Our Team
Respirologists
Dr. Richard Leigh, MBChB, PhD FCP (SA), FRCPC, FCAHS
Dr. Richard Leigh is the director of the RCTC. He is the Senior Associate Dean - Faculty Affairs at the University of Calgary, and served as President of the Canadian Thoracic Society from 2022-2023. Dr. Leigh was elected as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2021. As a clinician-scientist, he links translational and clinical research findings to enhance our understanding and improve treatments for asthma. His research interests within the RCTC include understanding the basic mechanisms underlying airway remodeling in asthma, with a particular focus on human rhinovirus in the pathogenesis of remodeling, and in the pharmacological treatment of airway inflammation through conducting early phase clinical trials in asthma and COPD.
Dr. Brandie Walker, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Dr. Brandie Walker has a busy clinical practice in general respirology with a focus on airway diseases. She runs specialty clinics in both severe asthma as well as a multidisciplinary severe COPD clinic. She is the Site Lead for the Division of Respirology at the Foothills Medical Centre, and the Program Director for the Advanced Fellowship in Severe Asthma at the University of Calgary. She served as Medical Director of the Calgary COPD and Asthma Program from 2014-2023. Her research interests within the RCTC are in asthma and COPD, and she is the Principal Investigator for the CanCOLD study in Calgary.
Dr. Stephen Field, MD, FRCPC
Dr. Stephen Field has remained active in clinical research since joining the faculty at the University of Calgary. He has published research in high profile peer-reviewed journals including the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Chest, Journal of Applied Physiology, and the Annals of Internal medicine. He co-founded the Calgary COPD and Asthma Program which has promoted investigator- and industry-sponsored asthma and COPD research since 1991. He has participated in CIHR-sponsored multicentre asthma, respiratory infection, and COPD trials. In 2006, he was awarded competitive funding and established a Chronic Cough Clinic which has expedited and improved the care of chronic cough patients. His next goal is to establish a clinic to improve the care of ill, exacerbation-prone individuals with severe COPD.
Dr. James Michael (Mike) Ramsahai, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Dr. J. Michael Ramsahai is a Respirologist based at the Rockyview General Hospital and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Calgary. He is the current Medical Director of the Calgary COPD and Asthma Program and the Calgary Zone Pulmonary Function Laboratories. His research interests include asthma, severe asthma, COPD, biomarker use, and quality improvement.
Clinical Research Staff
Linda Knox
Linda is a Registered Nurse with extensive experience working with critically ill adults and children. Linda is interested in working with clinical trials to help people with Asthma and COPD.
Curtis Dumonceaux
Curtis has worked as a Registered Respiratory Therapist since 1998. He is a registered member of numerous research and professional respiratory societies. He has certifications in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, phlebotomy, and IV therapy.
Rebecca Burke
Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Health Science degree in Diagnostic Cytology from Dalhousie University. She is a registered member of the College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Alberta (CMLTA). She has been working directly with the RCTC since 2017. She is responsible for processing laboratory samples for clinical trials and is accountable for clinical trial start-up and maintenance.
Madison Kong
Madison received her Bachelor of Health Sciences in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Calgary. She has previous experience working in Multiple Myeloma research which sparked her interested in translational research. Her role in the RCTC includes coordinating and conducting visits for clinical trials in Asthma and COPD.