Premysl Bercik, MD 

McMaster University

Project name: Deciphering the role of bacterial histamine and bioactive phospholipids in IBS: Precision medicine pilot study 

Gut bacteria can produce myriads of bioactive molecules that affect our body and cause symptoms, such as abdominal pain and altered bowel habits. This research project will identify patients whose gut bacteria produce excessive amounts of pain mediators, either histamine or two unique bioactive lipids, and target them by administering specific beneficial bacteria (probiotics) known to inhibit their production. 

Alberto Caminero, PhD

McMaster University

Project name: Guiding oral immunotherapy through microbial peanut metabolism: A Proof of Principle study 

Food allergies affect over 2.5 million Canadians, causing a significant economic and social burden. Although the standard medical advice is allergen avoidance, there is a high rate of accidental exposures which may lead to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Oral immunotherapy (OIT), the only food allergy treatment with disease-transforming potential, desensitizes allergic patients by giving them small and gradually increasing quantities of the allergen. However, OIT is highly associated with adverse reactions, which hampers patients’ adherence to OIT and clinical outcome. We believe that oral microbiota is key in the safety and immunological outcome of OIT in allergic patients. 

We will investigate oral microbiota composition and digestion capacity against food allergens in patients undergoing oral immune therapy 

Edmond Chan, MD

University of British Columbia

Project title: Changes in gut microbiome in infants and toddlers undergoing food oral immunotherapy 

Our research seeks to unravel the mechanistic relationship between the oral and gut microbiomes and the success of oral immunotherapy (OIT) for food allergies in infants and toddlers. We aim to identify microbial markers and metabolic pathways that could enhance OIT efficacy and safety. These findings could pave the way for microbiome-targeted adjunct therapies, potentially transforming the treatment landscape for food allergies. 

Jean-Philippe Drouin-Chartier, RD, PhD

Université Laval

Project title: Identification of microbial biomarkers associated with semaglutide-induced weight loss response 

Subcutaneous semaglutide’s weight loss effects are paradigm-shifting in obesity management. This project aims to elucidate the role of the gut microbiome in semaglutide-induced weight loss. Specifically, we seek to identify key microbial biomarkers associated with the response, which could serve as potential targets for personalized approaches to enhance the efficacy of subcutaneous semaglutide treatment. 

Vincent Fradet, MD, PhD

Université Laval

Project title: Gut microbiota biomarkers to personalize treatment of bladder cancer   

Our research aims to confirm whether a specific bacteria in a patient’s gut plays a role in predicting treatment response to Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) cancer immunotherapy. Additionally, this project is looking to develop a simple and cost-effective test-based to detect these bacteria in patients. 

Margaret Hahn, MD, PhD

University of Toronto

Project title: Investigating the role of the gut microbiome on blood-brain barrier as a predictor of first episode psychosis treatment outcomes   

The goal of this research project is to characterize and unify the interconnected associations between blood brain barrier permeability, gut microbiome composition, first episode psychosis illness severity and subsequent treatment response. Implications of this understanding could result in the identification of early biomarkers and predictors of treatment response in first episode psychosis, and could ultimately lead to the development of microbiome-targeted interventions to enhance treatment response. 

Riadh Hammami, PhD

University of Ottawa

Project title: Investigating the Role of Serotonergic Probiotic Candidates and their Extracellular Vesicles in Enhancing SSRI Treatment Efficacy for Depression   

Our research investigates the role of serotonergic probiotics and their extracellular vesicles in enhancing the effectiveness of SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) for individuals with treatment-resistant depression. By identifying specific microbiome biomarkers and enriching serotonin precursors, we aim to improve antidepressant efficacy and patient outcomes. 

André Marette, PhD

Université Laval

Project title: Microbial determinants of the therapeutic response to ellagitannin polyphenols for hepatic steatosis   

Our funded research will help understand how fruits and other foods rich in a class of polyphenols known as ellagitannins (such as castalagin) have an impact on the gut microbiome which translates into benefits for reducing obesity, metabolic liver disease and type 2 diabetes. We aim to specifically address whether human microbiome samples possess the specific bacteria and microbial activities that are necessary to metabolize the ellagitannin castalagin. We’re also looking to determine whether the beneficial response to the Amazonian fruit camu camu (rich in castalagin) in human patients is driven by the type of gut bacteria and bacterial genes that can metabolize castalagin into bioactive metabolites in the circulation.

Davide Martino, MD, PhD

University of Calgary

Project title: Characterization of small intestinal microbiome biomarkers of treatment response in Parkinson’s Disease   

Our research explores which bacteria in our small intestine influence the responsiveness of people with Parkinson’s disease to oral L-dopa, the key treatment for this condition, and how these bacteria exert this influence. Identifying which microbiome markers predict poor response to L-dopa will guide us in the selection of new therapeutics that counteract this detrimental effect of the small intestinal microbiome. 

Dr. Braedon McDonald, MD, PhD

University of Calgary

Project Name: Now it’s personal: Rapid point-of-care airway microbiome analysis to guide personalized microbiome modulation therapy in critical illness 

Our research seeks to make personalized microbiome therapy a reality for the most vulnerable patients in hospitals, those in critical condition in the ICU. By developing and implementing a new method for rapid and cost-effective microbiome analysis, our work will enable microbiome-guided therapy to protect against deadly infections in intensive care units.

