Laura Sly

Laura Sly is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Medicine, serving as an Investigator at BC Children's Hospital Research Institute. She leads research focused on inflammatory bowel disease, macrophage biology, and innate immunity, with particular emphasis on Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Her work examines how macrophages switch between "killer" and "healer" phenotypes during inflammation.

Dr. Sly's research interests center on macrophage phenotype in inflammatory bowel disease, L-arginine metabolism in inflammation and fibrosis, and the role of the PI3K pathway in macrophage activation. She investigates how macrophages can be manipulated to move between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory phenotypes, with therapeutic applications for inflammatory disorders.

Her recent publications (2020-2024) demonstrate continued focus on macrophage immunology, inflammatory bowel disease mechanisms, and novel therapeutic approaches including immunoglobulin therapies. These works span immunology, gastroenterology, and molecular biology, with particular emphasis on translational applications.

• The G. Jeanette Thorbecke New Investigator Award from the Society for Leukocyte Biology (2012)
• Canadian Association of Gastroenterology and Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator Award (2009-2013)
• Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar Award (2012-2021)

Dr. Sly supervises multiple graduate students and research staff including PhD candidates Amir Golzan and Yvonne Pang. Her research group includes Masters Student Chloe Bender-Thorsen and Graduate Student Kwestan Safari. She has received significant grant funding supporting her investigations into macrophage biology and inflammatory bowel disease.

Her laboratory at BC Children's Hospital focuses on macrophage phenotype switching, L-arginine metabolism pathways, and PI3K signaling in inflammation. The research group employs various techniques including in vivo models of inflammatory bowel disease, macrophage differentiation assays, and analysis of patient-derived samples.