World-leading Canadian and international experts
The CIC’s scientists are renowned for their cutting-edge research and clinical expertise in asthma and other airways diseases.
Pan-Canadian expertise
and international collaborators
CIC researchers are based in six institutions across Canada, with collaborating researchers located in Sweden.
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The University of British Columbia
Located in Vancouver, BC, the UBC site of the CIC is headed by Dr. Mark FitzGerald.
University of Alberta
Located in Edmonton, AB, the UAlberta site of the CIC is headed by Dr. Irving Mayers.
University of Calgary
Located in Calgary, AB, the UCalgary site of the CIC is headed by Dr. Richard Leigh.
University of Saskatchewan
Located in Saskatoon, SK, the USaskatchewan site of the CIC is headed by Dr. Don Cockcroft.
McMaster University
Located in Hamilton, ON, the McMaster site of the CIC is the lead site of the Collaborative, and is headed by CIC Director Dr. Paul O'Byrne.
Laval University
Located in Quebec City, QC, the Laval site of the CIC is headed by Dr. Louis-Philippe Boulet.
Karolinska Institute (Sweden)
Located in Stockholm, Sweden, the Karolinska Institute satellite site of the CIC is headed by Dr. Sven-Erik Dahlén.
British Columbia
The CIC's British Columbia site is located at The University of British Columbia, in Vancouver.
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Alberta
The CIC has two sites in Alberta: in Edmonton at the University of Alberta, and in Calgary at the University of Calgary.
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Saskatchewan
The CIC's Saskatchewan site is located at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.
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Ontario
The lead site for the CIC is located in Hamilton, Ontario.
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Quebec
The CIC's Quebec site is located at Laval University in Quebec City.
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McMaster University (lead site)
Director
Dr. Paul O’Byrne
MB, FRCPI, FRCPC, FRCPE, FRCP(Glasg), FAPC, FCCP, FERS, FRSC
Dr. O’Byrne is a world-renowned researcher and a practicing respirologist. His research interests are on the mechanisms and treatment of asthma, particularly the role of environmental allergens and the mechanisms by which these cause airway inflammation.
Co-Director
Dr. Gail Gauvreau
BSc, MSc, PhD
Dr. Gauvreau's research interests include the mechanisms of allergic inflammation, novel therapeutic targets for asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), airway inflammation in asthma and COPD, and cysteinyl leukotrienes and cysLT receptors.
Investigator
Dr. Roma Sehmi
BSc, PhD
Dr. Sehmi’s research focuses on cellular mechanisms of inflammatory diseases of the upper and lower airways. She has investigated the role of alarmins, lipid mediators and cytokines in promoting migrational responses of mature eosinophils to sites of inflammation.
Collaborator
Dr. Mark Larché
PhD
Dr. Larché is an accomplished researcher with interests in translational medicine; the development of peptide-based vaccines for chronic immunological diseases including asthma, allergy, autoimmunity and transplantation-related diseases; and the immunological mechanisms of asthma.
The University of British Columbia
Lead Investigator
Dr. Celine Bergeron
MD, MSc, FRCPC
Dr. Bergeron has focused on severe asthma pathology and lung transplantation since 2003, and has developed an extensive portfolio of clinical research and biobanking. In 2015, she joined Vancouver General Hospital and the University of British Columbia as a Respiratory Physician, and Clinical Associate Professor with lung transplantation as a primary focus, and still continues to be involved in teaching, ethics board, severe asthma care as well as multiple clinical trials.
University of Alberta
Lead Investigator
Dr. Irvin Mayers
MD, FRCPC
Dr. Mayers's clinical interests include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and sleep medicine. His research interests include the translation of clinical research to clinical practice, with particular focus on non-invasive mechanical ventilation for COPD exacerbation, and internet-based asthma management.
University of Calgary
Lead Investigator
Dr. Richard Leigh
MBChB, MSc, PhD, FCP (SA), FRCPC
Dr. Leigh’s areas of interest include understanding the basic mechanisms underlying airway remodeling in asthma, the assessment of airway inflammation and early phase clinical trials in asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Investigator
Dr. Patrick Mitchell
BBLS, MB BCh BAO, MRCPI
Dr. Mitchell's clinical interests are in asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), chronic eosinophilic airways disease, autoimmune pulmonary diseases, Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary Thromboembolic disease and airways disease in pregnancy. His research interests encompass asthma, COPD, eosinophilic pulmonary diseases, transitional clinics, atopic and allergic disease.
University of Saskatchewan
Lead Investigator
Dr. Don Cockcroft
BSc, MD, FRCPC
Dr. Cockcroft's research focuses on clinical investigations in asthma, primarily bronchoprovocation with methacholine and other nonallergic stimuli, and the development and use of the allergen challenge model for investigating both the pathophysiology of asthma and new drugs for asthma.
Investigator
Dr. Beth Davis
PhD
Dr. Davis' research interests include: bronchoprovocation (airway challenges with direct and indirect stimuli); airway inflammation (sputum and exhaled nitric oxide techniques); and clinical trials (Phase II, III, IV - predominantly allergic asthma).
Laval University
Lead Investigator
Dr. Andréanne Côté
MD, FRCPC
Dr. Côté is a physician at the Quebec University Institute of Cardiology and Pulmonology (Laval Hospital) specializing in intensive care medicine and pulmonology. Her research aims to identify new (subgroups) in the asthmatic population based on biomarkers easily accessible in the clinic, to better use the targeted therapies currently available and to contribute to the development of new molecules.
Investigator
Dr. Jamila Chakir
PhD
Dr. Chakir is an immunologist and cell biologist who studies the role of airway structural cells in asthma.
Karolinska Institute (Sweden)
Lead Investigator
Dr. Sven-Erik Dahlén
MD, PhD
Dr. Sven-Erik Dahlén is a leading leukotriene researcher whose broader interests span: asthma; allergy; respiratory and general physiology; pharmacology; lipid mediators; severe and aspirin/NSAID intolerant asthma; biomarkers for precision medicine; drug development and experimental models; and human experimental medicine.
Investigator
Dr. Barbro Dahlén
MD
Dr. Barbro Dahlén is a senior physician who has conducted research in pulmonary medicine/allergy since the 1980s.