Dr. Eleanor Fish

Dr. Eleanor Fish is a Professor at the Department of Immunology at the University of Toronto. She also serves as Canada Research Chair in Women's Health and Immunobiology, Senior Scientist at the Toronto General Research Institute, and as Adjunct Scientist at Women's College Research Institute. Fish aims to understand the difference in incidence and severity of diseases between men and women, with the goal of developing more effective, tailored therapeutic interventions. Her studies of immune proteins and disease susceptibility may have implications for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus (which disproportionately affect women), as well as specific viral infections. To develop broad-spectrum antivirals, Fish investigates host-pathogen interactions at the cellular and molecular level, recently undertaking a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of interferon treatment for ebola virus disease in Guinea, with preliminary results identifying therapeutic potential. She is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Women's Health and Immunobology, and is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including the International Cytokine & Interferon Society Honorary Lifetime membership Award (2015).