McGill University received $18.1 million in federal funding to support 16 Canada Research Chairs, including six new appointments and 10 renewals. The funding will help drive innovative research across diverse fields.

The Canada Research Chairs Program, a tri-agency initiative supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, invests approximately $311 million annually to recruit and retain leading researchers across Canada.

Read More

McGill awarded 16 new or renewed Canada Research Chairs. From fundamental physics to child well-being, McGill researchers advance discovery across disciplines. McGill News. May 13, 2026. by Robin Koning.

Government of Canada invests over $168 million in Canada’s research ecosystem. Press Release for Spring 2026 Recipients (cycle 2025-1). May 13, 2026.

The post Canada Research Chair in Trained Immunity appeared first on Meakins-Christie Laboratories.

Jérôme Bédard-Matteau (PhD with Simon Rousseau). Bourses de doctorat en recherche – FRQS.
Title: L’axe inflammatoire IL-17 étudié comme médiateur de symptômes de fatigue persistante observés chez les patients suivant une infection à la COVID-19.

Vincenze Caruana (PhD with Carolyn Baglole). Bourses de doctorat en recherche – FRQS.
Title: Exploration des conséquences cardiométaboliques du vapotage

The post Spring 2026 Student Awards appeared first on Meakins-Christie Laboratories.

Nicole Li-Jessen: Chercheurs-boursiers et chercheuses-boursières (Senior).
Title: A new Frontier for Digital Voice and Respiratory Health / Une nouvelle frontière pour la santé numérique de la voix et des voies respiratoires.

The post 2026-2027 FRQS Salary Awards appeared first on Meakins-Christie Laboratories.

We were especially pleased to introduce a few new elements this year, including the rapid-fire presentations and the panel discussion featuring early-, mid-, and senior-career PIs interviewed by students, both of which brought great energy and valuable perspectives to the program. A highlight of the day was the keynote by Dr. Tillie-Louise Hackett, Peter T. Macklem Lecture: Understanding Heterogeneous Airways Disease in Asthma and COPD Using Spatial Imaging, which sparked some excellent discussions.

The winners for best oral presentation were:

Ryann Lang
PhD student with Basil Petrof
Elucidating the Role of Interleukin-6 in Ventilator-induced Diaphragm Dysfunction

Olivier Salko
Resident with Nicole Ezer
Benralizumab for Early Stage Lung Cancer with Eosinophilia trial -BELE trial – Improving post-operative lung cancer resection outcomes with eosinophil guided anti-IL-5 therapy – A Bayesian Adaptive feasibility study

The winners for best rapid fire oral presentation were:

Shahin Bolori Hanafi
PDF with Maziar Divangahi
IL-22 Mediated Autophagy in Alveolar Type 2 Cells Promotes Pulmonary Disease Tolerance to Influenza

Kriti Agarwal
PhD with Tania-Janaudis Ferreira
Six-month follow-up of a randomized controlled trial on tele-rehabilitation in individuals with long COVID

The winners for best poster presentation were:

Hansen Feng
MSc with James Martin
Characterization of the intrapulmonary antiviral immune response to oropharyngeal influenza A virus infection during pregnancy

Willem Rijnbout St James
PhD student with Carolyn Baglole
The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor is a Novel Regulator of ECM Synthesis and Focal Adhesion Dynamics in Lung Fibroblasts

Rui Sun
PDF with Maziar Divangahi
15-lipoxygenase is essential for hematopoietic stem cell functions and β-glucan-mediated trained immunity against influenza A virus

Trainee-led Panel Discussion:
One piece of advice for students in this room

Trainee Moderators & Facilitators: Sophia Goldman, Eszter Farkas, Sydney Joy, Sami Sedraoui, Kalpana Chaudhary, Kate Harvey
Panelists: Tillie-Louise Hackett, Eva Kaufmann, Nermin Diab, Irah King,
Kevin Schwartzman

As part of this year’s Research Day, trainees led an interactive panel discussion featuring faculty researchers and our keynote speaker, creating a space for open, honest conversations about career paths, mentorship, and life in academia.

From the very first question “How did you decide your career path?”, one message came through clearly: there is no single path into science. Panelists shared journeys shaped by curiosity, unexpected pivots, and influential mentors. Some discovered their passion early, while others found their direction much later, often after changing fields entirely. The common thread? Follow what excites you and be open to change along the way.

Choosing Academia: Freedom, Curiosity, and Personal Fit

When asked what drew them to academia, panelists emphasized the freedom to explore ideas and shape their own research programs. At the same time, they highlighted that academia is not the only path, and that choosing between academia and industry is ultimately a personal decision, shaped by individual priorities and interests.

Mentorship Matters – And It Goes Both Ways

A major theme of the discussion was the importance of strong mentor–trainee relationships. Panelists described mentorship as more than supervision; it’s about advocacy, honesty, and aligning with a trainee’s long-term goals. Trainees were encouraged to actively communicate their expectations and seek out mentors who support both their professional and personal growth.