Dr. Seema Pavathy, PhD

Western University

Project Name: In-vitro gut microbiome modulation using prebiotics to overcome resistance to Immunotherapy in Melanoma (MENOVA) 

Altering gut microbiota through prebiotics can have a huge impact in developing affordable therapies that enhance cancer treatment. Understanding the disease specific microbiome profile opens the possibility of personalized treatments for cancer.

Dr. Bertrand Routy, MD, PhD

Université de Montréal

Project Name: Predicting bacterial compatibility in FMT trial in immuno-oncology 

In oncology, a key priority is conceiving strategies to overcome immune-checkpoint blockade (ICB) resistance in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and melanoma. Our funded research aims to refine the selection of ideal donors and ultimately create a patient-specific bacterial consortium to enhance microbiome composition and ICB response, a promising path for translational medicine which will ultimately have real-world impact. Altering gut microbiota through prebiotics can have a huge impact in developing affordable therapies that enhance cancer treatment. Understanding the disease specific microbiome profile opens the possibility of personalized treatments for cancer.

Dr. Morris Scantlebury, MD

University of Calgary

Project Name: Biomarkers and probiotic treatments for infantile epileptic spasms: The IS-BioPRO study 

Infantile epileptic spasms syndrome is a debilitating and challenging epilepsy disorder. By targeting the microbiome, our research aims to deliver real-world impacts for patients by identifying a biomarker for the early detection of treatment-resistant cases and developing an adjunctive microbiome-based treatment for these patients. This study aims to identify a biomarker for pharmacoresistance to currently available treatments in patients with infantile epileptic spasms syndrome and to develop a non-pharmacological, microbiome-based treatment for treatment-resistant cases. 

Dr. Matthew Sorbara, PhD

University of Guelph

Project Name: Functional biomarkers of MCFA production in Ulcerative Colitis 

We know that the metabolites produced by the microbiome play an important role in our health.  For individuals with ulcerative colitis, the microbiome’s ability to produce beneficial metabolites decreases.  By understanding the pathways responsible for beneficial metabolite production, we can improve the design of live biotherapeutics to produce a broad range of beneficial metabolites. We specifically will study the production of the beneficial metabolite valerate by the gut microbiome.  In comparison to most short-chain fatty acids, we know relatively little about the production of valerate, despite its beneficial functions.  This funding is enabling us to integrate bioinformatics, metabolomics, and microbiology approaches to develop ways to therapeutically target valerate production.

Dr. Michael Surette, PhD

McMaster University

Project Name: Donor selection and identification of responders in IBD 

Fecal microbial transplant therapy (FMT) has proven to be effective in inducing remission in ulcerative colitis patients; however, not all patients respond, and not all donors are effective.  The goal of our grant is to develop a novel discovery platform for microbial therapeutics in ulcerative colitis, targeting biomarkers from both beneficial and harmful bacteria to enhance treatment responses and improve patient outcomes. 

Dr. Alan Lomax is a Professor in the Department of Medicine and the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences.

Dr. David Reed is a gastroenterologist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Queens University.

Dr. Prameet Sheth is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences at Queens University.

Project Name: The role of the gut microbiota in patient responses to a dietary therapy for abdominal pain

Our research aims to reveal how specific carbohydrates in foods, called “FODMAPs”, can modify bacterial production of molecules that contribute to chronic abdominal pain. Removing FODMAPs from the diet relieves abdominal pain in ~50% of IBS patients.  Unfortunately, FODMAPs are in many foods, making it challenging for patients to remain on a low-FODMAP diet. Our past Foundation-funded POP grant provided preliminary evidence that gut bacteria from IBS patients released chemicals that activate neurons in pain pathways that link the gut to the brain, and that reducing dietary FODMAPs reduces the release of these chemicals. The Foundation’s funding will allow us to study how common foods influence pain signaling and the gut microbiota in a well-defined patient population with chronic abdominal pain. Our proposed research will identify which subtypes of FODMAPs are most responsible for increasing pain and will tease apart whether the pain-causing effects of FODMAPs rely on the gut microbiota or not. Overall, this project will optimize a dietary therapy for a common chronic pain condition and will provide novel insights into how diet affects the chemicals the gut microbiota produces that contribute to abdominal pain.

Dr. Elena Verdu is a Professor of Medicine at McMaster University and holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Microbial Therapeutics and Nutrition in Gastroenterology.

Dr. David Armstrong is a Professor of Medicine at McMaster University and holds the Douglas Family Chair in Nutrition Research.

Project Name: Role of Luminal Proteases and Dietary Sodium in Intestinal Inflammation (LuPNa-IBD study)

Our research explores how diet, specifically high salt intake, influences gut bacteria in Crohn’s disease. By identifying harmful bacterial proteases and environmental factors that stimulate their activity, we aim to develop personalized dietary advice in conjunction with novel probiotic treatments. This could lead to real-world solutions that help patients manage their symptoms through tailored nutrition and microbiome-targeted therapies. Funding from the Weston Family Foundation’s Microbiome Initiative is truly transformational. In a time of limited research funding and global challenges, this support makes it possible to conduct complex translational studies that bridge clinical research with fundamental discovery. Investigating the microbiome’s role in Crohn’s disease requires extensive resources -from identifying suitable patients performing to advanced lab analyses- and without this funding, such comprehensive translational research would not be possible. We deeply appreciate the Foundation’s vision in supporting innovative, high-impact science that has the potential to improve patient care.