Research interests: Anti-apoptotic therapy for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa, combination therapy targeting apoptosis and oxidative stress for the treatment of retinal degenerationsCatherine Tsilfidis is a Senior Scientist in the Neuroscience Program of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI), and an Associate Professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology and Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Her research is aimed at developing a gene therapy strategy that blocks apoptosis and slows down retinal disease progression. She has applied this approach to the treatment of animal models of retinal disease. Her laboratory is currently optimizing gene therapy parameters for application to human disease.

Dr. Tsilfidis is also the Director of the Office of Equity, Diversity and Gender Issues in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa. She organizes and delivers workshops to medical students, residents, graduate students and faculty on Harassment and Intimidation and Respect in the Workplace. Dr. Tsilfidis is passionate about promoting the advancement of women in science and is currently helping to create a mentoring program for female post-doctoral fellows in the basic sciences.