About Heather Galipeau

Heather Galipeau is a Research Associate at McMaster University (Canada) where she is researching dietary and microbial interactions in celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. She obtained her PhD in 2015 from McMaster University in Elena Verdu’s lab, during which she found that the small intestinal microbial background influences the degree of immuno-pathology triggered by dietary antigens, such as gluten.

While celiac disease affects predominantly the small intestine, the contribution of the small intestinal microbiota has been largely understudied. New findings characterize the duodenal microbiota in patients with active celiac disease and explores its functional relevance.

Many studies have reported changes in gut microbiome composition in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis, when compared with healthy individuals. While that clearly raises the question about the key role played by gut microbes in IBD pathogenesis, we have yet to pinpoint the causative microbes and their mechanisms.

Genetic predisposition alone cannot fully explain the current rise of food sensitivities, like celiac disease. Scientists have characterized the bacterial enzyme elastase involved in driving immune activation and worsening reactions to gluten in genetically susceptible hosts.

Heather Galipeau

27 Mar 2017

by Heather Galipeau

Canada Heather Galipeau is a Research Associate at McMaster University (Canada) where she is researching dietary and microbial interactions in celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. She obtained her PhD in 2015 from McMaster University in Elena Verdu’s lab, during