Skip to content

Keenan Research Centre - Research Programs

Fundamental Mechanisms of Organ Dysfunction (Basic Science) - Research Priorities

Cardiovascular Disease

Basic mechanisms of myocardial disease (cardiomyopathy, heart failure, myocardial infarction), vascular disease (atherosclerosis, hypertension), and cardiac arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation) guide a translational focus on "first in man" studies of novel biomarkers and gene, cell, protein, and device therapeutics. Scientist Profiles.

Critical Care, Lung Injury & Trauma

Acute care researchers focus on mechanisms of organ injury in trauma and critical illness, using a variety of methods from biochemical epidemiology to pre-clinical models to characterize the clinical course of acute illness and identify novel strategies for therapeutic intervention. These interventions target both the innate host response that mediates organ injury and the inadvertent consequences of the clinical interventions used to sustain life in the critically ill. Scientist Profiles.

Diabetes & Kidney

Researchers investigate fundamental pathways that lead to the development of diabetes (islet cell biology) and to its complications, including atherosclerosis (lipid metabolism) and progressive kidney disease (growth factors and vasoactive hormone systems). A major focus is on translational research, involving new pharmacological and cell-based approaches directly applicable to humans as well as novel epigenetic markers to predict disease in at-risk individuals. Scientist Profiles.

Blood/Cancer

Research explores basic immune mechanisms of transfusion-induced humoral and cellular immunity and autoimmune blood disorders. Studies focus on platelet physiology and apoptosis; understanding the mechanism of action of common therapies such as intravenous immunoglobulins, blood conservation, fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia; and application of intravital microscopy in studying the role of platelets in thrombotic disease. Research also explores immunological aspects of platelet pathobiology, autoimmune and endocrine diseases (including gene therapies for them), molecular profiling of cancer (including miRNA and proteomic analyses) and identification of potential targets for cancer therapy. Although most work is in vitro and in animal models, there is extensive interplay of clinical and basic studies. Scientist Profiles.