Address
Centre of Heart Lung Innovation, St. Paul’s HospitalRoom 166, 1081 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC
Vision Statement
Research Interests
Translational; Genomics; Biomarkers; Biostatistics; Epidemiology; Gender Epidemiology; Pneumology
- Understanding the mechanistic link between lung inflammation and cardiovascular disease;
- Developing novel biomarkers to diagnose and prognose patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
- Understanding the mechanisms behind why female smokers are at increased risk of COPD compared with male smokers.
Research Summary
To date, our group has established COPD as an inflammatory lung condition with significant extrapulmonary complications such as cardiovascular disease. We have also shown that certain proteins in peripheral circulation are good biomarkers to predict which COPD patients will develop cardiovascular complications. One such biomarker is myeloperoxidase (MPO). We have shown using a large epidemiological study that serum MPO is a robust predictor of cardiovascular mortality. We have also shown that acute lung inflammation induces expression of MPO in both lungs and atherosclerotic plaques. We now have a murine model which will enable studies to determine whether MPO has a direct role in the pathogenesis of atheroclerotic plaque rupture.
Research Highlights
Personal
Education
University of Alberta, BSc,
University of Alberta, MD,
Harvard University, MPH,
Affiliations
UBC James Hogg Research Centre, Centre for Heart and Lung Innovation, Director
Recent Publications
- Alotaibi NM, Chen V, Hollander Z, Leipsic JA, Hague CJ, Murphy DT, DeMarco ML, FitzGerald JM, McManus BM, Ng RT, Sin DD. Phenotyping and outcomes of hospitalized COPD patients using rapid molecular diagnostics on sputum samples. International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. 2019 Jan 23;14:311-319. doi: 10.2147/COPD.S188186.
- Sadatsafavi M, Ghanbarian S, Adibi A, Johnson K, FitzGerald JM, Flanagan W, Bryan S, Sin D. Development and Validation of the Evaluation Platform in COPD (EPIC): A Population-Based Outcomes Model of COPD for Canada. Medical Decision Making. 2019 Feb;39(2):152-167. doi: 10.1177/0272989X18824098.
- Tam A, Hughes M, McNagny KM, Obeidat M, Hackett TL, Leung JM, Shaipanich T, Dorscheid DR, Singhera GK, Yang CWT, Paré PD, Hogg JC, Nickle D, Sin DD. Hedgehog signaling in the airway epithelium of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Scientific Reports. 2019 Mar 4;9(1):3353. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-40045-3.
- Moon JY, Sin DD. Inhaled corticosteroids and fractures in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: current understanding and recommendations. Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine. 2019 Mar;25(2):165-172. doi: 10.1097/MCP.0000000000000554.
- Sin DD. What’s in the CART? A decision rule to predict short‐term mortality during COPD exacerbations. Respirology. 2019 April 15:24(8):716-717. doi.org/10.1111/resp.13561.
- Leung JM, Obeidat M, Sadatsafavi M, Sin DD. Introduction to Precision Medicine in COPD. European Respiratory Journal. 2019 Apr 11;53(4). pii: 1802460. doi: 10.1183/13993003.02460-2018.
- Yoon YS, Jin M, Sin DD. Accelerated lung aging and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine. 2019 Apr;13(4):369-380. doi: 10.1080/17476348.2019.1580576.
- Obeidat M, Sadatsafavi M, Sin DD. Precision health: treating the individual patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Medical Journal of Australia. 2019 May;210(9):424-428. doi: 10.5694/mja2.50138.
- Leitao Filho FS, Alotaibi NM, Ngan D, Tam S, Yang J, Hollander Z, Chen V, FitzGerald JM, Nislow C, Leung JM, Man SFP, Sin DD. Sputum Microbiome is Associated with 1-Year Mortality Following COPD Hospitalizations. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2019 May 15;199(10):1205-1213. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201806-1135OC.
- Takiguchi H, Chen V, Obeidat M, Hollander Z, FitzGerald JM, McManus BM, Ng RT, Sin DD. Effect of short-term oral prednisone therapy on blood gene expression: a randomised controlled clinical trial. Respiratory Research. 2019 Aug 5;20(1):176. doi: 10.1186/s12931-019-1147-2.
Awards & Recognition
| 1985 | Louise McKinney Post Secondary Scholarship |
| 1986 | President’s Scholarship in Science |
| 1986 | Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Summer Studentship Award |
| 1988 | Dr. M.E. Ledingham Memorial Research Award |
| 1992 | E. Garner King Award in Pulmonary Medicine, University of Alberta |
| 1994 | Internal Medicine Research Award, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alberta (1st Prize) |
| 1997 – 1999 | Clinical Research Fellowship. From the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research |
| 2001 – 2004 | New Investigator Award (Scholarship). From the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Health Services) |
| 2002 – 2003 | Population Health Investigator Award. From The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research |
| 2004 – 2009 | Glaxo-Smith-Kline/St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation Professorship in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease |
| 2004 – 2009 | Canada Research Chair (Tier 2): Obstructive Airways Disease |
| 2006 – 2011 | Senior Scholar Award (Clinical). Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research |
| 2007 | Distinguished Achievement Award in the Excellence in Clinical or Applied Research. The University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine |
| 2009 – 2014 | Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease |
| 2010 – 2014 | Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease |
| 2014 | Foundress Mission Award, Providence Health Care |
| 2015 | Research and Mission Award, Providence Health Care |
| 2015 | UBC Killam Research Prize, Senior Category |
| 2017
2018 |
Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) Honorary Lecturer
UBC Outstanding Academic Performance. Awarded annually to faculty members after a department peer-reviewed process, in recognition of academic achievements performed over the past year |
| 2018
2020 |
UBC 2018 Merit and Performance Salary Adjustment (PSA) Award in recognition of outstanding service to the University CIHR-ICRH/CTS Distinguished Lecturer Award in Respiratory Sciences |
Grants
- De Lazzari Family Chair for Centre for Heart Lung Innovation (2019 – 2029)
- Canada Foundation for Innovation (2018 – 2022)
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research Foundation Grant (2015 – 2022)