Faculty Member

Chung-​Wai Chow MD, PhD

Research Interests

Chronic Airway Inflammation: Mechanisms Responsible for Disease Pathogenesis.

There are two theme in my research group:

The first theme is focused on understanding the effects of environmental air pollution on cardiorespiratory health. Current projects include:
1. studies in the lung transplant population to evaluate uptake of traffic-related air pollutants in the lung, and the correlation of these levels with ambient air pollutant and outcomes following transplantation
2. real-time exposure of ambient air pollutants and vehicular exhaust, and their effect on respiratory and cardiac function in vivo using different animal models of chronic inflammatory lung diseases, ventilator-based evaluation of lung function and cardiac telemetry
3. use of ex vivo lung slices to study the physiological responses, and in vitro cell culture models to identify the cellular pathways that regulate response to different components of air pollutants; these project using real time live imaging and cutting edge cellular molecular biology techniques

The second theme focuses on the role of Syk in modulating airway inflammation, tissue injury and airway remodeling, a common feature observed in chronic lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease and chronic lung graft rejection following transplantation. Research is carried out in vitro using mono- and co-cultures of airway epithelial and airway smooth muscle cells, and ex vivo and in vivo using several animal models of allergen-induced asthma and lung transplantation.

Education & Training History

Degrees

1999 PhD, Cell Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Supervisor(s): Sergio Grinstein

1989 MD, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Postgraduate, Research and Specialty Training

2001 Feb – 2001 Dec Post-Doctoral Fellowship. Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Supervisor(s): Dr. Gregory Downey

1999 Mar – 2001 Jan Post-Doctoral Fellowship. Max-Planck-Institute for Physiological and Clinical Research, W.G. Kerckhoff Institute, Bad Nauheim, Germany, Supervisor(s): Dr. Werner Risau (deceased) and Dr. Friedemann Kiefer

1994 Jul – 1999 Feb Clinician-Scientist Programme, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1992 Jul – 1994 Jun Adult Pulmonary Fellowship, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1990 Jul – 1992 Jun Medical Residency, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1989 Jun – 1990 Jun Medical Internship, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Primary Teaching Responsibilities

Supervision of graduate students and post-graduate trainees

Professional Summary & Appointments

2002-present Clinician-Scientist, Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto

2002-present Staff Physician, Toronto Lung Transplant Programme, Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, University Health Network

2010-present Investigator, Southern Ontario Center for Atmospheric Aerosol Research and Canada Aerosol Research Network, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Toronto

2011-present Director of Biotox Laboratory, Canada Aerosol Research Network a, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Toronto

Honours & Awards

2009-present Science Ambassador, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany

2008 Breathe New Life Award, Ontario Thoracic Society, Ontario, Canada. (Distinction)

1999 Medalist in Medicine, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Canada. (Distinction)

Representative Publications

Penton PC, Wang X, Amatullah H, Cooper J, Godri K, North ML, Khanna N, Scott JA, Chow CW. Spleen tyrosine kinase inhibition attenuates airway hyperresponsiveness and pollution-induced enhanced airway response in a chronic mouse model of asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013 Jan;131:512-20.

X. Wang, M. Mychajlowycz, C. Lau, C. Gutierrez, J.A. Scott, C.W. Chow. Spleen Tyrosine kinase mediates BEAS-2B cell migration and proliferation and human rhinovirus-induced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin-8. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2012 Feb 26;340(2):277-85

H. Amatullah, M.L. North, U.S. Akhtar, N. Rastogi, B. Urch, F.S. Silverman, C.W. Chow, G.J. Evans and J.A. Scott. Comparative cardiopulmonary effects of size-fractionated airborne particulate matter. Inhal. Toxicol. 2012 Feb;24(3):161-71.

C Lau, X Wang, L Song, S Wiehler, D Proud, CW Chow. Syk Associates with Clathrin and Mediates PI3-Kinase Activation during Human Rhinovirus Internalization. J. Immunol. 2008 Jan 15;180(2):870-80.