The Meakins-Christie Laboratories are one of the premiere centers for research on respiratory diseases in the world. The overall research theme is the pathobiology of pulmonary disease with a particular focus on the role of inflammation. A multidisciplinary and collaborative approach is used to study the basic mechanisms of asthma, COPD and pulmonary fibrosis through the parallel study of human cells and tissues coupled to appropriate animal models. Research is facilitated by the availability of a variety of core facilities.  The Research Directors are an equal mix of PhD and MD scientists, ensuring the clinical orientation of research questions and increasing the likelihood that translational research will emerge from the more fundamental areas of investigation.

Peter Macklem was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame on March 21, 2012. Having led a brilliant career at McGill University Health Centre's Royal Victoria Hospital and the Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Dr. Macklem forever changed the face of respiratory medicine by pioneering the study of small airway physiology and identifying the early pulmonary damage caused by smoking, among other contributions. He was recognized worldwide as a giant of respiratory medicine. Dr. Macklem died on February 11, 2011.

The Meakins-Christie Laboratories serve as an important training ground for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and Meakins-Christie alumni are found throughout the world, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australasia. There are weekly seminars, work-in-progress sessions, a journal club, and a variety of activities, as well as social functions organized by the students & fellows association (SPiRE). Various McGill courses are also given at the Meakins-Christie Laboratories, which are located on St. Urbain Street, next to the Montreal Chest Institute.