14/11/2024
Ottawa, Ontario — Thursday November 14, 2024
Today, Dr. Bernard Thébaud was appointed as a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Lung Stem Cell Biology and Regeneration. As a neonatologist and senior scientist at the CHEO Research Institute and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Dr. Thébaud has dedicated his work to stem cell therapy to support the health and vitality of premature babies.
Most notably, Dr. Thébaud, professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, is leading the first-ever clinical trial to lessen the effects of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a chronic lung disease that affects approximately 1,000 premature babies in Canada every year and has no known cure. Through Phase 1 of the trial, Dr. Thébaud and his team treated nine very premature babies with an IV infusion of healthy umbilical cord tissues to determine the proper dose required for future treatment. The trial will be entering Phase 2 early next year, thanks to support by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Clinical Trials Fund.
The Canada Research Chair Program invests over $300 million a year to make Canada a global leader in research and development. Appointed chair members contribute to this goal by improving our depth of knowledge, strengthening Canada’s standing, and training the next generation of researchers.
Dr. Thébaud is among 15 new and renewed Canada Research Chairs awarded to uOttawa-affiliated researchers.