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Dr. David Speert
 CUPIC Director
Sauder Family Professor and Head, Division of Infectious and Immunological Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia
Dr. David Speert has been Head of the Division of Infectious and Immunological Diseases since 1991. His research interests include the pathogenetic role of bacteria in cystic fibrosis, the epidemiology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia complex in CF and innate defenses against infection in children. He is also heading a birth cohort study in the Western Cape Province of South Africa to investigate the mechanisms of enhanced morbidity and mortaility in children born to, but not infected by, HIV-infected mothers.
Research in Dr. Speert's laboratory is directed at gaining a clearer understanding of how infections of the lung are acquired by patients with cystic fybrosis. He is exploring phagocytic cell defence of the lungs as well as bacterial determinants which permit Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia complex to subvert normal host defences and establish infection. Work in his laboratory is also directed at gaining a better understanding of the role of innate immunity in regulating inflammation in health and disease, both infectious and auto-inflammatory.
Work in Dr. Speert's lab has been supported by grants from the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the Canadian Bacterial Diseases Network, the BC Lung Association, the BC Children's Hospital Foundation and Genome Canada.
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Laboratory Members
Visiting Students
- Brad Locke - Medical student
- Lourdes (Cynthia) Gunaratnam- Directed Studies student
- Connor Forbes - CFRI student
- George Hall - Volunteer
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Selected Publications
Davidson DJ, Currie AJ, Reid GSD, Bowdish DME, MacDonald KL, Ma RC, Hancock REW, Speert DP. The cationic antimicrobial peptide LL-37 modulates dendritic cell differentiation and dendritic cell-induced T cell polarization. J. Immunology. 172(2):1146-1156, 2004
Currie AJ, Davidson DJ, Reid GSD, Bharya S, MacDonald KL, Devon RS, Speert DP. Primary immunodeficiency to pneumococcal infection due to a defect in toll-like receptor signaling. J. Pediatr. 144(4):512-518, 2004 April.
Pollard AJ, Currie A, Rosenberger CM, Heale JP, Finlay BB, Speert DP. Differential post-transcriptional activation of human phagocytes by different Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates. Cellular Microbiology. 6(7):639-650, 2004
Conway BA, Chu KK, Bylund J, Altman E, Speert DP. Production of exopolysaccharide by Burkholderia cenocepacia results in altered cell-surface interactions and altered bacterial clearance in mice. J. Infect. Dis. 190(5):957-966, 2004.
Bylund J, Campsall PA, Ma RC, Conway BA, Speert DP. Burkholderia cenocepacia induces neutrophil necrosis in chronic granulomatous disease. J. Immunol. 174(6):3562-3569, 2005 Mar15.
Khashu M, Osiovich H, Henry D, Al Khotani A, Solimano A, Speert DP. Persistent bacteremia and severe thrombocytopenia caused by coagulase negative Staphylococcus in a neonatal intensive care unit. Pediatrics 117(2):340-348, 2006 Feb
Bylund J, Burgess LA, Cescutti P, Ernst R, Speert DP. Exopolysaccharides from Burkholderia cenocepacia inhibit neutrophil chemotaxis and scavenge reactive oxygen species. J. Biol. Chem. 2006 Feb 3;281(5):2526-32 | |
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