Spotlight on Research

Dr. Gagan Gupta is a professor and researcher at Toronto Metropolitan University in the department of Chemistry & Biology. Dr. Gupta was recently funded by Cystic Fibrosis Canada for his study, Connecting CFTR interaction profiling and drug response in cellular models of human airway, receiving an early career investigator award for his work. Read below our conversation with Dr. Gupta about his work and involvement with cystic fibrosis.  

Dr. Stanojevic is a respiratory epidemiologist who wants to better understandhow the CF population changes over time and how we can keep people healthier for longer. She was recently funded by Cystic Fibrosis Canada for her study Beyond the numbers: understanding disparities in the under-represented Canadian Cystic Fibrosis population, with an Early Career Investigator Award. Learn more about her contribution to CF research below. 

Dr. Amy Wong is a scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children who was recently granted an early career investigator award for her study; Bioengineering novel airway mimetics using human induced pluripotent stem cells for CF disease modeling and therapy. Dr. Wong’s intention is to create the first humanized artificial airway to study the CF disease, focusing on the impact of mucus obstructions on airflow and cell functions. She proposes that if successful, this new tool will advance basic science discoveries in cystic fibrosis treatments and mechanisms. 

Dr. Anne Stephenson is a respirologist and clinician at St. Michael’s Hospital as well as director of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Registry. Dr. Stephenson was recently funded by Cystic Fibrosis Canada for her study Getting older and wiser: the complexities of ageing with cystic fibrosis. Her study has received both the Cathleen Morrison Research Impact Award for being the highest-ranked project among our community reviewers, as well as the Robbie Award for Most Promising New Research Project. Learn more about Dr. Stephenson’s research and impact on the CF Community below.  

Dr. Jonathan Rayment has recently taken over as Medical Lead of CF Canada’s clinical trial network, CanACT, replacing Dr. Bradley Quon who has stepped down after five years in the role. Dr. Rayment is both a pediatric respirologist and clinician scientist at BC Children’s Hospital (BCCH) and has been involved in the clinical trial network since its founding in 2018. We got the chance to chat with Dr. Rayment about this new position and learn more about the importance of clinical trials for our community.

Dr. Thomas Waddell, a senior scientist and thoracic surgeon (lung transplantation doctor) at the University Health Network in Toronto, is looking to tackle this challenge. Dr. Waddell is receiving funding from Cystic Fibrosis Canada from 2022-2025 for his research study, The use of immune-modified pluripotent safe cells in cell replacement therapy for Cystic Fibrosis.

Dr. Yossef Av-Gay is a professor at the University of British Columbia and has been recently funded by Cystic Fibrosis Canada through the 2021 Grants & Awards Competition for his study, Hit to lead: Novel agents against Mycobacterium abscessus.

Dr. Emile Levy, a professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of Montreal and Scientific Director of the Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Unit at Le Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine, recently received funding from Cystic Fibrosis Canada for his study, "Therapeutic efficacy of polyphenols in experimental cystic fibrosis: their role in intestinal inflammation, oxidative stress and microbiota dysbiosis.” Cystic Fibrosis Canada awarded this funding as part of our 2021 Grants & Awards Competition and are looking forward to the results of the study.

Dr. Jin-A Lee, from SickKids was recently awarded a two year research fellowship grant from Cystic Fibrosis Canada for her research study, A mutation-independent role of TMEM16A in airway cystic fibrosis therapy.  

Research fellowships are awarded to applicants to our Grants & Awards Competition who have completed a PhD or MD degree within the last five years and are doing an independent research project in an academic lab. Dr. Lee hopes to identify the role of TMEM16A, which is a calcium-chloride channel, as well as determine the effects of upregulating TMEM16A in helping epithelial function. The ultimate goal is to find a way to target TMEM16A to help compensate for defective CFTR function in CF patients.  

Dr. Lee’s research relates to the community health priority: Cure CF with gene or stem cell therapies. It and also focuses on individuals who will not benefit from modulators.

In late 2021, we were able to co-fund with Michael Smith Health Research BC a three-year research trainee award for a researcher working to develop a non-invasive diagnostic for lung infections in CF. Dr. Shekooh Behroozian, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia working in the laboratory of Dr. Jane Hill, received this award for her study, Development of a non-invasive diagnostic to detect bacterial pulmonary infections in patients with cystic fibrosis. This work aligns with our community health priorities: Improve airway infection detection and?treatment? and Predict and prevent pulmonary?exacerbations?.