The Hemovascular Research Program (axis) of the Lady Davis Institute is composed of investigators in cardiovascular and blood diseases. This axis is led by Dr. Ernesto Schiffrin, who is also the Physician-in-Chief of the Jewish General Hospital. Dr. Schiffrin is the recipient of a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, directs the Hypertension and Vascular Research Unit of the LDI and the Cardiovascular Prevention Center of the Hospital, and is an expert in the field of hypertension and vascular disease. Work in Dr. Schiffrin’s laboratory addresses the role of angiotensin, endothelin and immunity in vascular remodeling in hypertension.
Other members of the Hemovascular axis include Dr. David Langleben, Chief of Cardiology of the hospital, who is an expert in pulmonary hypertension and carries out cutting-edge research on endothelin and endothelin antagonists and the use of genetically engineered human stem cells to treat this disease. Dr. Lorraine Chalifour performs research on sex differences and the consequences of gestational modulation of estrogens, testosterone and endocrine disruptors molecularly and physiologically in the adult progeny. Also part of the axis is a recipient of Tier 2 Canada Research Chair, Dr. Stéphanie Lehoux, who is an authority in the field of vascular mechanotransduction, investigating the relationship between shear stress, inflammation and atherosclerosis. Dr. Prem Ponka is internationally renowned in the field of oxidative stress in relation to iron metabolism and anemia, together with Dr. Kostas Pantopoulos. Dr. Mark Blostein researches the role of a novel gamma-carboxylated protein, gas 6, in endothelial cell biology. Collaborations exist with other LDI investigators such as Dr. Koren Mann, who explores the role of arsenic in accelerating atherosclerosis. The research of all these investigators is funded either by CIHR, other funding agencies and/or the pharmaceutical industry.
These bench-lab research activities of the hemo-cardiovascular group extend to the clinical arena with investigations that are carried out at the Jewish General Hospital and address coronary heart disease and heart failure, hypertension and vascular disease, atherosclerosis, and pulmonary hypertension, and cut across numerous disciplines including molecular biology, understanding of host factors, innate and adaptive immunity, epidemiology, and drug development. The program is state-of-the-art and stands out as an example of lab-bench to bedside success.
The Hemovascular group publishes actively in the scientific literature. At least 30 or more publications per year originate from the labs of the Hemovascular axis at the Lady Davis Institute, many in the top-ranking journals of the field.
Members of the Hemovascular Research Axis
Dr. Mark Blostein, Associate Professor of Medicine, McGill University, Hematologist and Director of the Coagulation Laboratories, JGH
Dr. Lorraine Chalifour, Associate Professor of Medicine, McGill University, and Research Scientist, LDI
Dr. David Langleben, Associate Professor of Medicine, McGill University, Chief of Cardiology, JGH
Dr. Stéphanie Lehoux, Canada Research Chair in Cardiovascular Physiology, Assistant Professor of Medicine, McGill University, and Research Scientist, LDI
Dr. Kostas Pantopoulos, Professor of Medicine, McGill University, Research Scientist LDI
Dr. Prem Ponka, Professor of Physiology and Medicine, McGill University, Associate researcher, Hematology, JGH, and Research Scientist LDI
Dr. Ernesto L. Schiffrin, Professor and Vice-Chair (Research), McGill University, Physician-in-Chief, JGH, Canada Research Chair in Hypertension and Vascular Research, and Director of the Cardiovascular Prevention Centre
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