Dr. Denis E. O'Donnell, MB, BCH, MD (NUI), FRCP(I), FRCP(C), FCCP, FERS

Founder of the Respiratory Investigation Unit

Dr. Denis O’Donnell is a Professor of Medicine (Emeritus) at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario. He is the founder and first director of the Respiratory Investigation Unit (RIU), a research group at Queen’s University and Kingston Health Sciences Centre that enjoys international recognition for scientific excellence and training in clinical physiology. Dr. O’Donnell retired from his position as a senior-clinician scientist and director of the RIU in 2022, but still maintains an active appointment to the Department of Medicine as an adjunct professor where he maintains and active research program that continues to advance our understanding of dyspnea mechanisms and management in patients with chronic lung diseases.

Dr. O’Donnell completed his medical training at the University of Galway, Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, and Trinity College, Dublin. He later at the University of Manitoba where he completed a Doctorate in Medicine under the supervision of Dr. Magdy Younes, a renowned expert in clinical respiratory physiology. He joined Queen’s University and Kingston General Hospital in 1990 as a physician-scientist where he assembled a highly productive clinical research team (the Respiratory Investigation Unit) focused on clinical integrative physiology in chronic lung disease including the physiologic mechanisms of dyspnea and exercise limitation. Dr. O’Donnell’s Respiratory Investigation Unit was high successful at securing support from various local, provincial, national and international granting agencies. He has lectured and published extensively, contributing over 400 peer-reviewed publications to date, including many in high impact journals such as the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (the “Blue Journal”), the European Respiratory Journal, Chest, Thorax, the Journal of Physiology and the Journal of Applied Physiology. His publications have an h-index of 106 and have been cited over 44,000 times.

Dr. O’Donnell has contributed and continues to contribute to the national and international scientific community. He is the former Chair of the Canadian Thoracic Society COPD Guidelines Committee and Past President of the Ontario and Canadian Thoracic Societies. He has served on several national and international scientific committees as well as on editorial panels of leading respiratory journals. Dr. O’Donnell has received numerous national and international awards in recognition of his contribution to Research in Respiratory Diseases.

Complete List of Indexed Articles for Prof. Denis E. O'Donnell

Dyspnea: Mechanisms, Measurement and Management. Eds. D. Mahler, D.E. O’Donnell. Marcel Dekker Inc., Lung Biology in Health & Disease 2005; 208.
Exercise Physiology in COPD: The Impact of Tiotropium. Eur Respir Rev Monograph. Ed. D.E. O’Donnell, 2004 (In press).

Book Chapters

Former Trainees

Matthew James

PhD Candidate (2018-2022)

Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Queen's University

Dr. Devin Phllips, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow (2020-2022)

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health, York University

Dr. Nicolle Domnik, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow (2016-2020)

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University

Dr. Kate Milne, MD, MSc.

MSc Student (2018-2022)

Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of British Columbia

RIU Legacy (Prof. Denis O'Donnell)

Dr. Denis E. O'Donnell, MB, BCH, MD (NUI), FRCP(I), FRCP(C), FCCP, FERS

Founder of the Respiratory Investigation Unit

Complete List of Indexed Articles for Prof. Denis E. O'Donnell

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Book Chapters

Former Trainees

Matthew James

Dr. Nicolle Domnik, PhD

Dr. Kate Milne, MD, MSc.