Molly Towell Fellows
In accordance with Molly Towell’s wishes and directions, the philosophy of the Molly Towell Perinatal Research Foundation is to provide financial encouragement for young scientists to pursue training in basic biomedical mechanisms of Perinatal health and disease and to provide financial assistance to help launch the academic careers of such individuals. The Foundation’s objective is to provide one Fellowship and one New Investigator award annually, though this is contingent on the quality of the applications and Foundation resources.
Since its inception in 1988, the Foundation has provided more than $1.4 million to support these programs. In addition, The Foundation has contributed more than $200,000 to support educational conferences that are focused on dissemination of research information to clinicians and scientists.
The following is a list of Fellows who have been recipients of MTPRF Awards. An asterisk (*) beside the name indicates that papers acknowledging the MTPRF-supported work have been appended in the MTPRF-supported Research section.
Dr Michelle Asbury
2023-2024
The health of preterm babies is strongly related to the composition of microbes living in their gut (called the gut microbiome). For example, an abnormal gut microbiome can increase the risk of inflammatory conditions in preterm babies during their early-life and into childhood. During her PhD, Dr. Asbury found that the composition of maternal milk influences the microbial development in preterm infants. Specifically, she showed that human milk components, including milk microbes and added nutritional products, have the potential to change the colonization of the preterm infant gut. These human milk-associated bacteria have been shown by her current post-doc supervisor, Dr. Marie-Claire Arrieta, to reduce gut inflammation and accelerate maturation of the gut microbiome of preterm infants. Dr. Asbury joins Dr. Arrieta’s research group at the University of Calgary to study how the nutritional and immune composition of maternal milk shapes the gut microbiome and immune system of preterm babies using advanced molecular techniques. Her project has the potential to inform interventions and develop novel nutritional products to improve the health of preterm babies.
Dr wojciech durlak
2023-2024 Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a life-threatening anomaly affecting babies at birth, with high mortality rates from pulmonary hypertension causing poor blood flow in the lungs of affected babies. Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) are a special type of cells that play an important role in the development of blood vessels in the lungs during fetal life. However, a lot is still to be discovered about the biology of these cells in humans. Dr. Wojciech Durlak is a neonatologist from Poland who completed a PhD in clinical research. In August 2022, he joined the lab of Dr. Bernard Thébaud at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, on a project aiming to understand why babies with CDH develop pulmonary hypertension and how we can help them grow new blood vessels in their lungs. His research will robustly characterize the biology of ECFCs isolated from the umbilical cord blood of these babies, compare their function with the cells originating in healthy control babies and test the therapeutic potential of ECFCs in animal models relevant to pulmonary hypertension associated with CDH.
Dr shuhiba mohammad
2023-2024 The placenta is vital for a healthy pregnancy. Unfortunately, sometimes it does not function properly. We lack models to understand placental diseases in humans. This lab has developed a groundbreaking human trophoblast stem cell model that can recapitulate all main placental cell types. When placental cells form, their program gets set through “epigenetic” modification of the genomic material, prompting some genes to be more or less active in a cell and tissue-specific manner. The goals of this study are to define the epigenetic ground state of the cells in this model, and to understand how the epigenetic program of these cells changes as they differentiate into other placental cell types. Dr. Mohammad completed a Master’s degree at the University of Guelph, followed by a second Master’s degree at Queen’s University and a PhD at the University of Ottawa. After her PhD, she joined the Lab of Dr. Myriam Hemberger and Dr. Wendy Dean, at the University of Calgary, who are experts in Canada in this area of research. Dr. Mohammad’s studies will provide novel insights into the unexplored and indispensable biological pathways regulating the development of the placenta early on in embryonic life, necessary for supporting the fetus.
