BSc, PhD
Professor, Department of Medicine, McMaster University
Dr. Roma Sehmi is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University. She received her PhD from the Royal Brompton National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College (London, UK) and completed post-doctoral fellowship training at Cambridge University and McMaster University.
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. A major focus of her work has been investigating the role of hemopoietic processes in the development of eosinophilic inflammation in asthma. She has developed methodologies for comprehensive enumeration and phenotypic analyses of rare cells including eosinophil-lineage committed progenitor cells, basophils, lymphocytes and group 2 innate lymphoid cells to better understand the interaction between innate and adaptive immune cells in type 2 high inflammatory responses. The ability to sample sputum, blood and bone marrow extracted cells from the same subject has helped to investigate the cross-compartmental effects of biologics and develop an in-depth understanding of the mechanistic effects of these therapies in mild and severe asthma.
Dr. Sehmi is a fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and American Thoracic Society. She has received funding from national and provincial granting agencies and several investigator initiated grants from pharmaceutical companies. She has received an Ontario Lung Association award for research excellence. Dr. Sehmi teaches an undergraduate Demystifying Medicine course and a graduate Research Methodology course. She has published over 90 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters to date. She continues to supervise both undergraduate and graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.
1. Sehmi R, Lim HF, Mukherjee M, Huang C, Radford K, Newbold P, Boulet L-P, Dorscheid D, Martin JG, Nair P (2018) Benralizumab attenuates airway eosinophilia and eosinophilopoietic processes in prednisone-dependent asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 141(4):1529-1532.
2. Sehmi R, Smith SG, Kjarsgaard M, Radford K, Boulet LP, Lemiere C, Prazma CM, Ortega H, Martin JG, Nair P. (2016) Role of local eosinophilopoietic processes in the development of airway eosinophilia in prednisone-dependent severe asthma. Clin Exp Allergy. 46(6):793-802.
3. SG Smith, R Chen, M Kjarsgaard, C Huang, J-P Oliveria, PM O’Byrne, GM Gauvreau, L-P Boulet, C Lemiere, J Martin, P Nair, Sehmi R (2016) Increased Numbers of Activated Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells in the Airways of Severe Asthmatics with Persistent Airway Eosinophilia J Allergy Clin Immunol 137(1):75-86.
4. Chen R, Smith SG, Salter B, El-Gammal A, Oliveria JP, Obminski C, Watson R, O'Byrne PM, Gauvreau GM, Sehmi R.(2017) Allergen-induced Increases in Sputum Levels of Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells in Subjects with Asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 196(6):700-712.
5. Aw M, Nair P, Salter B, Chen R, Machida K, Inman M, O'Byrne PM, Gauvreau GM, Sehmi R. (2019) Effect of sex on group 2 innate lymphoid cells in the airways of mild and severe asthmatics. Allergy 74(7):1397-1400
6. Mukherjee M, Lim HF, Thomas S, Miller D, Kjarsgaard M, Tan B, Sehmi R, Khalidi N, Nair P. (2017) Airway autoimmune responses in severe eosinophilic asthma following low-dose Mepolizumab therapy Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 6;13:2.
7. Mukherjee M, Aleman Paramo F, Kjarsgaard M, Salter B, Nair G, LaVigne N, Radford K, Sehmi R, Nair P. (2018) Weight-adjusted Intravenous Reslizumab in Severe Asthma with Inadequate Response to Fixed-Dose Subcutaneous Mepolizumab. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 197(1):38-46.
8. Neighbour H, Boulet LP, Lemiere C, Sehmi R, Leigh R, Sousa AR, Martin J, Dallow N, Gilbert J, Allen A, Hall D, Nair P. (2014) Efficacy of an oral CCR3 antagonist in patients with asthma and eosinophilic bronchitis: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Clin Exp Allergy. 44(4):508-16.
9. Imaoka H, H Campbell, I Babirad, RM Watson, M Mistry, Sehmi R and GM Gauvreau (2011) TPI ASM8 reduces eosinophil progenitor cells in sputum after allergen challenge in mild asthmatics. Clin. Exp. Allergy 41(12): 1740-1746.
10. Catalli AE, Thomson JV, Babirad IM, Duong M, Doyle TM, Howie KJ, Newbold P, Craggs RI, Foster M, Gauvreau GM, O’Byrne PM, Sehmi R (2008) Modulation of B-1 integrins on hemopoietic progenitor cells post allergen challenge in asthmatics. J Allergy Clin Immunol 122:803-810.
11. Parameswaran K, Watson RM, Ellis R, Fanat A, Gauvreau GM, Rerecich T, Sehmi R, O’Byrne PM (2004) The effects of pranlukast, a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist, on allergen-induced airway eosinophilia and bone marrow eosinophil progenitors in asthmatic subjects Am J Respir Crit Care Med 169:915-20.
12. Dorman SC, Efthimiadis A, Babirad I, Watson RM, Denburg JA, Hargreave FE, O’Byrne PM, Sehmi R (2004) Sputum CD34+IL-5Rα+ cells increase after allergen: evidence for in situ eosinophilopoieisis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 169:573-577.
