The Centre for Heart Lung Innovation (HLI) is proud to celebrate Dr. Andrew Krahn, who has received a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant through the Spring 2026 competition.

Dr. Krahn’s funded project, Precision Diagnosis and Management of Cardiogenetics: The Hearts in Rhythm Organization (HiRO), will advance a national approach to diagnosing and managing inherited heart conditions.

The CIHR Spring 2026 Project Grant competition approved 439 research grants, representing a total investment of approximately $412 million in health research across Canada.

Improving Diagnosis and Care for Inherited Heart Conditions

Inherited heart conditions include disorders affecting the heart’s electrical system and muscle. Although individually rare, these conditions can have serious consequences, including dangerous heart rhythms, fainting, cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death.

Diagnosing these conditions can be challenging. Symptoms and risks may vary considerably—even among members of the same family—and some people may show few warning signs before experiencing a life-threatening event. More precise ways of combining clinical findings, genetic information and long-term patient data are therefore essential.

Dr. Krahn is an internationally recognized expert in cardiac arrhythmias whose research spans the genetic causes of heart rhythm disorders, sudden cardiac arrest, syncope and the evaluation of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. His work has helped establish national collaborations focused on rare, inherited heart conditions.

At the centre of this work is the Hearts in Rhythm Organization (HiRO), a Canadian network connecting researchers, health care providers, patients and families. HiRO is dedicated to improving awareness and understanding of inherited heart conditions, supporting collaborative research, standardizing care and preventing sudden cardiac death.

Through this new project, Dr. Krahn and the HiRO team will strengthen a precision approach to cardiogenetics—using each patient’s clinical and genetic information to support more accurate diagnoses, individualized risk assessment and better-informed care.

Building on HiRO’s established national research platform, the work will:

• Strengthen collaboration among cardiogenetics researchers and clinical teams across Canada.
• Improve understanding of how inherited heart conditions develop and affect patients and families.
• Integrate genetic findings with clinical information to support more precise diagnosis and risk assessment.
• Advance consistent, evidence-informed approaches to monitoring and managing inherited heart conditions.
• Engage patients and families and translate research findings into practical information for health care providers and the wider community.

The long-term goal is to help patients and families receive clearer answers, more personalized care and appropriate follow-up—while reducing the risk of preventable cardiac events and sudden death.

Making Research Matter for Patients and Families

Inherited heart conditions do not affect patients in isolation. A diagnosis can have important implications for parents, siblings, children and other relatives who may also benefit from assessment or ongoing care.

For this reason, patient and family engagement is a central part of HiRO’s work. The network brings together people with lived experience, clinicians and researchers to ensure that new knowledge is shared effectively and responds to the needs of those most directly affected.

By combining national collaboration with clinical and genetic research, this CIHR-supported project will help move cardiogenetics toward care that is more precise, consistent and responsive to patients and families.

Congratulations to Dr. Andrew Krahn and the entire HiRO team on this important achievement and their continued leadership in improving heart health across Canada.

This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR Grant No. 177747) and Mitacs Inc. (IT44473 / UBC No. F22-01762). It was published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, and can be accessed here.

Long COVID continues to affect millions of people worldwide, yet the biological changes underlying the persistent symptoms that people experience are still not well understood. One major challenge is the lack of reliable biomarkers—biological signs or molecules, measured in the body—that could help improve diagnosis and guide care. Most biomarker studies have focused on hospitalized patients with severe disease, leaving non-hospitalized populations, particularly healthcare workers, who are at high occupational risk, underrepresented. These workers are an important group to study as they have high exposure risk and frequent reports of long-lasting symptoms.

Recent work suggests that long COVID occurs because of persistent viral reservoirs (sites where viruses persist, evading the immune system) and immune dysregulation, leading to chronic inflammation and blood vessel injury.

_{“My name is Estefanía Espín, and I am a PhD student in the Tebbutt Lab at the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation. Our lab, in collaboration with the PROOF Centre of Excellence, focuses on the analysis of genes, proteins, and metabolites to develop biomarkers for a range of health conditions.“}

_{“My PhD research focuses on identifying biomarkers for long COVID. As part of this work, I conducted and published a scoping review of long COVID biomarkers, followed by a qualitative study exploring the experiences of patients and clinicians and their expectations regarding biomarker research (currently under review). I also led the pilot multi-omics study that we have recently published, and I am now validating these findings in a larger independent cohort.”}

To investigate this further, we coincidentally had the opportunity to collaborate with Dr. Brian Grunau and Dr. David Goldfarb, researchers leading the COVID-19 Occupational Risks, Seroprevalence, and Immunity among Paramedics in Canada (CORSIP) study, a prospective longitudinal cohort of adult paramedics. The CORSIP team had collected blood samples and health questionnaire data from study participants, allowing us to access samples and data from the British Columbia cohort.

