Education and Professional Standing

Dr. Allen’s undergraduate education was at Oxford University in England and at the Royal London Hospital. After postgraduate training which led to the MRCP (UK) diploma in General Internal Medicine Dr. Allen completed fellowship training in respiratory medicine at McMaster University. This was followed by a Canadian MRC research fellowship in clinical exercise physiology at McMaster. He joined the consultant staff at the Firestone Institute in 1984.

Selected Publications

1. Allen CJ, Jones NL. Rate of change of alveolar CO2 and the control of ventilation during exercise. J Physiol 1984;355:1-9.
2. Allen CJ, Newhouse MT. Gastroesophageal reflux and chronic respiratory disease. Am Rev Resp Dis. 1984;129:645-7.
3. Allen CJ, Jones NL, Killian KJ. Alveolar gas exchange single breath analysis. Journal of Applied Physiology 1984;57:1704-9.
4. Anvari M, Allen CJ, Borm A. Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication is a satisfactory alternative to long-term omeprazole. Br. J. Surg 1995;82:938-42.
5. Anvari M, Allen CJ, Moran LA. Immediate And Delayed Effects Of Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication On Pulmonary Function. Surg Endosc 1996 10:1171-5.
6. Kates N, Craven M.A., Crustolo A-M., Nikolaou N, Allen C, Farrar S. Sharing care: the psychiatrist in the family physician’s office. Can J Psychiatry 1997;42:960-65.
7. Anvari M., Allen CJ. Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication two year comprehensive follow-up of a technique of minimal paraesophageal dissection. Ann Surg 1998 Jan;227(1):25-32.
8. Allen CJ, Anvari M. Prospective Evaluation of Cough Before and After Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication. Thorax 1998;53:963-8. This paper discussed in an editorial Ing AJ, Ngu MC. Cough and gastroesophageal reflux. Lancet 1999;353:944-6.
9. Allen, C. J. , Parameswaran, K. , Belda, J. & Anvari, M. Reproducibility, validity, and responsiveness of a disease-specific symptom questionnaire for gastroesophageal reflux disease. Diseases of the Esophagus2000:13 (4), 265-270.
10. K. Parameswaran, M. Anvari, A. Efthimiadias, D. Kamada, FE. Hargreve, C. Allen. Lipid-Laden Macrophages in Induced Sputum are a Marker of Oro-pharyngeal Reflux and Possible Gastric Aspiration. Eur Respiratory J 2000 16(6):1119-1122.
11. Parameswaran K, Allen CJ, Kamada D, Efthimiadis A, Anvari M, Hargreave FE. Sputum cell counts and exhaled nitric oxide in patients with gastroesophageal reflux, and cough or asthma. Can Respir J 2001;8(4):239-44.
12. Anvari M, Allen C. Five-year comprehensive outcomes evaluation in 181 patients after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication. J Am Coll Surg 2003;196(1):51-7.
13. Allen CJ, Anvari M. Does laparoscopic fundoplication provide long-term control of gastroesophageal reflux related cough? Surg Endosc 2004;18(4):633-7.
14. M.A. Craven, L. Nikolaou, C.J. Allen, A.M. Crustolo, N. Kates. Patient Education Materials for Mental Health Problems in Family Practice: Does Location Matter? Patient Education and Counseling 2005;56:192-196.
15. Anvari M, Allen C, Marshall J, Armstrong D, Goeree R, Ungar W, et al. A randomized controlled trial of laparoscopic nissen fundoplication versus proton pump inhibitors for treatment of patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease: One-year follow-up. Surg Innov. 2006 Dec;13(4):238-49
16. D’Silva L, Cook RJ, Allen CJ, Hargreave FE, Parameswaran K. Changing pattern of sputum cell counts during successive exacerbations of airway disease. Respir Med. 2007;101(10):2217-20.
17. Anvari M, Allen C, Marshall J, Armstrong D, Goeree R, Ungar W, et al. A randomized controlled trial of laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication versus proton pump inhibitors for the treatment of patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): 3-year outcomes. Surg Endosc. 2011;25(8):2547-54. Epub 2011/04/23.
18. Goeree R, Hopkins R, Marshall JK, Armstrong D, Ungar WJ, Goldsmith C, et al. Cost-utility of laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication versus proton pump inhibitors for chronic and controlled gastroesophageal reflux disease: a 3-year prospective randomized controlled trial and economic evaluation. Value in health : the journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research. 2011;14(2):263-73. Epub 2011/03/16.
19. Wilson AM, Nair P, Hargreave FE, Efthimiadis AE, Anvari M, Allen CJ. Lipid and smoker’s inclusions in sputum macrophages in patients with airway diseases. Respir Med. 2011;105(11):1691-5. Epub 2011/08/13.
20. Yao X, Gomes MM, Tsao MS, Allen CJ, Geddie W, Sekhon H. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy versus core-needle biopsy in diagnosing lung cancer: a systematic review. Curr Oncol. 2012;19(1):e16-27. Epub 2012/02/14.

Research Interests: Pulmonary physiology and exercise testing, gastroesophageal reflux as it relates to respiratory disease, electronic database development to support the practice of respiratory medicine, community management of asthma through collaboration with the Primary Care Asthma Program which is funded and supported by the Ontario Ministry of Health.. Dr. Allen has received research funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health, the Ontario Lung Association, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Education and Professional Standing

Dr. Allen’s undergraduate education was at Oxford University in England and at the Royal London Hospital. After postgraduate training which led to the MRCP (UK) diploma in General Internal Medicine Dr. Allen completed fellowship training in respiratory medicine at McMaster University. This was followed by a Canadian MRC research fellowship in clinical exercise physiology at McMaster. He joined the consultant staff at the Firestone Institute in 1984.

