James H. Day MD, FRCP(C), FACP

Dr. James H. Day was Professor and Head of the Division of Allergy & Immunology in the Department of Medicine at Queen’s University and the Kingston General Hospital. A graduate of McGill University and medical resident at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, he started his research career in Allergy & Immunology at the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation (La Jolla, California) and as a McLaughlin Fellow at the Wright Fleming Institute (London, England), before returning to Queen’s University in 1967 where he combined clinical practice, teaching and research. A Fellow of both the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC) and the American College of Physicians (FACP) as well as a Diplomate of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology, Dr. Day has served as a consultant to the World Health Organization and NATO regarding sensitization to environmental factors in the workplace, immunotoxicology and indoor air quality (IAQ), including his role as a key member of an international team of investigators evaluating air quality of office buildings and public places in Hong Kong for the Hong Kong government. He is a past President of the Canadian Society of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (CSACI) and served as the first Medical Coordinator for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Health Response Program. Honours include the Jerry Dolovich Annual Award for contributions to Allergy and Clinical Immunology in Canada, the Ontario Medical Association Life Membership Award in recognition of contributions to medical science and the Life Time Achievement Award by the Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Society of Ontario. In July 2002, an endowed Chair in Allergic Diseases and Allergy Research was created in his name at Queen’s University.

With over 150 peer reviewed publications and principal investigator for over 70 clinical trials, he has authored many key review articles on anaphylaxis and allergic rhinitis as well as book chapters on subjects including allergies in pregnancy, indoor air quality problems and patient management, diagnosis of building-related illnesses and sick building syndrome, and allergic respiratory responses to fungi and allergenic microorganisms and hypersensitivity. Research interests include studies into controlled antigen challenge in assessment of anti-allergic treatments, indoor air quality and asthma as well as the immunological basis of risk indices in hymenoptera sensitivity. Stemming from his initial interest in the health effects of Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation (UFFI), in the early 1980s, he conceived and developed the Environmental Exposure Unit (EEU) with Professor Reginald Clark. Under his entrepreneurial direction and through association with an outstanding research team, the EEU has grown to become a world class research facility and the “gold standard” in allergen challenge research.

Dr. Day’s interests lead to his being able to serve as both a member and Chairman of the Ontario Medical Association Public Health Committee, as well as a member of the Science Advisory Board of the International Joint Commission of the Great Lakes and as Chairman of the IJC Task Force on The Health Effects of Non-Phosphate Detergents.