Among the 1,706 participants, we identified 17 healthcare workers with long COVID, defined according to World Health Organization guidelines. Of these, 12 had available blood samples, and all happened to have experienced non-hospitalized COVID-19. We then conducted a small exploratory study comparing biological changes in participants with long COVID to those in individuals who had recovered from COVID-19 without persistent symptoms.

We analyzed two complementary biological measures: gene expression in blood cells and circulating small molecules (metabolites). For the metabolomic analysis, we also examined how these changes evolved over time using samples collected both before and after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

We found evidence of persistent activation of immune-related pathways, particularly those linked to early inflammatory responses. Several of the affected genes we found are involved in neutrophil activity, a key component of the body’s first-line immune defense. These findings suggest that in some individuals, immune activation may persist long after their initial SARS-CoV-2 infection has resolved.

At the same time, we observed changes in molecules involved in energy production, metabolism, and brain-related biochemical pathways. One metabolite in particular, oxoglutarate, showed opposite patterns over time in people with long COVID compared to those who recovered fully, suggesting differences in how the body adapts after infection.

When we integrated these immune and metabolic findings, we saw that they were connected rather than independent. The affected pathways pointed toward ongoing inflammation, cellular stress, and changes in signaling systems that may be relevant to long COVID symptoms, such as fatigue, brain fog, and reduced cognitive function. These were the symptoms reported by the healthcare workers in this study, as seen in other non-hospitalized long COVID populations.

Overall, our exploratory work suggests that long COVID may involve coordinated changes across both the immune system and metabolism. Although larger studies should be carried out to confirm our findings, understanding these interconnected biological changes may help guide future efforts to develop better diagnostic tools and more targeted approaches to care.

Story by Basak Ashley Sahin.

Dr. Amrit Singh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and a Principal Investigator at the HLI.

As a new Principal Investigator, Amrit has actively engaged with both the trainees and center committees, making his nomination as the EDI Spotlight of the Quarter well-deserved. His presentation for the EDI seminar series, Resonant Realities: From Individual Story to Collective Empathy, was truly inspiring, showcasing his deeply human and humble approach. Here’s a closer look at Amrit and his connection to EDI.

The journey of becoming a better human being…

Amrit expresses that EDI represents the journey of becoming a better human being. He views EDI as an overarching concept that transcends the specific words of the acronym. To him, it embodies a blend of various interconnected ideas, including:

• Fostering a respectful environment
• Promoting justice
• Enhancing accessibility
• Cultivating a sense of belonging

And much more…

When the aim is learning…

Humility, Curiosity, and a Willingness to Listen…

Amrit suggests that when engaging in EDI work, we should approach it with humility, curiosity, and an openness to listen. He highlights the importance of acknowledging that we won’t always possess all the answers, as many challenges may lie beyond our personal experiences.

For Amrit, impactful EDI initiatives demand reflection, a receptiveness to feedback, and a dedication to implementing practical changes that foster more respectful, accessible, and inclusive environments.

Goodness in people, Goodness in Pho…

Amrit’s willingness to be good, do good deeds, and see the good in people is truly inspiring. If you’re hoping for a random encounter, Amrit often visits Pho Goodness on Davie, and his trainees can vouch for this!

The Bruce McManus Cardiovascular Biobank (BMCB) team returned to this year’s day-long Heart Centre Nursing Education Day at St. Paul’s Hospital. As an invited exhibitor, the BMCB hosted a Hands-On-Hearts gross anatomy booth featuring human explanted hearts.

This year the annual education day, hosted by the St. Paul’s Hospital Heart Centre and Providence Health Care, marked its 25th year with the theme of Heart Failure. The event brought together approximately 160 cardiac nurses and other health-care professionals. The attendees heard expert talks, participated in workshops, and took the opportunity to reflect on the evolving role of cardiac nursing.

The BMCB booth gave nurses a rare opportunity to examine the physical effects of advanced heart disease, including cardiomyopathies, ischemic heart disease, end-stage heart failure and implanted devices, such as left ventricular assist devices and bioprosthetic/mechanical heart valves.

One meaningful moment of the day for all was when three heart transplant recipients − Marc Bains, Dr. Jillianne Code and Naomi Lee − held their own explanted hearts. This created a special connection between not only patients and nurses but also to the research behind cardiac care.

