Research Awards for Researchers in Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity
Explore funding opportunities, application guidelines, and resources for researchers in the field of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
Award Opportunities 2026
Dr. J.A. Campbell Research Grant
- Maximum Award Amount: $35,000 CAD
- Application Deadline: April 30th, 2026 (11:59 PM EST)
- Project Duration: Up to 24 months
This grant is offered by Celiac Canada for research projects in Canada of a scientific, applied science, and/or medical nature relevant to celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, and/or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or the socio-economic implications of delayed diagnosis and/or living with this conditions. We are open to all types of relevant research and is not restricted to medical research.*
Young Investigator Grant
- Maximum Award Amount: $15,000 CAD
- Application Deadline: April 30th, 2026 (11:59 PM EST)
- Project Duration: Up to 24 months
This grant supports research conducted in Canada (or by a Canadian investigator temporarily working elsewhere who is committed to returning to Canada). We are particularly interested in research that addresses underrepresented and underserved populations, including Indigenous Peoples, newcomers, racialized communities, and other vulnerable or marginalized groups. Applications are not limited to this focus area.*
*Indirect costs are not allowed.
Your support powers the research that changes lives.
When you sponsor a researcher, you’re helping Canadian scientists pursue answers that lead us closer to a cure. Our James A. Campbell Research Award has funded more than 40 projects over 26 years, providing over $500,000 to strengthen celiac research and support young investigators across the country.
Honouring Dr. James A. Campbell: A Legacy of Innovation
The J.A. Campbell Research Fund, now celebrating its 26th year (2026), honours the memory of Dr. James A. Campbell, a pioneer in nutrition science and a dedicated volunteer for Celiac Canada. Dr. Campbell play a key role in establishing Canada’s gluten-free labelling standards and was instrumental in advancing treatment approaches for celiac disease.
Over the past 26 years, this fund has supported more than 40 research projects and provided over half a million dollars in funding, fostering innovation and improving the quality of life for those with celiac disease.
Who is Dr. James Alexander Campbell?
In recognition of Dr. James A. Campbell’s contributions and dedication to Celiac Canada, a research fund was named in his honour – The J. ALEXANDER CAMPBELL RESEARCH FUND.
Dr. Campbell had an extensive background in the field of nutrition. He worked in the Federal Department of the Agriculture, the Drug Directorate of the Department of National health and Welfare, and became Director of the Nutrition Bureau, health Protection Branch in 1972, where he was officer-in-charge of the Nutrition Canada Survey. Dr. Campbell received several distinguished awards for his many contributions in the field of Nutritional Science.
Dr. Campbell’s contributions to the Celiac Canada began in 1980, as advisor to the Ottawa Chapter, and then as Chairman of the Nutrition Committee (now Professional Advisory Council). He contributed articles for our handbooks and newsletters, and led discussions with the Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs and the Health Canada concerning the improper use of the term gluten-free on food labels which set the standard for what may be labelled as gluten free in Canada today.
Dr. Campbell designed the first Canada-wide study of persons with celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis, and carried it through to completion, CCA is proud to say that this survey was the largest ever done world-wide at its time. He was one of the contributors to CCA’s Pocket Dictionary on the Acceptability of Foods and Food Ingredients for the Gluten-Free Diet which is still in use today.
Dr. Campbell was awarded Honorary member of Ottawa Chapter, and in 1988 was named Honorary Life Member of what was then the Canadian Celiac Association. His work stands as a cornerstone to the support that CCA continues to provides to the gluten-free community.
The J. Alexander Campbell Research Fund is used to continue the valuable work begun by Dr. Campbell, investigating and reporting on all aspects of celiac disease and the gluten-free diet, and to encourage others in the field who share this interest.
Modified from the original text provided by Bev Ruffo
Revised: November 25, 2020
2026 Award Winners
Main Investigator J. A. Campbell Research Grant Recipient 2026
Dr. Mark Wulczynski McMaster University
Project Title: Serum IL-2 as a CeD Biomarker: Implementation of a Novel Diagnostic Tool for CeD
Dr. Wulczynski’s study will evaluate interleukin‑2 (IL‑2) as a blood‑based biomarker for celiac disease. IL‑2 has recently emerged as a measurable indicator of the immune response to gluten, offering the potential for a simpler diagnostic pathway. This project will test whether IL‑2 levels can reliably distinguish individuals with celiac disease, reducing reliance on intestinal biopsies, and prolonged gluten challenges.
