meet our Co-Investigators

Dr. Andreas Flouris is an Assistant Professor in Human Physiology at the University of Thessaly Department of Exercise Science in Greece and an Adjunct Professor in Environmental Medicine with the School of Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa, Canada. He is the Director of FAME Lab, a research facility investigating the (F)unctional (A)rchitecture of (M)ammals in their (E)nvironment, a Researcher in Environmental Physiology at the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, as well as the Manager of Living Lab Thessaly, one of the founding members of the European Network of Living Labs. He is a Section Editor for the scientific journal Temperature, and an Associate Editor for the scientific journals BMC Pulmonary Medicine and BMC Research Notes. Dr. Flouris has published widely on the effects of different environmental factors on human health and performance and he has repeatedly obtained funding from National and European organisations to support his research. His work has been recognized through distinguished invitations from international organizations (United Nations, World Health Organization, European Commission, NASA, and others) and has been highlighted a number of times by the media. Since 2009 he is acting as a Consultant for different international organizations including the European Commission, NASA, and the European Space Agency.

Dr. Pierre Boulay is currently a full-time professor in the Faculté de l’acitivité physique et sportive at the Université de Sherbrooke. 

Dr. Boulay and Dr. Kenny have maintained a long-standing research collaboration (2009-present), which has involved examining the heat stress response in workers and vulnerable population groups (CIHR funded project). Their collaborative efforts have resulted in the publication of 30 articles in highly ranked peer-reviewed journals. These key papers have advanced our understanding of the effect of aging and Type 2 diabetes on the body’s capacity to dissipate heat. They have showed that age-related reductions in whole-body heat loss occurs in adults as young as 40 years (PLoS One 2013,8(12): e83148), which is worsened in sedentary individuals (J Appl Physiol 2015,118(3):299-30), especially those with type 2 diabetes (Med Sci Sports Exerc 2013,45(10):1906-14). Dr. Boulay’s clinical experience over the last 20 years (which includes 20 000+ maximal exercise tests with ECG) in the field of cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, hypertension and obesity has assisted Dr. Kenny with patient screening and assessments for participation in a wide range of research projects. In the future, Dr. Boulay will continue to play an important role in the research at the Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit by providing regular on-site screening of potential participants and consulting with Dr. Kenny on the suitability of participants for various studies. 

After a 10-year absence in academics, Dr. Boulay recently returned as a full-time professor (June 2013) at the University of Sherbrooke where he was recruited for his clinical expertise in exercise physiology. His work at the University of Sherbrooke involves implementing both a kinesiology clinic and a clinical research program related to the use of physical activity in the management of various health conditions in vulnerable populations. During his short tenure (~4 years) as a full-time professor at the University of Sherbrooke, Dr. Boulay has been actively involved in the supervision of 19 MSc trainees as well as 2 PhD trainees. His unique expertise in prescribing exercise to vulnerable populations in view of improving health has attracted many new students to the University of Sherbrooke. 

One of Dr. Boulay’s most important research contributions stems from his work as a professor at the University of Moncton (1999-2004) wherein he was conducting work aimed at developing ‘best practices’ related to interventions in cardiac rehabilitation after a myocardial infarction which included an assessment of the related health care costs (Prev Med, 2004,38:586-93). His work lead to the establishment of important clinical predictors for hospital re-admission, healthcare consumption and CVD complications in cardiac patient following a cardiovascular event (Cor Health Care, 2001,5(3):133-40). Furthermore, Dr. Boulay’s work directed at evaluating the impact of beta-blockers on the accuracy of exercise prescription (target heart rate) and the resulting changes on resting metabolic rate and weight loss following an exercise training program (J Card Rehab 2005,25:354-60; Appl Phys Nutr Metab,2007,32(4):664-69; Ob Res,2008,16(9):2088-95) was supported by 2 research grants from the Medical Research Fund of New-Brunswick (2001-02; 2002-03).

Dr. Janine Malcolm is an adult endocrinologist and clinical investigator with the Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa and the Ottawa Health Research Institute. She is the Program Director for the University of Ottawa Fellowship program in Endocrinology and Metabolism. She has extensive experience in the management of patients with type 1 and type 2 and an interest in health services delivery, diabetes in pregnancy, and exercise in diabetes. She has a Principal investigator for the GLUCOSE study, a trial investigating the effect of in-hospital glucose control in patients admitted with cardiovascular disease, for the Ottawa Model for Undiagnosed Diabetes Study (OMUD), a trial to screen for undiagnosed diabetes among hospitalized patients and link these patients to appropriate community care post discharge, and a study describing the prevalence of impaired glucose metabolism and obesity in offspring of gestational diabetes mothers. She has been an investigator in many other diabetes studies including HEARTY (Healthy Eating Aerobic and Resistance Training in Youth), READI (Resistance Exercise in Already-active Diabetic Individuals), TIDARE (Type 1 Diabetes Aerobic and Resistance Exercise trial), ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Disease in Diabetes) Trial, and the Tools for Transition program at the Ottawa Hospital, a multidisciplinary initiative studying the transition of patients with diabetes from speciality care back to the care of their primary care providers. 

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH WITH DR. KENNY ON EXERCISE AND THERMOREGULATION IN OLDER PEOPLE AND PEOPLE WITH DIABETES I am co-author of 4 published papers with Dr. Glen Kenny examining the heat stress response in older adults and individuals with type 2 diabetes These include: 1) Stapleton et al. At what level of heat load are age-related impairments in the ability to dissipate heat evident in females? PLoS One. 2015 Mar 19;10(3):e0119079., 2) Stapleton JM et al, Aging impairs heat loss, but when does it matter? J Appl Physiol. 2015 1;118(3):299-309. 3) Carrillo AE et al, Heart rate variability during high heat stress: a comparison between young and older adults with and without type 2 diabetes. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2016 Oct 1;311(4):R669-R675 and 4) Kenny GP et al. Hyperthermia and cardiovascular strain during an extreme heat exposure in young versus older adults. Temperature (Austin). 2016 Aug 31;4(1):79-88. In addition, Dr. Kenny and I (as well as Dr. R. Sigal, Project PI) have established a collaborative program involving clinical trials examining the benefits of exercise in the management of diabetes and adolescent obesity which to date has resulted in the publication of 6 papers in high ranked journals (e.g., JAMA Pediatr, Diabetes Care, Int J Obesity). 

RESISTANCE EXERCISE IN ALREADY ACTIVE DIABETIC INDIVIDUAL (READI TRIAL), TYPE 1 DIABETES AEROBIC AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE TRIAL (T1-DARE). We completed the Type 1 Diabetes Aerobic and Resistance Exercise Trial in previously sedentary type 1 diabetes patients and the CIHR-funded Resistance Exercise in Already Active Diabetic Individuals (READI) trial in habitually exercising individuals with type 1 diabetes. In contrast to findings with patients with type 2 diabetes, neither aerobic or resistance exercise reduced HbA1c. As Co-investigator and Site Principal Investigator for Ottawa for these studies, I have been intimately involved with the running of these studies and have subsequently developed experience and expertise in conducting exercise studies for patients with diabetes. In separate studies of type 1 diabetes patients (T1DARE), we found that aerobic exercise performed after resistance exercise caused less hypoglycemia than exercise performed in the reverse order which has important practical implications for active people with T1D (Yardley JE et al, Diabetes Care 2012,Yardley et al, Diabetes Care 2013). 

HEALTHY EATING AEROBIC AND RESISTANCE TRAINING IN YOUTH (HEARTY) HEARTY is a randomized controlled trial in which we found that resistance, aerobic, and combined resistance and aerobic exercise significantly reduced body fat and waist circumference in obese youth (Sigal et al, Effects of aerobic training, resistance training or both on percentage body fat and cardiometabolic markers in obese adolescents: the healthy eating and aerobic and resistance training in youth randomized clinical trial. JAMA Pediatric. 2014; 168(11):1006-13, Goldfield et al. Video game playing is independently associated with blood pressure and lipids in overweight and obese adolescents. PLoS ONE 2011; 6(11):e26643, Alberga et al. Does exercise training affect resting metabolic rate in adolescents with obesity? Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 2017; 42(1):15-22). As site principal investigator for Ottawa for this trial, I have gained extensive expertise in conducting exercise studies in obese individuals.

Dr. Shane Journeay, PhD, MD, MPH is presently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at University of Toronto.  He is a specialist in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation in Canada (FRCPC) and the USA (DABPMR). He is also Board Certified in Occupational Medicine and is a graduate of both the Harvard Occupational & Environmental Residency program and the Harvard School of Public Health.  He is originally from Nova Scotia and obtained his MD from Dalhousie Medical School. Prior to medical school, Shane received B.Sc and Master’s degrees from the University of Ottawa, where he investigated the effects exercise and heat stress on cardiovascular physiology. He subsequently completed a PhD in Toxicology with a focus on nanotechnology at the University of Saskatchewan. He has represented Canada at the International Space University in Strasbourg, France, where he received a Diploma in Space Studies. Shane was also chosen by the Canadian Space Agency to complete an aerospace medicine rotation at the NASA Johnson Space Center. In 2017, he was a selected as a finalist in the Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Recruitment Campaign.  He serves on the editorial board of the PM&R Journal and the Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology. He is currently a Physician and Director of Academics and Research at Providence Healthcare – Unity Health Toronto and an occupational medicine consultant. 

Dr. Antonia Kaltsatou is a Senior Researcher in Clinical Exercise Physiology at FAME Lab, University of Thessaly Department of Exercise Science in Greece. She has a strong background in exercise and health. Her research focuses on assessing the links between thermoregulation and health.

Dr. Ashley Akerman is currently a Research Scientist at Ultromics, Oxford, United Kingdom.   He recently completed a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit (HEPRU) at the University of Ottawa, Canada. Ashley previously completed his undergraduate training in Cardiovascular Exercise Physiology at Liverpool John Moores University (UK) before completing graduate training in Exercise and Environmental Physiology at the University of Otago (New Zealand). His recent research has focused on understanding acute and chronic responses to synergistic, inter-related stressors – such as exercise, heat, and hydration - and their impact on healthy individuals (e.g., adaptation for sport performance) and individuals with chronic diseases (particularly cardiovascular and metabolic disease). He is currently investigating integrative physiological responses to stress in vulnerable populations, and factors that exacerbate and mitigate these outcomes.