Research
Research within the division is wide-ranging, not only from bench to bedside, but to population health and policy; extending from studies of smooth muscle physiology and intracellular signalling through to patient quality-of-life, and from mechanisms of disease through to its management. Clinical and research activities are closely integrated and largely collaborative, leading to a comprehensive investigation of mechanisms and outcomes. The proximity of research teams to clinical services has, on the one hand, allowed highly relevant and well-powered clinical studies, and on the other, has ensured rapid incorporation of new knowledge into the care of patients. Research at Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health is particularly strong in the following areas: asthma, small-animal imaging, allergen challenge, progenitor cell biology, induced sputum and markers of airway inflammation, epidemiology of asthma, mechanistic and cellular research, pulmonary fibrosis, inflammation and repair and clinical investigation.
Our Research in the News
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Researchers find clues to SARS-CoV-2 infection and explore why COVID-19 impacts patients differently
August 11, 2020
Working together, researchers at McMaster University and the University of Waterloo are searching for how the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects the lungs – and they’re challenging what has become an accepted truth about the virus.
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Dr Anurag Bhalla as the Freddy Hargreave Fellow in Airway Diseases
July 14, 2020
Dr Anurag Bhalla is pursing his Masters in Dr. Nair's Lab and has been awarded the 2020 Freddy Hargreave Fellowship in Airway Diseases.
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The FIRH welcomes two new scientists to our faculty.
July 14, 2020
Two scientists, Sarah Svenningsen and Manali Mukherjee, who have recently won prestigious research awards, have joined the FIRH as Assistant Professors.
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Special delivery: PPE shipment arrives at St. Joe’s from research collaborators in Guangzhou, China
April 29, 2020
Guangzhou Institute for Respiratory Health (GIRH) ships personal protective equipment (PPE) including N95 respirators, masks, face shields, and gloves to St. Joe's.
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Research establishes how first exposure to a flu virus sets immunity for life
January 30, 2020
The first type of influenza virus we are exposed to in early childhood dictates our ability to fight the flu for the rest of our lives.
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40th anniversary video: Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health
October 23, 2019
View video about the Firestone, a world leader for 40 years in the understanding and treatment of life-threatening lung diseases.
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Take a deep breath: $2 Million Gift for Firestone from the Boris Family
October 23, 2019
The Boris Family has made a $2 million investment to the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health.
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Martin Kolb speaks to CHCH-TV about a new treatment for respiratory disease
October 23, 2019
In this video, a 38-year-old mother of four is battling a chronic respiratory disease called pulmonary fibrosis.
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Join Team FIRH for the Steeltown Stairclimb on November 9, 2019
October 2, 2019
This year’s Step Up & Breathe Steeltown Stair Climb, which will take place on Saturday, November 9th, 2019.
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Canadian Thoracic Society Awards at the American Thoracic Society Conference
May 31, 2019
Our FIRH trainees have done us proud by their outstanding performance at the Canadian Thoracic Society competition at the American Thoracic Society annual meeting last week in Dallas, Texas.
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Canadian biotech company teams up with Hamilton lung researchers led by Dr. Jay Hirota
May 31, 2019
Researchers at the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health led by Dr. Jeremy Hirota are collaborating with Aspect Biosystems, a Canadian biotech company that is pioneering 3D bioprinting of human tissues.
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Firestone Institute receives OLA funding for study led by Dr. Jay Hirota about the effects of cannabis smoke on the immune system
May 31, 2019
The Ontario (OLA) has announced a funding commitment of $50,000 to study the effects of combusted (smoked) cannabis on the immune system. The study is being led by Dr. Jay Hirota at the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton.
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Team FIRH 2019 Events
May 31, 2019
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Around the Bay 2019 - Sign up or donate to Team FIRH
March 31, 2019
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Congratulations to Team FIRH on raising $2,331 at the 2018 Step Up and Breathe Stair Climb
November 12, 2018
On behalf of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, congratulattions to Team FIRH on being the Highest Fundraising Corporate Team for the 2018 OLA Steeltown Stairclimb!
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Team FIRH raises $2,331 at the 2018 Step Up and Breathe Stair Climb
November 12, 2018
Team FIRH raised a total of $2,331 to go towards vital lung health research at the 2018 OLA event Step Up and Breathe Stair Climb.
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Innovation Showcase Researchers Spotlight: Dr. Jeremy Hirota
November 8, 2018
On November 7, 2018, The McMaster Industry Liaison Office hosted the university's ninth Innovation Showcase at McMaster Innovation Park.
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Study led by Dr. Martin Kolb releases findings on combination therapy for IPF
September 18, 2018
Dr. Martin Kolb's latest publication is Firestone’s fifth paper to be published in the New England Journal of Medicine in recent months, a remarkable achievement.
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2018 Banting Postdoctoral Fellow: Sarah Svenningsen
July 20, 2018
Congratulations to Sarah Svenningsen on receiving a two-year CIHR Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship Award for her work in using pulmonary MRI to improve asthma patient outcomes.
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2018 FHS Research Plenary Postdoctoral Fellow Publication Award: Dr. Manali Mukherjee
May 30, 2018
Dr. Manali Mukherjee, a post-doctoral fellow working alongside Dr. Param Nair, was selected to receive the 2018 FHS Research Plenary Postdoctoral Fellow Publication Award for publications related to asthma.
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