Selected Publications

1. Allen CJ, Jones NL. Rate of change of alveolar CO2 and the control of ventilation during exercise. J Physiol 1984;355:1-9.
2. Allen CJ, Newhouse MT. Gastroesophageal reflux and chronic respiratory disease. Am Rev Resp Dis. 1984;129:645-7.
3. Allen CJ, Jones NL, Killian KJ. Alveolar gas exchange single breath analysis. Journal of Applied Physiology 1984;57:1704-9.
4. Anvari M, Allen CJ, Borm A. Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication is a satisfactory alternative to long-term omeprazole. Br. J. Surg 1995;82:938-42.
5. Anvari M, Allen CJ, Moran LA. Immediate And Delayed Effects Of Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication On Pulmonary Function. Surg Endosc 1996 10:1171-5.
6. Kates N, Craven M.A., Crustolo A-M., Nikolaou N, Allen C, Farrar S. Sharing care: the psychiatrist in the family physician’s office. Can J Psychiatry 1997;42:960-65.
7. Anvari M., Allen CJ. Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication two year comprehensive follow-up of a technique of minimal paraesophageal dissection. Ann Surg 1998 Jan;227(1):25-32.
8. Allen CJ, Anvari M. Prospective Evaluation of Cough Before and After Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication. Thorax 1998;53:963-8. This paper discussed in an editorial Ing AJ, Ngu MC. Cough and gastroesophageal reflux. Lancet 1999;353:944-6.
9. Allen, C. J. , Parameswaran, K. , Belda, J. & Anvari, M. Reproducibility, validity, and responsiveness of a disease-specific symptom questionnaire for gastroesophageal reflux disease. Diseases of the Esophagus2000:13 (4), 265-270.
10. K. Parameswaran, M. Anvari, A. Efthimiadias, D. Kamada, FE. Hargreve, C. Allen. Lipid-Laden Macrophages in Induced Sputum are a Marker of Oro-pharyngeal Reflux and Possible Gastric Aspiration. Eur Respiratory J 2000 16(6):1119-1122.
11. Parameswaran K, Allen CJ, Kamada D, Efthimiadis A, Anvari M, Hargreave FE. Sputum cell counts and exhaled nitric oxide in patients with gastroesophageal reflux, and cough or asthma. Can Respir J 2001;8(4):239-44.
12. Anvari M, Allen C. Five-year comprehensive outcomes evaluation in 181 patients after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication. J Am Coll Surg 2003;196(1):51-7.
13. Allen CJ, Anvari M. Does laparoscopic fundoplication provide long-term control of gastroesophageal reflux related cough? Surg Endosc 2004;18(4):633-7.
14. M.A. Craven, L. Nikolaou, C.J. Allen, A.M. Crustolo, N. Kates. Patient Education Materials for Mental Health Problems in Family Practice: Does Location Matter? Patient Education and Counseling 2005;56:192-196.
15. Anvari M, Allen C, Marshall J, Armstrong D, Goeree R, Ungar W, et al. A randomized controlled trial of laparoscopic nissen fundoplication versus proton pump inhibitors for treatment of patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease: One-year follow-up. Surg Innov. 2006 Dec;13(4):238-49
16. D’Silva L, Cook RJ, Allen CJ, Hargreave FE, Parameswaran K. Changing pattern of sputum cell counts during successive exacerbations of airway disease. Respir Med. 2007;101(10):2217-20.
17. Anvari M, Allen C, Marshall J, Armstrong D, Goeree R, Ungar W, et al. A randomized controlled trial of laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication versus proton pump inhibitors for the treatment of patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): 3-year outcomes. Surg Endosc. 2011;25(8):2547-54. Epub 2011/04/23.
18. Goeree R, Hopkins R, Marshall JK, Armstrong D, Ungar WJ, Goldsmith C, et al. Cost-utility of laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication versus proton pump inhibitors for chronic and controlled gastroesophageal reflux disease: a 3-year prospective randomized controlled trial and economic evaluation. Value in health : the journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research. 2011;14(2):263-73. Epub 2011/03/16.
19. Wilson AM, Nair P, Hargreave FE, Efthimiadis AE, Anvari M, Allen CJ. Lipid and smoker’s inclusions in sputum macrophages in patients with airway diseases. Respir Med. 2011;105(11):1691-5. Epub 2011/08/13.
20. Yao X, Gomes MM, Tsao MS, Allen CJ, Geddie W, Sekhon H. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy versus core-needle biopsy in diagnosing lung cancer: a systematic review. Curr Oncol. 2012;19(1):e16-27. Epub 2012/02/14.

Research Interests: Pulmonary physiology and exercise testing, gastroesophageal reflux as it relates to respiratory disease, electronic database development to support the practice of respiratory medicine, community management of asthma through collaboration with the Primary Care Asthma Program which is funded and supported by the Ontario Ministry of Health.. Dr. Allen has received research funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health, the Ontario Lung Association, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Research Interests: The Ask lab is studying a molecular pathway termed the unfolded protein response (UPR) that is activated when proteins are not folded correctly in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).

Research Interests: The Ask lab is studying a molecular pathway termed the unfolded protein response (UPR) that is activated when proteins are not folded correctly in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).

Research Interests: Optimizing late-life mobility through early detection and personalized interventions.

Research Interests: Optimizing late-life mobility through early detection and personalized interventions.

Professor Myrna Dolovich has been active in aerosol research for the past 40 years. Graduating from McGill University with a degree in electrical engineering, she worked, in the early years of her career, with renowned pulmonary physiologists Drs Joseph Milic-Emili and David Bates to expand our understanding of regional ventilation in the normal and diseased lung using gamma scintigraphic methods.  Similar imaging techniques were applied to establish the methodologies currently used for assessing distribution of inhaled therapeutic aerosols in the lung. At St Joseph’s Hospital and McMaster University, working with Drs M Newhouse, J Sanchis and G Coates, she studied deposition and mucociliary clearance from the lung using these scintigraphic methods, also assessing performance of therapeutic inhalers for delivering drug to the lungs of asthmatics, cystic fibrosis and COPD patients. Development of the Aerochamber™ for patient use was a focus of early research for the St Joseph’s Hospital Aerosol Group. Most recently, newer 3D imaging methods, namely positron emission tomography (PET), have been applied to assess the sites of inflammation in patients as well as mapping deposition patterns of inhaled aerosols in 3D.

