People
Andrew J.E. Seely MD PhD FRCSC
Research
Andrew JE Seely joined the faculty at the University of Ottawa in 2004 and is currently active as a thoracic surgeon, intensivist and scientist. Dr. Seely’s major research interests include theoretical research applying complex systems science to the care and understanding of critically ill and peri-operative patients, and experimental research applying dynamical analysis to the bedside of surgical and intensive care unit patients.
Dr. Seely’s research involves the study and exploration of the intrinsic clinical significance of altered variability of physiologic parameters as it relates to infection, exercise and organ dysfunction. Altered variability in infection and trauma is strongly tied to changes in sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation. Under a paradigm of evolution that the host response to severe infection is a complex system characterized by non-linear relation feedback loops and cascade avalanche behavior with emergent properties of health or illness, Dr. Seely’s research explores the use of analysis of variability to identify changes in the emergent properties of the whole system.
Dr Seely heads a hospital-based laboratory exploring the diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic value of monitoring the dynamics of physiologic variables. He is currently supervising a post-doctoral fellow as well as surgical residents and is involved in several research projects in collaboration with colleagues. Dr Seely was recently awarded a New Investigator Award by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and has received funding from local and regional funding organizations.
Training
Dr. Seely’s education includes a Bachelors of Science in Honours Physics at Carleton University (B.Sc. ’89), medical school (MDCM ’94), General Surgery (FRCSC ’01) and a doctoral degree in basic science (Ph.D. ’02) at McGill University, followed by Critical Care Medicine (2003) and Thoracic Surgery (FRCSC ’04) training at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Seely is currently an Assistant Professor of Surgery within the Divisions of Thoracic Surgery and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Ottawa, and an Associate Scientist with the Ottawa Health Research Institute (OHRI).