Dr rhandi christensen
2022-2023 Children born prematurely are at increased risk of long-term neurodevelopmental disabilities. In general girls show better outcomes than boys. Studies have used a technique called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain to understand the impact of prematurity on the developing brain at 2 to 3 years of age. However, we lack longer-term data. The goals of this study are to understand how the brain is affected by prematurity later on in life, and how the developmental trajectory of the brain differs between males and females. To do this, Dr. Rhandi Christensen, a pediatric neurologist and post-doctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, plans to analyze advanced brain MRI data to compare the developmental trajectory of the preterm newborn brain from birth until 8 years of age. This study could guide follow-up practices of prematurely born children beyond school age. It will also help understand how the development of the preterm brain differs between boys and girls.
Dr katherine kennedy
2022-2023 Group B Streptococcus is common bacteria that naturally colonizes the perineal area in about 36% of pregnant women. Sometimes this bacteria is passed on to the newborn at the time of delivery. In rare cases this can lead to life-threatening infections in the baby. In this study, Dr. Katherine Kennedy, a post-doctoral fellow at McMaster University, plans to use research methods referred to as metagenomic sequencing, to study the diversity of Group B Streptococcus bacteria in vaginal swabs from mothers and the transmission of this bacteria from the mother to the baby, in 150 pregnant women. This study will shed light on the factors inherent to specific bacterial subtypes that promote transmission of Group B Streptococcus from the mothers to their infant.
Radha Dutt Singh
2021-2022 Dr. Singh is a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Calgary and is being supervised by Dr. Jennifer Thompson. Because of major health concerns around the use bisphenol A (BPA) in plastics, manufacturers have turned to substitutes such as BPS. However, whether these substitutes can also have adverse long-term effects is unclear. Dr. Singh will study the long-term effect of BPS on adipose tissue in later life using an experimental mouse model. Using the same model, she will also look at how diet alters the effects of BPS on fat mass, insulin response and inflammation. Her research will help understand the potential effects that contamination of our environment with these synthetic chemical plasticizer substitutes may have during pregnancy, lactation and on babies exposed in early life.
Dr Emily Nichols
2021-2022 Dr. Emily Nichols is a post-doctoral fellow in the Developing Brain Lab at Western University and is supervised by Dr. Emma Duerden. About 5% of pregnancies can result in poor fetal growth due to a problem with the placenta. Severe placental dysfunction has been associated with increased long-term health risks to the baby’s brain, including language delays. Dr. Nichols will use “functional” magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study the effect of placental dysfunction on fetal brain structures and language outcomes at 12 and 24 months of age in the child. Her research could lead to novel approaches for monitoring of fetal well-being during pregnancy, and help clinicians make the best decisions regarding when to deliver babies adversely affected by placental dysfunction in order to maximize their health.
DR Shreyas Kumbhare
2020-2021 Dr. Kumbhare was awarded a MTPRF Fellowship Grant in 2020 to study the effect of human-derived human milk fortifiers (H2MF) on gut microbiota development and oxidative stress in premature infants under the mentorship of Dr. Meghan Azad at the University of Manitoba. In 2021, Dr. Kumbhare obtained a position as a Senior Scientist at Digbi Health in California.
dr Roberto Villalobos Labra
2020-2022 Dr. Villalobos was awarded a MTPRF Fellowship Grant in 2020 to study the role of lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor 1 in the development of vascular dysfunction by syncytiotrophoblast-derived extracellular vesicles from women with preeclampsia with Dr. Sandra Davidge at the University of Alberta.
Dr Meredith Brockway
2019-2021 Dr. Brockway’s study, “Exploring the impact of matching donor human milk to maternal secretor status on microbiome development in early preterm infants: a pilot study”, was awarded the 2019 MTPRF Fellowship Grant. She performed her doctoral studies with Dr. Karen Benzies in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary. Her studies there involved the translation of biomedical information to the clinical practices related to breast milk feeding of infants, infant morbidities and associated costs. Her postdoctoral studies will be performed under the supervision of Dr. Meghan Azad, an assistant professor and Canada Research Chair in the Developmental Origins of Chronic Diseases at the University of Manitoba. Her proposed research will explore the hypothesis that in the absence of mother’s own milk, the use of donor milk matched to the mother’s secretor status (for the a-1, 2-fucosyltransferase-2 gene) will result in significantly more favourable microbiome diversity in the infant compared to those that were fed usual donor milk composed of multiple donors regardless of secretor status.
