• Sanjiv Dhingra headshot
  • Professor

    Max Rady College of Medicine
    Physiology and Pathophysiology
    University of Manitoba
    Room 3028-2 – 351 Tache Avenue
    St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre
    Winnipeg, Manitoba R2H 2A6

    Phone: 204-235-3454 
    Fax: 204-233-6723
    sanjiv.dhingra@umanitoba.ca

    Research summary

    Cardiac stem cell therapy has witnessed a significant progress from “bench to bedside.” However, the outcome of initial stem cell based clinical trials reported only marginal improvement in cardiac function.

    Dr. Dhingra’s research program is focused on developing clinically relevant improvements in stem cell therapy for cardiac regeneration and repair.

    The research in his laboratory is directed toward following three themes:

    1. Cardiac stem cell therapy and host immune response;
    2. Synthesis of immunomodulatory biomaterials for cardiac tissue engineering;
    3. Development of in vitro models for hereditary metabolic disorders using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC).
    • Research interests 

      Biomaterials and tissue engineering

      Biomaterials synthesis and characterization

      Cardiac differentiation and development

      Cardiac muscle regeneration

      Drug development

      Heart disease

      Hereditary mitochondrial disorders

      Immuno-nano materials

      iPSC-based disease modelling

      Stem cells

    • Keywords

      Biomaterials

      Cardiac regeneration

      Disease modelling

      Host immune response

      Immuno-nano diagnostics

      Inborn mitochondrial disorders

      iPSC

      Stem cells

      Tissue engineering

    • Research themes 

      Biomaterials

      Cardiovascular disease

      Disease modelling

      Drug development

      Stem cell therapy

    • Research affiliations

      Principal investigator, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St.

      Boniface Hospital Research Centre

      Research scientist, Regenerative Medicine Program

    Biography

    Dr. Sanjiv Dhingra is a faculty member in the physiology and pathophysiology department at the Max Rady College of Medicine.

    He is also the director of the Canada Italy Tissue Engineering Program at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre.

    His research interests are focused on the development of stem cells and biomaterials-based therapies for cardiac regeneration and tissue engineering.

    The current research in Dhingra’s lab focuses on understanding the host immune response against transplanted stem cells, and synthesis as well as application of immunomodulatory biomaterials. Dr. Dhingra is also focusing on the development of iPSC-based disease models for hereditary metabolic disorders for drug screening and development. Dr. Dhingra has published several papers in these areas in prominent journals.

    Dr. Dhingra has been actively involved in promoting the field of allogeneic stem cell therapy, immuno-nano materials and iPSC-based disease modeling.

    He has organized several national and international conferences and symposia.

    He was the chair of first and second International Symposium on the Future of Regenerative Medicine, which were held in Tuscania (2017), and Ostuni (2018) in Italy.

    He was also the co-chair of the online symposium on the Innovations in Cardiovascular Sciences and Therapeutics held in September 2020.

    Dr. Dhingra has been recognized nationally and internationally for his accomplishments in research.

    He received the Outstanding Leadership Award in Cardiovascular Research from the Life Science Association of Manitoba.

    He has also been recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) in 2012 and Canadian Cardiovascular Society in 2017 for his efforts in the field of cardiovascular stem cell therapy.

    His laboratory is currently funded by multiple agencies, including CIHR and NSERC.

    He continues to serve as committee member on several granting agency review panels such as CIHR, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, European Science Foundation and Medical Research Council of England.

    Education

    • PhD, Panjab University, India 
    • Postdoctoral fellowship, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manitoba
    • Postdoctoral fellowship, McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University Health Network, Toronto

    Awards

    • Distinguished Alumni Award, Presented by the Vice Chancellor and Dean Alumni Relations, Panjab University, India (2020)
    • Ronald Duhamal Innovation Award, St. Boniface Hospital Foundation, Winnipeg, Canada (2019)
    • Young Investigator Award- Basic Sciences, Canadian Cardiovascular Society (2017)
    • Roberto Bolli Young Investigator Award, International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences (2017)
    • Kern Wildenthal Young Faculty Oration Award, International Academy of Cardiovascular (2015) 
    • Vivien Thomas Young Investigator Award, American Heart Association (2012)
    • Early Career Investigator Award, International Society of Heart Research (ISHR) (2010)
    • Outstanding Leadership Award in Cardiovascular Research, Life Science Association of Manitoba (2007)

    Contact us

    Physiology and Pathophysiology
    432 Basic Medical Sciences Building
    745 Bannatyne Avenue
    University of Manitoba
    Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9 Canada

    204-789-3696
    204-789-3934