Respiratory Investigation Unit (RIU) | Department of Medicine | School of Medicine

The Respiratory Investigation Unit at Queen's University and Kingston Health Sciences Centre (Kingston General Hospital Site), was founded by Dr. Denis O’Donnell in 1990, and is a clinical respiratory physiology research group dedicated to studying the neurophysiologic mechanisms of dyspnea (respiratory discomfort) and activity limitation in patients with a variety of cardiorespiratory diseases (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), etc.). The RIU is currently under the directorship of Dr. Alberto Neder, a respirologist and medical director of the Pulmonary Function Tests Laboratory at Hotel Dieu Hospital and the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program at Providence Care Hospital. The RIU employs a variety of sophisticated and integrative physiologic measurements to assess the neural drive to breathe, respiratory mechanics, pulmonary gas-exchange and acid-base balance, cardiocirculatory responses to exertion, central and peripheral neuromuscular fatigue, and lung structure-function relationships. The long-term goal is the development of novel diagnostic and innovative treatment approaches to alleviate dyspnea, increase functional capacity and improve quality of life in these patients.

The Respiratory Investigation Unit is the site of several innovative research studies for the Laboratory of Clinical Exercise Physiology (LACEP) led by Dr. Alberto Neder, and the Integrative Cardiopulmonary Physiology Lab led by early career researcher Dr. Nicolle Domnik (Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences). Our investigator-intiatied research studies are funded by the Canadian Institues of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Southeastern Ontario Academic Medical Organization (SEAMO), the Department of Medicine at Queen's University (Spear-Start Endowment Fund), the Translational Institute of Medicine (TIME), and the PSI Foundation. We also are the site for several ongoing international clinical trials led by AstraZeneca.

Interested in Participating in One of Our Research Studies?

Contact us at riu@queensu.ca

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