dr samantha wilson
2019-2020 Dr. Wilson’s study, “The potential use of using patterns of DNA methylation in blood from pregnant women to classify their risk of preterm birth, pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction” was awarded the 2019 MTPRF Fellowship Grant. She received her PhD in Medical Genetics from The University of British Columbia where she worked under the supervision of Dr. Wendy Robinson. Her studies assessed epigenetic changes in the placentas from pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction and related these changes to levels of maternal blood serum markers. Her postdoctoral studies will be performed at the Princess Margaret Cancer Hospital at the University of Toronto in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Hoffman under the supervision of Dr. Aaron Schimmer. Her proposed studies will utilize machine learning technology to assess several maternal clinical and biochemical factors to predict the occurrence of preterm birth. These studies will be facilitated by access to several global biobanks that have studied preterm birth (Building Blocks of Pregnancy, Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth, and the UK Baby Biobanks). In 2020, Dr. Wilson received a CIHR Fellowship Award.
dr flore lesage
2018-2020 Dr. Lesage’s study, “Endothelial cell colony forming (ECFC)-based therapy promotes lung growth and prevents/rescues neonatal pulmonary hypertension”, was awarded the 2018 MTPRF Fellowship Grant.
dr laura reyes martinez
2018-2020 Dr. Reyes Martinez’s study, “Chemoreflex hyperactivity/sensitivity in the etiologic mechanism and potential treatment of pre-eclampsia”, was awarded the 2018 MTPRF Fellowship Grant. She completed her PhD studies under the supervision of Dr. Sandra Davidge where she investigated the role of aerobic exercise as a therapeutic option to prevent the development of endothelial and cardiac dysfunction in an animal model of intrauterine growth restriction. For her postdoctoral fellow studies, she is working under the supervision of Dr. Margie Davenport and Dr. Craig Steinback. Her project focuses in studying the role of peripheral chemoreceptors as regulators of the sympathetic nervous system and in turn, vascular function. Chemoreflex hyperactivity/sensitization may be an important mechanism causing the sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity observed in preeclampsia
Dr FLoor Spaans
2017-2019 Dr. Spaans’ study,” The role of placental extracellular vesicles in the development of vascular dysfunction in preeclampsia”, was awarded the 2017 MTPRF Fellowship Grant.
Dr amin shah
2016-2018 Dr. Shah’s study, “Developmental origins for later life susceptibility to ischemic heart disease: potential for resveratrol as an intervention strategy” was awarded the 2016 MTPRF Fellowship Grant. Dr. Shah obtained his Medical Sciences doctoral degree from Chonbuk National University, South Korea. His broad research interests include the cardiac natriuretic peptide system, the renin–angiotensin system and, the developmental origins of adult cardiovascular diseases. In 2013, Dr. Shah joined Dr. Sandra Davidge’s laboratory in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Alberta as a postdoctoral fellow. Dr. Shah will investigate the developmental origins for later life susceptibility to ischemic heart disease and the potential for resveratrol as an intervention strategy
Dr Nicole Barra
2015-2017 Dr. Benton’s study, “Perinatal exposure to nicotine leads to long–term obesity in women: elucidating the underlying mechanisms” was awarded the 2015 MTPRF Fellowship Grant.
Dr Samantha Benton
2015-2017 Dr. Benton’s study, “Using molecular sub–classes of preeclampsia to improve early pregnancy screening and neonatal risk” was awarded the 2015 MTPRF Fellowship Grant.
Dr Megan O’Reilly
2014-2016 Dr. O’Reilly received her Ph.D. from Monash University where, under the direction of Dr Richard Harding, she studied the influence of environmental influences in early lung development on lung function and respiratory health throughout life. She then went to the University of Alberta Department of Pediatrics as a post-doctoral Fellow to study mechanisms and potential preventive strategies for hyperoxia-induced bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Her work will be supervised by Drs. John Greer and Bernard Thebaud and will work as part of the Neonatal Research Unit.