Young Investigator J. A. Campbell Research Grant Recipients 2026
Katie Thai, MS(c), University of Alberta
Project Title: Patient Voice: Impact of Food Insecurity in Adolescents with Celiac Disease on Mental Health and Adherence to the Gluten-Free Diet
Supervisor: Diana Mager, PhD, MSc, RD
This project will examine how food insecurity affects gluten‑free diet adherence and mental health among adolescents with celiac disease. Through a questionnaire‑based study, Katie will explore experiences across home, school, and social environments, comparing adolescents who are food secure with those who are not. This research will help identify barriers to adherence and inform future policies and supports tailored to youth navigating both celiac disease and limited food access.
Alex Fung, MD (c), University of British Columbia
Project Title:The Impact of Food Insecurity on Gluten-free Diet Adherence in Children and Youth with Celiac Disease and Type-1 Diabetes.
Supervisor: Brenden Hursh, MD, MSc
This study will survey families of children and youth with both celiac disease and type 1 diabetes receiving care at BC Children’s Hospital. Alex’s research will assess food insecurity, gluten‑free diet adherence, dietary intake patterns, and quality‑of‑life impacts. It will also examine clinical indicators such as blood glucose control and markers of celiac disease activity to understand how food insecurity influences health outcomes in this dual‑diagnosis population.
Previous Award Winners
Main Investigator J. A. Campbell Research Grant Recipient 2025
We are excited to announce that the Main Investigator JAC grant has been awarded to Dr. Fang Wu – University of British Columbia.
Project title: Shifting Celiac Disease Diagnosis and Monitoring Toward a Metabolomics- and AI-Driven Personalized Model of Care
A cutting-edge study to improve diagnosis and monitoring using metabolomics and machine learning, especially for seronegative and IgA-deficient patients.
Young Investigator J. A. Campbell Research Grant Recipient 2025
We are excited to announce that the Young Investigator JAC grant has been awarded to Cara Medvedic – University of Manitoba (Supervisor: Dr. Don Duerksen).
Project title: What is the role of small intestinal biopsy in the follow-up of patients with celiac disease on a gluten free diet?
A retrospective review of clinic data to evaluate the utility of intestinal biopsy in ongoing patient care, especially when symptoms and serology don’t align.
Main J. A. Campbell Research Grant Recipients
2024
We are excited to announce that the main JAC grant has been awarded to Utkarshini Kirtikar, a PhD candidate in Health Sciences at McMaster University, working under the mentorship of Dr. Elena Verdu. Utkarshini holds a Master’s in Nutrition from the University of Leeds, UK, and her research focuses on celiac disease, particularly the impact of nutritional interventions on the gut microbiome.
Her current research explores how oral tryptophan supplementation might improve gut health in celiac patients who don’t fully respond to a gluten-free diet. By studying how gut microbes in these patients metabolize tryptophan and fibre, her goal is to develop a simple, cost-effective way to enhance the gluten-free diet and support better recovery for non-responders.
2023
Dr. Maria Ines Pinto-Sanchez et al., a gastroenterologist and Director of the celiac clinic at McMaster University.
Dr Sanchez and an acclaimed team across Canada will conduct the world’s first randomized controlled trial to evaluate effect of late vs early introduction of gluten-free oats on symptomatic, serologic (blood test) and disease activity in patients newly diagnosed with celiac disease.
2021
Heather Galipeau’s research, Phd at McMaster University, focuses on gnotobiotic mouse modeling and organoid modeling to investigate dietary antigen-host immune interactions in chronic inflammatory diseases, like celiac disease. Specifically, she is researching how bacteria modulate host responses to the dietary trigger of celiac disease, gluten, focusing on early events that trigger disease development. Her long-term objective is to develop therapies to prevent or treat chronic inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.
2020
Drs Jenna K. Dowhaniuk and Catharine Walsh – Pediatric Celiac Symptom Index: Development of a patient-reported outcome for children with celiac disease for assessment and monitoring of CD-related symptoms in children with
Dr. Diana Mager (2019) – Assessment of feasibility and uptake of a gluten-free guide for Canadian children and youth in clinical and community settings
Listen to a podcast about this guide
Natalie Riediger (2018) – Characterizing dietary gluten avoidance in the Canadian pediatric and adult population
View an infographic summarizing her study.
