Heather Armstrong, MSc, PhD

  • Heather Armstrong portrait.

  • Adjunct associate professor

    Max Rady College of Medicine
    Internal Medicine
    University of Manitoba
    Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 3P4

    heather.armstrong@umanitoba.ca

Research achievements

Research summary

Dr. Heather Armstrong is an accomplished associate professor of medicine with the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta and holds a NIL-salary adjunct with the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. 

Dr. Armstrong is dedicated to mentoring and supporting young scientists who are interested in learning more about complex co-culture techniques for use in translational research approaches to personalized medicine.

She is involved in several national and international multi-disciplinary teams where she utilizes her translational models of microbiome and human biopsy tissues to better understand the pathology of diseases of dysbiosis, such as IBD, MS, and their relationship to cancer.

Research themes

  • Autoimmune disease
  • Cancer
  • Diet
  • Epithelial barrier
  • Fermentation
  • Immunology
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Microbiome
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis

Research groups

  •  Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems Biology

Research affiliations

Biography

Education

Doctorate of Medicine and of Philosophy (PhD-MED), Medicine, University of Adelaide, Australia (2016)

Masters in Science, (MSc) cell biology, University of Alberta (2012)

Bachelor of Science (BSc), biological sciences major with science psychology minor, University at Alberta (2010)

  • Academic research awards

    2024

    • Outstanding reviewer recognition – CIHR College of Reviewers
    • Terry G. Falconer Memorial Rh Institute Foundation Emerging Researcher Award
    • Liam J Murphy Award – University of Manitoba, Department of Internal Medicine

    2023

    • Rising Star Award - Crohn’s and Colitis Canada ($2,500)
      2023 Women in IBD Emerging Researcher Award - Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
    • Nominated member (scholarly achievement) – Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society
    • Global Young Academic – Global young academy for research and commitment to community (2023-2028)
    • Manuscript Featured on Journal Cover – Gastroenterology Journal (IF 33.8; February edition)

    2021

    • Shaun Lamoureaux best MMSF operating grant – Manitoba Medical Services Foundation
    • IMPACTT Microbiome Mentee – Dr Elena Verdu Mentor (McMaster University)

    2020

    • Editor’s Choice Publication – Cancers Journal
    • Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) Postdoctoral Fellowship ($90,000)

    2019

    • Mitacs Elevate Postdoctoral Fellowship ($60,000)

    2018

    • Honourable Mention – Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) and Crohn’s and Colitis Canada (CCC)
    • Student prize ($500)
    • Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Travel Award ($1,500)
    • Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI) Travel Award ($750)

    2014

    • Discipline of Medicine Travel Grant ($3,000)

    2013

    • Australian Postgraduate Award ($75,000)
    • Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men’s Health Scholarship ($15,000)

    2012

    • Government of Alberta ALIS Graduate Student Scholarship ($1,500)

  • Conference awards

    2023

    • IUIS Congress Junior Investigator Travel Award – Canadian Society for Immunology ($2,500)
    • ECTRIMS Travel Grant - MSMilan2023 – 9th ECTRIMS- ACTRIMS Meeting (EUR 1,100)

    2022

    • Poster of Distinction – 6th International Symposium on Pediatric IBD
    • Poster of Distinction – Canadian Digestive Disease Week

    2021

    • Poster of Distinction – Canadian Digestive Disease Week

    2019

    • Best Oral Presentation – Pediatric Research Day ($125)
    • Poster of Distinction – Canadian Digestive Disease Week

    2018

    • Poster of Distinction – The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
    • Best Oral Presentation – Postdoctoral Fellows Association Day ($500)
    • Best Oral Presentation – Canadian Digestive Disease Week ($500)

    2017

    • Best Oral Presentation – Postdoctoral Fellows Association Day ($375)
    • Best Oral Presentation – University of Alberta Department of Pediatrics Research Day ($150)

Contact us

Internal Medicine
Room GC430, Health Sciences Centre
820 Sherbrook Street
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3A 1R9 Canada

intmed@umanitoba.ca
204-787-7772
204-787-4826