Hegele, Richard
Professor
M.D., University of Toronto 1984
DABPath, Anatomic Pathology, American Board of Pathology 1988
FRCPC, Anatomical Pathology, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada 1989
Ph.D. Experimental Pathology, UBC 1993
Research Interests
The overall goal of my research program is to determine the role of viral respiratory tract infecions during early life in the development of asthma and allergy in children, to resolve the controversy over whether these infections are pathogenic or protective. I am also interested in developing innovative interventions for the primary prevention of viral bronchiolitis and sequelae in children. My research activities involve use of an animal model of experimental viral bronchiolitis, and molecular viral epidemiology of infants and young children.
Noteworthy accomplishments in animal work include: development of a model of persistent viral lung infection by human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV); studies of RSV-enhanced allergic sensitization to inhaled allergen; interactions between RSV and alveolar macrophages (important cells in lung defense mechanisms).
Noteworthy accomplishments in human work include: development of a multi-virus RT-PCR panel for molecular viral diagnosis in clinical respiratory specimens; prospectively tracking the incidence of viral respiratory infections in a cohort of children at high-risk for developing asthma and allergy; postulating that the human lung, rather than being a sterile environment, may actually be a reservoir for common respiratory viruses in periods between epidemics.
Selected Publications
Kaan PM, Hegele RG. Interaction between respiratory syncytial virus and particulate matter in guinea pig alveolar macrophages. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2003 June; 28(6): 697-704.
Bramley AM, Khan MA, Manson HE, Hegele RG. Development of respiratory syncytial virus "bronchiolitis" in guinea pigs does not reflect an allergic predisposition in the host. Chest 2003 Aug; 124(2): 671-81.
Tan WC, Xiang X, Qiu D, NG TP, Lam SF, Hegele RG. Epidemiology of respiratory viruses in patients hospitalized with near-fatal asthma, acute exacerbations of asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am J Med 2003 Sept; 115(4): 272-7.