Other Activities

Aerosol School, 3-day teaching program with practical laboratory experience in aerosol basics, aerosol measurements and techniques and applications to research and pharmaceutical laboratory and clinical settings was established by Dolovich in 2009 with support from the International Society for Aerosols in Medicine (ISAM). It has become an annual program and is currently scheduled for October 2015.

Myrna has served on the Board of Directors of ISAM and is a member of the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Aerosol Medicine and Pulmonary Drug Delivery and Pediatric Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. She is a member of the Health Canada Scientific Advisory Committee – Respiratory and Allergy Therapies (SAC-RT), joining in 2006. In 2009, she was awarded the ISAM Career Achievement Award for contributions to medical aerosol research.

Publications

Publications include a recognized resource text on aerosols (Aerosols in Medicine: Principles, Diagnosis and Therapy. 1st and 2nd editions, eds. Morén F, Dolovich M. Newhouse M, Newman S. Elsevier Science Publishers 1989,1994). Selected research papers of major importance to the field are:

1. Aerosol Penetrance: A Sensitive Index of Peripheral Airways Obstruction. M. Dolovich, J. Sanchis, C. Rossman, M.T. Newhouse. J Appl Physiol 1976; 40(3): 468-471. Defined a method for assessing delivery of aerosols to target sites in the lung.
2. A comparison of submicronic technetium aerosol with xenon-127 for ventilation studies. Coates G, Dolovich M, Newhouse M. Proceedings of 3rd World Congress of Nuclear Medicine and Biology, Paris, France: Pergamon Press, 1982; II: 2014-2020. Validated the first use of a submicronic (extra-fine) aerosol to measure lung ventilation.
3. The Effect of Preferential Deposition of Histamine in the Human Airway. R.E. Ruffin, M.B. Dolovich, R.K. Wolff, M.T. Newhouse. Am Rev Respir Dis 1978; 117(3):485-592. Importance to response in targeting aerosols to different sites in the lung.
4. Clinical Evaluation of the Aerochamber: A Simple Demand Inhalation MDI Aerosol Delivery Device. M. Dolovich, R. Ruffin, D. Corr, M. Newhouse. Chest 1983; 84:36-41. Validation for the Aerochamber® aerosol delivery system, (developed at St Joseph’s Hospital for pMDIs) and the clinical effects of tailoring inhalant aerosols.
5. Device selection and Outcomes of Aerosol Therapy: American College of Chest Physicians /American College of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology Evidence-Based Guidelines. Dolovich M, Ahrens R, Hess D, Anderson P, Dhand R, Rau J, Smaldone GC, Guyatt G.. Chest 2005;127: 335-371; Systematic review of aerosol drug delivery devices.
6. Dolovich MB. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomographic imaging of pulmonary functions, pathology, and drug delivery. Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2009 Aug 15;6(5):477-85. doi: 10.1513/pats.200904-023AW. PubMed PMID: 19687222.
7. Dolovich MB, Dhand R. Aerosol drug delivery: developments in device design and clinical use. Lancet. 2011 Mar 19;377(9770):1032-45. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60926-9. Epub 2010 Oct 29. Review. PubMed PMID: 21036392.
8. Mitchell J, Dolovich MB. Clinically relevant test methods to establish in vitro equivalence for spacers and valved holding chambers used with pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs). J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv. 2012 Aug;25(4):217-42. doi: 10.1089/jamp.2011.0933. Review. PubMed PMID: 22857273
9. Dolovich MB, Bailey DL. Positron emission tomography (PET) for assessing aerosol deposition of orally inhaled drug products. J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv. 2012 Dec;25 Suppl 1:S52-71. doi: 10.1089/jamp.2012.1Su6. PubMed PMID: 23215847.
10. Yaghi A, Zaman A, Cox G, Dolovich MB. Ciliary beating is depressed in nasal cilia from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease subjects. Respir Med. 2012 Aug;106(8):1139-47. doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2012.04.001. Epub 2012 May 17. PubMed PMID: 22608352.

View all publications on PubMed

Research Interests: Research interests involve the in vitro and in vivo characterization of vaccine and medical aerosols from various types of drug delivery systems; use of both 2D and 3D PET imaging modalities to investigate factors which influence the deposition and distribution of aerosolized drugs in the lung. A related interest is the investigation of epithelial cell cilia function and structure utilizing nasal and bronchial cilia obtained from patients with various respiratory diseases. The data provides an assessment of the ability of the lung to clear secretions as well as the effects on this key lung defence mechanism of a variety of traditional and experimental therapies. Cell culture using human bronchial and nasal epithelial primary cells have been established to provide model systems for investigating disease mechanisms.

Professor Myrna Dolovich has been active in aerosol research for the past 40 years. Graduating from McGill University with a degree in electrical engineering, she worked, in the early years of her career, with renowned pulmonary physiologists Drs Joseph Milic-Emili and David Bates to expand our understanding of regional ventilation in the normal and diseased lung using gamma scintigraphic methods.  Similar imaging techniques were applied to establish the methodologies currently used for assessing distribution of inhaled therapeutic aerosols in the lung. At St Joseph’s Hospital and McMaster University, working with Drs M Newhouse, J Sanchis and G Coates, she studied deposition and mucociliary clearance from the lung using these scintigraphic methods, also assessing performance of therapeutic inhalers for delivering drug to the lungs of asthmatics, cystic fibrosis and COPD patients. Development of the Aerochamber™ for patient use was a focus of early research for the St Joseph’s Hospital Aerosol Group. Most recently, newer 3D imaging methods, namely positron emission tomography (PET), have been applied to assess the sites of inflammation in patients as well as mapping deposition patterns of inhaled aerosols in 3D.

