Montréal-Boston Collaborative
IBD Genetics Research Center
John D. Rioux, PhD
Principal Investigator
Canada Research Chair, Professor of Medicine
Director, Laboratory of Genetics and Genomic Medicine of Inflammation
Director, Integrative Biology Platform (Université de Montréal and Montreal Heart Institute)
Lead Clinicians
Alain Bitton MD (McGill University, McGill University Health Centre)
Robert Battat MD (Université de Montréal, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal)
Primary Analyst
Gabriel Boucher MSc
Clinical Coordinators
Myriam Ouellette-Cabana
Rita Kohen
Julie Thompson Legault MSc
NIDDK IBDGC-related Goals
Specific Aims
Aim 1: To characterize the genetic architecture of IBD phenotypes within populations currently underrepresented in IBD genomic research.
Aim 2: To exploit longitudinal multi ‘omic approaches to reveal the biological causes of the clinical heterogeneity of IBD and differential treatment response.
Aim 3: Analysis of the newly identified CD gene PDLIM5 and its splice region variant and their impact on epithelial functions.
Major interests
Genetic and genomic studies to identify risk factors for IBD;
Functional studies using human models, including iPSC-derived epithelial and immune models, to understand how genetic risk factors protect or predispose to disease; and
Integrative human studies to identify biomarkers of important clinical outcomes, in particular response to molecularly-targeted therapies.
Co-Investigators
Dr. Ramnik Xavier, MD
Professor of Medicine
Ramnik Xavier is the Kurt Isselbacher Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School; director of the Center for Computational and Integrative Biology and member of the Department of Molecular Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). He is a core institute member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard where he is the director of the Immunology Program and co-director of the Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program. He is also co-director of the Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics at MIT.
Dr. Mark Daly, PhD
Professor of Genetics
Mark J. Daly is Director of the Institute for Molecular Medicine, Finland (FIMM) at the University of Helsinki, a Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, Chief of the Analytic and Translational Genetic Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. In the early days of the Human Genome Project, Daly helped develop the genetic model by which linkage disequilibrium could be used to map the haplotype structure of the human genome. In addition, he developed statistical methods to find associations between genes and disorders such as Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, autism and schizophrenia. Daly is considered a pioneer in the field of human genetics, and is amongst the most cited scientists in the field, and one of the top 100 most cited scientists of all time. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2017.
Dr. Alain Bitton, MD
Professor of Medicine
Gastroenterologist specializing in IBD, Chief of Gastroenterology at McGill University. Clinical Leader at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). A leader in assessment and improvement of care of patients with IBD.
Dr. Robert Battat, MD
Associate Professor
Gastroenterologist specializing in IBD. iGenoMed Clinical Leader at the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM). Research interests in multi-omics in post operative Crohn’s disease, Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring.