Catrina Loucks

Dr. Catrina Loucks is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine. She is also an Investigator at BC Children's Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR) and a member of the Canadian Pharmacogenomics Network for Drug Safety (CPNDS).

Education and Training:

• Advanced training in pharmacogenomics and drug safety through CIHR Drug Safety and Effectiveness Cross-Disciplinary Training (DSECT) Awards (Streams 1 and 2)
• Postdoctoral fellowship at BC Children's Hospital Research Institute

Research Interests:
Dr. Loucks's research focuses on pharmacogenomics, particularly how genetic variability influences individual responses to medications. Her work aims to improve pain management in women and children by identifying genetic factors that predict responses to pain medications like morphine and codeine. She employs pharmacokinetic and pharmacogenomic modeling to develop personalized treatment strategies and predictive genetic tests.

Her current projects include:

• Developing pharmacokinetic-pharmacogenomic models for pediatric morphine pain management
• Identifying genetic predictors of methotrexate-induced mucositis in children
• Investigating genetic factors associated with cisplatin-induced ototoxicity and vincristine-induced neuropathy

Publications and Research Impact:
Dr. Loucks has published extensively in high-impact journals such as Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, npj Genomic Medicine, Computers in Biology and Medicine, and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring. Her work has contributed significantly to understanding genetic determinants of drug toxicity, particularly in pediatric oncology and pain management.

Grants and Funding:

• BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute Evidence to Innovation (E2i) Research Theme Seed Grant (2021)

Awards and Honors:

• CIHR Drug Safety and Effectiveness Cross-Disciplinary Training (DSECT) Awards (Streams 1 and 2)
• Peter Dresel Trainee Presentation Award at CSPT 2020 Virtual Conference
• CIHR Fellowship (2020-2021)
• BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute Bertram Hoffmeister Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018-2019)

Student Supervision and Mentorship:
Dr. Loucks actively mentors graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and undergraduate researchers. Her research group includes:

• Rena Daniel (Work Learn Student)
• Graeme Ernest-Hoar (Masters Student)
• Yoonsoo Ham (Summer Student)
• Khair Mufti (Postdoctoral Research Fellow)
• Erika Scott (Postdoctoral Fellow)
• Mia Simmons (Master's Student)
• Laura Simonson (MSc Student)
• Janet Zhang (Student)

Research Collaborations and Affiliations:
Dr. Loucks is affiliated with multiple research centers and networks:

• BC Children's Hospital Research Institute
• Canadian Pharmacogenomics Network for Drug Safety (CPNDS)
• Department of Pediatrics, UBC
• Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, UBC