RESP | Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program
Leadership and Management
| The Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program (RESP) is managed by a Program Management Committee made up of the program leadership, representatives from the Centre for Translational Biology (CTB), the Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE) and the Centre for Innovative Medicine (CIM), external members and trainees. The committee is responsible for establishing the RESP Program’s overall goals, recruitment objectives, and training activities. | ||
 Dr. Basil Petrof Program Co-Leader |  Dr. Sushmita Pamidi Program Co-Leader |  Dr. Sabah Hussain CTB Representative |
 Dr. Bruce Mazer CTB Representative |  Dr. Kevin Schwartzman CORE Representative |  Dr. Benjamin Smith CORE Representative |
 Dr. Jean Bourbeau CIM Representative |  Dr. Larry Lands CTB Representative |  Dr. Deborah Assayag CORE Representative |
 Dr. Gregory Fonseca CTB Representative |  Dr. Dao Nguyen CTB Representative |  Motahareh Vameghestahbanati Trainee Representative |
Farah Al-Huda Trainee Representative |  Inga Murawski, PhD Program Manager |  Mrs. Linda Karpowicz Program Assistant |
| Program Leaders and Manager | ||
| Basil Petrof, MD, is a Professor of Medicine at McGill University and Associate Director of the Meakins-Christie Laboratories. He is a practicing physician specialized in respiratory and sleep medicine, a member of the Department of Experimental Medicine and associate member in the Department of Neurology. His research interests are both clinical and basic, and he is an expert in respiratory muscle pathologies associated with muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, sleep apnea, sepsis, and the use of mechanical ventilation. Dr. Petrof's research has led to over 100 peer-reviewed publications (e.g., PNAS, PLoS Genet, EMBO Mol Med), was recognized by a National Researcher (Chercheur National) award, and has been funded by a variety of federal, provincial, and not-for profit sources (CIHR, FRQS, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation). Dr. Petrof has taken a leadership role within the research community: a past vice-president of the FRQS Réseau en santé respiratoire, he regularly chairs and organizes symposia at international meetings and is a member of numerous grant panels. As the RESP Program Leader, he will continue to promote interdisciplinary research, take an active role in the mentorship of new faculty members, and work to ensure the success of collaborative research partnerships within and beyond the RI-MUHC community. Sushmita Pamidi, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at McGill University based at the Respiratory Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit (RECRU) and the Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE) of the RI-MUHC. She is an epidemiologist and sleep medicine physician with expertise in sleep-disordered breathing and cardiometabolic outcomes. Her research interests include investigating the role of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in pregnancy on cardiometabolic outcomes in both mothers and children. She is also interested in the impact of treating SDB on glucose control in the general population. Dr. Pamidi has collaborated extensively on CIHR-led clinical trials, led an official American Thoracic Society Workshop and co-authored clinical practice guidelines in her field. Her research is funded by the CIHR, FRQS Réseau en santé respiratoire and Chest Foundation, and she is a recipient of the FRQS chercheur-boursier clinicien Junior 1 award. As Associate Leader, Dr. Pamidi will bring extensive expertise in research across the lifespan and help bridge the gap between biomedical and clinical research within the RESP program. Inga Murawski, PhD, received her doctorate in human genetics from McGill University. Her graduate studies focused on the genetic and developmental origins of pediatric kidney and urinary tract abnormalities. Following this, she joined the Institute of Cancer Research at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), where she helped develop the CIHR Personalized Medicine Signature Initiative, was involved in the development of strategic funding opportunities, and actively helped organize conferences, workshops, new Investigator meetings and Cafés Scientifiques. | ||