Faculty Member

Chung-​Wai Chow MD, PhD

Website(s)
Position
Professor
SGS Status
Full Member
Appointment Status
Status Only

Research Interests

Chronic Airway Inflammation: Mechanisms Responsible for Disease Pathogenesis.

There are two theme in my research group:

The first theme is focused on understanding the effects of environmental air pollution on cardiorespiratory health. Current projects include:
1. studies in the lung transplant population to evaluate uptake of traffic-related air pollutants in the lung, and the correlation of these levels with ambient air pollutant and outcomes following transplantation
2. real-time exposure of ambient air pollutants and vehicular exhaust, and their effect on respiratory and cardiac function in vivo using different animal models of chronic inflammatory lung diseases, ventilator-based evaluation of lung function and cardiac telemetry
3. use of ex vivo lung slices to study the physiological responses, and in vitro cell culture models to identify the cellular pathways that regulate response to different components of air pollutants; these project using real time live imaging and cutting edge cellular molecular biology techniques

The second theme focuses on the role of Syk in modulating airway inflammation, tissue injury and airway remodeling, a common feature observed in chronic lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease and chronic lung graft rejection following transplantation. Research is carried out in vitro using mono- and co-cultures of airway epithelial and airway smooth muscle cells, and ex vivo and in vivo using several animal models of allergen-induced asthma and lung transplantation.

Education & Training History

Degrees

1999 PhD, Cell Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Supervisor(s): Sergio Grinstein

1989 MD, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Postgraduate, Research and Specialty Training

2001 Feb – 2001 Dec Post-Doctoral Fellowship. Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Supervisor(s): Dr. Gregory Downey

1999 Mar – 2001 Jan Post-Doctoral Fellowship. Max-Planck-Institute for Physiological and Clinical Research, W.G. Kerckhoff Institute, Bad Nauheim, Germany, Supervisor(s): Dr. Werner Risau (deceased) and Dr. Friedemann Kiefer

1994 Jul – 1999 Feb Clinician-Scientist Programme, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1992 Jul – 1994 Jun Adult Pulmonary Fellowship, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1990 Jul – 1992 Jun Medical Residency, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1989 Jun – 1990 Jun Medical Internship, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Primary Teaching Responsibilities

Supervision of graduate students and post-graduate trainees

Professional Summary & Appointments

2002-present Clinician-Scientist, Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto

2002-present Staff Physician, Toronto Lung Transplant Programme, Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, University Health Network

2008 Nov – present      Full Member, Institute of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2010 Jan – present  Investigator, Southern Ontario Center for Atmospheric Aerosol Research and Canada Aerosol Research Network, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2022 Mar – present  Senior Scientist, Respiratory and Critical Care Group, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2022 Jan – present  University Division Director, Respirology, Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Honours & Awards

2009-present Science Ambassador, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany

