Funded Research

Dr. Geoffrey Nguyen | Sinai Health System
Research: Defining time-trends, regional variations, and impact of health-care utilization on pregnancy outcomes in women with inflammatory bowel disease
Date: 2021-2024
Amount: $237,423

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) commonly affects women of childbearing age. Women with IBD are at an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm delivery (before 37 weeks’ gestation) and delivering infants with low birthweight (< 2500 grams).

Over the years, there has been increased awareness around effective IBD care during pregnancy. Although, it remains unknown whether these adverse pregnancy outcomes have decreased over time. Furthermore, the impact of geographical residence (i.e., rural vs. urban), ethnicity, and access to specialty care on pregnancy outcomes remains unknown.

Dr. Nguyen’s research will explore whether the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes have decreased in women with IBD over time. The findings of this study will allow researchers and clinicians to determine ways of standardizing pregnancy care in women with IBD. The study will also assess the impact of specialty care on pregnancy outcomes in order to develop healthcare models that will optimize quality of care in this vulnerable population.

To learn more about Dr. Nguyen's research, watch the video below.

Dr. Sanjay Murthy | University of Ottawa
Research: Defining cancer risk in inflammatory bowel diseases: A multi-provincial population-based analysis of temporal trends and the impact of biologic therapies for intestinal and extra-intestinal cancers
Date: 2020-2023
Amount: $375,000

Cancer remains the most common cause of death among people with IBD. Reducing the risks of cancer, hospitalization and intestinal surgery are principal goals of IBD care. Most data on the risks of these adverse events in people with IBD predate widespread adoption of major IBD treatment advances over the past 10 to 15 years, particularly biologic therapies. There are limited and conflicting reports of cancer risk specifically relating to biologic therapies. While the risk of intestinal cancer may directly relate to bowel inflammation, extra-intestinal cancers are more often related to IBD treatments. It is possible improved disease control from biologic and other immunosuppressive therapies reduced the rates of intestinal cancers, while greater use of immunosuppression over time increased the rates of extra-intestinal cancers. Additionally, improved disease control from biologic therapies may have reduced the risks of hospitalizations and surgeries in this population. Considering the rising IBD prevalence and costs of caring for IBD worldwide, there is a need to re-evaluate the present-day risks of these adverse health events in order to develop cost-effective strategies of care that prioritize high-risk groups. 

Dr. Murthy and his team are combining population-level data from six provinces, comprising 75 percent of all people with IBD in Canada, to develop national estimates of time trends and current risks of cancers and cancer-related deaths, hospitalizations and bowel surgeries faced by people with IBD. Along with helping to shape healthcare policy, the project’s findings will improve shared decision-making about treatment and cancer prevention between people with IBD and their healthcare providers.

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.