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Sharon Dell

MD, FRCPC

Investigator, BC Children's Hospital
Head, Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia
Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia

I am a health outcomes researcher in the field of children’s lung diseases. Combining clinical epidemiology training with classical population-based epidemiology & health services research methods, and collaborating with basic science researchers, has enabled me to study a number of clinically relevant issues in childhood asthma, primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and interstitial lung disease (ILD). Early in my career, my main interest was to identify modifiable risk factors for childhood asthma. As my career progressed, I became interested in improving health outcomes for rare lung diseases in children, particularly PCD. I am a principal investigator in several multi-center clinical studies of children with PCD and ILD, with a particular interest in diagnostic test development & performance, health related quality of life measures, genotype-phenotype associations and clinical trials.

Academic Affiliations

Professor, Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
Research Theme: Evidence to Innovation
Research Group(s): Clinical Practice, Outcomes and Innovation; Clinical and Community Data, Analytics and Informatics; Origins of Child Health and Disease; Rare Diseases

Contact Information

Location

4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6H3V4

sharon.dell@bcchr.ca

Division of Respiratory Medicine

Grants

Apr 2020 – Mar 2021 - Co-Investigator. FActors of Mothers and Infants in Longitudinal Years (FAMILY)- A maternal and child birth cohort with babies identified from three Ontario existing pediatric cohorts and linked with health administrative data to create a birth cohort of infants and their siblings and mothers to study prenatal, postnatal and early childhood factors associated with maternal and child health and developmental outcomes. Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Operating Grant- Data Analysis. PI - To T, Borkhoff C. Co-applicants - Anderson L, Birken C, Dlle S, Guttman B, Janus M, Maguire J, Moraes T, Parkin P, Subbarao P, Van Dam A. $75,000 CAD. Non-industry sponsored.

Aug 2019-Jul 2024 - Principal Investigator. Genetic Disorders of Mucociliary Clearance. National Institute of Health (NCATS/NHLBI) 2U54HL096458-16. Nominated Principal investigator - Davis S. Co-Principal Investigators - Dell S, Ferkol T, Knowles, M, Rosenfeld M.. $6,249,996.000 USD ($219,540 USD to Dell). Non-Industry Sponsored. I am PI of the Career Enhancement Core Subproject, Subaward Award #5116143.

Apr 2019 – Mar 2023 - Principal Investigator. The cellular mechanisms underlying sensory motile ciliopathies. Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). PI - Heon E., Mennella V. $604,351 CAD. Non-industry sponsored. (Promoted form co-I to PI due to Mennella moving to UK).

Sep 2016-Apr 2021 - Principal Investigator. Outdoor Pollution Exposure and Risk Assessment - OPERA – Risk Assessment – A new paradigm for Evidence Based Decision Making in Climate and Air Quality Management. Health Canada. Nominated Principal Investigator - Rick Burnett. Co-Principal Investigators - Chen H, Dell S, Lavigne E, Stieb S, To T, Tjepkema M, Weichenthal S. $2,380,100 CAD ($470,000 CAD to The Hospital for Sick Children site). Non-Industry Sponsored.

Aug 2014-Jul 2019 - Principal Investigator. Genetic Disorder of Mucociliary Clearance. National Institute of Health (NIH). Nominated Principal investigator - Knowles, M. Co-Principal Investigators - Davis S, Fordham L, Leigh M, Dell S, Ferkol T, Krischer J, Milla C, Sagel S, Rosenfeld M, McShane P. $6,249,996.000 USD ($219,540 USD to Toronto site) Non-Industry Sponsored.

July 2018-June 2019 - Principal Investigator. Unbiased and automated diagnosis of ciliopathies by super-resolution microscopy and machine learning. HSBC Bank Canada Catalyst Research Grant, SickKids Foundation. Co-applicants - Anna Goldberg, Richard Hegele, Vito Mennella. $50,000 CAD. Non-industry sponsored.

Apr 2018 – Mar 2019 - Co-Investigator. The cellular mechanisms underlying sensory motile ciliopathies. Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). PI - Mennella V, Co-PI Elise Heon. $650,250 CAD. Non-industry sponsored. (Terminated early due to Mennella moving to UK).

Jan 2018 – Jan 2020 - Principal Investigator. Development of diagnostic toolbox to diagnose complex PCD cases. ATS Foundation/PCDF Research Grant. PI - Vito Mennella. $80,000 USD. Non-industry sponsored. Declined due to PI (VM) leaving SickKids.

Oct 2017 – June 2018 - Co-Investigator. Sensory Cilia Mutations Affecting Motile Cilia in Ciliopathy Disorders. Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). PI - Mennella V. Co-investigator - Heon E. $75,000 CAD. Non-industry sponsored.

Jan 2018 – Dec 2018 - Co-Principal Investigator. The prevalence and morbidity of ciliary genetic mutations in patients with specific congenital heart disease phenotypes – a retrospective cohort study. PI - Pisesky A, Ghandourah H, Dell S, Mennella V, Mital S, Nield LE. The Labatt Family Heart Centre. $10,000 CAD. Non-industry sponsored.

Jul 2016-Dec 2018 - Principal Investigator. A Phase 2a, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Incomplete Block Crossover Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of VX-371 Solution for Inhalation in Subjects with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia. Short title - CLEAN-PCD - Clearing Lungs with ENac Inhibition in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia. Parion Sciences Incorporated. PS-G202. Co-Investigators - Ratjen F, Sweezey N. $217,000 CAD. Industry Sponsored Contract.

Jul 2016-Jul 2017 - Principal Investigator. Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia diagnosis by Super Resolution Microscopy. Ontario Lung Association, Grant-in-aid competition. Principal Investigator - Mennella, Vito. Collaborator - Moraes, Theo. $49,939 CAD. Non-Industry Sponsored.

Honours & Awards

2018 - American Thoracic Society Fellow (ATSF), The ATS Fellow designation is a mark of distinction, conferring recognition on members for their accomplishments, dedication and contributions to the Society as well as to the fields of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.

2016 - American Thoracic Society Clinician Educator Award, American Thoracic Society Pediatric Assembly, San Francisco, CA, USA. This award is presented annually to one ATS member who demonstrates outstanding and innovative clinical and teaching abilities through a nomination and peer reviewed process. Total Amount $1000.

2016 (Feb-Aug) - Visiting Scholar, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

2013 - Claus Wirsig Humanitarian Award, SickKids Foundation, Toronto, ON, Canada. This Award is presented annually to one SickKids health professional or support staff who has consistently demonstrated qualities of compassion and humanitarianism in providing care to patients and their families and also makes a significant contribution to the teaching of these values to their peers. Candidate selection is through a nomination and peer reviewed process.

2001 - The Children's Hospital Foundation Award, Resident, The Children’s Hospital, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. First prize for the Canada wide 13th Annual Pediatric Resident and Fellows Research Competition.

1997 - Restracomp Fellowship Student, Sick Kids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada. Salary Support for epidemiology training (Sept 1997-1999).

1987-89 - Dr. F.J. Colling O.B.E. Memorial Scholarship, Student, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Overall academic achievement (top 10 standing) in Medical School.

1988 - Ronald S. Saddington Prize in Pathology, Student, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Academic Achievement in Pathology.

1982 - George and Nora Elwin Entrance Scholarship, Student, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. Entrance Scholarship Award.

Our Research

At BC Children’s, we are making discoveries that save lives and transform health care for children in our province and around the world. Our research portfolio includes basic, clinical, population, and public health research.

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