A rare reunion with their own hearts

Dr. Jillianne Code, the president and co-founder of HeartLife Foundation, gave a presentation as a patient partner with the St. Paul’s Hospital Heart Failure and Transplant Program, sharing her experience undergoing two heart transplants. Marc Bains, the executive director and co-founder of HeartLife Foundation, staffed the HeartLife booth, connecting with nurses, sharing resources, and raising awareness about the patient experience. Naomi Lee, a HeartLife ambassador, attended as a patient advocate and nursing student.

Each recipient had previously visited the biobank to see their own explanted heart, but this was the first time the three transplant recipients shared that experience together. Holding their hearts side by side, they were able to see and compare the organs that had carried them through different journeys. The moment gave nurses a rare opportunity to hear directly from people with lived experience of advanced heart disease, mechanical circulatory support and transplant, while seeing the physical effects of those journeys in the hearts on display.

“Holding my own heart is hard to put into words,” said Marc Bains who in 2018 was the 500^th heart transplant recipient in BC. “It is emotional, humbling, and strangely peaceful. That heart carried me through the hardest years of my life. To stand there with Jillianne and Naomi, each of us with our own story, was a reminder of how much patients survive before transplant, and how much life is possible after it.”

HeartLife Foundation is one of North America’s leading patient-led heart disease charities. The organization works to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease, support and educate patients, families and caregivers, and advocate for better and more equitable care.

“It was meaningful for our team to reconnect with Marc, Jillianne and Naomi, and to see them share this experience with nurses. It was a powerful reminder that each heart in the biobank is part of a unique patient story.” — Dr. Gurpreet Singhera, manager of the BMCB.

Seeing heart failure up close

Throughout the day, nurses visited the Hands-On-Hearts booth to observe, touch and ask questions about the specimens on display. The booth was hosted by BMCB team members Dr. Singhera, Coco Ng and Tiffany Chang who guided attendees through the anatomy and pathology of the hearts. For many nurses, the booth offered an experience rarely available outside an anatomy lab: seeing how disease, injury and treatment physically alter the heart.

The BMCB team thanks the St. Paul’s Hospital Heart Centre and Providence Health Care staff for hosting the event and inviting them to take part in the day!

As a thoracic surgeon in Japan, I would often see and treat patients with a past history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Deep inside, I would always think “Not again…”. Even if the patient wasn’t formally diagnosed with COPD and just had a long (sometimes extremely long) history of smoking, it would raise a flag in my mind. I knew that this person had a high risk of adhesion in their thorax and would probably suffer severe post-operative pneumonia. This pneumonia would cause a huge deterioration in their quality of life, and, even worse, could be life-threatening.

It was therefore quite exciting for me to have the chance to join HLI as a postdoctoral fellow, working on a new project aiming to develop a non-invasive treatment for emphysema. Emphysema is a specific type of COPD that involves damage to the alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs. While in Japan, I had dreamed of studying abroad someday, and had been asking my professor if there was any chance to do so. Fortunately, my university has a long-standing relationship with HLI (more than 30 years!), and in 2025, I was chosen to visit the HLI as an international researcher.

In my experience, most patients with emphysema take medicine to control their symptoms without seeing actual improvement of their disease. Those who have severe symptoms may be candidates for lung volume reduction surgery, but as a surgeon, I have never seen a patient undergo this procedure. Here at HLI, we are working with an industry partner, Ikomed Technologies, to develop a treatment for emphysema and test it in animal models. We started with rodents and, over the past several years, have been conducting studies in pigs as we move closer to first-in-human trials.

As a first step, I am evaluating lung function in these animals. Since they are pigs, we cannot ask them (!) if they are feeling any symptoms or having difficulty breathing, nor can we do spirometry (a test to determine how well the lungs work).

Next, I am learning how to objectively analyze my results without bias. This is a great challenge as pig lungs are huge. If we wanted to evaluate the morphological features of the lung through a microscope, realistically we would have to collect specific areas to analyze. With the lungs being so large, how can we collect specimens uniformly? How many samples should we collect to be able to capture the characteristics for the entire lung? All of these questions are completely new to me and would never have been brought up when I was in Japan.

HLI members have given me the support and advice I need to measure histology features, such as the mean distance between each alveoli, as well as lung compliance (through plethysmography). This is a technique to measure the change in lung volume following a change in pressure. A patient/animal breathes into a mouthpiece while inside an airtight box. The change in air pressure is measured as the chest expands. There are many experts at HLI who have been working on evaluating lung function in large animals, and they have given me guidance. 

