Transforming Clinical Trials at The Institute
Led by Sushmita Pamidi, The Institute’s 2030 Vision is accelerating clinical trials through innovation, collaboration, and equity to improve patient care.
Research Themes
Pulmonary Research Themes
According to the WHO, respiratory disorders are leading causes of death world-wide (second only to heart attack & stroke). These include diseases such as obstructive lung diseases and pulmonary infections. As a result, our research is focused around four main pulmonary research themes. These include: chronic airways disease, lung injury and infection, neuromuscular dysfunction in respiratory diseases, and sleep-disordered breathing.
Above all, a multidisciplinary approach is used to study the basic mechanisms of a number of diseases. These include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary infections, cystic fibrosis, sleep apnea, respiratory muscle disorders, pulmonary fibrosis, lung injury, and rare respiratory diseases. Research at the Meakins also involves the study of human physiology and tissues in parallel with relevant animal and cell culture models. Furthermore, research is facilitated by the availability of a variety of core facilities for both clinical and fundamental studies.
Learn more about our research themes here.
Below you will see posts and news items related to our research themes.
Sustaining Excellence Grants Keep High-Impact Research Moving Forward
Carolyn Baglole, Elizabeth Fixman, and Tania Janaudis-Ferreira received Sustaining Excellence Grants from the RI-MUHC.
Darcy Wagner Co-Leads CFI Advancing Biofabrication Research
Darcy Wagner co-leads a CFI supporting advanced biofabrication infrastructure to drive regenerative medicine research.
New Injectable Gel Shows Promise for Repairing Swallowing Muscles
A new injectable gel boosts stem cell survival and could advance regenerative treatments.
AI is Transforming Drug Discovery – Jun Ding Featured by BBC
Work by Jun Ding featured by the BBC highlights how AI is accelerating treatment discovery for complex diseases
CIHR Team Grant: Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention
Congratulations to Dr. Maziar Divangahi and his team on receiving a $2M CIHR team grant to study trained immunity and cancer risk.
Rapid Diagnostic Test Will Dramatically Change How Antibiotics are Prescribed
Dao Nguyen co-develop a 36-minute diagnostic test to rapidly identify bacteria and antibiotic susceptibility.
CIHR Project Grant Results – Fall 2025
Congratulations to all RESP members who were funded in the Fall 2025 CIHR Project Grant Competition!
A Preventable Disease Is on the Rise: Tuberculosis in Quebec
TB cases are rising across Quebec. Faiz Ahmad Khan explains what’s driving the trend and why access to care matters.
A Hidden Clue to Lifelong Health: The Height-GaP
Study by Ben Smith introduces height-GaP, a simple measure linking early-life growth adversity to adult mortality risk, revealing how childhood conditions shape lifelong health.