Dr Marie-Amelie Lukaszewski*
2013-2015 Dr. Lukaszewski received her Ph.D. in Biology and Health from Universite Lille-Nord de France. Her pre-doctoral studies were focused on the effects of maternal nutrition on fetal hypothalamic function and adipose tissue deposition. She immigrated to Canada to continue her studies at the Universite de Montreal. Her work will be supervised by Dr Anne Monique Nuyt at the Sainte-Justine Research Centre, and will investigate the impact of oxidative stress on neonatal circadian rhythm of energy metabolism. View Dr Lukaszewski’s paper
Dr Jane Ng
2012-2014 Dr. Ng received her M.D. degree from McGill and completed a residency in Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia. She was awarded a Fellowship to make use of epigenetic methods to determine the correlation between DNA methylation profiles and maternal tobacco exposure. Her studies will form part of her Ph.D. thesis. Her supervisor is Dr David Olson at the University of Alberta Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the other investigators involved in collaboration with the Accessible Resource for Integrated Epigenetic Studies (ARIES) project situated at Bristol University.
Dr Nardhy Gomez-Lopez*
2011-2013 After receiving her Ph.D. from the National School of Biological Sciences in Mexico, Dr. Gomez-Lopez was awarded a Fellowship to study immunoregulation during pregnancy. Her Fellowship was split between two locations: with Dr David Olson in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Alberta and Dr Sarah Robertson at the University of Adelaide, Australia. After a very successful and prolific Fellowship, she was appointed as Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the C S Mott Centre for Human Growth and Development at Wayne State University and is the Director of the Perinatal Immunobiology Unit, Perinatology Research Branch of the NICHD/NIH/DHHS. View Dr Gomez-Lopez’s papers: Gomez-Lopez-2014-2, Gomez-Lopez-2014-1, Gomez-Lopez-2013, Gomez-Lopez-2011.
Dr Sascha Drewlo*
2010-2012 Following his Ph.D. studies at the University of Cologne, Dr Drewlo was awarded a Fellowship to investigate the effects of heparin on placental function, under the supervision of Dr John Kingdom at the Lunenfeld Research Institute at the University of Toronto. After a productive Fellowship, he was appointed as Assistant Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the C S Mott Centre for Human Growth and Development at Wayne State University to continue his research regarding placental abnormalities in human pregnancy. View Dr Drewlo’s paper: Drewlo-2013, Drewlo-2012, Drewlo-2011-3, Drewlo-2011-2, Drewlo-2011-1
Dr Shannon Bainbridge*
2008-2010 After receiving her Ph.D. from Queen’s and completing a post-doctoral Fellowship with Dr. Jim Roberts at Magee-Women’s Research Institute in Pittsburgh, Dr. Bainbridge was awarded a MTPRF Fellowship to study placental growth and development under the supervision of Drs. Lee Adamson and John Kingdom at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at the University of Toronto. She then successfully obtained a national peer-reviewed Fellowship and has subsequently been appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences and as an affiliate investigator in the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute at the University of Ottawa. Of interest, Dr. Bainbridge recently won a MTPRF New Investigator award to continue her studies on pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction. View Dr Bainbridge’s paper: Bainbridge-2012-2
Russell Friesen*
2002-2005 A Fellowship was awarded to Mr. Friesen for post-graduate studies of maternal-fetal lipid metabolism with Dr. Sheila Innis in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia. Mr. Friesen is now a registered dietician working with Providence Health Care in Vancouver. View Friesen’s papers: Friesen-2006-2, Friesen-2006-1.
