Dr. Ian Restall: What Wastewater Can Tell Us About Infectious Disease

Sep 22

3 min read

Updated: Sep 23

INTRODUCTION

Infectious Diseases (IDs) are diseases that are caused by multiple pathological pathways by a variety of bacteria and viruses, understanding the molecular mechanisms and early diagnosis are vital for any further health interventions or treatments. However, efficient early screening methods is still an emerging issue for many IDs, especially after Covid-19. One of the leading scientists who has contributed to the understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms of IDs is Dr. Ian Restall, who will be joining us today in the Office Hours Unplugged podcast.

Dr. Ian Restall

AFFILIATION

Dr. Ian Restall is a part-time Assistant Professor in the department of Pathology and Molecular at McMaster University. He is also the Principle Investigator of an Infectious Diseases Lab in the Research Institute of St. Joe’s Hamilton.

ACADEMIC & TEACHING BACKGROUND

Undergraduate Study:

Dr. Ian Restall attended University of Ottawa during his undergraduate, obtained a Bachelors of Science, Honours Biochemistry, where he joined a lab studying cancer molecular pathways.

Graduate Study:

Dr. Restall later continued his work with the lab at University of Ottawa for his Master degree, which he later transferred into a Ph.D in Biochemistry with specialization in human and molecular genetics, where his project focuses on the discovery of potential therapeutics for small cell lung cancer.

Post-Doctoral Training and Teaching Career:

After receiving his Ph.D, Dr. Restall continued his research journey with a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Dr. Aaron Schimmer’s Lab at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in 2012.

Then, in 2015, he joined Dr. Samuel Wiess's Lab at University of Calgary, in which he studied metabolic activities of glioblastoma brain tumor stem cells and identified potential therapeutic molecules for the targeted pathway.

After all, he went to the Research Institute of St. Joe’s Hamilton in 2021 to start his research on IDs, and develop novel diagnostic testings.

Dr. Restall became a part-time Assistant Professor at McMaster University in 2025 to continue his career in research and education.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Currently, Dr. Restall’s lab in the St. Joe’s Research Institute is focusing on studying molecular mechanisms of infectious diseases, hence developing novel diagnostic testing and performing clinical testing for these diseases, especially SARS-CoV-2. Some of the techniques involved in his work include RT-qPCR, next-gen sequencing (NGS), and wastewater testing.

One of Dr. Restall’s most recent project looked into a novel detecting method for a pathological bacterium in wastewater. Specifically, his group collected wastewater and developed a qPCR assay - a biochemical technique that allows measuring the expression of the bacterial DNA in a sample - for the disease’s bacterium, therefore tracking the infection status of a community, as well as the bacterial mutations for antibiotic resistance. The qPCR assay developed by Dr. Restall’s group has shown promising results as it was consistent with the results from local clinics.

AWARDS & LEADERSHIP

Early Career Researcher Program Award (2017)
CIHR Project Grant (2016)
The Dean’s Scholarship of University of Ottawa (2013)
Program in Biological Therapeutics Scholarship (2012)
Excellence Scholarship (2011)
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2011)
Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (2010)

EPISODE OVERVIEW

In this episode, Dr. Ian Restall will take us through his early academic journey of how his passion for biochemistry sparked, as well as his early research in cancer, which he transferred later to infectious diseases. Throughout Dr. Restall’s journey, the audiences can learn more about the “bumpy” road of cancer and infectious disease research, hence inspiring young researchers to face the challenges that lie between them and their goals. Please join us in the “Office Hours” with Dr. Restall to explore an untold story of a scientist.