Past Grant Recipients 2019

2019 Grant Recipients

Dr. Jean-Francois Beaulieu

Dr. Jean-Francois Beaulieu | Université de Sherbrooke
Research: A mass spectrometry-based stool test to better diagnose and manage IBD
Date: 2019-2020
Amount: $50,000

It remains a clinical challenge to assess IBD because symptoms may often be subtle and atypical. In recent years, non-invasive tests for assessing gastrointestinal inflammation have been used to improve the diagnosis and management of IBD. While fecal calprotectin and lactoferrin are among the best-characterized biomarkers for tracking that inflammation, the search for more specific biomarkers is still very active.

Building on success in colorectal cancer screening, this team proposes an innovative discovery strategy that utilizes mass spectrometry to analyze stool of people with IBD. They will test samples in the context of the fecal calprotectin clinical test at the CIUSSS de l'Estrie-CHUS. They will analyze and process data from 50 samples from patients without IBD, 50 with Crohn’s disease, and 50 with ulcerative colitis using their mass spectrometry technology. They will target the most discriminating biomarkers, and bioinformatic analysis will help establish the specific proteomic signatures for these diseases.

Past recipients 


To learn about the completed research projects that we have supported in 2018, click here.
To learn about the completed research projects that we have supported in 2017, click here.
To learn about the completed research projects that we have supported in 2016, click here.
To learn about the completed research projects that we have supported in 2014, click here.

  • Canada has among the highest incidence rates of Crohn's and colitis in the world.
  • 1 in 140 Canadians lives with Crohn’s or colitis.
  • Families new to Canada are developing these diseases for the first time.
  • Incidence of Crohn’s in Canadian kids under 10 has doubled since 1995.
  • People are most commonly diagnosed before age 30.

Other Areas of Interest