Jane Batt

I am a Clinician Scientist, Department of Medicine, Division of Respirology, St Michaels Hospital, Toronto and Associate Professor, University of Toronto, and my research focuses on delineating the molecular mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle wasting and dysfunction in disease and trauma. The muscle wasting and dysfunction that occurs in critical illness survivors with ICU Acquired weakness, patients with chronic respiratory disease (e.g. COPD, PAH) and trauma (e.g. peripheral nerve injury), diminishes an individual’s quality of life, and increases their disease morbidity, health resource utilization and health care costs. We lack therapies that can prevent or achieve a sustainable reversal of muscle wasting and dysfunction in these populations. To initiate effective treatment and prevention programs it is essential to understand the biology underlying the loss of muscle mass. My research program consists of two components; i) basic science projects that study the molecular biology and signalling networks regulating muscle wasting in animal models and aim to identify the critical and novel mediators of atrophy and ii) translational studies that assess signalling networks and biologic processes identified to be key regulators of muscle atrophy, in human disease.