Michael Beyak

Michael Beyak

613-544-3400 x.2288
Roles
  • Clinician scientist, KGHRI
  • Associate Professor, Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Cross Appointment, Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences Queen’s University
Interests

Roles of gut sensory nerves in obesity and pain; Pain in chronic inflammatory bowel disease; Complicated inflammatory bowel disease, motility and functional disorders of the GI tract, and Inpatient internal medicine

Bio

Following postgraduate training in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at the University of Toronto, Dr. Beyak pursued research fellowships at Queen's University and the University of Sheffield. He joined the Faculty of Medicine at Queen's in 2006. 

Education and Honours
  • BSc, Queen’s University
  • MD, University of Toronto
Research

Dr. Beyak is one of the Principal Investigators in the Gastrointestinal Diseases Research Unit (GIDRU) at Kingston General Hospital. His research interests lie in the area of signaling between the gut and brain via gastrointestinal sensory nerves, and is studying the roles of these sensory nerves in satiety signaling in conditions such as obesity (where these nerves appear to be underactive); and in  visceral pain (where gut pain sensing nerves are overactive). He runs an active, CIHR-funded basic science lab, and supervises trainees at the undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral levels. 

In addition to his basic science interests, he also has developed a collaborative Crohn’s and Colitis Canada funded research project with Dr. Dean Tripp in Psychology, studying the relationships between psychological factors and chronic pain in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.