Meet Dr. Nermin Diab, an MUHC pulmonologist and recipient of the Rising Star Award

At the most vulnerable point in a clinician-scientist’s career, during those first few years on staff, research potential can be lost not because of lack of talent, but because of lack of time and resources. That is precisely the gap the MUHC Foundation’s Rising Star Program was created to fill.

“By supporting clinician-scientists during their first three years on staff—before they are eligible for major funding programs such as the FRQS clinician-scientist awards—the Rising Star Program helps ensure that promising researchers can successfully launch their research careers while remaining engaged in discovery,” shared Dr. Marc Rodger, Chair of the MUHC’s Department of Medicine.

The 2025 Rising Star Award recipient was Dr. Nermin Diab, a newly recruited pulmonologist in the MUHC’s Department of Medicine whose work is reshaping how asthma is understood and treated—through a more personalized, whole-person approach to respiratory care.

When Dr. Diab learned she had received the award, her reaction was immediate—and honest.

“When I found out I won, I experienced a brief moment of surprise,” she said. “I’m new to the MUHC, so this was incredibly validating for my career and for the research I’m passionate about working on here in Montreal. I was thrilled.”

She laughed as she recalled asking for confirmation.

“There’s so much talent here that I asked Dr. Rodger, ‘Are you sure? Can you double check?’ And he reassured me that I did, in fact, win.”

For Dr. Rodger, the decision was easy.

“Dr. Diab’s research is not only highly promising, but it will also lead to tangible improvements in respiratory care,” he explained. “This award is often a turning point. It helps young clinician-scientists build momentum, secure salary awards, and ultimately deliver even greater impact for patients.”

Dr. Diab’s path to respirology spans countries and world-renowned institutions. She completed both her undergraduate studies and medical degree at McGill before leaving Montreal for nearly a decade of advanced training. Her journey took her to the University of Ottawa, and later to the United States, where she pursued research and graduate training at the Johns Hopkins University.

It was there, working alongside a pulmonologist, that everything clicked.

“That was my lightbulb moment,” she said. “I realized I truly loved this specialty.”

Returning to Canada, she trained with some of the world’s leading experts in airway diseases. She completed her respirology fellowship training at the University of Toronto, and post doctorate training at McMaster University.

“Canada is at the forefront of respiratory research,” Dr. Diab explained. “Our researchers are global leaders in asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, and critical care. I was incredibly fortunate to train in that environment.”

Her clinical and research focus on asthma—specifically, severe asthma, a condition that remains uncontrolled even with standard therapies.

For Dr. Diab, the decision to specialize in severe asthma was a personal one, informed by her brother’s lived experience with the disease.

“I grew up in a household where my older brother had very severe asthma,” she shared. “I vividly remember how often my parents had to rush him to the emergency department. At the time, I never imagined I would one day become an asthma specialist—but living through that experience keeps me grounded. It takes me beyond the lab and reminds me of the very real difference this work can make for patients and the people who love them.”

Asthma affects more than 12 million people in Canada and over 300 million globally, with rates on the rise due to a myriad of factors, including increased exposure to air pollution. While treatments have advanced dramatically, a significant number of patients still do not respond as expected.

Dr. Diab’s research challenges the traditional, lung-focused model of asthma care.

“We have always treated asthma based on what is happening in the airways,” she explained. “But patients are more than their lungs.”

Her research program explores how other conditions, from diabetes and obesity to cardiovascular disease, interact with asthma and influence treatment response.

“We should not be treating every asthma patient the same way,” she said. “By identifying what we call ‘treatable traits,’ we can move toward truly personalized care and better outcomes for patients who are still struggling.”

Launching this kind of research requires protected time, strong infrastructure, and dedicated teams. For early-career clinician-scientists, this part is often the greatest hurdle.

“When you are newly recruited, you are starting with nothing,” Dr. Diab said. “This funding is truly the foundation. It allows us to hire research support, recruit patients, and begin building a real program.”

She described the Rising Star Award as a catalyst.

Dr. Diab is also keenly aware of what philanthropy has already made possible in respiratory care.

“If it were not for donors, we would not be able to offer the care we do today,” she said. “For patients with cystic fibrosis alone, life expectancy has improved dramatically because of donor-funded research. That progress is extraordinary, and it is because people chose to give.”

For Marie-Hélène Laramée, President and CEO of the MUHC Foundation, Dr. Diab represents exactly why the Rising Star Program exists.

“When donors invest in Rising Stars, they are investing in people at the moment when support matters most,” she said. “These clinician-scientists are shaping the future of care. Dr. Diab’s work is a powerful example of how early investment leads to long-term impact for patients.”

The results speak for themselves: past Rising Star recipients have gone on to secure FRQS salary awards, ensuring their research continues—and that life-changing discoveries remain here at the MUHC.