Dr Chun-Yuan Guo*
1997-1998 A fellowship was provided for Dr. Guo to work with Dr. Stephanie Atkinson in the Department of Pediatrics at McMaster University. The project studied the effects of corticosteroids on growth and skeletal delay in the neonatal period. View Dr Guo’s paper
Dr Tino Piscione*
1997-1998 Postdoctoral studies were performed in the laboratories of Dr Norman Rosenblum in in the Department of Nephrology at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. The research explored the role of BMP-2 in branching morphogenesis in the developing kidney. Dr Piscione remains as a faculty member in the Department of Nephrology at Sick Kids and continues to publish research studies focused on renal development. View Dr Piscione’s pape
Dr Carlos Fernandez-Patron
1996-1997 After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Heidelberg, Dr. Fernandez-Patron came to work with Dr. Sandra Davidge at the Perinatal Research Centre and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Alberta. His studies provided exciting and novel data regarding the role of metalloproteinases in metabolism of endogenous vasoconstrictors. He subsequently was appointed to the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Alberta and, as a current associate professor, is continuing his research in the area of matrix metalloproteinases in vascular remodeling.
Dr Ande Karimu
1995-1997 Following completion of his M.D. degree in Nigeria, Dr. Karimu received his Ph.D. from Cambridge University. He then came to the Perinatal Research Centre at the University of Alberta to perform post-doctoral studies with Dr. Peter Mitchell. He investigated the role of estrogen in the regulation of oxytocin receptor gene expression in the human uterus in late gestation. He went on to complete his clinical residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale and the University of Cincinnati and has practiced for many years as a consultant in Obstetrics and Gynecology in northern Manitoba
Dr Yunlong Zhang*
1994-1995 Dr. Zhang was an M.D. from China who came to the University of Alberta Department of Physiology and Perinatal Research Centre to complete his Ph.D. with Dr. Susan Kaufman. His research was directed towards establishing an animal model for the study of pre-eclampsia. After graduating, he worked as a post-doctoral with Dr. Sandra Davidge in the Perinatal Research Centre where he continued his studies in pre-eclampsia. His career has been in the medical device industry and he currently works in California. View Dr Zhang’s Paper.
Dr Vera Boros*
1993-1994 Dr Boros was a Neonatologist from Budapest, Hungary who worked with Dr David Olson in The Perinatal Research Centre and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Alberta to study the effects of hypoxia on lung development in newborn rats. She returned to Hungary and has been a national leader in Neonatal Intensive Care Medicine. View Dr Boros’s paper: Boros-1997, Boros-1996
Dr Teresa Davidson*
1991-1993 A Biomedical Engineer, Dr Davidson was a Fellow with Dr James Fewell at the University of Calgary. Her studies focused on the arousal response to upper airway obstruction in young lambs. View Dr Davidson’s paper: Davidson-1995,Davidson-1994
Dr Drew Sadowsky*
1991-1994 Dr. Drew Sadowsky, from Cornell University was a post-doctoral Fellow with Dr. David Olson at the Perinatal Research Centre and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Alberta. His studies explored the role of cytokines and prostaglandin production from human fetal membranes in the initiation of labour. Dr. Sadowsky has gone on to have a productive career as a faculty member in the Division of Reproductive Sciences at the Oregon National Primate Centre. His studies have contributed important information regarding the mechanisms controlling the onset of labour in non-human primates. View Dr Sadowsky’s paper
Ms. Natalya Moiseeva
1991-1992 Ms. Natalya Moiseeva from the University of Moscow School of Biology studied amino acid metabolism with Dr Sam Bessman at the University of Southern California.
Sarah Dickstein
1990-1992 Sarah Dickstein from Israel, received a Fellowship to perform graduate studies with Dr. Stanley Zlotkin at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Her research studied the effect of abnormal amino acid profile on appetite regulation in rats with chronic renal failure.
