Ellis | Biomedical and Molecular Sciences | School of Medicine

Anne Ellis MD, MSc

Position(s)

Professor

Contact Info

Watkins 1d, Allergy Unit, Kingston General Hospital

613-548-2336

Dr. Anne K. Ellis is a Professor in the Department of Medicine with a cross-appointment to the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences at Queen’s University, having joined the Faculty in August 2008. Her position is one of a Clinician Scientist with protected time for research. Her research program currently focuses on the systemic mechanisms of allergic rhinitis and potential treatments using the principles of translational medicine. Dr. Ellis is the well-deserving recipient of numerous mentorship, teaching, and research awards which speaks strongly to her achievements and high calibre in these areas.

Appointments

James H. Day Chair in Allergic Diseases and Allergy Research
Chair, Division of Allergy & Immunology, Department of Medicine, Queen’s University
Director and Principal Investigator, Environmental Exposure Unit and Allergy Research Unit, Kingston Health Sciences Centre - KGH Site and Queen’s University
Chair, Women in Medicine Committee, Department of Medicine, Queen’s University
Vice President, Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Research Interests

Allergic Rhinitis
- Systemic and Local Mechanisms of Inflammation
- Role of the nasal microbiome in allergic rhinitis
- Randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) of allergic rhinitis treatments, utilizing the internationally recognized Environmental Exposure Unit (www.eeu.on.ca) and other AR models.
- Factors affecting the “priming” response to allergen exposure
- Multicentre RCTs of allergic rhinitis therapies
Anaphylaxis and adverse reactions
- Incidence and predictors of biphasic anaphylaxis
- Improving anaphylaxis management and education
Kingston Allergy Birth Cohort: Cord blood predictors of atopy
- Molecular biomarkers or allergic risk in umbilical cord blood
Clinical Trials for a wide variety of Allergic and Immunologic Diseases

Training Opportunities

As a Clinician-Scientist, Dr. Ellis practices a translational approach to learning by integrating basic science research with clinical experience. All trainees in her laboratory can attend observerships in her outpatient Allergy & Immunology clinics. This experience will allow trainees to appreciate the impact allergic disease has on patients, and the importance of her research. In addition, all trainees will have the opportunity to participate in varying degrees in the Allergy Clinical Trials program at KHSC-KGH site, the cornerstone of which being the internationally recognized Environmental Exposure Unit (EEU). Developed by Dr. James Day and Dr. Reginald Clark in the early 1980s, this specially engineered room provides a reliable and reproducible clinical model of allergic rhinitis to evaluate a wide variety of anti-allergic therapies. The EEU (www.eeu.on.ca) was the first allergen challenge system of its kind in Canada, is the gold standard to which all others are compared; and provides a decisive component to assessing new anti-allergic therapies.

To gain more information about joining Dr. Ellis' research program, call (613) 546-5300 or email recruiting@keeu.ca.

Current Projects

Allergic Rhinitis Microbiome Study (ARMS): Investigating the nasal microbiome of allergic rhinitis using nasal allergen challenge to inform and test microbiome-based treatments in collaboration with Dr. Prameet Sheth.
Environmental Exposure Unit (EEU) – House Dust Mite (HDM): Validation the use of the EEU for studying HDM induced allergic rhinitis.
Filaggrin and the Cutaneous Environment Study (FaCES): Deconstructing the atopic march – the role of filaggrin mutations and sensitization pathways in allergic rhinitis and peanut allergy in collaboration with Dr. Yuka Asai.
COVID-19 Associated Anxiety in patients with Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis Experiencing Symptoms (CAAARES): Evaluation of anxiety and coping mechanisms in patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis using the novel CAAARES survey in collaboration with Dr. Dean Tripp.
COVID-19 Testing of Health Professional Students, Residents and Faculty of Health Sciences Graduate Students (THPS): Performing longitudinal testing for SARS-CoV-2 and related biological and mental outcomes to inform testing and public policy for universities and society in collaboration with Dr. Stephen Vanner, Dr. Prameet Sheth and others.
Kingston Allergy Birth Cohort (KABC): Investigating the development of allergic disease using a longitudinal birth cohort that features rural populations with high rates of smoking.

Recent Publications

Mechanisms of Allergic Rhinitis in Validated Clinical Models
- Hossenbaccus L, Linton S, Thiele J, Steacy L, Walker T, Malone C, Ellis AK. Clinical validation of controlled exposure to house dust mite in the environmental exposure unit (EEU). Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology. 2021 Dec;17(1):1-4.
- Ellis AK, DeVeaux M, Steacy L, Ramesh D, Suprun M, Langdon S, Wang CQ, Adams D, Thiele J, Walker T, Perlee LT. Environmental exposure unit simulates natural seasonal birch pollen exposures while maximizing change in allergic symptoms. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2021 Jun 26.
- Rawls M, Thiele J, Adams DE, Steacy LM, Ellis AK. Clinical symptoms and biomarkers of Bermuda grass–induced allergic rhinitis using the nasal allergen challenge model. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2020 Jun 1;124(6):608-15.
- Soliman M, Steacy LM, Thiele J, Adams DE, Neighbour HL, Ellis AK. Repeatability of nasal allergen challenge results: further validation of the allergic rhinitis clinical investigator collaborative protocols. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2018 Jun 1;120(6):607-13.
- Soliman M, Steacy L, Thiele J, Adams D, Neighbour H, Ellis AK. Administering multiple cumulative allergen challenges: An alternative nasal allergen challenge protocol for the Allergic Rhinitis–Clinical Investigator Collaborative. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2016 Sep 1;117(3):326-8.
Allergic Rhinitis Clinical Trials
- Ng CC, Romaikin D, Steacy LM, Stevens DA, Walker TJ, Adams DE, Ellis AK. Comparative nasal airflow with loratadine-pseudoephedrine and fluticasone nasal spray for allergic rhinitis. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2021 May 14.
- Kim YW, Tonti E, Hickey P, Ellis AK, Neighbour H, Larché M, Tebbutt SJ. Immunological changes in peripheral blood following nasal allergen challenge in subjects with allergic rhinitis pre-and post-peptide immunotherapy: an open-label clinical study. Allergy. 2020 Dec 15.
Review Papers on Nasal Allergen Challenge Model and Environmental Exposure Unit
- Hossenbaccus L, Ellis AK. The use of nasal allergen vs allergen exposure chambers to evaluate allergen immunotherapy. Expert Review of Clinical Immunology. 2021 May 4;17(5):461-70.
- Ramchandani R, Linton S, Hossenbaccus L, Ellis AK. Comparing the nasal allergen challenge and environmental exposure unit models of allergic rhinitis. Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology: official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology. 2021 Apr 20:S1081-1206.
Kingston Allergy Birth Cohort
- Wan Y, North ML, Navaranjan G, Ellis AK, Siegel JA, Diamond ML. Indoor exposure to phthalates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to Canadian children: the Kingston allergy birth cohort. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology. 2021 Apr 14:1-3.
- Gallant MJ, Ellis AK. Prenatal and early-life exposure to indoor air-polluting factors and allergic sensitization at 2 years of age. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2020 Mar 1;124(3):283-7.
- Gallant MJ, Ellis AK. The home environment’s influence on cytokine profiles and atopic disease in 6-to 7-year-old children. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2020 Dec 1;125(6):699-701.

Team

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Research Interests

Training Opportunities

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Recent Publications

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