About McMaster Adult Celiac Disease Clinic

The clinical team involves staff gastroenterologists, dietitians, and access to a psychologist and a psychiatrist. We offer:

• Medical consultations

• Serological testing

• Endoscopy

• Nutritional assessment and counselling

• Breath testing for small intestinal bacterial growth, lactose intolerance and fructose intolerance

• Genetic testing. 

• Indirect calorimetry

• Imaging test 

We follow our patients based on the current recommendations from clinical guidelines. After the initial consultation and confirmation of a diagnosis, patients are followed up regularly until their symptoms and disease activity are under control. Patients will have access to nutritional assessment and counselling with a specialized dietitian to enhance the understanding of how to properly follow a gluten-free diet. Once symptoms related to the disease are under control, patients will be regularly monitored annually to prevent or treat nutritional deficiencies, bone health and mental health, as needed.

Any patient with a confirmed or suspected celiac disease diagnosis from the greater Hamilton area and within Ontario can be referred to our clinic by their family physician. Whether the patient has been recently diagnosed or has an established diagnosis with ongoing symptoms, everyone is welcomed to our clinic for further follow-up. We will work in concert with primary care physicians and provide specific instructions for the continuation of care.

A registry of patients attending the clinic has been initiated to allow an appropriate follow-up and to improve the quality of care based on acquired data. 

We conduct research under the umbrella of the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute at McMaster University, a world-renowned research centre for digestive diseases. The clinic is in a unique position to leverage the top research expertise of our institute and apply this knowledge to clinical practice. Our clinical research focuses on improving celiac disease diagnosis, management and testing novel therapies. Under the leadership of Prof. Elena Verdu, Associate Director of the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, we have a unique opportunity for translational research to understand cofactors and how our gut microbiome can influence celiac disease.

We are committed to actively contributing to educating patients and their families, advocating for patients and raising awareness about celiac disease. The clinic will become a hub for educational activities directed to both celiac patients and the medical communities. We work closely with the Canadian Celiac Association (CCA) to achieve these goals.