In reality most days as a researcher are not about having great ideas that can change the world or discovering one of the true mysteries of science. Instead, working with diverse team members with different backgrounds can sometimes bring unexpected viewpoints not yet considered, and lead to new ways of understanding. This process is very satisfying and can bring great joy. Coworkers can also help with presenting results in a more easily understood manner.

A year ago, while working as a physician in Japan, I could have never imagined that I would have the opportunity to work at HLI. I am grateful to have the chance to work with a great team and to be surrounded with new discoveries. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I hope I can make great progress that can help me reach new milestones in my career. While research often leads to incremental step-by-step discoveries, I hope my contributions within the next year to discovery in the realm of COPD can make a difference in disease treatment.

Story by Basak Ashley Sahin.

Tao Sun is a Data Analyst (Bioinformatician) in Dr. Ying Wang’s lab at HLI.

With experiences at multiple institutions in Canada and internationally, working in diverse, multidisciplinary teams, Tao has built a career at the intersection of medicine, bioinformatics, statistics, and data science; focusing on cardiovascular and bioinformatics research through RNA-Seq and spatial transcriptomics.

Tao holds an MD, PhD, and MSc, with a background in clinical medicine, cardiovascular surgery research, and statistics. Over the past decade, Tao has developed expertise in biostatistics and bioinformatics, focusing on cardiovascular studies, RNA sequencing, and spatial transcriptomics.

A typical day in Tao’s life as a Data Analyst involves analyzing cardiovascular datasets, developing computational pipelines for RNA-Seq and spatial transcriptomics, and collaborating with colleagues on findings that advance understanding of heart and lung diseases.

The secret to scientific discovery is collaboration

Tao is passionate about the intersection of science and collaboration, focusing on transforming intricate data into meaningful biological insights while partnering with a variety of researchers and clinicians. Tao feels fulfilled when data-driven discoveries positively impact patients and improve public health.

Tao’s equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) journey commenced at Queen’s University in 2008, progressed at Western University starting in 2011, and thrived at McMaster University alongside the Unifor Union.

How experiences turn into advocacy

EDI has fostered inclusive spaces where Tao felt comfortable sharing ideas and learning. Working in diverse environments has broadened Tao’s perspectives, enriched collaborations, and strengthened resilience as a researcher navigating different institutional and cultural contexts.

Having encountered and navigated challenges as an international scholar and professional in Canada before joining HLI, particularly in terms of cultural adaptation and acknowledgment of previous experiences, Tao is inspired to foster a more inclusive environment for others.

At HLI, Tao hopes to design and support initiatives that amplify diverse voices and ensure an inclusive research culture.

A moment of pride

Small actions, lasting impacts

Tao recommends that anyone striving to enhance EDI should begin with small, consistent efforts. Simple actions, such as actively listening and amplifying underrepresented voices, and acknowledging contributions can create significant and lasting change.

Outside of the lab

Outside work, Tao enjoys reading, sports, and exploring Vancouver’s food scene. Tao likes spending time with friends, exploring nature around Vancouver, playing sports like ping pong and swimming, and discovering local Asian cuisine spots that which remind him of home and connect him to Vancouver’s multicultural community.

When Dr. Yara Alkhodair arrived at the University of British Columbia (UBC) from Saudi Arabia for a behavioural neurology fellowship, she expected to spend a year in the clinic. She ended up spending two – and helped launch an international collaboration now reshaping Alzheimer’s diagnostics in the Middle East.

Alkhodair’s extended stay brought her into the laboratory of Dr. Mari DeMarco, Clinical Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UBC, Investigator at the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation at St. Paul’s Hospital, and the driving force behind one of the few medical facilities in Canada offering comprehensive Alzheimer’s disease biofluid biomarker testing. Under DeMarco’s supervision, Alkhodair joined a research group that has become one of Canada’s most important training grounds for the next generation of dementia diagnosticians.

Originally invited to UBC for a one-year behavioural neurology fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Hsiung and his colleagues at the UBC Hospital Clinic for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders, Alkhodair was invited to return for a second year to continue her clinical fellowship and complete a laboratory medicine and research rotation in the DeMarco lab. What began as a clinical placement evolved into something more expansive: hands-on training in biofluid diagnostics, a research collaboration, and a co-authored scientific publication.

