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Dr. May Choi

MD MPH FRCPC

Positions

Associate Professor

Cumming School of Medicine

Affiliations

Full Member

McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health

Associate Member

The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases

Full Member

Libin Cardiovascular Institute

Contact information

Phone number

Clinic: 403-955-8733
Fax: 403-955-8196

Location

Office: HRIC3A10
Lab: HRIC3A28

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Funding

Dr. Choi's research is supported by Tri-Council funding (CIHR, CFI) and generous donations from patients and foundations such as the Calgary Health Foundation.

Research partners

Through collaborations with researchers all over the world, Dr. Choi's lab now holds over 30,000 blood samples from patients with various autoimmune diseases.

Study participants

Contact may.choi@ucalgary.ca if you are interested in learning more about opportunities to participate in research studies.

Learning opportunities

Contact Dr. Choi if you are an undergraduate or graduate student interested in conducting research on autoimmune disease, biomarkers, or machine learning.

Background

Educational Background

BHSc (Hons) Biomedical, University of Calgary, 2010

Doctor of Medicine Medicine, University of Alberta, 2014

Core Internal Medicine Residency Program University of Calgary, 2017

Rheumatology Fellowship University of Calgary, 2019

MPH Epidemiology, Harvard University, 2021

Clinical and Research Lupus Fellowship Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard University, 2019

Biography

Dr. May Choi is a rheumatologist and clinician scientist who started on faculty at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary in 2020. She is an early career investigator, and her research is focused on biomarker discovery and validation for prediction of clinical outcomes in autoimmune rheumatic diseases, and the prevention of autoimmune disease development and disease-related complications. Her background and training include a Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology at Harvard University and a lupus fellowship at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston, MA) under the supervision of Dr. Karen Costenbader (epidemiologist, lupus expert and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School). Dr. Choi is also the Associate Director of MitogenDx Laboratory for novel autoantibody and biomarker testing for autoimmune diseases and the Associate Director of Research for the University of Calgary Lupus Centre of Excellence, which complement her research.  She is funded by several career development awards including the Helios UCMG Post Fellowship Training Award, Dr. Subrata Ghosh Fellowship Award, and the Lupus Foundation of America Gary S. Gilkeson Career Development Award. She also received a Canadian Institutes of Health Research project grant in her first year as an early career investigator. 

Research

Participation in university strategic initiatives

Projects

SLE-CALCULATOR Systemic Lupus Erythematosus CArdiovascuLar Disease Event Risk PrediCtion Using Machine LeArning Techniques and NOvel ThRombotic Autoantibodies

Investigators: Choi (PI), Clarke, Skeith, Costenbader, Elliott

Role: Principal Investigator

Funding: CIHR


SOAR UP: Sporadic Inclusion Body Myositis NOvel Autoantibody and Biomarker Research Utilizing Proteome Microarray

Investigators: Choi (PI), Fritzler, Tarnopolsky, Hudson, Costenbader

Role: Principal Investigator

Funding: VPR Catalyst Grant


SOAR: Sporadic Inclusion Body Myositis NOvel Autoantibody and Biomarker Research

Investigators: Choi (PI), Tarnopolsky (Co-PI), Fritzler, Hudson, Costenbader

Role: Principal Investigator

Funding: Myositis Canada


Longitudinal Analysis of ANA Assay Performance in SLE

Role: Principal Investigator

Funding: Lupus Foundation of America


Anti-KIF20B Antibodies in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Peripheral Nervous System Disease

Role: Choi (Co-PI),  Biernaskie (C0-PI)

Funding: McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, Clinician-Scientist Collaboration Seed Grant


CatalystDx: Comprehensive AuToimmune and A.I. LaboratorY TeSTing and Diagnostics

Role: Principal Investigator

Funding: Canadian Foundation of Innovation, John R. Evans Leaders Fund 

Awards

  • Future Leader Award, Alberta Medical Association, Section of Rheumatology. 2021
  • Gary S. Gilkeson Career Development Award, Lupus Foundation of America. 2019
  • Dr. Subrata Ghosh Fellowship Award, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. 2019
  • Practice Reflection Silver Award, Canadian Rheumatology Association Annual Meeting. 2019
  • Helios UCMG Post Fellowship Training Award, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. 2019

Publications

In the News

More Information

Thank you to the following funding agencies and donors for your support:

  • Calgary Health Foundation
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  • McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health Clinician-Scientist Collaboration Seed Grant
  • Canadian Foundation of Innovation, John R. Evans Leaders Fund 
  • USA Department of Defence
  • Myositis Canada
  • Lupus Foundation of America, Gary S. Gilkeson Career Development Award
  • University of Calgary VPR Catalyst Grant