clinical research, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Health research methods, Health services research, Systematic reviews
Kennedy, Christopher PhD	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Diabetes, Hypertension, Kidney disease	Molecular and cellular biology
Knoll, Gregory MD, MSc, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Kidney disease	Clinical research, Transplantation
Kwok, Chanel MD, FRCPC	Associate Scientist (ICD)	Lung disease	Epidemiology
Le Gal, Gregoire MD, PhD	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Thrombosis / thromboembolism	Clinical decision rules, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Epidemiology, Patient engagement, Peri-operative medicine
Liu, Johné PhD	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Aging, Cancer, Infertility, Maternal and fetal health, Pregnancy, Women's health	Basic research, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Disease models, Drug development, Translational research
Mulpuru, Sunita MD FRCPC MSc	Associate Scientist (ICD)	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Frailty, Influenza, Population health	Epidemiology, Health services research, Immunization, Quality Improvement
Murthy, Sanjay MD, FRCPC	Scientist (ICD)	Colorectal cancer, Crohn's, Gastrointestinal disease, Inflammatory bowel syndrome	Clinical decision rules, Clinical research, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Health economics, Health services research
Myran, Daniel MD, MPH, CCFP, FRCPC	Associate Scientist (ICD)	Addiction, Mental health, Population health	Big data, Cannabis, Epidemiology, Health services research, Public health
Pakhale, Smita MD, FRCPC, MSc (Epi & Biostat)	Senior Scientist (ICD)	COVID-19, First Nations, Inuit and Métis Health, Health equity, Health in disadvantaged peoples, Lung disease, Sickle cell anemia	Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Health economics, Health promotion, Health services research, Patient engagement, Pragmatic trials, Public health, Quality Improvement
Scott, Fraser PhD	Senior Scientist Emeritus (ICD)	Autoimmune disease, Gastrointestinal disease	Basic research, Biomarkers, Disease models, Molecular and cellular biology, Translational research
Shaw, Joseph MD MSc FRCPC DRCPSC	Associate Scientist (ICD)	Cancer, Thrombosis / thromboembolism	Biomarkers, Clinical research, Epidemiology, Peri-operative medicine, Pharmacology
Siegal, Deborah MD MSc FRCPC	Scientist (ICD)		Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cluster randomized trials, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Systematic reviews
Sood, Manish MD, FRCPC, MSc	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Bleeding disorders, Heart disease, Hypertension, Population health, Thrombosis / thromboembolism	Big data, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Health research methods, Health services research, Pharmacology, Prevention
Sorisky, Alexander MD, CM, FRCPC	Senior Scientist Emeritus (ICD)	Obesity, Diabetes, Heart disease	Basic research, Molecular and cellular biology
Tanphaichitr, Nongnuj PhD	Senior Scientist Emeritus (ICD)	HIV, Infectious disease, Infertility, Men's health, Sexually transmitted infections, Women's health	Basic research, Drug development, Imaging, Lipidomics, Molecular and cellular biology, Proteomics
Tinmouth, Alan MD, FRCPC, MSc (Clin Epi)	Senior Scientist (ICD)	COVID-19, Sickle cell anemia, Thalassemia	Clinical trials, Epidemiology, Transfusions
Trudel, Guy MD	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Anemia, Bone and joint degeneration, Musculoskeletal conditions	Basic research, Biomarkers, Molecular and cellular biology, Regenerative medicine, Rehabilitation
Tsang, Benjamin PhD	Senior Scientist Emeritus (ICD)	Infertility, Ovarian cancer	Artificial intelligence and data science, Basic research, Extracellular vesicles / exosomes, Translational research
Wells, Philip MD, FRCPC, MSc	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Thrombosis / thromboembolism	Artificial intelligence and data science, Clinical research
Xu, Yan MD, FRCPC, MSc	Associate Scientist (ICD)	Health equity, Health in disadvantaged peoples, Population health, Thrombosis / thromboembolism	Epidemiology
Zha, Xiaohui Ph.D.	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Molecular and cellular biology
Zimmerman, Deborah MD	Scientist (ICD)	Frailty, Kidney disease	Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Quality Improvement, Systematic reviews
Abdelbary, Hesham MD	Associate Scientist (ICD)
Akbari, Ayub MD	Associate Scientist (ICD)	Kidney disease	Clinical research
Azad, Marisa MD/PhD	Associate Scientist (ICD)
Bugeja, Ann MD	Associate Scientist (ICD)
Canney, Mark MD	Associate Scientist (ICD)
Cheung, Angela MD	Associate Scientist (ICD)
Delluc, Aurelien MD	Scientist (ICD)
Downar, James MD	Associate Scientist (ICD)
Kimpton, Miriam MD	Associate Scientist (ICD)
MacFadden, Derek MD	Scientist (ICD)
Massicotte-Azarniouch, David MD	Associate Scientist (ICD)
Purssell, Andrew MD/PhD	Associate Scientist (ICD)
Wang, Tzu-Fei MD	Scientist (ICD)

Investigators

Clinician Investigators are generally physicians, nurses, or other health professionals at The Ottawa Hospital who devote between 5 and 40 per cent of their time to clinical research. They often also hold appointments at the University of Ottawa. Investigators are generally PhD researchers with several years of postdoctoral training who devote between 20 and 50 per cent of their time to research.

