Paige Lacy

Professor, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - Medicine Dept

Contact Overview Publications

Contact

Professor, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - Medicine Dept

Email: placy@ualberta.ca
Phone: (780) 492-6085
Address: 574A Heritage Medical Research Centre
11207 - 87 Ave NW

Edmonton AB

T6G 2S2

Overview

Area of Study / Keywords

Asthma Allergy Airway hyperresponsiveness Lung diseases Leukocytes Signalling pathways Airway inflammation Vesicular trafficking Cell secretion Cytokines Acute lung injury Biomarkers Eosinophils Respiration Neutrophils Macrophages Innate Immune Cells Wildfire exposure Occupational exposure Airway epithelial cells Super-resolution microscopy Environmental exposure Wildfire smoke exposure in respiratory diseases

About

BSc and BSc (Hons) in Physiology and Biochemistry, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
PhD in Molecular Endocrinology, Wellington School of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand
Overseas Research Fellow, Wellcome Trust/Health Research Council of New Zealand, University College London, UK (1992-1997)
Parker B. Francis Fellow in Pulmonary Research, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (1998-2001)
CIHR New Investigator Award, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (2001-2006)
AHFMR Visiting Scientist Award, Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia (2009-2010)
Professor, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (2000-present)
Adjunct Professor, Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (2011-present)
Director, Pulmonary Research Group and Alberta Respiratory Centre (ARC) Research, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (2017-2021)
2019 Michelle Harkness Mentorship for Investigator Awardee, AllerGen NCE (January 2019)

Research

Cytokine trafficking in innate immune cells

We are focused on molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate inflammatory responses in allergy, asthma, and lung diseases. Together with my trainees and collaborators, we have helped to advance our understanding of how inflammatory mediators are released by innate immune cells including eosinophils, neutrophils, macrophages, mast cells, and epithelial cells. We are investigating alarmin cytokine secretion mechanisms from epithelial cells and have determined that SARS-CoV-2 activates the release of the alarmin cytokine TSLP. We are also evaluating the production of alarmin cytokines in nasal tissue samples from patients with asthma. Our studies are supported by a Discovery Grant from NSERC (2021-2027), and two Investigator-Initiated Externally Sponsored Grants from AstraZeneca (2020-2026).

Epidemiological studies in asthma

In collaboration with Dr. Subhabrata Moitra, Assistant Professor, Ahmedabad University, India, we are determining associations between socioeconomic factors and factors affecting allergy and asthma. We have found an influence of artificial light at night on allergic diseases, association between school absenteeism and allergic conditions among adolescents, an effect by the COVID-19 infodemic and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic respiratory diseases, and that less social deprivation is associated with a better health-related quality of life in asthma, among other studies. We also determined an association between influenza vaccination and healthcare utilization in asthma, and between vaping during pregnancy resulting in adverse health outcomes for the mother and infant.

Members of my lab:

Marc Duchesne, PhD student
Hazel Marriott, PhD student

Teaching

I am a course coordinator for Inflammation MMI 436/MED 536, a combined 4^th-year and graduate-level course directed towards trainees interested in the underlying mechanisms of inflammatory diseases, that is offered in the Fall semester of each year. I have been a facilitator for Discovery Learning sessions for over 15 years for 1^st and 2^nd year medical students enrolled at the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. Along with these I have been a supervisor for numerous laboratory-based courses to train postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates in benchtop experimental work as well as clinical research.

Featured Publications

Mechanisms of Eosinophil Degranulation

Sarah Almas, Paige Lacy

Cells. 2026 July; 10.3390/cells15131211

Tezepelumab Reduces Alarmin Cytokine Levels in Upper Airway Epithelial Cells in Patients With Severe Asthma

Hazel Marriott, Adil Adatia, Subhabrata Moitra, Paige Lacy

Clinical & Experimental Allergy. 2026 July; 10.1111/cea.70294

Eosinophil Essentials: Identification and Assessment of Activity

Sarah Almas, Paige Lacy

Journal of Leukocyte Biology. 2026 June; 10.1093/jleuko/qiag091

Εndogenous metabolomic responses in circadian disrupted night shift working populations: a scoping review

