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HAMILTON, ON, Feb. 12, 2024 /CNW/ - St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, AstraZeneca Canada, and McMaster University are pleased to announce that Dr. Manali Mukherjee has been named the AstraZeneca Chair in Respiratory Diseases.

An expert in the investigation of inflammatory mechanisms of chronic respiratory diseases, Dr. Mukherjee's work is focused on autoimmunity, response to treatment, and the development and validation of clinical biomarkers. Her lab is situated within the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health (FIRH) at St. Joe's.

"Dr. Mukherjee has built an innovative research program on autoimmunity in asthma, which gave her the skills and resources she needed to become one of Canada's leading Long COVID researchers," says Dr. Dawn Bowdish, executive director of the FIRH. "Even at this early career stage, she is a sought out thought leader in her field. I'm delighted that she has been recognized as such by this Chair."

The endowed chair was established in 2004 by McMaster University and AstraZeneca Canada. It was first held by Dr. Malcolm Sears while he was the research director at the FIRH. Dr. Mukherjee's five-year appointment began in late 2023.

"Congratulations to Dr. Manali Mukherjee for being named the AstraZeneca Chair in Respiratory Diseases – recognition for her exceptional contributions to research in autoimmunity in asthma, as well as Long COVID," says Gaby Bourbara, President, AstraZeneca Canada. "We are proud to support leading-edge medical research that promises to create meaningful advances in the treatment of respiratory diseases for patients around the world, and are excited that this research is being led right here in Canada."

Dr. Mukherjee earned her PhD in cell biology in 2012 at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. She went on to complete a six-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health working under the supervision of Professor Parameswaran Nair, one of the world's leading experts on severe asthma and airway eosinophilia.

"Dr. Mukherjee has a true passion for science, research, and teaching. She truly enjoys mentoring students and is a champion for providing equitable access to STEM education," says Dr. Nair. "All through her post-doctoral training, she demonstrated tremendous enthusiasm to make her laboratory research available directly to improve the provision of clinical care. She is a valuable member of our Airway Clinical and Research Program at St. Joseph's Healthcare."

Throughout her extensive work, she has identified the presence of localized autoimmune responses in the airways of patients with complex airway disease and determined their pathogenic role in driving disease severity. More recently, Dr. Mukherjee and her research team identified autoimmune responses in acute-severe COVID-19 and linked autoimmunity with post-acute COVID-19 sequelae (Long COVID).

Dr. Mukherjee is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine (Division of Respirology) at McMaster University and an affiliate scientist at The Research Institute of St. Joe's Hamilton. She is also an associate member of the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, as well as the McMaster Immunology Research Centre.

Learn more about the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health at www.firh.ca.

St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton is home to the renowned Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health (FIRH). For 45 years, the FIRH has been dedicated to increasing our understanding of respiratory health and disease through collaborative basic and clinical investigations with the expectation of improving patient care. Research is wide-ranging, from basic studies of animal models of lung disease (asthma, COPD, fibrosis) to clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and evaluative research. Scientists at the FIRH are performing studies of bone marrow progenitor cells, airway peptide challenges, electrophysiological studies of airway smooth muscle cells, chronic allergen challenges, preclinical models of lung injury and repair, and more. Learn more at www.firh.ca.

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical business whose innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. The company's core areas of scientific focus are Oncology; Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic (CVRM); Rare Disease; Respiratory & Immunology; and Vaccine & Immune Therapies. AstraZeneca employs more than 1,650 people across Canada and recently announced a major expansion of its research footprint in Canada – including the expansion of its existing AstraZeneca R&D Hub and the creation of a new Alexion Development Hub for Rare Diseases. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.astrazeneca.ca.

Photos of Manali Mukherjee are available for download here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBcPJF

Mike Beattie, The Research Institute of St. Joe's Hamilton, beattiem@stjoes.ca

SOURCE AstraZeneca Canada Inc.