Dr. Alberto Caminero-Fernandez (2016) – Specific Probiotic-Based Strategy For Gluten Detoxification
Abadi, Valerie (2013) – Development of a Physiopathological Mouse Model of Celiac Disease
Read a summary of her research.
Mager, Diana (2012) – How do parents and child’s perceptions of quality of life affect dietary adherence to the gluten free diet and nutritional intake in children with Celiac Disease?
View a presentation of her findings.
Greenblatt, Ellen (2009) – Prevalence of Celiac Disease in a Canadian Population of Women with Unexplained Infertility
Mager, Diana & Turner, Justine (2008) – A Prospective Study of the Effect of Vitamin D and Vitamin K Deficiency on Bone Metabolism and Bone Accrual in Children and Adolescents with Celiac Disease
Verdú, Elena (2007) – Using HLA-DQ8 mice to analyze the development of celiac disease and other gastrointestinal illnesses.
Leroux, Jean-Christophe (2003) – Polymers as gliadin binders: an innovative strategy to prevent interactions of celiac disease peptides with the gastro-intestinal mucosa
Young Investigator Grant Recipients
2024
The JAC Young Investigator Award has been granted to Nastasha Lepore, who is currently completing her Master’s degree at McMaster University after graduating from the McMaster Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship Program.
Natasha’s research focuses on examining the plasma lipid profiles of children with untreated celiac disease. By using a combined metabolomic and metagenomic approach, she aims to identify dysregulations in lipid metabolism. Her long-term goal is to discover novel biomarkers that could enhance early detection and serve as potential therapeutic targets, ultimately improving care for children with celiac disease.
2023
- Mark Wulczynski, a PhD student working to understand diet-host-microbe interactions at McMaster University under the supervision of the internationally acclaimed Dr. Elena Verdu in the department of Medical Sciences.
- “Investigation of dietary fibre and microbial interactions in celiac disease”
- Mark is looking at the role microbial fibre metabolism in the small intestine and its potential therapeutic application in patients following a GFD.
2022
Sara Rahmani is a PhD candidate at the School of Biomedical Engineering at McMaster University, supervised by Dr. Elena Verdu (Medicine) and Dr. Tohid Didar (Mechanical Engineering). Sara’s research focuses on unraveling the inflammatory triggers and how other environmental triggers and drivers of celiac disease, such as opportunistic bacterial pathogens, influence these pathways. Her long-term goal is to engineer a high throughput preclinical screening tool for novel drugs in CeD.
2020
Alexandra Clarizo – Characterization of a Novel Gluten Sensitivity Model to characterize this novel mouse model and identify microbial metabolic outcomes of gluten peptides that specifically bind to DQ2.
Katherine Pohoreski – ABC, easy as 123, simple as gluten-free? Knowledge and adherence in adolescents with celiac disease – to investigate the relationship between patient knowledge and adherence to the GFD in a local outpatient population of adolescents with CD
Adriana Mudryj, MSc, PhD (2019) – Against the Grain: The nutritional impact of dietary gluten avoidance in the Canadian population.
Click here to learn about the results of her study.
James A King (2018) – A systematic literature search on prevalence of celiac disease globally and develop the Alberta Celiac Disease Surveillance Cohort
Aber Alzaben (2016) – Gluten Free-Food Guide for Canadians
Justin McCarville (2014) – Role of Human Celiac Gut Microbiota in the Breakdown of Oral Tolerance to Gluten
Rajani, Seima (2013) – Serological Diagnosis of Celiac Disease at Stollery Children’s Hospital: a Pilot Study
Wiepjes, Michelle (2011) – Role of the Serine Protease Inhibitor Elafin in Gluten-Related Disorders
Slemmer, J. (2010) -Epidemiology of Celiac Disease in PEI
Pinier, Maude (2010) – Ability of a polymeric binder to control Celiac Disease
Gunn, Beth (2009) – Prevalence of Celiac Disease in a Canadian Population of Women with Unexplained Infertility
Silvester, Jocelyn (2007) – Survey of Canadian Gastroenterologists about Long Term Follow-up Care of their Celiac Patients.
Zelin, Jenni (2001) – The role of the family physician in the diagnosis and management of celiac disease.
Curious to know what past research award recipients have to say? Check out a few featured quotes on our Research Impact page.