Other Activities

Aerosol School, 3-day teaching program with practical laboratory experience in aerosol basics, aerosol measurements and techniques and applications to research and pharmaceutical laboratory and clinical settings was established by Dolovich in 2009 with support from the International Society for Aerosols in Medicine (ISAM). It has become an annual program and is currently scheduled for October 2015.

Myrna has served on the Board of Directors of ISAM and is a member of the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Aerosol Medicine and Pulmonary Drug Delivery and Pediatric Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. She is a member of the Health Canada Scientific Advisory Committee – Respiratory and Allergy Therapies (SAC-RT), joining in 2006. In 2009, she was awarded the ISAM Career Achievement Award for contributions to medical aerosol research.

Publications

Publications include a recognized resource text on aerosols (Aerosols in Medicine: Principles, Diagnosis and Therapy. 1st and 2nd editions, eds. Morén F, Dolovich M. Newhouse M, Newman S. Elsevier Science Publishers 1989,1994). Selected research papers of major importance to the field are:

1. Aerosol Penetrance: A Sensitive Index of Peripheral Airways Obstruction. M. Dolovich, J. Sanchis, C. Rossman, M.T. Newhouse. J Appl Physiol 1976; 40(3): 468-471. Defined a method for assessing delivery of aerosols to target sites in the lung.
2. A comparison of submicronic technetium aerosol with xenon-127 for ventilation studies. Coates G, Dolovich M, Newhouse M. Proceedings of 3rd World Congress of Nuclear Medicine and Biology, Paris, France: Pergamon Press, 1982; II: 2014-2020. Validated the first use of a submicronic (extra-fine) aerosol to measure lung ventilation.
3. The Effect of Preferential Deposition of Histamine in the Human Airway. R.E. Ruffin, M.B. Dolovich, R.K. Wolff, M.T. Newhouse. Am Rev Respir Dis 1978; 117(3):485-592. Importance to response in targeting aerosols to different sites in the lung.
4. Clinical Evaluation of the Aerochamber: A Simple Demand Inhalation MDI Aerosol Delivery Device. M. Dolovich, R. Ruffin, D. Corr, M. Newhouse. Chest 1983; 84:36-41. Validation for the Aerochamber® aerosol delivery system, (developed at St Joseph’s Hospital for pMDIs) and the clinical effects of tailoring inhalant aerosols.
5. Device selection and Outcomes of Aerosol Therapy: American College of Chest Physicians /American College of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology Evidence-Based Guidelines. Dolovich M, Ahrens R, Hess D, Anderson P, Dhand R, Rau J, Smaldone GC, Guyatt G.. Chest 2005;127: 335-371; Systematic review of aerosol drug delivery devices.
6. Dolovich MB. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomographic imaging of pulmonary functions, pathology, and drug delivery. Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2009 Aug 15;6(5):477-85. doi: 10.1513/pats.200904-023AW. PubMed PMID: 19687222.
7. Dolovich MB, Dhand R. Aerosol drug delivery: developments in device design and clinical use. Lancet. 2011 Mar 19;377(9770):1032-45. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60926-9. Epub 2010 Oct 29. Review. PubMed PMID: 21036392.
8. Mitchell J, Dolovich MB. Clinically relevant test methods to establish in vitro equivalence for spacers and valved holding chambers used with pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs). J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv. 2012 Aug;25(4):217-42. doi: 10.1089/jamp.2011.0933. Review. PubMed PMID: 22857273
9. Dolovich MB, Bailey DL. Positron emission tomography (PET) for assessing aerosol deposition of orally inhaled drug products. J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv. 2012 Dec;25 Suppl 1:S52-71. doi: 10.1089/jamp.2012.1Su6. PubMed PMID: 23215847.
10. Yaghi A, Zaman A, Cox G, Dolovich MB. Ciliary beating is depressed in nasal cilia from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease subjects. Respir Med. 2012 Aug;106(8):1139-47. doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2012.04.001. Epub 2012 May 17. PubMed PMID: 22608352.

View all publications on PubMed

Research Interests: Research interests involve the in vitro and in vivo characterization of vaccine and medical aerosols from various types of drug delivery systems; use of both 2D and 3D PET imaging modalities to investigate factors which influence the deposition and distribution of aerosolized drugs in the lung. A related interest is the investigation of epithelial cell cilia function and structure utilizing nasal and bronchial cilia obtained from patients with various respiratory diseases. The data provides an assessment of the ability of the lung to clear secretions as well as the effects on this key lung defence mechanism of a variety of traditional and experimental therapies. Cell culture using human bronchial and nasal epithelial primary cells have been established to provide model systems for investigating disease mechanisms.

Education and Professional Standing Awards and Distinctions

Dr. Forsythe obtained his BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry MSc in Laboratory Medicine and PhD in Mast Cell Immunopharmacology from Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland. Following his PhD he undertook a post-doctoral fellowship with the Pulmonary Research Group at the University of Alberta (1999-2003). He continued his post-doctoral training at the Brain-Body Institute, McMaster University before joining the Faculty of Medicine in 2008.

