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Assistant Professor
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Accepting graduate students:
• Masters - Yes
• PhD - Yes
Research themes
Chronic inflammatory diseases
Cancer
Dietary fibres
Microbiome
Research interests
Personalized medicine
Inflammatory bowel disease
Diseases of dysbiosis
Cancer biology
Translational research
Agricultural chemistry
Diet-microbe-host interactions
Research affiliations
• Research Scientist, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM)
• Research Scientist, IBD Clinical and Research Centre, University of Manitoba
• Research Scientist, The Canadian Children Inflammatory Bowel Disease Network
• Member, Canadian Association of Gastroenterology
• Member, Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta
• Member, Canadian Society for Immunology
• Member, Freemason’s Foundation Centre For Men’s Health
• Member, Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute
• Member, WISER (Women in Science, Engineering & Research)
• Member, Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute
• Member, Alberta Transplant Institute
Research groups
Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems Biology
Manitoba IBD Clinical and Research Centre
Manitoba Multiple Sclerosis Research Centre (MMSRC)
The Canadian Children Inflammatory Bowel Disease Network (CIDsCaNN)
The Canadian Enteroid Network
Research summary
Dr. Armstrong’s research has helped identify how the hallmark dysbiosis in inflammatory bowel diseases leads to dysregulated fibre fermentation, increased interactions of unfermented fibres with immune cell receptors, and reduced beneficial fermentation byproducts (e.g., SCFAs), resulting in worsened inflammation in select patients. Her teams work aims to understand the mechanisms behind diet-associated inflammation in inflammatory diseases, mediated by gut microbes. This is particularly critical as the sustained inflammation in the gut of IBD patients is directly associated with increased risk of cancer, and mortality.
Biography
Dr. Armstrong is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine with the Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems Biology. She completed her MSc at the University of Alberta (2012 Cell Biology; Dr LaPointe), her PhD-MED at the University of Adelaide (2016 Medicine; Dr Butler), and her PDF at the University of Alberta (2021 Pediatrics; Dr Wine). Her research focuses on understanding the connections between fermentable dietary factors (fibers and proteins), microbial fermentation processes, dysbiosis, chronic inflammation, and progression to cancer.
She has been an instructor for the University of Alberta School of Medicine and Dentistry and is passionate about mentoring and supporting young scientists who are interested in learning more about complex co-culture techniques for use in translational research approaches to personalized medicine.
She is involved in several national and international multi-disciplinary teams where she utilizes her translational models of microbiome and human biopsy tissues to better understand the pathology of diseases of dysbiosis, such as IBD, MS, and RA, and their relationship to cancer.
Education
• Postdoctoral fellowship, University of Alberta (2021)
• PhD-MED, Medicine, University of Adelaide, Australia (2016)
• M.Sc., Cell Biology, University at Alberta (2012)
• B.Sc., University of Alberta (2010)
Academic research awards
• 2021, Shaun Lamoureaux Best MMSF Operating Grant – Manitoba Medical Services Foundation
• 2021, IMPACTT Microbiome Mentee – Dr Elena Verdu Mentor (McMaster University)
• 2020, Editor’s Choice Publication – Cancers Journal
• 2020, Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) Postdoctoral Fellowship ($90,000)
• 2019, Mitacs Elevate Postdoctoral Fellowship ($60,000)
• 2018, Honourable Mention – Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) and Crohn’s and Colitis Canada (CCC) Student Prize ($500)
• 2018, Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Travel Award ($1,500)
• 2018, Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI) Travel Award ($750)
• 2014, Discipline of Medicine Travel Grant ($3,000)
• 2013, Australian Postgraduate Award ($75,000)
• 2013, Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men’s Health Scholarship ($15,000)
Conference awards
• 2022, Poster of Distinction – Canadian Digestive Disease Week
• 2021, Poster of Distinction – Canadian Digestive Disease Week
• 2019, Best Oral Presentation – Pediatric Research Day ($125)
• 2019, Poster of Distinction – Canadian Digestive Disease Week
• 2018, Poster of Distinction – The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
• 2018, Best Oral Presentation – Postdoctoral Fellows Association Day ($500)
• 2018, Best Oral Presentation – Canadian Digestive Disease Week ($500)
• 2017, Best Oral Presentation – Postdoctoral Fellows Association Day ($375)
• 2017, Best Oral Presentation – University of Alberta Department of Pediatrics Research Day ($150)
ORCID ID/Google Scholar/ResearchGate
ORCID ID:
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ahUGEl8AAAAJ&hl=en
