Simon Hirota, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, University of Calgary
Departments of Physiology & Pharmacology and Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases
Dr. Hirota was originally trained in the airway field, examining calcium handling in the contractile function of airway smooth muscle in the context of inflammatory asthma, under the mentorship of a well-respected airway researcher (Dr. Luke Janssen, McMaster University).
Upon completion of his graduate training, Dr. Hirota was eager to apply his skills to a new area and decided to transition into the gastrointestinal (GI) field, gradually moving away from smooth muscle function into the realm of intestinal mucosal biology and innate immune signalling (Drs. Paul Beck & Justin MacDonald, University of Calgary). Dr. Hirota rapidly moved to the forefront of the inflammasome field and became the first to report a role for the NLRP3 inflammasome in the pathogenesis of C. difficile colitis.
As an Associate professor in the Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, with a secondary appointment in Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Dr. Hirota believes that xenobiotic sensing in the intestine holds great therapeutic potential for intestinal diseases. His laboratory is also focused on understanding the mechanisms that regulate tissue repair in the intestine, with the hopes of identifying new targets to treat the pathogenic tissue remodelling that often occurs in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.