Lessons Learned (Sometimes the Hard Way)

Panelists also shared candid reflections on challenges they faced during training. A key takeaway: don’t ignore problems but rather address them early. Whether it’s a difficult mentorship dynamic or uncertainty about career direction, being proactive can make a significant difference.

Another recurring message was the importance of taking ownership of your work: driving your project forward, developing your own ideas, and building essential “soft skills” like writing, communication, and organization.

Beyond Publications: What Really Matters for Academic Careers

During the audience Q&A, trainees asked how to stand out in academia beyond publishing papers. Panelists emphasized: building connections and visibility within your field, developing strong communication and storytelling skills; thinking beyond your current project to identify the next big question. Ultimately, success isn’t just about a CV, it’s about your ability to communicate your vision and make others care about your work.

The Reality of Academic Life

In a refreshingly honest exchange, panelists acknowledged the less glamorous side of academia: administration, emails, and competing responsibilities. Their advice: prioritize wisely, set boundaries, and accept that no role is perfect. At the same time, they encouraged trainees to embrace uncertainty, learn from mistakes, and seek guidance from more experienced colleagues.

Photos from the Event

The post 2026 RESP Research Day Poster and Oral Winners appeared first on Meakins-Christie Laboratories.

The CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH), in partnership with the Canadian Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Foundation (CAAIF), Asthma Canada, and the Canadian Lung Association (CLA), continues to support the next generation of researchers advancing asthma care across Canada.

Dr. Eva Kaufmann’s project is challenging how we understand allergic asthma. Her research explores a surprising idea: that eosinophils, immune cells long known for driving inflammation, may also develop a form of “memory.” Instead of simply reacting in the moment, these cells may remember past allergen exposures and respond more aggressively over time, contributing to persistent and worsening symptoms.

By uncovering how this memory-like behavior works, and whether it can be safely redirected, this work aims to break the cycle of repeated allergic reactions at its source. The ultimate goal is to open the door to new, more targeted therapies that improve quality of life for people living with asthma.

This recognition highlights not only innovative science, but also the growing momentum of early-career researchers working to transform respiratory health.

Read More

Congratulations to the 2025 Early Career Researcher Awardees in Asthma! CIHR Website. April 22, 2026.

The post Early Career Researcher Awards in Asthma appeared first on Meakins-Christie Laboratories.

Molecular basis of Type IV pili-mediated Pseudomonas aeruginosa – host interactions
Shuaiqi Guo and Dao Nguyen

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of hospital-acquired and chronic infections, known for its ability to resist many treatments and persist in vulnerable patients. This project focuses on how the bacterium uses hair-like structures called Type IV pili to attach to host cells—an essential first step in establishing infection.By focusing on the pilus tip protein PilY1, the team aims to uncover key mechanisms that drive infection and inform future strategies to combat hard‑to‑treat diseases.

The team has been awarded $40,000 to support this innovative, early-stage research.

The post CRBS-MI4 Blue-Sky Seed Funding Results appeared first on Meakins-Christie Laboratories.

Launched in November 2025, this competition supports bold, innovative research advancing our understanding of infection across three key areas: pandemic preparedness, antimicrobial resistance, and microbes that shape human health.

Reprogramming Gut Bacteria into Living Vaccines
Lucienne Tritten & Irah King

Many infections begin in the gut, yet most vaccines are designed to work in the bloodstream rather than at the body’s mucosal surfaces. This project explores a groundbreaking approach: using harmless gut bacteria as “living vaccine factories.” By reprogramming naturally occurring bacteria to produce tiny vaccine-carrying particles directly in the intestine, this strategy could provide continuous, localized protection right where infections start. If successful, this work could pave the way for low-cost, easily deployable vaccines built from the body’s own microbiome.

Tracking the Spread of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Hospitals
Yves Longtin & Dao Nguyen

Carbapenems are among the last-resort antibiotics used to treat severe infections. However, resistance to these drugs is rising rapidly worldwide, including in Quebec, posing a serious threat to patient care. This project investigates how these resistant bacteria spread in hospitals: between patients or within individuals through mobile genetic elements called plasmids. In the first Canadian study of its kind, the team will track how these bacteria evolve and spread among patients at the Jewish General Hospital. Their findings will help inform more effective infection prevention strategies, both at the hospital and patient level.

Each team will receive $150,000 to support their research over up to 24 months.

This round of funding was made possible through the generous support of the Pathy Family Foundation and MI4.

Read More

2026 MI4-Pathy Seed Fund Grant (SFG) – Round 7. MI4 Website.

The post MI4-Pathy Seed Fund Grant Winners appeared first on Meakins-Christie Laboratories.

Cancer is not made up of identical cells. Tumors are complex ecosystems where some cells are far more dangerous than others. Identifying these high-risk cells has been a major challenge, because existing technologies either capture detailed information from a small number of cells or broader data from many patients, but not both.