Selected Publications

• Castillo-Courtade L, Han S, Lee S, Mian FM, Buck R, Forsythe P. Attenuation of food allergy symptoms following treatment with human milk oligosaccharides in a mouse model. Allergy. 2015 [Epub ahead of print]
• Forsythe P. Probiotics and lung immune responses. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2014;11 S1:S33-7
• Forsythe P. Gut microbes as modulators of the neuro-immuno-endocrine system. PharmaNutrition, 2013;1:115–122
• McClemens J, Kim JJ, Wang H, Mao YK, Collins M, Kunze W, Bienenstock J, Forsythe P, Khan WI. Lactobacillus rhamnosus ingestion promotes innate host defense in an enteric parasitic infection. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2013;20(6):818-26.
• Forsythe P, Kunze WA. Voices from within: gut microbes and the CNS. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2013 Jan;70(1):55-69.
• Karimi K, Kandiah N, Chau J, Bienenstock J, Forsythe P. A Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain induces a hemeoxygenase dependent increase in Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. PLoS One. 2012;7(10):e47556.
• Forsythe P, Wang B, Khambati I, Kunze WA. Systemic effects of ingested Lactobacillus rhamnosus: inhibition of mast cell membrane potassium (IKCa) current and degranulation. PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e41234.
• Bravo JA, Forsythe P, Chew MV, Escaravage E, Savignac HM, Dinan TG, Bienenstock J, Cryan JF. Ingestion of Lactobacillus strain regulates emotional behavior and central GABA receptor expression in a mouse via the vagus nerve. ProcNatlAcadSci U S A. 2011 108(38):16050-5.
• Forsythe P. Probiotics and lung diseases. Chest 2011; 139(4):901-8.
• Karimi K, Bienenstock J, Wang L, Forsythe P. The Vagus Nerve Modulates CD4+ T cell Activity. Brain Behav Immun. 2010;24(2):316-23

See PubMed for full listing

Research Interests: The neuro-immuno-endocrine super-system in the context of the holobiont, with a particular focus on identifying mechanisms underlying the influence of gut microbes, and their products on the development of diverse pathophysiological responses such as inflammation, allergic disease and mood disorders. A major focus of his work has been on obtaining an understanding of the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of gut microbes and their products in allergy and asthma. His work in this area lead to the first report that oral treatment with probiotic bacteria could attenuate major characteristics of an allergic airway response in adult mice, suggesting that it may be possible to develop microbial based therapeutic or prophylactic strategies for asthma. He further determined that induction of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells is a major determinant of the ability of certain bacteria to protect against allergic inflammation. Dr Forsythe has a strong interest in neural regulation of immunity and particular in exploring the putative microbiota-gut-brain-immune axis. In this regard, he has been investigating the role of the vagus nerve as part of the inflammatory reflex, responding to microbial cues that lead to afferent signaling to the brain with neurochemical and behavioural consequences and efferent signals that regulate immune responses. As a result of this work he was a lead author on the first demonstration that specific gut bacteria can modulate normal behaviour in mice. Working with multi-disciplinary collaborators has allowed him to expand his research into the areas of neurophysiology and animal behaviour.

Education and Professional Standing Awards and Distinctions

Dr. Forsythe obtained his BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry MSc in Laboratory Medicine and PhD in Mast Cell Immunopharmacology from Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland. Following his PhD he undertook a post-doctoral fellowship with the Pulmonary Research Group at the University of Alberta (1999-2003). He continued his post-doctoral training at the Brain-Body Institute, McMaster University before joining the Faculty of Medicine in 2008.

Selected Publications

• Castillo-Courtade L, Han S, Lee S, Mian FM, Buck R, Forsythe P. Attenuation of food allergy symptoms following treatment with human milk oligosaccharides in a mouse model. Allergy. 2015 [Epub ahead of print]
• Forsythe P. Probiotics and lung immune responses. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2014;11 S1:S33-7
• Forsythe P. Gut microbes as modulators of the neuro-immuno-endocrine system. PharmaNutrition, 2013;1:115–122
• McClemens J, Kim JJ, Wang H, Mao YK, Collins M, Kunze W, Bienenstock J, Forsythe P, Khan WI. Lactobacillus rhamnosus ingestion promotes innate host defense in an enteric parasitic infection. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2013;20(6):818-26.
• Forsythe P, Kunze WA. Voices from within: gut microbes and the CNS. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2013 Jan;70(1):55-69.
• Karimi K, Kandiah N, Chau J, Bienenstock J, Forsythe P. A Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain induces a hemeoxygenase dependent increase in Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. PLoS One. 2012;7(10):e47556.
• Forsythe P, Wang B, Khambati I, Kunze WA. Systemic effects of ingested Lactobacillus rhamnosus: inhibition of mast cell membrane potassium (IKCa) current and degranulation. PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e41234.
• Bravo JA, Forsythe P, Chew MV, Escaravage E, Savignac HM, Dinan TG, Bienenstock J, Cryan JF. Ingestion of Lactobacillus strain regulates emotional behavior and central GABA receptor expression in a mouse via the vagus nerve. ProcNatlAcadSci U S A. 2011 108(38):16050-5.
• Forsythe P. Probiotics and lung diseases. Chest 2011; 139(4):901-8.
• Karimi K, Bienenstock J, Wang L, Forsythe P. The Vagus Nerve Modulates CD4+ T cell Activity. Brain Behav Immun. 2010;24(2):316-23

See PubMed for full listing

Research Interests: The neuro-immuno-endocrine super-system in the context of the holobiont, with a particular focus on identifying mechanisms underlying the influence of gut microbes, and their products on the development of diverse pathophysiological responses such as inflammation, allergic disease and mood disorders. A major focus of his work has been on obtaining an understanding of the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of gut microbes and their products in allergy and asthma. His work in this area lead to the first report that oral treatment with probiotic bacteria could attenuate major characteristics of an allergic airway response in adult mice, suggesting that it may be possible to develop microbial based therapeutic or prophylactic strategies for asthma. He further determined that induction of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells is a major determinant of the ability of certain bacteria to protect against allergic inflammation. Dr Forsythe has a strong interest in neural regulation of immunity and particular in exploring the putative microbiota-gut-brain-immune axis. In this regard, he has been investigating the role of the vagus nerve as part of the inflammatory reflex, responding to microbial cues that lead to afferent signaling to the brain with neurochemical and behavioural consequences and efferent signals that regulate immune responses. As a result of this work he was a lead author on the first demonstration that specific gut bacteria can modulate normal behaviour in mice. Working with multi-disciplinary collaborators has allowed him to expand his research into the areas of neurophysiology and animal behaviour.