Behzad Heibati, Paige Lacy, Konstantinos C. Makris

Journal of the National Cancer Center. 2026 May; 10.1016/j.jncc.2026.04.007

Wildfire and wood smoke effects on human airway epithelial cells: A scoping review

Behzad Heibati, Harald Renz, Paige Lacy

Environmental Research. 2025 May; 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121153

Association between higher morning preference and better health-related quality of life in asthma

JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY: GLOBAL. 2025 January; 10.1016/J.JACIG.2025.100456

Associations between vaping during pregnancy and perinatal outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. 2025 January; 10.1016/J.JHAZMAT.2024.137028

Immunometabolism perturbations in post-COVID-19 condition: interleukin-6 and monoamine oxidase interactions drive neuropsychiatric syndromes

BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY. 2025 January; 10.1016/J.BBI.2025.07.002

Maternal Asthma and Adverse Perinatal Outcomes: An Analysis of 434,068 Pregnancies in Canada

JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY-IN PRACTICE. 2025 January; 10.1016/J.JAIP.2025.04.046

Association Between Health Insurance Status and Quality of Life Among People With Asthma in Kolkata

Sudipta Nandan, Prasun Haldar, Paige Lacy, Saibal Moitra, Subhabrata Moitra

Clinical & Experimental Allergy. 2024 September; 10.1111/cea.14524

Upper Airway Alarmin Cytokine Expression in Asthma of Different Severities

Hazel Marriott, Marc Duchesne, Subhabrata Moitra, Isobel Okoye, Luke Gerla, Irvin Mayers, Jalal Moolji, Adil Adatia, Paige Lacy

Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2024 June; 10.3390/jcm13133721

Association between allergic conditions and school absenteeism among Indian adolescents

Clinical and Experimental Allergy. 2024 January; 10.1111/cea.14424

Immunofluorescence analysis of human eosinophils

Journal of Immunological Methods. 2024 January; 10.1016/j.jim.2024.113619

Influence of light at night on allergic diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMC Medicine. 2024 January; 10.1186/s12916-024-03291-5

What Canadians search about asthma: A 10-year Google Trends study on asthma and related topics

Kelli Hsiao, Mouli Saha, Paige Lacy, Subhabrata Moitra

Journal of Allergy and Hypersensitivity Diseases. 2024 January; 10.1016/j.jahd.2024.100006

Association Between Health Insurance Status and Quality of Life Among People With Asthma in Kolkata

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY. 2024 January; 10.1111/CEA.14524

Association between allergic conditions and school absenteeism among Indian adolescents

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY. 2024 January; 10.1111/CEA.14424

Immunofluorescence analysis of human eosinophils

JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGICAL METHODS. 2024 January; 10.1016/J.JIM.2024.113619

Influence of light at night on allergic diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMC MEDICINE. 2024 January; 10.1186/S12916-024-03291-5

Upper Airway Alarmin Cytokine Expression in Asthma of Different Severities

Preprints. 2024 January; 10.20944/PREPRINTS202406.0367.V1

Eosinophils—from cradle to grave

Milos Jesenak, Zuzana Diamant, Dagmar Simon, Ellen Tufvesson, Sven F. Seys, Manali Mukherjee, Paige Lacy, Susanne Vijverberg, Tomas Slisz, Anna Sediva, Hans‐Uwe Simon, Ilja Striz, Jana Plevkova, Jurgen Schwarze, Radovan Kosturiak, Neil E. Alexis, Eva Untersmayr, Martina Koziar Vasakova, Edward Knol, Leo Koenderman

Allergy. 2023 December; 10.1111/all.15884

Less Social Deprivation Is Associated With Better Health-Related Quality of Life in Asthma and Is Mediated by Less Anxiety and Better Sleep Quality

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. 2023 January; 10.1016/j.jaip.2023.03.052

Metabolomics of Respiratory Diseases

Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology. 2023 January; 10.1007/164_2022_614

Associations between Vaping During Pregnancy and Perinatal Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

SSRN. 2023 January; 10.2139/ssrn.4619894

COVID-19 Infodemic and Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases: A Multicentre, Observational Study

SSRN. 2023 January; 10.2139/ssrn.4485605

COVID-19 infodemic and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic respiratory diseases: A multicentre, observational study

Journal of Global Health. 2023 January; 10.7189/JOGH.13.06045

Exposure to insulating materials and risk of coronary artery diseases: a cross-sectional study

Frontiers in Public Health. 2023 January; 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1235189

Association between allergy and asthma experience and awareness among adolescents: a structural equation modelling approach

EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL. 2023 January; 10.1183/13993003.CONGRESS-2023.PA2067

Association between asthma and allergic diseases and school absenteeism among Indian adolescents

EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL. 2023 January; 10.1183/13993003.CONGRESS-2023.PA2066

Autoantibody-mediated Macrophage Dysfunction in Patients with Severe Asthma with Airway Infections

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE. 2023 January; 10.1164/RCCM.202206-1183OC

COVID-19 infodemic and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic respiratory diseases: A multicentre, observational study

JOURNAL OF GLOBAL HEALTH. 2023 January; 10.7189/JOGH.13.06045

Less Social Deprivation Is Associated With Better Health-Related Quality of Life in Asthma and Is Mediated by Less Anxiety and Better Sleep Quality

JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY-IN PRACTICE. 2023 January; 10.1016/J.JAIP.2023.03.052

Metabolomics of Respiratory Diseases

METABOLOMICS AND ITS IMPACT ON HEALTH AND DISEASES. 2023 January; 10.1007/164_2022_614

Occupational Exposure to Insulating Materials Is Associated With Increased Risk of Coronary Artery Diseases in Insulators

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE. 2023 January;

Gender Differences in the Relationships between Research Impact and Compensation and Promotion: A Case Study Among PhD/PharmD Medical/Dental School Faculty

Canadian Journal of Higher Education. 2022 January; 10.47678/cjhe.v52i2.189683

Occupational exposure to insulating materials and risk of coronary artery diseases

medRxiv. 2022 January; 10.1101/2022.12.12.22283365

Reference equations for oscillometry and their differences among populations: a systematic scoping review

European Respiratory Review. 2022 January; 10.1183/16000617.0021-2022

The Influence of Artificial Light at Night on Asthma and Allergy, Mental Health, and Cancer Outcomes: A Systematic Scoping Review Protocol

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022 January; 10.3390/ijerph19148522

Reference Equations for Oscillometry in Adults and Their Differences Between Populations: A Systematic Scoping Review and Analysis

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE. 2022 January;

Reference equations for oscillometry and their differences among populations: a systematic scoping review

EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY REVIEW. 2022 January; 10.1183/16000617.0021-2022

Systemic and Epithelial Cell Production of Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (TSLP) During SARS-CoV-2 Infection

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE. 2022 January;

Short-term acute exposure to wildfire smoke and lung function among Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers

Moitra S., Tabrizi A.F., Fathy D., Kamravaei S., Miandashti N., Henderson L., Khadour F., Naseem M.T., Murgia N., Melenka L., Lacy P.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021 November; 18 (22) 10.3390/ijerph182211787

Neutrophils promote T-cell activation through the regulated release of CD44-bound Galectin-9 from the cell surface during HIV infection

Dunsmore G., Rosero E.P., Shahbaz S., Santer D.M., Jovel J., Lacy P., Houston S., Elahi S.

PLOS BIOLOGY. 2021 August; 19 (8) 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001387

Late Breaking Abstract - COVID-19 Infodemic and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRDs)

EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL. 2021 January; 10.1183/13993003.CONGRESS-2021.PA2157

Molecular Biology of Eosinophils: Introduction

EOSINOPHILS, 2 EDITION. 2021 January; 10.1007/978-1-0716-1095-4_1

Neutrophils promote T-cell activation through the regulated release of CD44-bound Galectin-9 from the cell surface during HIV infection

PLOS BIOLOGY. 2021 January; 10.1371/JOURNAL.PBIO.3001387

Asbestos-Related Lung Disease in Industrial Workers That Have Never Reported Exposure to Asbestos?

