Program of Experimental Medicine - POEM
Department of Medicine

Program of Experimental Medicine
POEM


 Cardiology,  Cl Immunology and Allergy,  Clinical Pharmacology,  Critical Care Medicine, 
 Endocrinology and Metabolism, 
 Gastroenterology,  General Internal Medicine,  Geriatric Medicine, 
 Hematology, 
 Infectious Diseases, 
 Nephrology, 
 Respirology,  Rheumatology, 


Gastroenterology
jp.arab@lhsc.on.ca
JUAN PABLO ARAB, MD, FRCPC, Associate Professor

Dr. Arab is Associate Professor of Medicine at the Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Schulich School of Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. Trained at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica, Chile and Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. Dr. Arab is a Gastroenterology and Hepatology specialist, Transplant Hepatologist and Clinical Researcher with interest in clinical/translational research and epidemiology in alcohol-related liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. He has published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers, co-authored several book chapters and delivered lectures on liver-related topics at national and international meetings. He is an Associate Editor for Hepatology (flagship AASLD journal). He has also participated in the generation of clinical practice guidelines for alcohol-related liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and hepatorenal syndrome and regularly serves as expert reviewer of research grants and scientific research abstracts for multiple societies, funding agencies and international peer reviewed journals. Additionally, he is spearheading international collaboration groups aiming to study alcohol-associated liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (AH-LATIN and Global AlcHep BigData Network). Dr. Arab is member of the AASLD Global Outreach and Engagement Committee. He is currently the Vice-Chair of the Special Interest Group on alcohol-associated liver disease of the AASLD. Additionally, he is the Vice-Chair of the Education & Scholarship Committee of the International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS).

Keywords:
Alcohol-associated liver disease
Cirrhosis
Fatty liver
Liver cancer
Liver transplantation
NAFLD


Gastroenterology
Samuel.Asfaha@lhsc.on.ca
SAMUEL ASFAHA, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Assistant Professor

Dr. Asfaha received his PhD and medical degrees from University of Calgary Canada in 2000 and 2003, respectively. After completing his internal medicine residency training at the University of Alberta, he returned to the University of Calgary to complete his Gastroenterology fellowship. He then pursued a postdoctoral research fellowship in stem cells and cancer at Columbia University in the City of New York, where he was eventually promoted to a junior faculty position as an Instructor in Medicine. He was then recruited to the University of Western Ontario as an Assistant Professor and Schulich Clinician Scientist. He currently leads a team of researchers focused on intestinal stem cells and cellular origin of colorectal cancer.

Keywords:
Colorectal cancer
Inflammation
Inflammatory bowel diseases
Stem Cells


Gastroenterology
Melanie.Beaton@lhsc.on.ca
MELANIE BEATON, MD, FRCPC, Associate Professor

Melanie Beaton completed her MD at the University of Ottawa and residency training in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at Western University. She subsequently completed a research fellowship at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research and Royal Brisbane Hospital in Brisbane, Australia. After returning to London she joined the Department of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at Western University. Her clinical practice encompasses general gastroenterology with a focus in the management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). She is actively involved in Clinical Trials and investigator-initiated research in both of these areas. She is the Site Chief of University Hospital for Gastroenterology, as well as, the Equity and Wellness Lead for the Division and its trainees.

Keywords:
Hepatic Drug Metabolism
Hepatology
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease


Gastroenterology
Vipul.Jairath@lhsc.on.ca
VIPUL JAIRATH, MD, FRCPC, Associate Professor

Dr. Vipul Jairath is a gastroenterologist, specializing in the management of Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, endoscopy and a range of general gastrointestinal disorders. He trained in the United Kingdom and has degrees in pharmacology and medicine from the University of Leeds, a PhD (DPhil) from the University of Oxford and diploma in clinical trials from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

He joined Western University in 2016 as Associate Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and is the recipient of John and Susan Mcdonald endowed chair.

His research interests are in the design, conduct and implementation of randomized controlled trials, index development and outcomes research. He has received peer reviewed grant funding from several organizations and supervises students both at masters and doctoral level.

Keywords:
Clinical trials-Design and execution
Gastrointestinal Bleeding
IBD
Index development
Outcomes research
Trial design and mythology


Gastroenterology
qasim.khan@lhsc.on.ca
QASIM KHAN, MD, FRCPC, Assistant Professor

Dr. Khan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, with cross-appointment in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Additionally, he is a Faculty Scholar in the Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences (ICES) at Western University.

He completed his medical training with distinction at the King Edward Medical University in Lahore, Pakistan. He subsequently pursued post-graduate medical training in the United States where he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Chicago followed by advanced fellowship training in Transplant Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He later pursued an Executive Master's in Epidemiology from Columbia University.