2008 Breathe New Life Award, Ontario Thoracic Society, Ontario, Canada. (Distinction)

1999 Medalist in Medicine, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Canada. (Distinction)

Representative Publications

  1. Á. S, Nemeth, G. Makan, S. Baglyas, A. Lorx, C.-W. Chow, J. K. Y. Wu, R. J. Dandurand, Z. Hantos, G. Kalmar. Pattern recognition in intra-breath oscillometry measurements. IEEE Access. 2025 Aug 12;Access-2025-16136(3598615). Access-2025-16136. Coauthor or Collaborator.
  2. Anastasiia Vasileva, Joyce K. Y. Wu, Melissa Valaee, Ethan Ortiz, Zoltán Hantos, Lianne Tile, Irene Ho, Angela M. Cheung, Chung-Wai Chow. Respiratory oscillometry in patients with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. 2025 Jul 1;20(1):323. doi: 10.1186/s13023-025-03846-6. Senior Responsible Author.
  3. Gergely Makan, Joyce K.Y. Wu, Chung-Wai Chow, Yushu Zou, Ronald J. Dandurand, Dorottya Czövek, Zoltán Gingl, Zoltán Hantos. Tracking of Respiratory Mechanics at Multiple Oscillometry Frequencies. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine. 2025 Jul;July(267):108818. doi: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2025.108818. Epub 2025. Available from: doi: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2025.108818. Coauthor or Collaborator.
  4. Noor Al Kaabi, Encarna Camacho, Ani Orchanian-Cheff, Vanessa Silano, Laura McGillis, Wing Ting Truong, W. Darlene Reid, Chung-Wai Chow, Clodagh M Ryan, Maxwell Slepian, Daniel Santa Mina, Hance A. Clarke, Nimish Mittal, Dmitry Rozenberg. Respiratory Manifestations and their Physical, Psychological and Social Impacts in Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes and Generalized Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders: A Narrative Review. J Clin Med. 2025 Jun 11;14(12):4126. doi: 10.3390/j. doi: 10.3390/jcm14124126. Coauthor or Collaborator.
  5. Rzepka AM, Tile L, Chow CW, McDonald-Blumer H, Chaparro C, Ridout R, Cheung AM. Lung transplantation and bone health: A narrative review. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2025 Jan 19;Jan 19(S1053-2498). 2025 Jan 19:S1053-2498(25)00018-X. doi: 10.1016/j.healun.2025.01.010. Coauthor or Collaborator.
  6. Dmitry Ponomarev, Joyce K. Y. Wu, Zoltán Hantos,Chung-Wai Chow and Ewan Goligher. Respiratory oscillometry in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure: a feasibility study. Respiratory Care. 2024 Oct;Oct 2(respcare12):doi: 10.4187/respcar. 2024 Oct 29:respcare12285. doi: 10.4187/respcare.12285. Coauthor or Collaborator.
  7. Nicholas T Vozoris, Longdi Fu, Peter C. Austin, Anne L Stephenson, Sudeep Gill,Chung-Wai Chow, MD,Clodagh M Ryan,Teresa To. Comparative safety analysis of nabilone versus opioids: a population-based cohort study. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2024 Aug 14. doi: 10.1007/s11606-024-08978-2. Coauthor or Collaborator.
  8. Choi D, North M, Ahmed M, Belousova N, Vasileva A, Matelski J, Singer LG, Wu JKY, Jeong CH, Evans G, Chow CW. Pollution exposure in the first 3 months post transplant is associated with lower baseline FEV1 and higher CLAD risk. J Heart Lung Transplant . 2024 Aug 12. 39142524. Senior Responsible Author.
  9. Teresa To, Cornelia M. Borkhoff, Chung-Wai Chow, Theo J Moraes, Robert Schwartz, Nick Vozoris, Avtar Lal, Wendy Yen, Kimball Zhang, Emilie Terebessy, Jingqin Zhu. Association of ever use of e-cigarettes with health and lifestyle variables among young adults: a Canadian health measure survey study. European Journal of Pediatrics. 2024 Jun;183(6):2521-2526. Coauthor or Collaborator.
  10. Belousova, Natalia, Cheng, Albert, Matelski, John, Wu, Joyce K.Y, Ghany, Rasheed, Martinu, Tereza, Ryan, Clodagh M. , Vasileva, Anastasiia, Chow, Chung-Wai. Effects of donor smoking history on early post-transplant lung function measured by oscillometry. Frontiers in Medicine. 2024 Apr 9;April 9:1-11. DOI 10.3389/fmed.2024.1328395 (Trainee publication). Senior Responsible Author.
