Ep 88: Grand Rounds: Preoperative Malnutrition: From Screening to Action (Chelsia Gillis)

Recorded on April 24, 2026.Join us for grand rounds this week where Dr. Chelsia Gillis, a Registered Dietician and Assistant Professor in the School of Human Nutrition at McGill University, discusses preoperative malnutrition and perioperative nutrition optimization.Dr. Chelsia Gillis is an Assistant Professor in the School of Human Nutrition in the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at McGill University. Dr. Gillis is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Nutrition Support Clinician, and Vanier Scholar with a MSc in Human Nutrition from McGill University and a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Calgary. Dr. Gillis’ 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’ innovative approach challenges current “siloed” 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.Please note that while this podcast is run by healthcare professionals, it is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing beats care that is individualized to your own unique medical needs, so if you have any questions about content covered in this podcast that relates to your own health, please speak with your doctor today.Additionally, the views expressed on this show are our own and do not necessarily represent those of the USask Department of Anesthesiology.