New Investigator Awardees
From 1988 until 2018 the MTPRF granted new investigator awards. An asterisk (*) bedside the name indicates that papers acknowledging the MTPRF-supported work have been appended in the “MTPRF-supported Research” section.
dr souvik mitra
2018-2020 Dr. Mitra’s study, “Effect of Common Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Medications on Cerebral Perfuon and Hemodynamics of Preterm Infants” was awarded the 2018 MTPRF New Investigator Grant.
dr robin clugston
2017-2019 Dr. Clugston received his PhD from the University of Alberta and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Columbia University in the City of New York. In 2016, Dr. Clugston was appointed as an assistant professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of Alberta, also joining the institution’s Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute. The major focus of Dr. Clugston’s lab is the role of the essential micronutrient vitamin A in health and disease. In 2017, Dr. Clugston was awarded a MTPRF New Investigator Grant titled “Abnormal vitamin A signalling as a causative factor in the development of congenital diaphragmatic hernia”. This work tests the hypothesis that abnormalities in the vitamin A signaling pathway in the developing diaphragm causes its malformation and the subsequent development of diaphragmatic hernia. In broader terms, this work speaks to the importance of maternal micronutrient status and the risk of congenital birth defects. View Dr. Clugston’s paper here.
Dr Kristen Connor
2017-2019 Dr. Connor’s study, “Uncovering the mechanisms that contribute to neurodevelopmental impairment and preterm birth in malnourished pregnancies” was awarded the 2017 MTPRF New Investigator Grant.
Dr john ussher
2016-2018 Dr. Ussher’s study, “Targeting epigenetics via perinatal interventions to prevent early onset obesity”, was awarded the 2016 MTPRF New Investigator Grant.
Dr Simon Hirota
2014-2016 As a new assistant professor in the Departments of Physiology & Pharmacology and Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Calgary, Dr. Hirota will use a mouse model to investigate mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis. His novel hypotheses suggest interactions between orphan nuclear receptors and the immune system that result in the intestinal pathology of this common disease in newborns. His experiments could lead to novel strategies to prevent or ameliorate the disease.
Dr Shannon Bainbridge
2013-2015 Dr. Bainbridge is the first MTPRF Fellow (2007-2008) who has gone on to receive a New Investigator award. Following completion of post-doctoral Fellowships at Magee-Women’s Research Institute in Pittsburgh and the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute in Toronto, she was appointed as assistant professor in the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences and as an affiliate investigator in the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute at the University of Ottawa. She will continue her research into pathologic mechanisms in the placenta that result in fetal growth restriction. View Dr. Bainbridge’s paper: Bainbridge-2018
Dr Jorge Soliz*
2012-2014 Dr Soliz was appointed as assistant professor at Laval University in the Department of Pediatrics, Centre de Recherche de l’Hopital St-Francois d’Assise. He received a New Investigator award to study the role of erythropoietin in the regulation of breathing in newborn infants. With the additional assistance of other local awards, his laboratory already is well established with an impressive output of new information in this important area of research. View Dr. Soliz’s papers: Soliz-2013, Soliz-2013-2, Soliz-2013
Dr Richard Keijzer*
2011-2013 This clinician-scientist trained first as a surgeon and then completed his Ph.D. at Erasmus University in the Netherlands. He then completed training in Pediatric Surgery at the University of Alabama, Birmingham and at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. He was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Surgery, and Pediatrics and Child Health, and Physiology at the University of Manitoba. He was awarded a New Investigator grant to study the functional role of specific micro-RNAs in the abnormal pulmonary development that occurs in babies with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. View Dr Keijzer’s paper
Dr Pascal Lavoie*
2009-2010 Dr. Lavoie is a neonatologist and clinician-scientist, professor in pediatrics at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Lavoie’s special interests are in the field of immunology. He was awarded a New Investigator grant to study systemic inflammation in preterm neonates at risk of lung and brain injury. Following his MTPRF award he also has received a Career Investigator award from the Michael Smith Foundation and a Child and Family Research Institute Clinician-Scientist award. Lavoie-2011, Lavoie-2017
Dr Martin Frasch*
2010-2012 Following his M.D. and residency training in Germany and completion of his Ph.D. studies at Western University, Dr. Frasch was appointed as assistant research professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Sainte-Justine Research Centre, University of Montreal. He was awarded a New Investigator award to study interactions between the fetal autonomic nervous system and inflammatory mediators in determining perinatal health following intrauterine sepsis. In 2012 he was successful in obtaining a 5-year CIHR grant to continue his research. View Dr. Frasch’s papers: Frasch-2013, Frasch-2013-2