Dr. Gelberg graduated from Queen’s University School of Medicine in 2007. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Queen’s University and his Respirology Fellowship at McMaster University. He went on to complete a fellowship in interventional pulmonology at the University of Calgary with a focus on minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic pulmonary procedures.

He returned to McMaster in 2013 and is currently an assistant professor in the Division of Respirology and the Department of Medicine. His areas of interest include lung cancer, pulmonary nodules, pleural disease and minimally invasive interventional chest procedures.

He is a clinical lead in the Pleural Disease Clinic, deputy director of the pulmonary function laboratory and sits on the endoscopy and medical simulation committees. He is also a consultant in Respirology at St. Joseph’s and Juravinski Hospitals.

Research Interests: Lung cancer, pulmonary nodules, pleural disease and minimally invasive interventional chest procedures.

Dr. Gelberg graduated from Queen’s University School of Medicine in 2007. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Queen’s University and his Respirology Fellowship at McMaster University. He went on to complete a fellowship in interventional pulmonology at the University of Calgary with a focus on minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic pulmonary procedures.

He returned to McMaster in 2013 and is currently an assistant professor in the Division of Respirology and the Department of Medicine. His areas of interest include lung cancer, pulmonary nodules, pleural disease and minimally invasive interventional chest procedures.

He is a clinical lead in the Pleural Disease Clinic, deputy director of the pulmonary function laboratory and sits on the endoscopy and medical simulation committees. He is also a consultant in Respirology at St. Joseph’s and Juravinski Hospitals.

Research Interests: Lung cancer, pulmonary nodules, pleural disease and minimally invasive interventional chest procedures.

Social determinants of health and health system design

Neil Johnston and Steve Buist (Investigations Editor, Hamilton Spectator) designed and executed the “Code Red” project between 2007 and 2010. Using health service, education records and socio-economic data, neighbourhoods in the City of Hamilton were profiled for socio-economic and health status and consumption of health services. The Code Red series was published over seven days in the Hamilton Spectator and was designed to stimulate a community debate about variation in health status between neighbourhoods and health system re-design. The series won a National Newspaper award for special projects and was shortlisted for the Michener prize. Johnston and Buist won the 2011 Hillman Prize for journalism fostering social and economic justice.

Physician Human Resource Planning

Neil Johnston founded (1992) and oversees the Ontario Physician Human resources Data Center on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Ontario Medical Association, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, and the Council of Ontario Faculties of Medicine. OPHRDC is the definitive information resource for physician human resource planning in Ontario.

Selected Publications

• Neil W. Johnston, Kim Lambert, Patricia Hussack, Maria Gerhardsson de Verdier, Tim Higenbottam, Jonathan Lewis, Paul Newbold, Martin Jenkins, Geoff R. Norman, Peter.V. Coyle, and R. Andrew McIvor.  Detection of COPD Exacerbations and Compliance with Patient Reported Daily Symptom Diaries Using a SmartPhone-Based Information System. Chest 2013 Aug;144(2):507-14.
• Patrick F DeLuca, Neil Johnston & Steve Buist. The Code Red Project: Engaging Communities in Health System Change in Hamilton, Canada. Social Indicators Research 2012;108 (2):317-327.
• Johnston NW.The Similarities and Differences of Epidemic Cycles of COPD and Asthma Exacerbations.  Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society 2007;4:591-596.
• Johnston NW, Mandhane PJ, Dai J, Duncan JM, Greene JM, Lambert K, Sears MR.   Attenuation of the September epidemic of asthma exacerbations in children:  A randomized controlled trial of montelukast added to usual therapy.  Pediatrics. 2007 Sep;120(3):e702-12.
• Johnston NW, Johnston SL, Dai J, Norman GR, Sears MR.  The September epidemic of asthma exacerbations: School children as disease vectors.  J Allergy Clin Immunol 2006;117:557-62.

Research Interests: The role of viral infections in acute exacerbations of asthma and COPD and IPF. Respiratory viral infections are the single most important factor in the genesis of asthma, COPD and possibly IPF (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) exacerbations. International comparisons of the determinants and distribution of epidemic cycles of asthma and COPD and the factors responsible for them are the focus of current studies.

Social determinants of health and health system design

Neil Johnston and Steve Buist (Investigations Editor, Hamilton Spectator) designed and executed the “Code Red” project between 2007 and 2010. Using health service, education records and socio-economic data, neighbourhoods in the City of Hamilton were profiled for socio-economic and health status and consumption of health services. The Code Red series was published over seven days in the Hamilton Spectator and was designed to stimulate a community debate about variation in health status between neighbourhoods and health system re-design. The series won a National Newspaper award for special projects and was shortlisted for the Michener prize. Johnston and Buist won the 2011 Hillman Prize for journalism fostering social and economic justice.

Physician Human Resource Planning

Neil Johnston founded (1992) and oversees the Ontario Physician Human resources Data Center on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Ontario Medical Association, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, and the Council of Ontario Faculties of Medicine. OPHRDC is the definitive information resource for physician human resource planning in Ontario.

