Christopher Ellis

Dr. Ellis is a Professor of Medical Biophysics in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, the University of Western Ontario and a Scientist in the Robarts Research Institute. He has degrees in Chemical Engineering from McMaster University (BEng) and from Northwestern University (PhD). Dr. Ellis completed his postdoctoral training with AC Groom in Biophysics at the University of Western Ontario developing tools for microvasculature research. Following his postdoctoral training he joined the Biophysics faculty. With funding from Heart and Stroke Foundation, CIHR, NSERC and NIH, he has investigated how the microvasculature regulates oxygen distribution within an organ and how the pathophysiology of sepsis impairs this regulation. He has been actively involved in research on the microvascular dysfunction in sepsis with Critical Care physicians for two decades. With funding from the Collaborative Health Research Program, Dr. Ellis has developed a non-invasive device for monitoring the health of the microvasculature in critically ill patients. With CFI funding, he and his colleagues, have established VITAL, a new facility with state-of-the-art intravital microscopy equipment, in the Robarts Research Institute for the next generation of microvascular research and data analytics.
Dr. Ellis has taught principles of oxygen transport to undergraduate and graduate students, has lectured in PhD courses in both Canada and Denmark on the role of the microvasculature in health and disease, and has provided research training for residents, fellows and clinicians. His teaching philosophy centres on strengthening the problem solving skills in his trainees and he has helped develop a course on Problem Discovery, Defining and Solving for graduate students in Medical Biophysics. He was given the honour of delivering the 2016-2017 William J. Sibbald Lecture at Sunnybrook Hospital. Dr. Ellis has over 100 peer reviewed publications in both basic science and clinical journals.