Accelerating progress toward longer and healthier lives

Cystic Fibrosis Canda invests nearly $1.7 million in research that aims to reduce an overwhelming treatment burden and improve health for 4,000+ people in Canada

April 23, 2025 – Cystic Fibrosis Canada is investing nearly $1.7 million in research grants and awards that will help to pave the way to better care so people with cystic fibrosis (CF) can have healthier lives and experience a reduced treatment burden. This research funding is in addition to the nearly $1.5 million investment in research Cystic Fibrosis Canada has previously announced for 2025, with funds supporting the seed grant competition and a research partnership with Genome Quebec. 

The eight funded projects seek to understand and better address chronic lung infection and inflammation, and gastrointestinal problems -- significant health issues affecting people with CF. These complications have been identified by Canada’s cystic fibrosis community as priority areas for Cystic Fibrosis Canada’s research investment. 

These projects also align with Cystic Fibrosis Canada’s Momentum research strategy. As the roadmap that guides our research investments, it puts a focus on near-term impact, the priority needs of the cystic fibrosis community, areas of unmet need, and nurturing the next generation of CF researchers in Canada. 

Cystic Fibrosis Canada thanks the expert panel of researchers and people with lived CF experience who evaluated the proposals submitted by the research community in response to our annual competition. Your contributions ensure the research we fund is of high scientific quality and meaningful to people affected by cystic fibrosis. 

Thank you also to our supporters who made this investment possible by generously donating, fundraising, and volunteering. Watch our video collection to hear messages of thanks from the funded researchers and learn more about their work. A full list of recipients is below. 

Basic and Clinical Grants  

Recipient of the Cathleen Morrison Research Impact Award for having the greatest potential to impact people living with CF, as determined by our community reviewers: 

Dao Nguyen, McGill University 

Harnessing host-pathogen interactions to improve eradication of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the HEMT era  

How could this research help? 
People living with cystic fibrosis often get chronic lung infections from a type of bacteria called pseudomonas aeruginosa. There are several strains of this bacteria, and some are better at fighting off the body’s immune response making it difficult for the infection to clear. A new antibody called gremubamab is known to target pseudomonas aeruginosa and may help the immune system do its job better. This study will look at the different pseudomonas aeruginosa strains infecting people with cystic fibrosis and see if the new antibody can get rid of these lung infections effectively. If it does, it could become a new way to treat these lung infections and keep them from coming back. 

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Recipient of the Erik and Birthe Andersen Senior Scientist Research Award recognizing the outstanding contributions of an established CF investigator:  

Brad Quon, University of British Columbia 

Inflammatory and Immune Biomarkers of Response to Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor in People with CF  

How could this research help? 
Cystic fibrosis makes it tough for the lungs to get rid of mucus, leading to bacterial infections and inflammation. Since Trikafta was approved in Canada for people with the most common CF mutation, researchers have been studying how it affects inflammation and learned that while inflammation gets better, it doesn’t return to normal and can even increase over time. This study will examine the long-term effects of Trikafta. Further, now that Trikafta is approved for rarer CF mutations, the research team will also be studying its effects on this population so that healthcare professionals and people living with cystic fibrosis can better understand what to expect from Trikafta in terms of health benefits. 

For his research into this area, Dr. Brad Quon has received the inaugural Erik and Birthe Andersen Senior Scientist Award. This award, established in the Andersen family’s name, honours their legacy by supporting innovative research with the goal that no more families lose a loved one to cystic fibrosis. 

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Sarah Wootton, University of Guelph 

Platform for vectorized expression for secretory IgA at mucosal surfaces to protect against PA infections in CF patients  

How could this research help? 
Stopping the chronic lung infections caused by the pseudomoas aeruginosa bacteria would make a huge difference in reducing one of the major complications of living with cystic fibrosis, as even those on modulator therapies like Trikafta can still get these infections. This research will look into a gene therapy that can deliver protective antibodies to the body using a virus. By using a type of antibody called secretory IgA, which captures and neutralizes germs in the lungs and mucosal areas, it may be possible to prevent infection from taking hold. This research could help pave the way for a long-lasting treatment that would be an alternative to antibiotics and help prevent infections in people with cystic fibrosis. 

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Veronica Campanucci, University of Saskatchewan 

Gut dysmotility in CF is caused by peripheral neuropathy 

How could this research help? 
About 70% of people with cystic fibrosis experience gut issues that range from pain to severe blockages. While CFTR modulators like Trikafta do a great job of easing lung symptoms, they don't resolve these complications. It’s possible that a nerve condition called neuropathy could be behind these gut problems. That would explain why current treatments don't fix intestinal issues – they're simply not designed to work on the nervous system. This research is studying the effects of Trikafta on human nerve cells and exploring whether there's a link between gut complications and nerve disease. If they find a connection, this could lead to a new way to develop cystic fibrosis treatments that target the nervous system, improving pain management and overall well-being. 

This research is being co-funded with the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation 

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Early Career Investigator Awards  

Recipient of the Marsha Morton Early Career Investigator award for being the top-ranked early career investigator project by the scientific review panel: 

Christina Thornton, University of Calgary

Evaluation of Airway Colonization by Candida in People with Cystic Fibrosis  

How could this research help? 
CF clinicians face a tough choice when their patients test positive for Candida, a fungus that doesn’t usually cause infections in healthy people. Although clinical guidelines say this fungus does not require treatment in CF patients, Candida has become more common since the introduction of CFTR modulators like Trikafta and previous studies have linked it to a higher risk of other lung infections. This research aims to learn if certain strains of Candida could worsen infections. The research team will use a 3D lung model to study micro-organisms including Candida to learn how the lungs are affected and what treatments could be most effective. This research aims to inform a clear answer to whether Candida should be treated, and how, in people with cystic fibrosis who test positive for it. 

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Fabrice Jean-Pierre, Université de Sherbrooke 

Mechanisms of antimicrobial recalcitrance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa grown in a CF-relevant polymicrobial biofilm community  

How could this research help? 
Antibiotics don’t always work in treating the lung infections common in people with cystic fibrosis – but it’s not known why This research aims to get at the heart of understanding exactly what is happening in the body that leads to a lack of response. The research team will be studying a laboratory-created model of a cystic fibrosis airway to see how different micro-organisms interact and how these interactions affect their ability to fight off antibiotics used to treat pseudomonas aeuriginosa, the bacteria that most frequently causes chronic lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis. The outcome of this work will be a better understanding of why antibiotics don’t always work in CF so that these situations can be avoided in the future. 

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Research Fellowships   

Recipient of the Jennifer and Robert Sturgess Fellowship for being the top-ranked fellowship by the scientific review panel:  

Justine Mathe, McGill University 

Host and microbe profiling at the single cell level in CF lung tissues  

How could this research help? 
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacteria that continues to cause problems for people living with cystic fibrosis by leading to chronic lung infections, especially among people who do not benefit from CFTR modulator therapies. Even people who are helped by CFTR modulators continue to experience infections. This research will study micro-organisms spread throughout the lungs, how they interact with pseudomonas aeruginosa, how the body’s immune system responds, and how inflammation develops – all of which may help to better understand chronic cystic fibrosis lung infections and in turn identify how to eradicate them. 

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Amanda Morris, Hospital for Sick Children 

In vivo Exploration of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus Interactions within Sputum of Cystic Fibrosis patients with Pulmonary Exacerbations  

How could this research help? 
The lung infections common in people living with cystic fibrosis often involve multiple types of bacteria growing together. These bacteria form thick, sticky layers called biofilms that help them survive and make them harder to treat with antibiotics. Two common bacteria found in the lungs of people with CF are Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. They can either compete or work together, making the infection worse or more complicated. While it's common to have both bacteria at the same time, it's still unclear how this affects a person's health. This research will look at whether people with both types of bacteria - or a specific protein produced by Staphylococcus aureus - have larger bacterial clusters in their lungs after treatment, compared to those with only Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This could help us understand how these bacteria interact and come up with more effective treatment strategies.