The training model in DeMarco’s lab is distinctive. Trainees don’t simply observe – they contribute to active clinical work, collaborate with graduate students, and engage in front-line research. Alkhodair participated in weekly diagnostic case rounds, gaining experience interpreting complex biomarker panels and advising referring physicians. As an example of her impact, with her clinical skills combined with new knowledge on Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, she was able to identify a patient’s biomarker profile was more consistent with Lewy body dementia than Alzheimer’s, prompting a revised diagnosis and a change in management.

Alongside her clinical training, Alkhodair contributed to research with direct implications for patient access to new Alzheimer’s therapies. Lecanemab, the first approved drug targeting the amyloid plaques characteristic of Alzheimer’s, carries a rare but serious risk of brain inflammation or bleeding –a complication known as amyloid-related imaging abnormalities, or ARIA. Carriers of two copies of the APOE4 gene face the highest risk, and Health Canada has determined this group should not receive the therapy. Alkhodair contributed to the DeMarco lab’s investigation of a blood test to measure APOE4 protein concentration – a faster, more practical alternative to traditional genetic testing.

That work earned broad recognition. Alkhodair co-authored a manuscript with DeMarco lab graduate student Cyril Helbling on APOE proteotyping for Alzheimer’s drug eligibility and risk assessment, and presented the findings at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference – one of dementia research’s most prestigious forums. She was also recognized by Saudi Arabia’s First National Platform and the Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau in Canada for her contributions to behavioural neurology and dementia research during her time at UBC.

The impact extended well beyond the conference floor. Back in Saudi Arabia, Alkhodair organized and moderated a biofluid biomarker workshop at the 4th Annual Conference of the Saudi Chapter of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology in AlUla – and invited her UBC collaborators to participate. Helbling joined as an international panelist, extending the DeMarco lab’s reach across continents and sustaining a partnership that began in Vancouver.

Now, Alkhodair is leading the development of a neurodegenerative biomarker laboratory at the Neuroscience Centre of Excellence at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh – the largest tertiary care centre in the Middle East. The laboratory frameworks and clinical practices she developed during her UBC training are directly informing the new program’s design, and her collaboration with the DeMarco lab continues through ongoing scientific exchanges and joint initiatives.

That partnership is one example of a broader pattern. Trainees who come through this environment leave not only with technical expertise, but with the research skills, professional networks, and institutional knowledge to build programs of their own. Alkhodair arrived as a clinical fellow and left as a researcher, a co-author, an international conference presenter, and now the architect of a biomarker diagnostic program at one of the Middle East’s foremost medical institutions – one shaped by a training model she has since made her own. That she continues to bring her UBC collaborators into that work is a testament to what she, and those who train alongside her, carry forward.

As biomarker-guided Alzheimer’s care expands globally, the reach of that training model is increasingly felt in hospitals and clinics far from Vancouver.

On March 23, 2026, HLI hosted another insightful session as part of its Seminar Series, featuring Milad Vahedi, a PhD trainee working under Dr. Graeme Koelwyn. Milad’s talk, titled Chronic Exercise as a Modulator of Immune Responses in Aging: An Evolutionary Perspective, delved into the fascinating relationship between physical activity, our immune system, and the aging process.

Milad began by taking us on a journey back to our ancestors, who relied heavily on endurance activities like walking and running to hunt and survive. Their bodies adapted to these long-distance activities, improving their oxygen delivery to muscles. But the benefits didn’t stop there. These adaptations also fine-tuned their immune systems, helping them stay healthy by reducing inflammation and strengthening their defenses against disease.

Fast forward to today, and the situation has changed dramatically. With modern, sedentary lifestyles, many of us no longer engage in the kind of physical activity that our ancestors did. This lack of movement leads to chronic low-level inflammation, which can speed up aging and increase the risk of diseases associated with aging. Milad highlighted how this mismatch between our evolutionary biology and modern habits is a major driver of aging-related health issues.

However, the good news is that regular, chronic exercise can help counteract this process. Milad’s research suggests that staying active can regulate immune responses in a way that prevents or even treats aging-related diseases. In fact, exercise doesn’t just help with muscle health—it can play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy immune system throughout life.

Milad’s presentation was a powerful reminder of the importance of physical activity, not just for fitness, but for its broader impact on overall health and aging. His work is a step forward in understanding how we can harness exercise to help keep our immune systems strong and reduce the risk of chronic diseases as we age.

To learn more about Milad’s incredible work, feel free to check out his LinkedIn profile here: Milad Vahedi LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/milad-vahedi-72065839a/

This seminar provided an inspiring look at the long-term benefits of staying active, and Milad’s research is helping shed light on how simple lifestyle changes can have a profound impact on our health as we age.