Patient Based Clinical Research

1. Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
The current focus of Dr. Allard's research is Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). She is interested in a number of nutrition-related factors that could play a role in the development and progression of NAFLD:

• Diet and lifestyle (dietary intake, obesity, physical activity)


• Oxidative stress and antioxidants


• Lipid profile of liver and other tissues (lipid classes, fatty acid composition)


• Hepatic gene expression (genes related to oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, insulin resistance)

2. Home Parenteral Nutrition

Dr. Allard's team is managing the Canadian Home Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) Registry, which collects demographic information, medical history and health status of patients in Home TPN programs across Canada. Currently, 7 centers are participating (Alberta Health Services, Edmonton; Alberta Health Services, Calgary; BC Home Parenteral Nutrition Program, Vancouver; Hamilton Health Sciences HPN Program; St. Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg; St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto; University Health Network, Toronto). Data are continuously collected in 2 years follow up intervals and entered into the database through a web interface. Data are analyzed to standardize practice and improve quality of care. Currently, more than 300 patients are enrolled (Funded by Baxter Corp., Bayshore Home Health, Calea HomeCare and Ecxcelsior Medical Corp.).

Dr. Allard's team is also conducting a multicenter randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of fish- oil based lipid emulsion on parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease (Funded by ASPEN Rhoads Research Foundation).

3. Nutrition Care in Canadian Hospitals

Dr Allard is one of the co-chairs of the recently founded Candian Malnutrition Task Force (http://nutritioncareincanada.ca). The aim of the task force is to create a knowledge base and close the gaps between research and practice in the prevention, detection and treatment of malnutrition in Canadians through the continuum of care. Their first study " Nutrition Care in Canadian Hospitals" is currently conducted at multiple hospitals across Canada, including the University Health Network with Dr Allard as a site investigator. Dr. Allard and her staff are experienced in the assessment of nutritional status (dietary assessment, anthropometry) and laboratory measurements related to oxidative stress (plasma vitamin levels, antioxidant potential, lipid peroxidation). Dr. Allard's successful and long-standing collaborations with numerous researchers at UHN, University of Toronto, University of Guelph and other institutions across Canada allow her and her team to apply cutting-edge technologies (e.g., microarrays for gene expression, mass spectrometry for lipidomic profiling, Illumina technology for intestinal microbiota). Furthermore, Dr. Allard's cooperation with the UHN Transplant Program allows for the inclusion of healthy living liver donors as healthy controls for liver studies.

Dr. Allard's areas of expertise also include inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and short bowel syndrome. In addition, she and her team have conducted studies on patients with HIV infection or chronic Hepatitis C infection, as well as lung- and liver transplant patients.

More information on Dr. Allard's clinical trials can be found in her publications and in the clinical trials registry ClinicalTrials.gov.

Ongoing Studies

1. Liver Disease

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases: Role of Fatty Acid Composition and Gene Expression (Canadian Institutes of Health Research)
Co-investigators:George Therapondos, Dr. Ian McGilvray, Dr. David Ma, Dr. Maha Guindi

A Pilot Study to Determine the Effect of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids From Fish Oil on Patients with Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (Canadian Institutes of Health Research)
Co-investigators:George Therapondos, Dr. Ian McGilvray, Dr. David Ma, Dr. Maha Guindi

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Role of Fatty Acid Composition and Epigenetic Regulation of Gene Expression (American College of Gastroenterology)
Principal Investigator: Elena Comelli, Co-investigators: Johane Allard, Wendy Lou, Zhaolei Zhang

Effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid lipid emulsion on parenteral nutrition associated liver disease (ASPEN Rhoads Research Foundation)
Principal Investigator: Bianca Arendt, Co-investigators: Johane Allard,

2. HIV

Oxidative Stress, Omega-3 index & Cardiovascular Disease in HIV Positive Subjects (Foundation for AIDS Research)
Co-investigators: Marek Smieja, Irving Salit, Eva Lonn, Lehana Thabane

3. Nutrition Care and Nutrition Support

Home Total Parenteral Nutrition Patient Registry (Supported by Baxter Corp., Bayshore Home Health, Calea HomeCare and Ecxcelsior Medical Corp)

Safety and Tolerance Evaluation of a Medical Food for Enteral Feeding (Abbott Nutrition)

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