13. Menzies-Gow A, Flood-Page P, Sehmi R, Burman J, Hamid Q, Robinson DS, Kay AB, JA Denburg (2003) Anti-IL-5 (mepolizumab) therapy induces bone marrow eosinophil maturation and decreased eosinophil progenitors in the bronchial mucosa of atopic asthmatics. J Allergy Crit Care Med 111(4):714-9.
14. Sehmi R, Dorman S, Baatjes A, Watson R, Foley R, Ying S, Robinson DS, Kay AB, O’Byrne PM, Denburg JA (2003) Allergen-induced fluctuations in CC chemokine receptor 3 expression on bone marrow CD34+ cells from asthmatic subjects: significance for mobilization of hemopoietic progenitor cells in allergic inflammation. Immunology 109(4):536-46.
15. Sehmi R, Wood LJ, Watson R, Foley R, O’Byrne PM, Denburg JA (1997) Allergen-induced increases in the expression of the alpha-subunit of IL-5 receptor on bone marrow derived CD34+ cells from asthmatic subjects: a novel marker of progenitor cell commitment towards eosinophilic differentiation. J Clin Invest 10: 2466-75.
All CIC publications featuring Dr. Sehmi as a co-author are listed below.
| Author(s) | Year | Title | Journal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tang W, Smith SG, Du W, Gugilla A, Du J, Oliveria JP, Howie K, Salter BM, Gauvreau GM, O'Byrne PM, Sehmi R | 2018 | Interleukin-25 and eosinophils progenitor cell mobilization in allergic asthma | Clinical Translational Allergy |
| Al-Sajee D, Oliveria JP, Sehmi R, Gauvreau GM | 2018 | Antialarmins for treatment of asthma: future perspectives | Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine |
| Salter BMA, Smith SG, Mukherjee M, Plante S, Krisna S, Nusca G, Oliveria JP, Irshad A, Gauvreau GM, Chakir J, Nair P, Sehmi R | 2018 | Human Bronchial Epithelial Cell-derived Factors from Severe Asthmatic Subjects Stimulate Eosinophil Differentiation | American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine |
| Oliveria JP, Salter BM, MacLean J, Kotwal S, Smith A, Harris JM, Scheerens H, Sehmi R, Gauvreau GM | 2017 | Allergic asthmatics with allergy have elevated levels of IgE+ B cells in the airways | The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology |
| Oliveria JP, Salter BM, MacLean J, Kotwal S, Smith A, Harris JM, Scheerens H, Sehmi R, Gauvreau GM | 2017 | Increased IgE+ B cells in sputum, but not blood, bone marrow or tonsils after inhaled allergen challenge in asthmatic subjects | American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine |
| Chen R, Smith SG, Salter B, El-Gammal A, Oliviria JP, Obminski C, Watson R, O'Byrne PM, Gauvreau GM, Sehmi R. | 2017 | Allergen-induced Increases in Sputum Levels of Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells in Subjects with Asthma | American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine |
| Mitchell PD, Salter BM, Oliveria JP, El-Gammal A, Tworek D, Smith SG, Sehmi R, Gauvreau GM, Butler M, O'Byrne PM | 2016 |
Clinical and Experimental Allergy |
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| Tang W, Smith SG, Salter B, Oliveria JP, Mitchell P, Nusca GM, Howie K, Gauvreau GM, O'Byrne PM, Sehmi R | 2016 |
International Archives of Allergy and Immunology |
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| Salter BM, Manzoor F, Beaudin S, Kjarsgaard M, Nair P, Gauvreau GM, Sehmi R | 2016 |
Dysregulation of Vascular Endothelial Progenitor Cells Lung-Homing in Subjects with COPD |
Canadian Respiratory Journal |
| Salter BM, Oliveria JP, Nusca G, Smith SG, Tworek D, Mitchell PD, Watson RM, Sehmi R, Gauvreau GM | 2016 |
IL-25 and IL-33 induce Type 2 inflammation in basophils from subjects with allergic asthma |
Respiratory Research |
| Salter BM, Nusca G, Tworek D, Oliveria JP, Smith SG, Watson RM, Scime T, Obminski C, Sehmi R, Gauvreau GM | 2016 | Expression of activation markers in circulating basophils and the relationship to allergen-induced bronchoconstriction |
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology |
| Smith SG, Chen R, Kjarsgaard M, Huang C, Oliveria JP, O'Byrne P, Gauvreau G, Boulet L-P, Lemiere C, Martin JG, Nair P, Sehmi R. | 2015 |
Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology |
|
| Salter BM, Oliveria JP, Nusca G, Smith SG, Watson RM, Comeau M, Sehmi R, Gauvreau GM | 2015 |
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology |
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| Watson BM, Oliveria JP, Nusca GM, Smith SG, Beaudin S, Dua B, Watson RM, Assayag EI, Cormier YF, Sehmi R, Gauvreau GM | 2015 |
Inhibition of allergen-induced basophil activation by ASM-024, a nicotinic receptor ligand |
International Archives of Allergy and Immunology |
| Smith SG, Gugilla A, Mukherjee M, Merim K, Irshad A, Tang W, Kinoshita T, Watson B, Oliveria JP, Comeau M, O'Byrne PM, Gauvreau GM, Sehmi R | 2015 | Thymic stromal lymphopoietin and IL-33 modulate migration of hematopoietic progenitor cells in patients with allergic asthma |
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology |