Research Impact
Research is at the heart of Celiac Canada’s mission to improve the lives of people living with celiac disease and gluten-related disorders. Through supporting groundbreaking studies, partnering with leading researchers, and advocating for evidence-based change, we drive real progress in diagnosis, treatment, and public awareness. Our research impact goes beyond generating data — it leads to better care, stronger policies, and a healthier future for all affected Canadians.
Advancing Research
- Released the results of a landmark 20-year follow-up study on celiac disease in Canada
- 4 international research presentations that share our knowledge with the global community
- 2 James A. Campbell Awards support future research breakthroughs
Research Award Impact Statements
Dr Elena Verdu, MD, PhD
“When I started as a new investigator at McMaster University, and given my previous training in gastroenterology in Argentina and Europe, I decided to build a research program in translational research in celiac disease. I realized this was an unmet need in Canada. My vision was to establish a bidirectional program connecting discovery research with clinical translation.
Looking back, it was a bold and ambitious objective, as no other Academic institution in Canada at the time, had such program.
I found myself in dire straits obtaining national funding mainly due to misconceptions in the way celiac disease was perceived. The first peered review funding I obtained for realizing my dream of building a long-term research program in celiac disease was the CCA’s James A Campbell Research Grant.
The CCA Professional Advisory Council (PAC) understood the need for such research, and this seed grant was fundamental in allowing me to build a solid base, from where to grow. Today, the Farncombe Institute at McMaster University houses a thriving basic-clinical program in celiac disease, with the first adult celiac clinic in Canada. It is a well-known fact that celiac disease receives proportionally less funding than comparable conditions in gastroenterology, and this has undermined building research programs in celiac disease, not only in Canada, but worldwide. Despite this, we have made significant strides in understanding disease mechanisms, additional environmental modulators, challenges faced by patients with celiac disease that highlight the need for research in better therapies. This has been possible by a combination of dedicated clinicians and researchers, and institutions like CCA, that despite difficulties continue to find ways to support research in celiac disease. Please keep these initiatives alive, because it is the only way we can continue to attract investigators and physicians dedicated to celiac disease research and patient management. Thank you CCA’s James A Campbell Research Grant for believing in my vision!”
Elena Verdú, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator, Professor, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine McMaster University
Dr. Jocelyn Silvester
“Receiving the JA Campbell Young Investigator Award when I was a medical student has shaped my career. At that point, I knew I was interested in gastroenterology research, but had not considered studying celiac disease. Now, more than a decade and a pediatric residency, post-doctoral research fellowship and gastroenterology fellowship later, I am building my own research team with a focus on celiac disease.
Early support of the JA Campbell Young Investigator Award, and subsequent funding from the JA Campbell Award to Dr Donald Duerksen that provided essential pilot data for the Manitoba Celiac Disease Cohort have been pivotal in shaping the clinician-scientist who I am today. The availability of these philanthropic awards is particularly critical for celiac disease which has long been relatively underfunded by traditional government and industry granting mechanisms.”
Jocelyn Silvester, MD PhD FRCPC, Director of Research, Celiac Disease Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Want to learn more about how Celiac Canada is making an impact beyond research? Check out our Impact Report!
Looking to make an impact on research? Explore our Participate in Research page to see how you can help drive change.
