Dr. Khan is a professor in the department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster University. His research focuses on inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis.
“The pathogenesis of different diseases had always intrigued me. Inflammatory bowel diseases had not been well studied. I wanted to delve more into how they start and what types of people they impact.”
In Canada alone, approximately 1 in every 150 individuals suffer from an inflammatory bowel disease. Unfortunately, there are no cures for these diseases and the current treatments are linked to adverse effects.
Dr. Khan has been recently studying serotonin, a neurotransmitter, and its impact in Crohn's disease. Serotonin is commonly associated with changes in mood, however, its involvement with inflammatory bowel diseases requires further exploration.
"5-10% of the body's serotonin is produced in the brain. 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut. We don't really know what this 90% does."
Dr. Khan hopes that further research into serotonin may invigorate interest in drug discovery for Crohn's disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases.
“Inflammatory bowel diseases are a continuing problem in the Canadian healthcare landscape. With greater research and more interest in novel therapies, a more improved outlook could hopefully be achieved.”
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