  11. Joyce K. Y. Wu , Jessica Jia-Ni Xu , Anastasiia Vasileva , Cynthia Nohra , Matthew Binnie , Shane Shapera , Jolene H. Fisher , Clodagh M. Ryan , Micheal McInnis, Zoltán Hantos , Chung-Wai Chow. Respiratory Oscillometry with CT Image Analysis in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis following Single Lung Transplant. Respiratory Medicine Case Reports. 2024 Mar;49:102016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmcr.2024.102016. Senior Responsible Author.
  12. Amirashkan Askari, Xing Wang, Rachel Ortiz, Patricia Di Ciano, Ahmed N. Hassan, Sergio Rueda, Chung-Wai Chow, Arthur W.H. Chan. Measurement of Volatile Organic Compounds from Indoor Cannabis Smoking and Vaping: Direct Effects and Secondary Transport. Indoor Environments. 2024 Mar. doi.org/10.1016/j.indenv.2024.100006 (Trainee publication). Coauthor or Collaborator.
  13. Itthiphat Arunsurat, Nuttapol Rittayamai, Benjamas Chuaychoo, Suwat Tangchityongsiva, Simaporn Promsarn, Somruthai Yuenyong, Chung-Wai Chow, Laurent Brochard. Bronchodilator efficacy of high-flow nasal cannula with vibrating mesh nebulizer versus jet nebulizer in COPD: a randomized crossover physiologic study. Respiratory Care. 2023 Aug 22;RC-11139. doi: 10.4187/respcare.11139 (Trainee publication). Coauthor or Collaborator.
  14. Belousova, N., Huszti, E., Li, Q., Gabarin, R., Vasileva, A., Ghany, R., El Sanharawi, M., Picard, C, Hwang, D., Aversa, M, Levy, L., Chow, C.W., Roux, A, Martinu, T. Center variability in the prognostic value of a cumulative acute cellular rejection ‘A-score’ for long term lung transplant outcomes. American Journal of Transplantation. 2023 Aug;S1600-6135(23)00652-4. doi: 10.1016/j.ajt.2023.08.014 (Trainee publication). Co-Principal Author.
  15. Zoltan Hantos, Joyce K.Y Wu, Ronald J Dandurand, Chow, Chung-Wai. Quality control in respiratory oscillometry: reproducibility measures ignoring reactance? European Respiratory Journal Open Research. 2023 Jun;9:00070-2023. DOI: 10.1183/ 00070-2023. Senior Responsible Author.
  16. KL Quinn, GY Lam, J Walsh, A Bhéreur, AD. Brown, CW Chow, C Chung, J Cowan, N Cramptom, S Décary, E Falcone, L Graves, DP Gross, K Hanneman, PJ Harvey, S Holmes, GM Katz, P Parhizgar, A Sharkawy, D Thavendiranathan, KC Tran, S Waserman, VE Zannella, Angela M. Cheung. Management of Long-Term Cardiovascular Outcomes of COVID-19. Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 2023 Jun;39(6):741-753. doi: 10.1016/j.cjca.2023.04.003. Coauthor or Collaborator.
  17. Teresa To, Cornelia Borkhoff, Chung-Wai Chow, Theo J Moraes, Nick Vozoris, Robert Schwartz, Kimball Zhang, Emilie Terebessy, Jingqin Zhu. Vaping and Health Service Utilization: A Canadian Health Survey and Health Administrative Data Study. Annals of the American Thoracic Society. 2023 Jun;20(6):815-824. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202207-578OC. Coauthor or Collaborator.
  18. Anastasiia Vasileva, Nour Hanafi, Ella Huszti, John Matelski, Natalia Belousova, Joyce Wu, Tereza Martinu, Rasheed Ghany, Shaf Keshavjee, Jussi Tikkanen, Marcelo Cypel, Jonathan C. Yeung, Clodagh Ryan, Chung-Wai Chow. Intra-subject variability in oscillometry correlates with acute rejection and CLAD post-lung transplant. Frontiers in Medicine. 2023 May;May 25(10):1158870. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1158870 (Trainee publication). Senior Responsible Author.
  19. Dmitry Rozenberg, Noor Al Kaabi, Encarna Camacho, MSc, Sahar Nourouzpour, Ewan Goligher, Laura McGillis, Laura Lopez-Hernandez, Darlene Reid, Chung-Wai Chow, Clodagh Ryan, Dinesh Kumbhare, Ella Huszti, Kateri Champagne, Satish Raj, Susanna Mak, Daniel Santa Mina Hance Clarke, Nimish Mittal. Evaluation and Management of Dyspnea in Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Generalized Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder: Protocol for a Pilot and Feasibility Randomized Control Trial. JMIR Research Protocols. 2023 Mar;20(12):e44832. doi: 10.2196/44832. Coauthor or Collaborator.