Dr Justine Turner*
2009-2011 Dr. Turner is a clinician-scientist in Pediatric Gastroenterology. Following post-doctoral training at the Hospital for Sick Children, she was appointed to the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta and was awarded a New Investigator grant to characterize an animal model for the study of intestinal adaptation to short bowel syndrome in piglets. View Dr. Turner’s paper
Dr Daniel Hardy*
2007-2009 Following a post-doctoral Fellowship with Dr. Carol Mendelson at the University of Texas Southwestern, Dr. Hardy was appointed as assistant professor in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Physiology and Pharmacology at Western University. Dr. Hardy’s research is focused on the role of nuclear receptors and genetic mechanisms of fetal programming. He was promoted to associate professor at Western in 2013. View Dr. Hardy’s paper
Dr Sarah McDonald
2005-2007 Dr McDonald was appointed as an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at McMaster University and received a New Investigator award to establish her research program to study mechanisms underlying the development of postnatal obesity in children born with fetal growth restriction. She now is an associate professor in Ob/Gyn with cross-appointments in the Departments of Radiology and Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
Dr Denise Hemmings
2004-2005 A new assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Alberta, Dr. Hemmings received start-up funding for her project studying the role of receptors for sphingisine-1-phosphate in the vascular adaptations to pregnancy. She is now an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dr Janet Brunton
1999-2000 A New Investigator award was granted to Dr. Brunton of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta to study arginine requirement in piglets. Dr. Brunton is now an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Dr Sheila Innis
1998-1999 Dr. Innis was awarded a start-up grant for her research program to study maternal lipid nutrition and the implications of essential fatty acid transfer to the fetus. At the time, Dr. Innis was already a highly respected professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia. Having trained as a registered dietitian, Dr. Innis rapidly established herself as a world authority nutrition, and mentored a large cohort of scientists and faculty who are now established in academia, industry and health care and government. Following a courageous battle with cancer Dr. Innis passed away on Feb 10, 2016.
Dr Michelle Mottola
1997-2000 This assistant professor at the University of Western Ontario was awarded funding to study the effect of chronic exercise (stair-climber program) in pregnant women. Dr. Mottola remains as an Associate Professor in the Departments of Cell Biology and Anatomy and School of Kinesiology at Western University and is the director of the R. Samuel McLaughlin Foundation – Exercise and Pregnancy Laboratory.
Dr Colin MacCalman
1995-1996 Start-up funding was provided to establish his new laboratory in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of British Columbia. Throughout his career at UBC, Dr. MacCalman studied placentation in normal and pathologic pregnancies with support of several national funding agencies until his untimely death in 2011.
Dr John Greer*
1993-1994 A new assistant professor in the Department of Physiology, Division of Neuroscience at the University of Alberta, this award was used to purchase specialized equipment to study the ontogeny of the neural control of breathing. Dr. Greer is now a professor in the Department of Physiology and Director of the Neuroscience Institute at the University of Alberta. He is an international authority in the field of neural regulation of the respiratory system. His studies have contributed to understanding of the central nervous system control of breathing in neonates and adults. He also has studied the role of abnormal neural development leading to congenital diaphragmatic hernia. View Dr. Greer’s paper
Dr Joan Hodgman
1990-1991 Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Southern California received funding to study the role of deficiency of non-essential amino acid synthesis in failure to thrive.
Dr Sugantha Govindarajan
1990-1991 Associate professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Southern California received funding to study the ability of premature infants to synthesize essential amino acids.
Dr Johann (John) Krisinger*
1990-1991 Dr. Johann (John) Krisinger, a new investigator in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of British Columbia received funding to study the function and regulation of the calbindin-D9k gene in the human uterus and placenta during pregnancy. Dr. Krisinger is now a professor in Biology and Nursing at Northwest Community College in Prince Rupert, B.C. View Dr. Krisinger’s papers: Krisinger-1992, Krisinger-1995-1, Krisinger-1995-2