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Heather-Armstrong
• Masters - Yes
• PhD - Yes
Research themes
Chronic inflammatory diseases
Cancer
Dietary fibres
Microbiome
Research interests
Personalized medicine
Inflammatory bowel disease
Diseases of dysbiosis
Cancer biology
Translational research
Agricultural chemistry
Diet-microbe-host interactions
Research affiliations
• Research Scientist, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM)
• Research Scientist, IBD Clinical and Research Centre, University of Manitoba
• Research Scientist, The Canadian Children Inflammatory Bowel Disease Network
• Member, Canadian Association of Gastroenterology
• Member, Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta
• Member, Canadian Society for Immunology
• Member, Freemason’s Foundation Centre For Men’s Health
• Member, Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute
• Member, WISER (Women in Science, Engineering & Research)
• Member, Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute
• Member, Alberta Transplant Institute
Research groups
Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems Biology
Manitoba IBD Clinical and Research Centre
Manitoba Multiple Sclerosis Research Centre (MMSRC)
The Canadian Children Inflammatory Bowel Disease Network (CIDsCaNN)
The Canadian Enteroid Network
Research summary
Dr. Armstrong’s research has helped identify how the hallmark dysbiosis in inflammatory bowel diseases leads to dysregulated fibre fermentation, increased interactions of unfermented fibres with immune cell receptors, and reduced beneficial fermentation byproducts (e.g., SCFAs), resulting in worsened inflammation in select patients. Her teams work aims to understand the mechanisms behind diet-associated inflammation in inflammatory diseases, mediated by gut microbes. This is particularly critical as the sustained inflammation in the gut of IBD patients is directly associated with increased risk of cancer, and mortality.
Biography
Dr. Armstrong is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine with the Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems Biology. She completed her MSc at the University of Alberta (2012 Cell Biology; Dr LaPointe), her PhD-MED at the University of Adelaide (2016 Medicine; Dr Butler), and her PDF at the University of Alberta (2021 Pediatrics; Dr Wine). Her research focuses on understanding the connections between fermentable dietary factors (fibers and proteins), microbial fermentation processes, dysbiosis, chronic inflammation, and progression to cancer.
She has been an instructor for the University of Alberta School of Medicine and Dentistry and is passionate about mentoring and supporting young scientists who are interested in learning more about complex co-culture techniques for use in translational research approaches to personalized medicine.
She is involved in several national and international multi-disciplinary teams where she utilizes her translational models of microbiome and human biopsy tissues to better understand the pathology of diseases of dysbiosis, such as IBD, MS, and RA, and their relationship to cancer.
Education
• Postdoctoral fellowship, University of Alberta (2021)
• PhD-MED, Medicine, University of Adelaide, Australia (2016)
• M.Sc., Cell Biology, University at Alberta (2012)
• B.Sc., University of Alberta (2010)
Academic research awards
• 2021, Shaun Lamoureaux Best MMSF Operating Grant – Manitoba Medical Services Foundation
• 2021, IMPACTT Microbiome Mentee – Dr Elena Verdu Mentor (McMaster University)
• 2020, Editor’s Choice Publication – Cancers Journal
• 2020, Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) Postdoctoral Fellowship ($90,000)
• 2019, Mitacs Elevate Postdoctoral Fellowship ($60,000)
• 2018, Honourable Mention – Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) and Crohn’s and Colitis Canada (CCC) Student Prize ($500)
• 2018, Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Travel Award ($1,500)
• 2018, Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI) Travel Award ($750)
• 2014, Discipline of Medicine Travel Grant ($3,000)
• 2013, Australian Postgraduate Award ($75,000)
• 2013, Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men’s Health Scholarship ($15,000)
Conference awards
• 2022, Poster of Distinction – Canadian Digestive Disease Week
• 2021, Poster of Distinction – Canadian Digestive Disease Week
• 2019, Best Oral Presentation – Pediatric Research Day ($125)
• 2019, Poster of Distinction – Canadian Digestive Disease Week
• 2018, Poster of Distinction – The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
• 2018, Best Oral Presentation – Postdoctoral Fellows Association Day ($500)
• 2018, Best Oral Presentation – Canadian Digestive Disease Week ($500)
• 2017, Best Oral Presentation – Postdoctoral Fellows Association Day ($375)
• 2017, Best Oral Presentation – University of Alberta Department of Pediatrics Research Day ($150)
ORCID ID/Google Scholar/ResearchGate
ORCID ID:
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ahUGEl8AAAAJ&hl=en
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Heather-Armstrong