Our Team
Expert researchers behind the registry
The Canadian Bronchiectasis and NTM Research Registry is led by experienced researchers and clinicians at the University of Calgary, with collaborating institutions across Canada.
Leadership
Principal Investigators
Dr. Christina Thornton
MD, PhD • Principal Investigator
Calgary, AB
Dr. Thornton is an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary in the Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases. A clinician scientist and respirologist, she established a translational research program in 2023 investigating polymicrobial infections in bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis. Additionally, she is the co-founder and lead of the Canadian Bronchiectasis and NTM Registry (CanBE-NTM) and the director for the Canadian Bronchiectasis biobank.
Dr. Julie Jarand
MD • Co-Investigator
Calgary, AB
Dr. Jarand is a respirologist with expertise in bronchiectasis and mycobacterial diseases. She collaborates closely on registry operations and patient care.
Operations
Research Coordinators
Swathi Purighalla
MSc • Research Coordinator
Calgary, AB
Swathi completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Calgary and entered her M.Sc. program in Microbiology studying cystic fibrosis lung infections. She then worked as a Clinical Scientist in Infection Control and Prevention at a hospital in India for over five years. After taking time off to raise her daughter, she joined The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, as a Clinical Research Coordinator on a Phase II clinical trial. Swathi joined the lab in 2023 as Lab Manager and Research Coordinator, performing a range of duties and developing the Canadian Bronchiectasis Clinical Database.
Heewon is a Senior Bioinformatics Scientist whose research focuses on translational microbiome science. He applies computational and integrative approaches to uncover host–microbe interactions that drive chronic diseases.
Michelle Poulin
Administrative Assistant
Michelle is the administrative assistant with the bronchiectasis clinic at the University of Calgary.
Collaborating Sites
Site Investigators
Dr. Sana Swaleh
MD • Assistant Professor & Respirologist
Montreal, QC
Dr. Sana Swaleh is an Assistant Professor and Respirologist at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). She is the Non-CF Bronchiectasis Clinic Director at MUHC, and her clinical practice and research interests also include Cystic Fibrosis and NTM. She trained at McGill University and completed her fellowship in Adult Cystic Fibrosis at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Sophie Corriveau
MD • Associate Professor & Respirologist
Hamilton, ON
Dr. Sophie Corriveau received her MD in 2011 from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. She subsequently completed residency training in Internal Medicine followed by fellowship training in Respiratory Medicine at McMaster University. In 2018, she completed a Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Fellowship at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. Dr. Corriveau is an Associate Professor in the Division of Respirology at McMaster University. She serves as the Medical Director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program at McMaster, where she leads a multidisciplinary team providing specialized care to adults living with cystic fibrosis. Her clinical and academic interests focus on cystic fibrosis and non–cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.
Dr. Amanda Marino
MD • Assistant Professor & Respirologist
Montreal, QC
Dr. Amanda Marino is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Respiratory Medicine at McGill University and a Respirologist at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). She received her medical degree and completed her residency training in Internal Medicine and Respirology at McGill University. She subsequently completed advanced fellowship training in mycobacterial diseases at Harvard University and the University of Toronto. Her clinical and academic interests focus on mycobacterial infections, including tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease, as well as non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. She will serve as the McGill chapter co-lead for CanBE-NTM.
Dr. Maeve Smith
MD • Associate Professor
Edmonton, AB
Dr. Smith is an Associate Professor in the Division of Pulmonary Medicine at the University of Alberta. She has extensive experience in bronchiectasis, including designing and conducting clinical trials, and is a co-author of bronchiectasis guidelines. She currently serves as co-chair of the Canadian Thoracic Society Bronchiectasis Working Group and leads the Bronchiectasis Clinic at the University of Alberta.
Dr. Ryan Cooper
MD • Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases
Edmonton, AB
Dr. Ryan Cooper is an assistant professor at the University of Alberta and an infectious diseases specialist in NTM infections.
Get in Touch
Contact the research team
Have questions about the registry, research collaboration, or partnership opportunities?