“With glomerular diseases, it’s a constant dance between balancing a treatment’s benefit while minimizing the side effects. Research will help us to better understand and treat these diseases.” - Dr. Massicotte-AzarniouchAs a nephrologist specializing in glomerular diseases, Dr. David Massicotte-Azarniouch embraces the challenge of helping patients whose kidneys are being attacked by their own immune systems. This very rare collection of diseases is not well understood, and treatment guidelines often lack quality evidence. Many patients have no symptoms, while others experience a bloody cough, swelling of the limbs or joints, rashes or muscle pain. 

If left untreated, these glomerular diseases can lead to kidney failure and can even be life threatening. Usually, patients need to take corticosteroids or other immune-suppressing medications for years to get the disease under control. Unfortunately, these drugs leave patients more vulnerable to infections, and have unpleasant side effects like weight gain, mood changes and fluid retention. 

Dr. Massicotte-Azarniouch aims to bring more international clinical trials to The Ottawa Hospital to help improve treatments and reduce side-effects. As a physician who also follows patients who have had kidney transplants, he is also interested in research to improve the care of these patients as well.

Dr. Massicotte-Azarniouch was recently appointed as an associate scientist in the Clinical Epidemiology Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. He is a nephrologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa.

“With glomerular diseases, it’s a constant dance between balancing a treatment’s benefit while minimizing the side effects. Research will help us to better understand and treat these diseases.” - Dr. Massicotte-Azarniouch

The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa and supported by The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.