  20. Amanda Mac, Tong Xu, Joyce Wu, Natalia Belousova, Haruna Kitazawa, Nick Vozoris, Dmitry Rozenberg, Clodagh M. Ryan, Shahrokh Valaee, Chung-Wai Chow. Deep Learning Using Multi-Layer Perception Improves the Diagnostic Acumen of Spirometry: A Single-Center Canadian Study. BMJ Open Resp. 2022 Dec 26;Dec 9(e001396):1-10. Available from: doi:10.1136/bmjresp-2022-001396. Impact Factor 4.58 (Trainee publication). Senior Responsible Author.
  21. Haruna Kitazawa, Annie Jiang, Cynthia Nohra, Honami Ota, Joyce K Y Wu, Clodagh M Ryan, Chung-Wai Chow. Changes in interpretation of spirometry by implementing the GLI 2012 reference equations: impact on patients tested in a hospital-based PFT lab in a large metropolitan city. BMJ Open Resp. 2022 Dec 12(e001389):1-10. doi: 10.1136/bmjresp-2022-001389. Available from: doi:10.1136/bmjresp-2022-001389. Impact Factor 4.58 (Trainee publication). Senior Responsible Author.
  22. A Fu, A Vasileva, N Hanafi, N Belousova, JKY Wu, Sl Rajyam, CM Ryan, Z Hantos, CW Chow. Characterization of Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction Phenotypes using Spectral and Intrabreath Oscillometry. Frontiers in Physiology. 2022 Oct;13(980942):1-10. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.980942. Impact Factor 4.37 (Trainee publication). Senior Responsible Author.
  23. T. Vozoris, J Zhu, C.M. Ryan, C.W. Chow, T. To. Cannabis use and risks of respiratory and all-cause morbidity and mortality: a population-based, data-linkage, cohort study. BMJ Open Resp. 2022 Apr 30;http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjresp-2021-001163. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjresp-2021-001163. Coauthor or Collaborator.
  24. Chang, A. Vasileva, C. Nohra, C.M. Ryan, C.W. Chow, J. K. Y. Wu. Conducting Respiratory Oscillometry in an Outpatient Setting. JoVE. 2022 Apr 8;doi: 10.3791/63243. Available from: doi: 10.3791/63243 (Trainee publication). Senior Responsible Author.
  25. K. Y. Wu, J. Ma, L Nguyen, E. DeHaas, A. Vasileva, E. Chang, J. Liang, Q. Huang, A. Cassano, M. Binnie, S. Shapera, J. H. Fisher, C.M. Ryan, M. McInnis, Z. Hantos, C.W. Chow. Correlation of Respiratory Oscillometry with CT Image Analysis in a Prospective Cohort of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. BMJ Open Resp. 2022 Apr;9(1):e001163. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjresp-2021-001163. Impact Factor 4.58. Senior Responsible Author.
  26. Micheal C. McInnis, Jin Ma, Gauri Rani Karur, Christian Houbois, Liran Levy,Jan Havlin, Eyal Fuchs, Jussi Tikkanen, Chung-Wai Chow, Ella Huszti, Tereza Martin. Chronic lung allograft dysfunction phenotype and prognosis by machine learning CT analysis. European Respiratory Journal. 2021 Dec 23;60(1):2101652. DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01652-2021. Impact Factor 33.795. Coauthor or Collaborator.
  27. Justin H. Dingle, Lukas Kohl, Nadiha Khan, Meng Meng, Yuelun A.Shi, Marcia Pedroz Brambila, Chung-Wai Chow, Arthur W.H.Chan. Sources and composition of metals in indoor house dust in a mid-size Canadian city. Environmental Pollution. 2021 Nov;289(Nov 15):117867. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117867. Impact Factor 6.792 (Trainee publication). Coauthor or Collaborator.
  28. Andrew Kouri, Ronald J Dandurand, Omar S Usmani, Chung-Wai Chow. What 175 years of spirometry can teach us about the history and future of medicine. European Respiratory Reviews. 2021 Oct;30(210081). Available from: doi.org/10.1183/16000617.0081-2021. Impact Factor 6.22 (Trainee publication). Senior Responsible Author.
  29. K.Y. Wu, C.M. Ryan, R. Hiebert, Z. Han, Annie Liu, C. Jeong, S. Mubareka, G. J. Evans, C.W, Chow. Aerosol Generation during Pulmonary Function Testing: Monitoring during Different Testing Modalities. Canadian Journal of Respiratory, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. 2021 Sep;https://doi.org/10.1080/24745332.2021.1965926. doi.org/10.1080/: 24745332.2021.196592. Available from: doi.org/10.1080/: 24745332.2021.196592. Impact Factor 0.8. Senior Responsible Author.
Chow, Shein-​Chung
Choi, Bernard C.K.
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Chow, Shein-​Chung
Choi, Bernard C.K.