2019 IARS Mentored Research Award Recipient Interview: Benjamin Steinberg, MD, PhD, FRCPC

Sepsis-Induced Blood-Brain Barrier Permeabilization in Mouse and Rats Requires Ninjurin-1

Abstract Presentation:

Poster Session A on Friday, May 1, 2026, 10:00 am – 11:00 am, in Square Dorchester + Place du Canada, Convention Level at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, during the 2026 Annual Meeting, Presented by IARS and SOCCA

In the laboratory of Benjamin Steinberg, MD, PhD, FRCPC, a scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children, in Toronto, Canada, they have been able to contribute significantly to the knowledge surrounding sepsis, and which patients are at risk for adverse neurological complications, such as encephalopathy. Using cell biology and preclinical models of disease, Dr. Steinberg has been investigating how cell injury mechanisms impact neuroinflammation with the goal of delineating foundational mechanisms of inflammation and identifying new therapeutic targets to mitigate the long-term sequelae of systemic inflammatory responses. Reaching this significant point in his scientific journey would not have been possible without the support of a 2019 IARS Mentored Research Award for his study on “The Role of Pyroptosis in Neuropathic Pain.” He credits this financial support and mentorship with providing the foundation for his current research and helping him to obtain funding at the national level and become the independent investigator he is today. Dr. Steinberg’s current research aims to delineate the molecular mechanism by which this cell death pathway is activated and executes blood-brain border breakdown. He is hopeful that his study will advance the knowledge of systemic inflammation on the nervous system, specifically as it relates to the blood-brain border. On Friday, May 1, at Poster Session A during the 2026 Annual Meeting, presented by IARS and SOCCA, Dr. Steinberg will share the results of this forward-looking work. Below, he reflects on the impact of the IMRA, the evolution of his research and how the Annual Meeting offers an important platform to share discoveries.

1. For this research, you are…

Principal Investigator

2. What inspired you to pursue this area of research, and how has your focus evolved over time?

My laboratory uses cell biology and preclinical models of disease to investigate how cell injury mechanisms contribute to neuroinflammation. This basic biomedical research aims to delineate foundational mechanisms of inflammation and identify new therapeutic targets to mitigate the long-term sequelae of systemic inflammatory responses. We have recently focused our attention on pro-inflammatory cell death pathways and their contribution to disease pathogenesis. One specific area of study is how inflammation and infection lead to permeabilization of the blood-brain border, the interface between the circulation and the brain parenchyma.

3. What key question or challenge does your current research aim to address?

Patients with sepsis are at risk for adverse neurological complications, such as encephalopathy. One mechanism that contributes to these negative sequelae is the breakdown of the blood-brain border. Recent studies have implicated a specific pro-inflammatory cell death pathway in the brain’s endothelial cells that line the blood vessels in this breakdown. Our current research aims to delineate the molecular mechanism by which this cell death pathway is activated and executes blood-brain border breakdown.

4. What are the most important findings or insights from your work so far?

The current postulate in the field is that the blood-brain border breaks down during sepsis as a result of protein pores (termed gasdermin D pores) within the endothelial cell. In contrast, our current work demonstrates that it is not the protein pores themselves that compromise the blood-brain border but the protein-mediated cellular rupture of brain endothelial cells.

5. How could your research, whether through direct clinical application or by advancing foundational knowledge, impact the field of anesthesiology and ultimately improve patient care?

Our work will advance our understanding of systemic inflammation on the nervous system, specifically as it relates to the blood-brain border. In this way, it may identify new therapeutic targets that, when inhibited, preserve the integrity of the blood-brain border and limit long-term adverse neurological outcomes.

6. What does presenting your abstract at the IARS Annual Meeting mean to you, and how does it support your professional growth?

Presenting at the IARS Annual Meeting is a wonderful opportunity to share the discoveries we are making in the lab, grow new ideas, and foster collaborations within anesthesiology and critical care medicine.

7. How has receiving the 2019 IARS Mentored Research Award shaped your career path, research opportunities, or collaborations?

The 2019 IARS Mentored Research Award enabled me to become an independent investigator. It provided the necessary financial support to establish the methodology and preliminary data that I leveraged for additional funding at the national level.

8. In what ways has your earlier IARS-supported research (e.g., IMRA) influenced your current work?

The work supported by the IARS related to pro-inflammatory molecules termed danger-associated molecular patterns and their impact on neuroinflammatory conditions. Since, I have investigated the molecular mechanisms by which these molecules are released from cells and their impact on a diverse set of inflammatory diseases. In this way, my early IARS-supported research was the foundation on which my current research program was built.

9. What advice would you offer to early-career researchers or future IARS award applicants?

Never underestimate the value of mentorship, both its formal and informal flavors.

10. Is there anyone you would like to acknowledge as part of this work?

This project was spearheaded by Ms. Lina Lombo, a fabulous and talented graduate student at the University of Toronto.

11. Outside of your research, what is something colleagues might be surprised to learn about you?

I’m an avid rock climber.