Selected Publications

• Neil W. Johnston, Kim Lambert, Patricia Hussack, Maria Gerhardsson de Verdier, Tim Higenbottam, Jonathan Lewis, Paul Newbold, Martin Jenkins, Geoff R. Norman, Peter.V. Coyle, and R. Andrew McIvor.  Detection of COPD Exacerbations and Compliance with Patient Reported Daily Symptom Diaries Using a SmartPhone-Based Information System. Chest 2013 Aug;144(2):507-14.
• Patrick F DeLuca, Neil Johnston & Steve Buist. The Code Red Project: Engaging Communities in Health System Change in Hamilton, Canada. Social Indicators Research 2012;108 (2):317-327.
• Johnston NW.The Similarities and Differences of Epidemic Cycles of COPD and Asthma Exacerbations.  Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society 2007;4:591-596.
• Johnston NW, Mandhane PJ, Dai J, Duncan JM, Greene JM, Lambert K, Sears MR.   Attenuation of the September epidemic of asthma exacerbations in children:  A randomized controlled trial of montelukast added to usual therapy.  Pediatrics. 2007 Sep;120(3):e702-12.
• Johnston NW, Johnston SL, Dai J, Norman GR, Sears MR.  The September epidemic of asthma exacerbations: School children as disease vectors.  J Allergy Clin Immunol 2006;117:557-62.

Research Interests: The role of viral infections in acute exacerbations of asthma and COPD and IPF. Respiratory viral infections are the single most important factor in the genesis of asthma, COPD and possibly IPF (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) exacerbations. International comparisons of the determinants and distribution of epidemic cycles of asthma and COPD and the factors responsible for them are the focus of current studies.

Research Interests: determinants of chronic diseases; cardiorespiratory health

Research Interests: determinants of chronic diseases; cardiorespiratory health

Dr. Pugsley is the co-founder of the outpatient Chronic Respiratory Care Program and a founding member of the respiratory medical staff at the inception of the Firestone Chest and Allergy Unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto with a specialty in internal medicine.

He continues to be an integral member of the clinical staff within Firestone and of the medical staff of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. Dr. Pugsley was instrumental in establishing the Clinic for Chronic Airway Obstruction. This clinic has improved care for patients with COPD by reducing the incidence of infective exacerbations and hospitalization.

Dr. Pugsley is the co-founder of the outpatient Chronic Respiratory Care Program and a founding member of the respiratory medical staff at the inception of the Firestone Chest and Allergy Unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto with a specialty in internal medicine.

He continues to be an integral member of the clinical staff within Firestone and of the medical staff of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. Dr. Pugsley was instrumental in establishing the Clinic for Chronic Airway Obstruction. This clinic has improved care for patients with COPD by reducing the incidence of infective exacerbations and hospitalization.

Dr. Malcolm Sears graduated from the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand and was on faculty there until 1990 when he was recruited as the Director of the Firestone Regional Chest and Allergy Unit (the forerunner of the Firestone Institute of Respiratory Health), Director of Respiratory Medicine at St. Joseph’s Healthcare and Professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University. In 2002 he stepped down as Clinical Director and became Research Director of the Firestone Institute until 2009.

He is director of the CIHR/AllerGen funded Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study following over 3000 infants from pregnancy to age 5 years.

Dr. Sears has published over 250 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, together with numerous abstracts. He lectures frequently at national and international scientific meetings, and serves on many asthma advisory boards.

Dr. Sears holds an endowed Astra Zeneca Chair in Respiratory Epidemiology at McMaster University.

Awards and Distinctions

• Who’s Who (New Zealand) (1993-)
• Who’s Who (Canada) (1993-)
• Who’s Who (Ontario) (1994-)
• International Who’s Who in Medicine (1994-)
• Wunderly Orator, Thoracic Society Australia and New Zealand (1997)
• Christie Memorial Lecturer, Canadian Thoracic Society (2011)
• Award for Leadership in Health Research, Asthma Society of Canada (2015)

Funding

Health Research Council of New Zealand
Longitudinal study of natural history of asthma

CIHR
Indoor air exposures, genes and gene-environment interactions in the etiology of asthma and allergy in early childhood
Viral infection and wheezing in the first year of life
Program grant in Food and Health: Understanding the impact of maternal and infant nutrition on infant/child health
Lung function in preschool children: utility in diagnosis of asthma
Early Life Determinants of Asthma

AllerGen NCE
Planning a Canadian longitudinal birth cohort study of asthma and allergy in childhood
Indoor air exposures, genes and gene-environment interactions in the etiology of asthma and allergy in early childhood

Merck-Frosst Canada
Seasonal epidemics of asthma admissions
Seasonal intervention with montelukast

Childhood Asthma Foundation
Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development study

Canadian Mortgage and Housing Company
Environmental assessment of CHILD homes

Selected Publications

• Long-term relation between breastfeeding and development of atopy and asthma in children and young adults: a longitudinal study. Lancet 2002; 360:901-7.
• Risk factors for airway remodeling in asthma manifested by a low post-bronchodilator FEV1/vital capacity ratio: a longitudinal population study from childhood to adulthood. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2002;165:1480-1488.
• A longitudinal population-based cohort study of childhood asthma followed to adulthood. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:1414-22
• The September epidemic of asthma hospitalization: school children as disease vectors. J AllergyClinImmunol 2006;117:557-562.
• Interactions between breast-feeding, specific parental atopy, and sex on development of asthma and atopy. J Allergy ClinImmunol2007; 119:1359-66
• Understanding the September asthma epidemic.  J Allergy ClinImmunol 2007;120:526-529
• Epidemiology of asthma exacerbations.  J Allergy ClinImmunol 2008:122:662-8
• Epidemiology of asthma: risk factors for development. Expert Review ClinImmunol 2009;5:77-95.
• Asthma: epidemiology, etiology and risk factors.  CMAJ 2009;181:E181-190
• Effects of cannabis on lung function: a population-based cohort study.  EurRespir J 2010; 35 42-47
• Exposure assessment in cohort studies of childhood asthma.  Environ Health Perspect. 2011;119:591-597.
• A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety. PNAS 2011;108:2693-2698.
• Relevance of birth cohorts to assessment of asthma persistence. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 2012;12:175-184
• The FDA-mandated trial of safety of long-acting beta-agonists in asthma: Finality or futility?  Thorax 2013;68:195-198.
• Polygenic risk and the development and course of asthma: an analysis of data from a four-decade longitudinal study. Lancet Respiratory Medicine 2013;1:453-461.
• The potential to predict the course of childhood asthma. Expert Rev Respir Med. 2014;8:137-141.
• The Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) birth cohort study: assessment of environmental exposures. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 2015 (epub).
• The Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development birth cohort study: biological samples and biobanking. Paediatr and Perinat Epidemiol 2015;29:84-92.
• The Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study: examining developmental origins of allergy and asthma. Thorax 2015;70:998-1000.
• Early life microbial and metabolic alterations affect risk of childhood asthma.  SciTransl Med 2015;7:307ra152.