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE. 2020 January;

Gr1 makes an unexpected cameo appearance in eosinophils

JOURNAL OF LEUKOCYTE BIOLOGY. 2020 January; 10.1002/JLB.2CE1119-473R

Interleukin-5 drives glycolysis and reactive oxygen species-dependent citric acid cycling by eosinophils

ALLERGY. 2020 January; 10.1111/ALL.14158

Non-Malignant Respiratory Illnesses in Association with Occupational Exposure to Asbestos and Other Insulating Materials: Findings from the Alberta Insulator Cohort

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH. 2020 January; 10.3390/IJERPH17197085

Occupational exposure to ceramic fibers and respiratory health among insulators

EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL. 2020 January; 10.1183/13993003.CONGRESS-2020.3151

Structural and posttranslational analysis of human calcium-binding protein, spermatid-associated 1

JOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY. 2020 January; 10.1002/JCB.29824

Eosinophil peroxidase oxidizes isoniazid to form the active metabolite against M. tuberculosis, isoniazid-NAD+

CHEMICO-BIOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS. 2019 January; 10.1016/J.CBI.2019.03.019

Extremely High-Risk Air Quality for Recruited RCMP Officers in 2016 Fort McMurray Wildfires: Is There a Health Impact from Short Periods of Intense Wildfire Smoke Exposure?

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE. 2019 January;

Longitudinal analysis of chronic occupational exposure in insulators

EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL. 2019 January; 10.1183/13993003.CONGRESS-2019.OA3286

Sputum Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies in Serum Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Negative Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE. 2019 January; 10.1164/RCCM.201804-0809OC

Sputum autoantibody-mediated macrophage dysfunction in severe eosinophilic asthmatics with recurrent infections

JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY. 2019 January; 10.1016/J.JACI.2018.12.580

Comparison of computational approaches for identification and quantification of urinary metabolites in 1H NMR spectra

ANALYTICAL METHODS. 2018 January; 10.1039/C8AY00830B

Eosinophil Extracellular Traps and Inflammatory Pathologies-Untangling the Web!

FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY. 2018 January; 10.3389/FIMMU.2018.02763

Late Breaking Abstract - Analysis of chronic occupational exposure in non-smoking insulators

EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL. 2018 January; 10.1183/13993003.CONGRESS-2018.OA1947

Longitudinal Analysis of the Occupational Health and Wellness of Alberta's Unionized Insulators

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE. 2018 January;

Pathogenic sputum autoantibodies in eosinophilic severe asthma: a novel autoimmune endotype

ALLERGY. 2016 January;

Signal Intensities Derived from Different NMR Probes and Parameters Contribute to Variations in Quantification of Metabolites

PLOS ONE. 2014 January; 10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0085732

Homologous recombination into the eosinophil peroxidase locus generates a strain of mice expressing Cre recombinase exclusively in eosinophils

JOURNAL OF LEUKOCYTE BIOLOGY. 2013 January; 10.1189/JLB.0213089

Signaling and Degranulation

EOSINOPHILS IN HEALTH AND DISEASE. 2013 January;

The human eosinophil

Wintrobe's Clinical Hematology: Thirteenth Edition. 2013 January;

A sensitive high throughput ELISA for human eosinophil peroxidase: A specific assay to quantify eosinophil degranulation from patient-derived sources

JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGICAL METHODS. 2012 January; 10.1016/J.JIM.2012.06.011

Eosinophil Signal Transduction

Eosinophils in Health and Disease. 2012 January; 10.1016/B978-0-12-394385-9.00007-9

Human versus mouse eosinophils: "That which we call an eosinophil, by any other name would stain as red"

JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY. 2012 January; 10.1016/J.JACI.2012.07.025

The development of a sensitive and specific ELISA for mouse eosinophil peroxidase: Assessment of eosinophil degranulation ex vivo and in models of human disease

JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGICAL METHODS. 2012 January; 10.1016/J.JIM.2011.10.002

