It is with great saddness we announce the loss of Dr. Brian G. Feagan, a trailblazing gastroenterologist whose innovative trials transformed inflammatory bowel disease care worldwide.
At 69, he passed away on November 24, 2025, leaving the Robarts Research Institute and Western University in quiet reverence for his decades of patient-centered breakthroughs. His evidence-based vision elevated global standards, ensuring his legacy endures in every IBD treatment advanced.
Born in London, Ontario, Dr. Feagan’s early curiosity in science led him to a BSc in Bacteriology and Immunology at Western University in 1977, followed by an MSc in Medical Microbiology from the University of London in 1979. Returning home, he earned his MD from Western in 1983, blending rigorous academics with a budding passion for digestive health amid Canada’s evolving medical scene.
Completing residency in internal medicine and a gastroenterology fellowship at Western University, Dr. Feagan sharpened his expertise before postgraduate training in epidemiology and biostatistics at McMaster University.
This interdisciplinary foundation equipped him to bridge clinical practice with research, focusing on randomized controlled trials for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. His early career at London Health Sciences Centre honed a commitment to outcomes that prioritized real patient relief.
As Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Dr. Feagan authored over 480 publications and led more than 140 pivotal trials, including landmark studies on ozanimod for ulcerative colitis.
Senior Scientific Director at Alimentiv Inc., he pioneered outcome measures and trial designs that accelerated therapies, earning the 2013 Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Senior Achievement Award. His work revolutionized IBD management through rigorous, compassionate science.
Beyond the lab, Dr. Feagan’s lifestyle balanced intellectual rigor with quiet joys, from mentoring fellows at international conferences to savoring Ontario’s trails with colleagues. A fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, he championed organizations like Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, fostering global collaborations that extended his influence.
Though Dr. Feagan’s voice falls silent, his transformative legacy inspires London’s healers to advance patient-centered innovation relentlessly. Family and the gastroenterology community find solace in the lives mended by his vision, from validated therapies to empowered researchers. Memorial tributes are forthcoming through Western University, honoring a pioneer whose evidence-based heart forever guides IBD care.