As a clinician-researcher, Dr. Khan’s areas of research interest include: (1) Evaluation and optimization of nutritional and cardiometabolic status in the pre- peri- and post-liver transplantation periods, focusing on trends and prevention of post-transplant weight gain, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and allograft steatosis; (2) Diagnosis, risk stratification, prognostication and management of steatotic liver disease (including MASLD, MetALD and ALD); as well as (3) Portal Hypertension.

He is a steering member of the Vanguard Committee of the International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS), and an active member and oft speaker for the Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver (CASL), and American Association for the Study of the Liver (AASLD).


Gastroenterology
reena.khanna@lhsc.on.ca
REENA KHANNA, MD, MSc, FRCPC, Associate Professor of Medicine

Dr. Reena Khanna is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Western Ontario, and a Clinician Researcher in the Program for Experimental Medicine. She completed her MD and Internal Medicine residency at the University of Western Ontario, Gastroenterology fellowship at McMaster University. Dr. Khanna completed an advanced fellowship in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) at the Cleveland Clinic, followed by a research fellowship in international IBD clinical trials at the University of Western Ontario. She completed an MSc in clinical epidemiology at McMaster University. Her clinical and research interest are clinical trial design, new therapeutics, outcome measures. She has designed, conducted and published several studies, including the first cluster study in IBD. Dr. Khanna holds international grants and most recently was awarded the Crohn’s Colitis Canada’s rising star award for her research contributions.

Keywords:
Inflammatory bowel diseases
Outcome measurements
Randomized controlled trials
Therapeutics
Validation


Gastroenterology
Adam.Rahman@sjhc.london.on.ca
ADAM RAHMAN, MD, FRCPC, Associate Professor

My clinical and research interest are focused on clinical nutrition. After training in internal medicine and gastroenterology, I completed advanced training in clinical nutrition at the University of Chicago.

I subsequently trained in critical medicine at the University of Toronto at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre focusing on phamaco-nutrition in critically ill patients. I am currently completing my Master of Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Toronto.

Keywords:
Clinical nutrition
Malnutrition
Metabolic syndrome
Nutritional policy
Sarcopenia


Gastroenterology
Rocio.SedanoMunoz@lhsc.on.ca
ROCIO SEDANO, MD,MSc(C), Assistant Professor

Dr. Rocio Sedano is a gastroenterologist with a special interest in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, particularly upper Crohn’s Disease, Neurogastroenterology, and Eosinophilic Esophagitis. She completed her Gastroenterology Fellowship at Universidad de Chile, and subsequently completed a Clinical and Research Fellowship in Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Western University, followed by a second Fellowship in Neurogastroenterology and Motility at Western University. She is also an MSc candidate in clinical trials from the University of London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.

Her research interests are clinical trials, index development, and outcome measures.

Keywords:
Clinical trials
Index development
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Neurogastroenterology
Outcome measures
Upper Crohn’s Disease


Gastroenterology
Michael.Sey@lhsc.on.ca
MICHAEL SEY, MD, FRCPC, Associate Professor

Dr. Michael Sey is a POEM Scientist and a gastroenterologist specializing in therapeutic endoscopy at the London Health Sciences Centre, an Associate Professor of Medicine at Western University, and a Scientist at the Lawson Health Research Institute. He completed his gastroenterology residency at Western University, advanced endoscopy at Indiana University Medical Centre, clinical trials development at Harvard Medical School, and a Master of Public Health at Harvard University. His research focuses on gastrointestinal bleeding, small bowel endoscopy, and colonoscopy quality.

Keywords:
Bowel preparation
Capsule endoscopy
Double balloon enteroscopy
Endoscopic ultrasound
Gastrointestinal bleeding
Screening colonoscopy


Gastroenterology
awilso65@uwo.ca
AZE WILSON, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Assistant Professor

Dr. Wilson is a Royal College-certified clinical gastroenterologist and researcher at London Health Sciences Centre with a primary academic appointment to the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology. She treats patients with chronic gastrointestinal illnesses with a focus on inflammatory bowel disease. She has completed a doctorate degree in physiology and pharmacology and has cross-appointments to the Division of Clinical Pharmacology and the Department of Physiology & Pharmacology at Western University. Her research interests include factors affecting drug metabolism and drug response in inflammatory bowel disease. She also has an interest in biomarkers of drug response and disease severity as well as understanding the interplay between host genomics and drug response.

Keywords:
Biomarkers
Drug adverse events
Drug metabolism
Drug response
Inflammatory bowel diseases
Pharmacogenomics