A novel ELISA for eosinophil peroxidase provides a sensitive high throughput assay for eosinophil degranulation in either mouse or human biological samples

JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY. 2011 January;

Proteomic analysis of secretagogue-stimulated neutrophils implicates a role for actin and actin-interacting proteins in Rac2-mediated granule exocytosis

PROTEOME SCIENCE. 2011 January; 10.1186/1477-5956-9-70

Mouse and Human Eosinophils Degranulate in Response to Platelet-Activating Factor (PAF) and LysoPAF via a PAF-Receptor-Independent Mechanism: Evidence for a Novel Receptor

JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY. 2010 January; 10.4049/JIMMUNOL.0904043

Control of granule exocytosis in neutrophils

FRONTIERS IN BIOSCIENCE-LANDMARK. 2008 January;

Anaplasma phagocytophilum utilizes multiple host evasion mechanisms to thwart NADPH oxidase-mediated killing during neutrophil infection

INFECTION AND IMMUNITY. 2004 January; 10.1128/IAI.72.8.4772-4783.2004

Divergence of mechanisms regulating respiratory burst in blood and sputum eosinophils and neutrophils from atopic subjects

JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY. 2003 January; 10.4049/JIMMUNOL.170.5.2670

Membrane fusion events during human eosinophil exocytosis

ALLERGY FRONTIERS AND FUTURES. 2003 January;

Expression of eosinophil target SNAREs as potential cognate receptors for vesicle-associated membrane protein-2 in exocytosis

JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY. 2002 January; 10.1067/MAI.2002.121453

Human eosinophils express and release IL-13 following CD28-dependent activation

JOURNAL OF LEUKOCYTE BIOLOGY. 2002 January;

Mechanisms of eosinophil recruitment and activation

Current Allergy and Asthma Reports. 2002 January; 10.1007/s11882-002-0005-2

A report from the International Eosinophil Society: Eosinophils in a tug of war

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2001 January; 10.1067/mai.2001.120194

Fusion protein vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 is implicated in IFN-γ-induced piecemeal degranulation in human eosinophils from atopic individuals

JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY. 2001 January; 10.1067/MAI.2001.113562

Immune effector functions of eosinophils in allergic airway inflammation

CURRENT OPINION IN ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY. 2001 January; 10.1097/01.ALL.0000010989.39379.49

Nuclear magnetic resonance: An effective tool for the analysis and quantification of in vivo mediator release from human eosinophils and neutrophils in induced sputum

JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY. 2001 January;

Eosinophil cytokines

HUMAN EOSINOPHILS: BIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL ASPECTS. 2000 January;

Immunofluorescence analysis of cytokine and granule protein expression during eosinophil maturation from cord blood-derived CD34+ progenitors

JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY. 2000 January; 10.1067/MAI.2000.106930

Interleukin-4 and RANTES expression in maturing eosinophils derived from human cord blood CD34+ progenitors

IMMUNOLOGY. 2000 January; 10.1046/J.1365-2567.2000.00104.X

Molecular mechanisms in eosinophil activation

IMMUNOLOGICAL MECHANISMS IN ASTHMA AND ALLERGIC DISEASES. 2000 January;

New concepts in effector functions of eosinophil cytokines

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY. 2000 January;

Expression and translocation of Rac2 in eosinophils during superoxide generation

IMMUNOLOGY. 1999 January;

Mast cell tryptase-mediated granule protein release from human eosinophils

FASEB JOURNAL. 1998 January;

Regulation of RANTES gene expression in human eosinophils from asthmatics

FASEB JOURNAL. 1998 January;

Eokines: Synthesis, Storage and Release from Human Eosinophils

Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. 1997 January;

Identification of interleukin-2 in human peripheral blood eosinophils

IMMUNOLOGY. 1996 January;

A survey of GTP-binding proteins and other potential key regulators of exocytotic secretion in eosinophils: Apparent absence of rab3 and vesicle fusion protein homologues

Journal of Cell Science. 1995 January;

Association of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor with the crystalloid granules of human eosinophils

Blood. 1995 January;

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