Research Interests: Dr. Sears is involved in many studies investigating the epidemiology and natural history of asthma with particular focus on its frequency, risk factors and characteristics in large populations. Of note is an important longitudinal study that he has been conducting for more than 30 years, studying the incidence and impact of asthma in a birth cohort of New Zealand children followed from infancy to adulthood. Other research includes assessment of asthma therapies, and the effects of indoor allergens, viral infections, air pollutants, smoking and hormones in respiratory disease.

Dr. Malcolm Sears graduated from the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand and was on faculty there until 1990 when he was recruited as the Director of the Firestone Regional Chest and Allergy Unit (the forerunner of the Firestone Institute of Respiratory Health), Director of Respiratory Medicine at St. Joseph’s Healthcare and Professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University. In 2002 he stepped down as Clinical Director and became Research Director of the Firestone Institute until 2009.

He is director of the CIHR/AllerGen funded Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study following over 3000 infants from pregnancy to age 5 years.

Dr. Sears has published over 250 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, together with numerous abstracts. He lectures frequently at national and international scientific meetings, and serves on many asthma advisory boards.

Dr. Sears holds an endowed Astra Zeneca Chair in Respiratory Epidemiology at McMaster University.

Awards and Distinctions

• Who’s Who (New Zealand) (1993-)
• Who’s Who (Canada) (1993-)
• Who’s Who (Ontario) (1994-)
• International Who’s Who in Medicine (1994-)
• Wunderly Orator, Thoracic Society Australia and New Zealand (1997)
• Christie Memorial Lecturer, Canadian Thoracic Society (2011)
• Award for Leadership in Health Research, Asthma Society of Canada (2015)

Funding

Health Research Council of New Zealand
Longitudinal study of natural history of asthma

CIHR
Indoor air exposures, genes and gene-environment interactions in the etiology of asthma and allergy in early childhood
Viral infection and wheezing in the first year of life
Program grant in Food and Health: Understanding the impact of maternal and infant nutrition on infant/child health
Lung function in preschool children: utility in diagnosis of asthma
Early Life Determinants of Asthma

AllerGen NCE
Planning a Canadian longitudinal birth cohort study of asthma and allergy in childhood
Indoor air exposures, genes and gene-environment interactions in the etiology of asthma and allergy in early childhood

Merck-Frosst Canada
Seasonal epidemics of asthma admissions
Seasonal intervention with montelukast

Childhood Asthma Foundation
Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development study

Canadian Mortgage and Housing Company
Environmental assessment of CHILD homes

Selected Publications

• Long-term relation between breastfeeding and development of atopy and asthma in children and young adults: a longitudinal study. Lancet 2002; 360:901-7.
• Risk factors for airway remodeling in asthma manifested by a low post-bronchodilator FEV1/vital capacity ratio: a longitudinal population study from childhood to adulthood. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2002;165:1480-1488.
• A longitudinal population-based cohort study of childhood asthma followed to adulthood. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:1414-22
• The September epidemic of asthma hospitalization: school children as disease vectors. J AllergyClinImmunol 2006;117:557-562.
• Interactions between breast-feeding, specific parental atopy, and sex on development of asthma and atopy. J Allergy ClinImmunol2007; 119:1359-66
• Understanding the September asthma epidemic.  J Allergy ClinImmunol 2007;120:526-529
• Epidemiology of asthma exacerbations.  J Allergy ClinImmunol 2008:122:662-8
• Epidemiology of asthma: risk factors for development. Expert Review ClinImmunol 2009;5:77-95.
• Asthma: epidemiology, etiology and risk factors.  CMAJ 2009;181:E181-190
• Effects of cannabis on lung function: a population-based cohort study.  EurRespir J 2010; 35 42-47
• Exposure assessment in cohort studies of childhood asthma.  Environ Health Perspect. 2011;119:591-597.
• A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety. PNAS 2011;108:2693-2698.
• Relevance of birth cohorts to assessment of asthma persistence. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 2012;12:175-184
• The FDA-mandated trial of safety of long-acting beta-agonists in asthma: Finality or futility?  Thorax 2013;68:195-198.
• Polygenic risk and the development and course of asthma: an analysis of data from a four-decade longitudinal study. Lancet Respiratory Medicine 2013;1:453-461.
• The potential to predict the course of childhood asthma. Expert Rev Respir Med. 2014;8:137-141.
• The Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) birth cohort study: assessment of environmental exposures. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 2015 (epub).
• The Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development birth cohort study: biological samples and biobanking. Paediatr and Perinat Epidemiol 2015;29:84-92.
• The Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study: examining developmental origins of allergy and asthma. Thorax 2015;70:998-1000.
• Early life microbial and metabolic alterations affect risk of childhood asthma.  SciTransl Med 2015;7:307ra152.

Research Interests: Dr. Sears is involved in many studies investigating the epidemiology and natural history of asthma with particular focus on its frequency, risk factors and characteristics in large populations. Of note is an important longitudinal study that he has been conducting for more than 30 years, studying the incidence and impact of asthma in a birth cohort of New Zealand children followed from infancy to adulthood. Other research includes assessment of asthma therapies, and the effects of indoor allergens, viral infections, air pollutants, smoking and hormones in respiratory disease.