Dr. Hesham Abdelbary Awarded $2 Million Ontario Research Fund Grant for Ottawa-Based Prosthetic Joint Infection Research

OTTAWA, ON, June 3, 2026 /CNW/ – Dr. Hesham Abdelbary, an orthopedic surgeon and scientist based in Ottawa, has been awarded $2 million in funding through the Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence program to advance research in bacteriophage(phage) therapy for prosthetic joint infections.

Prosthetic joint infection is one of the most serious complications following hip and knee replacement surgery. Despite aggressive treatment involving multiple surgeries and prolonged antibiotic therapy, failure rates can reach 30 to 40 percent, with significant impacts on patient quality of life and survival.

The Ontario Research Fund investment will support Dr. Abdelbary’s IMPACT Program to develop new approaches for treating implant-associated infections. His work explores the use of phages, viruses that naturally target bacteria, alongside antibiotics to disrupt biofilms and improve infection control.

Dr Abdelbary’s clinical research team has been one of the pioneers in Canada to administer phage therapy for treating a patient suffering from prosthetic joint infection secondary to a multidrug-resistant joint infection. The team is now preparing Canada’s first feasibility randomized controlled trial of phage therapy for prosthetic joint infections.

“This provincial funding allows us to bring together expertise from across Canada to advance phage-based treatments for prosthetic joint infections and strengthen Ottawa’s role as a national leader in this research,” said Dr. Abdelbary.

To learn more about the IMPACT Program, please visit: https://impact-program.ca 

The IMPACT Program is a translational research initiative based at The Ottawa Hospital and led by Dr. Hesham Abdelbary. Focused on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of implant-associated infections, the program advances research in joint infection treatment, hip and knee replacement infection treatment, antimicrobial resistance research in Canada, and new treatments for implant infections. By connecting scientific discovery with clinical care, the IMPACT Program aims to improve patient outcomes, support innovation in Ottawa medical research funding, and help establish a Centre of Excellence for implant-associated infection care and research. 

SOURCE IMPACT Program