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Chelsia Gillis

Assistant Professor
Director of Perioperative Medical Research, Peri Operative Program, 91社区 Health Center
Associate Member in Surgery and Anesthesia
Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in聽Perioperative Nutrition

T: (514) 398-7905 | chelsia.gillis [at] mcgill.ca (Email) | Macdonald-Stewart Bldg MS2-038 | | Biosketch |

Degrees

BSc, Food and Nutrition, University of Prince Edward Island
MSc, Human Nutrition, 91社区
PhD, Community Health Sciences, Epidemiology, University of Calgary
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Anesthesia, 91社区

Recruiting

Currently recruiting MSc Thesis and PhD students, Registered Dietitian an asset.

Short Bio

Dr. Chelsia Gillis is an Assistant Professor in the School of Human Nutrition in the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at 91社区. Dr. Gillis is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Nutrition Support Clinician庐, and Vanier Scholar with a MSc in Human Nutrition from 91社区 and a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Calgary.

Dr. Gillis鈥� research program aims to improve surgical patient outcomes by generating evidence-based knowledge and translating findings into clinical practice to enhance healthcare services in Canada. Her research interests include prehabilitation, Enhanced Recovery After Surgery, surgical metabolism, and patient engagement. Prehabilitation is a paradigmatic shift in the usual care of surgical patients that capitalizes on surgical wait times to correct modifiable risk factors, including malnutrition, to enhance recovery. Dr. Gillis鈥� innovative approach challenges current 鈥渟iloed鈥� nutritional assessment techniques through the creation of surgery-specific tools that integrate both etiologic and phenotypic assessments of malnutrition with physical function to provide personalized, targeted care that ensures the right patient receives the right care at the right time. Dr. Gillis has received research grants as Principal Investigator from the Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research, American Society for Parenteral Enteral Nutrition, and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism.

Awards and Recognitions

PhD Dissertation Award from the Canadian Nutrition Society for 鈥淩ecovery Begins Before the Surgical Incision鈥�
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Active Affiliations

Dietitians of Canada
Canadian Nutrition Society
European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism
International Prehabilitation Society
American Society for Parenteral Enteral Nutrition

Research Interests

Dr. Chelsia Gillis鈥� research focuses on Prehabilitation: A preoperative intervention that includes exercise, nutrition, and psychological strategies to prepare patients for the stress of surgery.

Current Research

  1. Multimodal prehabilitation and analgesia: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial on the effect of preoperative exercise with nutrition optimization on postsurgical pain intensity in vulnerable populations
  2. Is correction of malnutrition sufficient to improve low physical function before elective colorectal cancer surgery? A randomized controlled trial of nutrition vs. nutrition and exercise prehabilitation.
  3. Virtual prehabilitation for surgical cancer patients: A feasibility study
  4. Standards for reporting research methods, interventions and Outcomes in Surgical Prehabilitation (SOS-Prehab)
  5. Defining prehabilitation success: A mixed methods evaluation of stakeholder perspectives and priorities.
  6. Development and validation of the Preoperative Dietary Screener

Courses

NUTR 545. Clinical Nutrition 2.

Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.

NUTR 545
Clinical Nutrition 2.
Credits: 4
Offered by: Human Nutrition (Faculty of Agric Environ Sci)
Terms Offered: Fall 2025
View offerings for in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Pathophysiology and clinical nutrition intervention for various medical conditions. Topics include gastrointestinal disorders, surgery and nutrition support.
  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken NUTR 445
  • This course includes a fee of $300 for the purchase of professional diet manuals available only to ASPEN (American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition), ADA (American Dietetics Association), DC (Dietitians of Canada) or OPDQ (Ordre Professionnel des Dietetistes du Quebec) members certified to instruct qualifying students in Dietetics. These manuals are not available to the general public, hence the School is responsible for procuring these necessary materials. The fee is refundable until the end of the add/drop period as long as the manuals are intact.
  • Fall
  • One 3-hour lecture One 1-hour lab
  • Prerequisites: NUTR 337, NUTR 344 and ANSC 424

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

EXSU 610. Surgical Outcomes Research Foundations.

Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.

EXSU 610
Surgical Outcomes Research Foundations.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Surgery (Graduate Studies)
Terms Offered: Winter 2026
View offerings for in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Comprehensive overview of strategies to measure and improve outcomes after surgery. Traditional and modern approaches to measure surgical outcomes, including clinician-reported, patient-reported and performance-based outcome measures. Contemporary strategies to improve postoperative recovery; topics include minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopic, robotic), enhanced recovery pathways and prehabilitation.
  • 3 hours/week.
  • Students will be required to attend mandatory visits to surgical outcomes research labs at 91社区.
  • Language of instruction: English
  • Restrictions: Open to students enrolled in the M.Sc. in ExperimentalSurgery; Surgical Outcomes Research program. Other students require permission of the instructors.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

Publications

To view a list of Dr. Gillis' publications, click

Biosketch

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