Dr. Chan Gao
- Assistant Professor - Department of Medicine聽
- Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (Physiatry),聽
- Junior Scientist, RI 鈥� MUHC聽
MD, PhD, FRCPC, FAAPMR, CAQ聽
Currently supervising students
My research program focuses on investigating the pathogenic mechanisms underlying neurogenic heterotopic ossification and osteoporosis associated with central nervous system injuries including spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. Clinically relevant mouse models of heterotopic ossification and osteoporosis induced by spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury will be developed. These preclinical models will then be used to identify potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and prophylaxis, and molecular targets for effective therapy.聽
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Development and characterization of novel mouse model of neurogenic heterotopic ossification induced by spinal cord injury聽
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Alterations in tissue inorganic phosphate in the development of heterotopic ossification induced by spinal cord injury聽
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Neural dysregulation of tissue homeostasis induced by spinal cord injury聽
Neural regulation of musculoskeletal tissue homeostasis聽
I joined McGill and the MUHC as a practicing Physician-Scientist in 2020. I have a strong interest in chronic pain and bone disease and exploiting my expertise in preclinical model to investigate the pathogenesis of neurogenic heterotopic ossification (NHO) and neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury. The studies will provide new knowledge for development of early diagnostic tools and innovative treatments for patients with spinal cord injury / disease seen in clinical practice who are at risk of developing neuropathic pain and NHO. I have also established collaboration with pioneering institutions in biomedical informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, TN), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York, NY), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, TX), and University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI). Future clinical studies will use these and other biorepositories to identify clinical and genomic characteristics of patients with NHO and neuropathic pain to facilitate early identification of high-risk patients and development of individualized treatment.聽
Dr. Chan Gao obtained his medical degree from Peking University Health Science Center (Beijing, China) in 2003 and PhD from the division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University (Montreal, QC) in 2014. He completed his clinical training as a resident in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, aka Physiatry, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, TN) in 2019 and a clinical fellow in Primary Care Sports Medicine and Interventional Spine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York, NY) in 2020.鈥� Dr. Gao is, currently, appointed as Assistant Professor in the department of Medicine and Scientist at Research Institute 鈥� McGill University Health Center. Dr Gao is interested in neural regulation of musculoskeletal tissue homeostasis. His research program primarily focuses on investigating the pathogenic mechanisms underlying neurogenic heterotopic ossification and osteoporosis associated with central nervous system injuries including spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. Clinically relevant animal models are being developed to simulate heterotopic ossification and osteoporosis induced by spinal cord injury or traumatic brain. These preclinical models will then be used to identify potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and prophylaxis, and molecular targets for effective therapy.聽
