Dr. Keith Walley

After graduating with a BSc Honors in Physics from the University of Manitoba in 1978, he continued on to receive his MD in 1981. He went on to complete an Internal Medicine Residency (McGill University), a Fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (University of Chicago), and a Sabbatical in basic mechanisms of sepsis (University of Michigan). Dr. Walley’s impressive career has centered on examining the pathophysiology of cardiovascular dysfunction in critical illness, and oxygen transport in peripheral tissues.

A Scientist and physician, Dr. Walley’s research focuses on gaining an understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying impaired myocardial function and other organ dysfunction during inflammatory disease states, including sepsis. This work extends far beyond the bedside to encompass the Genomics of Critical Care, and aims to develop a greater understanding of the genetic determinants of outcome from critical illness. Specifically, how key inflammatory and innate immunity genes are related to critical illnesses including SIRS, sepsis and septic shock, and in patients who have undergone cardiovascular surgery. To date this work has yielded 181 manuscripts, and over 90 peer reviewed grants and research awards. A recent example illustrating the clinical importance of combining genetic analysis and mechanistic basic science research was published in Science Translational Medicine. In this article Dr. Walley and collaborators have identified a potential new therapeutic target and pathways which may lead to improvements in the treatment of sepsis.

Among his many roles Dr. Walley is currently the Associate Director for the ICU at St. Paul’s Hospital, principle investigator for the IMPACT multicenter CIHR STIHR post-doctoral training program, and the Director of the Centre for Heart and Lung Innovation at St. Paul’s Hospital.