Jason McDougall

Professor

Pharmacology_Jason_McDougall

Twitter: @JasonJMcDougall
McDougall Lab


Email: jason.mcdougall@dal.ca
Phone: 902-494-4066
Mailing Address: 
Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building, 5850 College Street, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 4R2
 
Research Topics:
  • Arthritis
  • Pain
  • Neurogenic inflammation
  • Proteinase activated receptors
  • Cannabinoids

Education

  • BSc, honours, physiology (University of Glasgow, Scotland)
  • PhD, joint physiology (Institute of Biological and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland)
  • PDF (Mc Caig Centre For Joint Injury & Arthritis Research, University of Calgary)
  • PDF (Physiologisches Institut der Universität Würzburg, Germany)
  • PDF (Instituto de Neurociencias Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain)

Research interests

Using animal models of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and joint injury, Dr. McDougall's laboratory employs an integrative approach to examine the role of nerves in controlling joint inflammation and pain. His laboratory uses electrophysiology to record from joint sensory nerves to investigate their activity in arthritic conditions. Joint neuropathology is tested using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Inflammation of arthritic joints is assessed in his laboratory by intravital microscopy and laser speckle contrast analysis. Our aim is to identify novel drug targets to help relieve joint disease, inflammation and pain.

Selected publications

  • McKenna, M.K. and McDougall, J.J. (2020).  Cannabinoid control of neurogenic inflammation. British Journal of Pharmacology. 177: 4386-4399.

  • McDougall, J.J. (2019) Treating osteoarthritis as a neurological disease. Osteoarthritis & Cartilage Open (In Press)

  • O’Brien, S.M., Philpott, H.T. and Mc Dougall, J.J. (2019). Targeting the NaV1.8 ion channel engenders sex-specific responses in lysophosphatidic acid-induced joint neuropathy. Pain. 160: 269-278.

  • Philpott, H.T., O’Brien, M. and Mc Dougall, J.J. (2017). Attenuation of early phase inflammation by cannabidiol prevents pain and nerve damage in rat osteoarthritis. Pain 158: 2442-2451.

  • Krustev, E., Muley, M. and Mc Dougall, J.J. (2017). Endocannabinoids inhibit neurogenic inflammation in murine joints by a non-canonical cannabinoid receptor mechanism. Neuropeptides 64: 131-135.

  • Mc Dougall, J.J., Albacete, S., Schülert, N., Mitchell, P.G., Lin, C., Oskins, J.L., Biu, H. and Chambers, M.G. (2017). Lysophosphatidic acid provides a missing link between osteoarthritis and joint neuropathic pain. Osteoarthritis & Cartilage. 25: 926-934.

  • Muley, M., Reid, A. and Mc Dougall, J.J. (2016). Neutrophil elastase-induced inflammation and pain in mouse knee joints via activation of proteinase activated receptor-2. British Journal of Pharmacology 173: 766-777.

Selected awards and honours

  • Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship Award 
  • Picchione Visiting Scholar Award 
  • Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Senior Scholarship Award 
  • Arthritis Society Investigator Award 
  • Arthritis Society/Canadian Institute of Health Research New Investigator Award

Memberships

  • Osteoarthritis Research Society International 
  • The International Association for the Study of Pain 
  • British Pharmacological Society 
  • Canadian Pain Society 
  • The European Neuropeptide Clu

Employment

  • Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Department of Anaesthesia, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University, Dalhousie University, Halifax 
  • Adjunct Professor, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary

Teaching

  • Supervision of 27 undergraduate/summer students 
  • Supervision of 11 graduate students 
  • Supervision of 10 post-doctoral fellows 
  • Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy

Service & activity

  • President, Inflamation Research Network of Canada 
  • President, International Association of Inflammation Societies 
  • Chair, Canadian Institutes of Health Research Foundation Scheme 
  • Past-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee for The Arthritis Society 
  • Currently sit on 5 institutional student advisory committees 
  • Currently editor for 5 scientific journals 
  • Industry consultant Eli Lilly & Co, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Antibe Pharmaceuticals, Pharmin USA
  • Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee for The Arthritis Society
  • Currently sit on 5 institutional and 3 external student committees
  • Currently editor for 3 scientific journals