The new AI tool, called SIDISH, bridges this gap by combining these two types of data. It learns from large patient datasets while also zooming in on individual cells, allowing researchers to identify which cells are linked to poor outcomes and disease progression.

Using this approach, the team was able to detect small populations of high-risk cancer cells across multiple cancer types, link these cells to worse patient survival, identify key genes and pathways driving aggressive disease, and simulate potential treatments in silico (virtually) to find targets that could reduce these harmful cells

Importantly, the tool doesn’t just describe the disease, but it can help predict how a patient’s cancer might behave and suggest more personalized treatment strategies.

By revealing the hidden drivers of cancer at the cellular level, this research moves us closer to precision medicine, where therapies are tailored not just to the patient, but to the most dangerous cells within their tumor.

Read the Article

SIDISH integrates single-cell and bulk transcriptomics to identify high-risk cells and guide precision therapeutics through in silico perturbation. Jolasun Y, Song K, Zheng Y, Wang J, Fonseca GJ, Eidelman DH, Ding J.
Nat Commun. 2025 Dec 10;16(1):11271.

Read More

AI tool pinpoints cells driving aggressive cancers. New approach opens door to better-targeted treatments and faster drug discovery for complex diseases. McGill Newsroom. April 15, 2026.

The post AI Tool Identifies Aggressive Cancer Cells appeared first on Meakins-Christie Laboratories.

Through interviews with community members and healthcare workers, researchers found that while Inuit strongly value health and want to eliminate TB, current care systems often create additional challenges. Patients frequently face travel away from their communities, long periods of isolation, language barriers, and limited access to culturally safe care. Gaps in communication also contribute to fear, stigma, and uncertainty around the disease.

Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, Inuit participants are calling for care that is community-driven, culturally grounded, and responsive to their needs. Their recommendations include increasing Inuit leadership in health services, expanding local access to care, improving communication, and reducing stigma through education and support.

This work underscores an important message: improving health outcomes requires not only medical solutions, but also listening to communities and designing care systems that truly serve them.

Read the Article

Inuit experiences of and expertise on the 21st-century tuberculosis epidemic in Nunavik, Quebec: a qualitative community-based participatory study. Geboe B, Sandy G, Tooktoo D, Tukalak S, Law S, White-Dupuis S, Nappaaluk Q, Aliqu N, Quananack E, Emudluk M Sr, Watt L, Mangiok P, Dunn-Suen A, Yaaka M, MacDonald NI, Khan FA. CMAJ. 2026 Apr 5;198(13):E474-E485.

Read a Commentary About the Publication

Promoting reconciliation through research. Orr PH. CMAJ. 2026 Apr 5;198(13):E508-E509.

Read More

Comment venir à bout de l’épidémie de tuberculose au Nunavik ? La Presse. par Katrine Desautels. 6 avril 2026.

Under-resourced tuberculosis care causes hardship: In new study, Nunavik Inuit call for person-centered approaches. Led by a majority Inuit and First Nations research team at The Institute and the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, the study highlights the experiences and perspectives of Inuit communities affected by the current tuberculosis crisis. The Institute News. April 7, 2026.

The post Rethinking Tuberculosis Care in Nunavik: Inuit Voices Call for Change appeared first on Meakins-Christie Laboratories.

Backed by strong philanthropic support, this program will recruit up to 100 top postdoctoral fellows over the coming years, giving them the time, resources, and mentorship needed to tackle some of the most pressing health challenges of our time. Unlike many traditional fellowships, Canada’s Best offers up to four years of stable funding, providing young researchers with the freedom to pursue bold ideas, accelerate discoveries, and build independent careers.

Bringing research to life

The program’s launch was not just an announcement, it was an opportunity to showcase the real impact of research happening at the Institute.

Dr. Irah King played an important role in communicating this vision to the public, participating in a video featured during the official press release. His contribution helped highlight how cutting-edge science translates into meaningful advances in human health. Watch Dr. King here:

At the same time, Dr. Darcy Wagner and her research team welcomed media into their lab, offering a behind-the-scenes look at their groundbreaking work. By opening their doors, they demonstrated how innovation happens: from the lab bench to real-world applications that could transform patient care.

How to Apply

https://event.fourwaves.com/canadasbest/pages

In the News

About the Fellowship. RI-MUHC website.

Canada’s Best: an ambitious postdoctoral fellowship program powered by philanthropy. Thanks to the generous support of the MUHC’s affiliated foundations, The Institute launches a competitive and sustainable fellowship program to attract the next generation of world-leading researchers. The Institute News. March 26, 2026.

MUHC launches fellowship program to attract world-leading researchers to Quebec. CityNews. March 26, 2026.

MUHC unveils $20M fellowship to boost Quebec’s biomedical research. CTV News. March 26, 2026.

The post Canada’s Best: Investment for Postdoctoral Fellows appeared first on Meakins-Christie Laboratories.