Name	Scientific appointment	Diseases, conditions and populations of interest	Research and clinical approaches
Beaulac, Julie PhD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)		Clinical research, Health promotion, Health services research, Psychology, Shared decision making
Bruni, Adrianna MSc MD CCFP-PC	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Kidney disease, Liver disease	Palliative care
Cahill, Taliesin RN MSN	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Addiction, Chronic pain, Health equity, Health in disadvantaged peoples, Hepatitis C, HIV, Infectious disease, Mental health
Chandratre, Priyanka BSc (Hons), MBBch, MRCP (UK), PhD, FRCP (UK)	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Autoimmune disease, Bone and joint degeneration, Musculoskeletal conditions	Epidemiology
Corrales Medina, Vicente MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Pneumonia, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Clinical research
Druce, Irena MD, FRCPC, MSc	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Diabetes, Health equity	Cancer immunotherapy, Health promotion, Translational research
Dy, Jessica MD, MPH, FRCS(C)	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Finestone, Hillel MD, FRCPC	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Chronic pain, Musculoskeletal conditions, Pain, Stroke	Rehabilitation
Goudreau, Louis P. Eng. B.A.Sc.	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Humphrey-Murto, Susan MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Kekewich, Michael BA (Hons), MA	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Kilty, Shaun MD, FRCSC	Senior Clinician Investigator (ICD)
McKim, Douglas MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
O'Neill, Patricia B.Sc.(Eng), M.Sc.(Eng.), P.Eng.	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Patino, Paula MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Lung cancer
Thake, Miriam MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Aging, Dementia, Frailty, Health in older peoples	Knowledge translation and implementation research
Thornton, Marianne BSc	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Wang, Xiang Pharm.D, MSc, ACPR	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Cancer, Heart disease, Population health, Stroke, Thrombosis / thromboembolism	Health services research
Abdelaal, Mohamed MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Abujrad, Hussein MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Akter, Ripa MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Amjadi, Kayvan MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Aneke, John MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Arnaout, Amel MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Attie, Catherine MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Auclair, Francois MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Beecker, Jennifer MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Besemann, Markus MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Bielawska, Barbara MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Bissett, Diana BSc	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Biyani, Mohan MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Booth, Ronald MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Bose, Reetesh MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Bowdridge, Joshua MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Brophy, Jason MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Brown, Pierre Antoine MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Buchan, Arianne MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Byszewski, Anna MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Cabral, Antonio MD	Senior Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Causada Calo, Natalia MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Chan, James MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Chandy, George MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Chang, Ruby Ying-Ju MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Chatterjee, Avijit MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Chin, Melanie MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Chu, Raymond MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Clark, Heather MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Cohen, Leila MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Colantonio, David PhD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Davis, Janet MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Dent, Robert MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Desjardins, Isabelle MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Desjardins, Marc MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Deslandes, Vincent MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Dhaliwal, Harinder MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Dudek, Nancy MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Edwards, Cedric MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Enright, Paula MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Evans, Jessica MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Fahim, Simone	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Fairhead, Todd MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Fitzgibbon, Edward MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Fitzpatrick, Tania MD/PhD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Forbes, Jessica PhD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)		Quality Improvement
Forgie, Melissa MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Forse, Catherine MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
French Merkley, Veronique MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Gagnon, Bruno MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Gale, Jenna MD, MSc, FRCSC	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Infertility, Pain, Pregnancy, Women's health	Clinical research, Epidemiology, Imaging, Patient safety, Quality Improvement, Surveys, Systematic reviews, Translational research
Gaudreau-Simard, Mathilde MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Gauthier, Nadine MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Giguere, Pierre MSc	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Glassman, Steven MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Gomes, Megan MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Gonsalves, Carol MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Gravel, Denis MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Halman, Samantha	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Hartwick, Michael MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Harvey, Kordan MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Hasimja, Delvina MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Hepworth, Elliot	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Arthritis
Holly, Janet MSc	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Howes-Rousseau, Juliana MSc	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Hryciw, Nicole MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Hsu, Helen MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Huang, Allen MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Huang, Shirley MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Imrie, Kevin MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Ivory, Catherine MD, PhD, FRCPC	Senior Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Arthritis, Autoimmune disease, Lupus	Basic research, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Translational research
Jackson, Aaron MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Jansen, Gerard MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Jibri, Zaid	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Johnson, Christopher MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Karpinski, Jolanta MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Keely, Erin MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Kelly, Erin MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Khalife, Roy MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Khamisa, Karima MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Khoury, Lara MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Kirchhof, Mark MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Kobewka, Daniel MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Laframboise, Wendy MSc	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Lawlor, Peter MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Le Saux, Nicole MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Lee, Craig MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Leech, Judith MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Liddy, Clare MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Liu, Dora MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Lochnan, Heather MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Lu, Clara MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Addiction
Luks, Vanessa MD, FRCPC	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Asthma, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Cystic fibrosis, Lung disease, Pneumonia
Mack, Johnathan MD	Senior Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Madise-Wobo, Akpoembele Deborah MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Magner, Peter MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Malcolm, Janine MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Malek, Michael MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Mallet, Karen MSc	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Maltez, Nancy MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Maqsood, Muhammad MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Newborn and child health, Septic shock
Mashally, Sally MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Masood, Salman MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
McCarthy, Anne MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
McConville, Eilish	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
McCormick, Anna MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
McCormick, Brendan MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
McCudden, Christopher PhD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
McCurdy, Jeffrey MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
McDiarmid, Sheryl RN	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
McGuinty, Michaeline	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
McNamara, Patricia MSc	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
McNaughton, Andrew MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Midzic, Ines MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Miller, Toba RN	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Miller, William MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Milman, Nataliya MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Moledina, Aliza MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Molnar, Frank MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Montpetit, Madeleine MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Mortimer, Leanne PhD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Moyana, Terence MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Munro, Camille MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Myette, Robert MD/PhD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Nair, Vidhya MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Nguyen, Tiffany BSc	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Nichol, Kathryn MSc	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Nott, Caroline MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Onofrio, Fernanda MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
O'Shea, Leah MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)		Palliative care, Quality Improvement
Paliga, Aleksandra MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Parai, Jacqueline MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Parsons, Henrique MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Patel, Rakesh MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Pease, Christopher MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Pena, Elena MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Power, Barbara MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Pratt, Melanie MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Pugh, Debra MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Purgina, Bibianna MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Quon, Michael MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Renesme, Laurent MD/PhD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Rice, Jill MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Rostom, Alaa MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Roth, Virginia MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Ruddy, Terrence MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Saker, Ayman MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Sampaio, Marcos MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Sant, Nadia MDCM, FRCPC	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	COVID-19, Infectious disease	Epidemiology, Next generation sequencing, Quality Improvement
Scarvelis, Dimitrios MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Seguin, Dale MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Shaw, Julie PhD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Shenassa, Hassan MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Shiau, Judy MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Sim, Jordan	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Liver cancer, Liver disease
Spilg, Edward	Senior Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Sreenivasan, Vidya	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Suh, Kathryn MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Sun, Cathy MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Sy, Richmond MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Syed Mohinuddin, Syed Makhtum MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Tabchi, Samer MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Tawagi, George MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Teo, Iris MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Theriault, Eric	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Thyagu, Santhosh MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Touchie, Claire MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Touchie, Donna BScN	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Tran, Christopher MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Trinacty, Melanie BSc	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Tsien, Cynthia MD	Senior Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Turley, Jolanda MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Veinot, John MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Vincent, Daniel MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Viner, Gary MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Voduc, Nha MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Walker, Kyle MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Autoimmune disease, Hearing loss
Warmels, Grace MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Watt, Christine MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Webber, Gail MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Welch, Vivian	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Wentzell, Jason	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Wiefels, Christiane MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Wielgosz, Andreas MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Wilding, Laura BScN, MSc	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Wilkinson, Ross MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Willows, Melanie MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Wolff, Gerald MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Wooller, Krista MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Wooltorton, Eric MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)
Xing, Lydia MD	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Infectious disease

