Lori West
Born
United States
SpouseJeffrey Smallhorn
Academic background
EducationBSc, University of Florida
MD, 1983, Tulane University School of Medicine
DPhil, 1995, Balliol College, Oxford
Academic work
InstitutionsUniversity of Alberta
University of Toronto

Lori Jeanne West FRSC OC is an American-Canadian pediatric cardiologist. She holds the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Cardiac Transplantation at the University of Alberta.

Early life and education

West was born in the United States.[1] She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Florida,[2] where she was initially most interested in field biology and ornithology.[3] Following this, West earned her medical degree at the Tulane University School of Medicine in 1983[4] and completed her pediatric training at the University of California, Los Angeles. She also decided to train in pediatric cardiology and moved to Toronto to study at the Hospital for Sick Children.[5] As pediatric transplantation became more popular,[5] West chose to pursue her DPhil from Balliol College, Oxford in 1995.[4]

Career

Upon returning to North America, West took over the transplant program at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children in 1994.[6] While serving in this role, she pioneered the procedure to successfully transplant a heart from someone with one blood type into a baby with a different blood type.[7] West's first ABO-incompatible heart transplant was on a baby named Caleb with type o blood. She conducted the transplant on the theory that a newborn's immune system was so immature, it had not yet developed the antibodies to attack the foreign heart.[6]

West and her husband's tenure at Sick Kids ended in 2005 when they were recruited by Terry Klassen to join Alberta's Stollery Children's Hospital.[1] As a researcher in the University of Alberta (U of A) Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, she was appointed the head of Canada's first national transplant research program.[8] Due to her overall research and transplant success, West was recognized by Alberta Venture as one of the province's 50 Most Influential People in 2014.[9] In the same year, West was also named to a three-year term on the Governing Council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.[10]

In 2017, West was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada for having "focused her career on finding treatments for infants with lethal cardiac malformations."[11] She was also re-appointed the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Cardiac Transplantation.[12] During the COVID-19 pandemic, West led a study to discover why people with different blood types react differently to the novel coronavirus.[13] Later in December, she was named an Officer of the Order of Canada for "her leadership in the field of organ transplantation and donation, notably for her breakthrough research in infant heart transplantation."[14]

Personal life

West is married to Jeffrey Smallhorn, a fellow cardiologist.[1] In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano and horseback riding.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Friesen, Joe (July 19, 2005). "Leading Ontario physician lured to Alberta". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Independent Panel Named to Investigate Memorial". January 2005. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Driving Wonder with Science". Research2Reality. November 20, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Lori Jeanne West". Cardiac Transplant Research. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Lindstrom, Michelle (September 26, 2016). "The Greatest Gift". Western Canadian Children's Heart Network. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  6. 1 2 McDermott, Tricia (March 29, 2004). "Change Of Heart". CBS News. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Babies able to handle mismatched organ transplants: study". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. October 25, 2004. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  8. ↑ Harvey, Janet (April 22, 2013). "Renowned U of A medical researcher to head first national transplant research program". University of Alberta. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Dr. Lori West: Alberta's 50 Most Influential People 2014". Alberta Venture. July 1, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Minister Ambrose announces new appointment to the Governing Council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research". University of Alberta. April 28, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  11. ↑ Brown, Michael (September 7, 2017). "Six UAlberta researchers elected to the Royal Society of Canada". University of Alberta. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Heart Transplantation for Babies—Safer and Sooner". Government of Canada. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  13. ↑ Brown, Michael (November 6, 2020). "U of A heart transplant expert exploring connection between blood group and COVID-19". University of Alberta. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Punk rock, heart transplant and Paralympic Games trailblazers among Albertans appointed to Order of Canada". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. December 30, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
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