Tanja Gonska

Staff Physician, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

Senior Associate Scientist, Translational Medicine

Associate Member, Institute of Medical Sciences

Dr. Tanja Gonska is an Associate Professor in the Division of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Toronto, with a subspecialty focus on paediatric pancreas diseases and cystic fibrosis. She holds appointments in the Institute of Medical Science and as a Senior Associate Scientist in the SickKids Research Institute. Following medical school in Muenster, Germany, she completed her paediatric residency training at the Children’s Hospital in Freiburg, Germany, with a focus on paediatric pulmonology, allergology and cystic fibrosis. Attracted by the renowned cystic fibrosis (CF) group, she came to Toronto for a fellowship in paediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at SickKids. Her mentors were Professors Peter Durie, Christine Bear and Paul Quinton. Dr. Gonska continued her academic career in paediatric pancreatology and cystic fibrosis as a Staff Physician at SickKids. Next to her involvement in an international consortium to advance the knowledge in paediatric pancreatitis, her main research interest is focused on increasing our understanding of transepithelial ion and fluid transport in the airway and intestine. In addition, her innovative approach to develop new measures of functional outcome supports current strategies to cure cystic fibrosis.

1. SRA. Ahmadi S, Wu YS, Li M, Ip W, Lloyd-Kuzik A, Di Paola M, Du K, Xia S, Lew A, Bozoky Z, Forman-Kay J, Bear CE, Gonska T. Augmentation of CFTR function in human bronchial epithelial cells via SLC6A14-dependent amino acid uptake: Implications for treatment of Cystic Fibrosis. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2019 Dec;61(6):755-764 PMID:31189070
2. CA. Wu YS, Jiang J, Ahmadi S, Lew A, Laselva O, Xia S, Bartlett C, Ip W, Wellhauser L, Ouyang H, Gonska T, Moraes TJ, Bear C. ORKAMBI®mediated rescue of mucociliary clearance in CF primary respiratory cultures is enhanced by arginine uptake, arginase inhibition and promotion of nitric oxide signaling to the CFTR channel.
3. CA. He G, Panjwani N, Avolio J, Ouyang H, Keshavjee S, Rommens JM, Gonska T, Moraes TJ, Strug LJ. Expression of cystic fibrosis lung disease modifier genes in human airway models. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. 2022 Jul;21(4):616-622
4. SRA. Laselva O, Bartlett C, Gunawardena TNA, Ouyang H, Eckford PDW, Moraes TJ, Bear CE, Gonska T. Rescue of multiple class II CFTR mutations by elexacaftor+tezacaftor+ivacaftor mediated in part by the dual activities of elexacaftor as both corrector and potentiator. Eur Respir J. 2021 Jun 17;57(6):2002774
5. SRA.  Laselva O, Moraes TJ, He G, Bartlett C, Szàrics I, Ouyang H, Gunawardena TNA, Strug L, Bear CE, Gonska T.  The CFTR Mutation c.3453G > C (D1152H) Confers an Anion Selectivity Defect in Primary Airway Tissue that Can Be Rescued by Ivacaftor. J Pers Med. 2020 May 13;10(2):40. J Pers Med. 2020. PMID: 32414100

Please visit PubMed for a full list of Dr. Gonska's publications.