Affiliate Investigators

Affiliate Investigators are researchers who have primary affiliations with other institutions, but maintain significant collaborations or funding with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.

Adamo, Kristi	Elbeddini, Ali	Liu, Peter	Poses, Roy
Archibald, Doug	Fontaine, Guillaume	MacDougall, Jamie	Radziuk, Jerry
Baddour, Natalie	Garazin, Mohamed	Marcoux, Isabelle	Shojania, Kaveh
Bainbridge, Shannon	Garber, Gary	Matejcic, Andrew	Sigal, Ronald
Balfour, Louise	Gibb, William	McPherson, Christine	Simard, Camille
Basak, Ajoy	Hincke, Maxwell	Moore, Charlotte	Skeith, Leslie
Bella, Anthony	Hogg, William	Muldoon, Katherine	Srour, Nadim
Benoit, Daniel L.	Howcroft, Jennifer	Nerenberg, Kara	Straus, Sharon
Catala-Lopez, Ferran	Hsu, Amy	Nichol, Graham	Sun, Jim
Chalmers, Beverley	Kendall, Claire	Ooi, Daylily	Touyz, Rhian
Chen, Xikuan	Kenny, Glen	Ooi, Teik Chye	Tritschler, Tobias
Crighton, Eric	Leader, Arthur	Ouyang, Yongdong	Ward, Leanne
Egan, Mary	Leveille, Marie Claude