Anne M. Gillis, MD, FHRS, was named the president of the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) during the 33rd Annual Scientific Sessions, held in Boston last week. Announced during the Presidents’ Reception on Friday, May 11th, Dr. Gillis now serves as the 34th president of HRS and the second international president preceded by Bernard S. Goldman, MD (1982-1983).

It is with great sadness the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta announces the death of Deputy Registrar Dr. Bryan Ward.

Gerald Zamponi, PhD, has accepted the position of Senior Associate Dean, Research; and Jocelyn Lockyer, PhD, has accepted the position of Senior Associate Dean, Education.

Alberta Children’s Hospital researchers have discovered a gene that has eluded scientists for more than 60 years. A North American study led by Dr. Francois Bernier at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI) is published in the May issue of The
American Journal of Human Genetics. The research identifies the gene which causes Nager Syndrome - a condition which causes deformation in a child’s face and limbs, as well as deafness.

The goal of the Calgary Youth Science Fair (CYSF) is to promote an appreciation for scientific principles and method in the youth of Calgary by means of an annual science competition. Yasamin Mahjoub, a Grade 12 student was the recipient of the Biochemistry and Experimental Biology Award for her work on ‘Protection Against Iron Neurotoxicity’.

Professor Naweed Syed, head of the cell biology and anatomy department, says science fairs are essential for getting young people excited science and fostering critical thinking and inquiry-based learning.

Wolters Kluwer has donated 25 copies of an internationally recognized book on community health to the Masters in Public Health (MPH) Program, taught by University of Calgary faculty at the Bugando University of Clinical Health Sciences (BUCHS) in Mwanza, Tanzania.

An international team of researchers from Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States looked at data on the salt content of 2124 food items in seven product categories from six companies. The companies were Burger King (known as Hungry Jack’s in Australia), Domino’s Pizza, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Subway. They looked at savoury breakfast items, burgers, chicken products, pizza, salads, sandwiches and french fries.

Researchers from the faculties of veterinary medicine and medicine are working to use dermal stem cells in an effort to improve skin grafts for people who have had burn injuries.

Dr. Andrew Kirkpatrick – a well-known Calgary trauma surgeon, the Chief of Trauma for the Calgary Health Region and a professor of Surgery and Critical Care at the University of Calgary – is taking his expertise overseas to deliver free medical care onboard the world’s largest charity hospital ship.

Dr. Kirkpatrick will join the charity Mercy Ships this May in Togo, West Africa for two weeks onboard the Africa Mercy - a rail-ferry-turned-medical vessel. He will work alongside roughly 450 volunteers from upwards of 40 nationalities, each paying their own way to be there, to provide life-saving medical care for some of the world’s most impoverished people.

Dr. Greg Powell, professor, Department of Family Medicine, will be transitioning from CEO of STARS to the role of Founder. As part of this transition, Andrea Robertson has assumed the role of STARS President and CEO.

Savraj Grewal, PhD, at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine, has discovered that production of transfer RNA (tRNA), a single class of molecule present in all cells, may represent a new way to control growth in tumour cells.

Congratulations to Dr. Brenda Hemmelgarn, the inaugural Roy and Vi Baay Chair in Kidney Research – the only research chair in kidney disease of its kind in Canada. An associate professor in the departments of medicine and community health sciences, Hemmelgarn is a kidney specialist, internationally recognized for her research in health services delivery for the care of patients with chronic kidney disease.

The University of Calgary has chosen a new dean of the Faculty of Medicine after an extensive search and selection process. Dr. Jon Meddings, who currently serves as the faculty’s vice dean and has held significant leadership positions at the University of Calgary, University of Alberta and the former Calgary Health Region, will become dean effective July 1, 2012.

Researchers demonstrated the novel expression of an ion channel in Purkinje cells – specialized neurons in the cerebellum, the area of the brain responsible for movement

Dr. Norman Tait McPhedran, former professor and head of the Department of Surgery at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine and chief of surgery at the Foothills Hospital, passed away on March 13th, 2012.

Recruited by Dr. Bill Cochrane in 1969, McPhedran accepted the position of professor and head of the Department of Surgery at the new University of Calgary Medical School and Chief of Surgery at Foothills Hospital. He started the Residency Training program in Surgery as well as created all the divisions in the department, and appointed the first division heads. He held the department head and chief of surgery positions until his retirement in 1991.

Faculty of Medicine neuroscientist Grant Gordon is chairholder of the new Canada Research Chair in Cellular Mechanisms of Brain Blood Flow Control announced today in Ottawa by the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology.

Located at the University of Calgary’s Foothills Campus, The Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education offers support and new hope to families in Calgary, throughout Alberta, and around the world. The centre was made possible by a $10 million investment from Mathison, president and CEO of Matco Investments Ltd.

The Deputy Provost position is a critical leadership role necessary to advance the strategies of the academic plan. As the de facto second-in-command in the Provost’s Office, Benedikt will help to lead campus-wide strategic initiatives, and encourage and enable partnerships with the government, Campus Alberta and others. Benedikt will be fundamentally involved in supporting the University of Calgary’s goal to become one of Canada’s top five research universities by 2016.

New research from the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute shows that by using a CT scan (computerized tomography), doctors can predict which patients are at risk of continued bleeding in the brain after a stroke. This vital information will allow doctors to utilize the most powerful blood clotting medications for those with the highest risk.
 

New research from the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) shows that using a CT (computerised tomography) scan, doctors can predict if patients who have had a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke, with neurological symptoms such as weakness or speech issues, are at risk for another more severe stroke. This vital information can help doctors decide if stronger medications should be used to prevent future episodes, or if a patient can be safely sent home.

With close to 40 years of service in the health sector, Dr. Tom Noseworthy, a professor of Community Health Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine, will have a few things to say when he delivers the university’s fifth ‘Lecture of a Lifetime’ on April 18.

Neuroscientists from around the world will share their knowledge and expertise with Alberta researchers as a lasting tribute to Harley Hotchkiss, the late Calgary business and community leader.

The Government of Alberta's $5 million commitment to the Campus Alberta Neuroscience International Scholars program was announced at a tribute event honouring Hotchkiss who died in June 2011. The investment builds upon private-sector contributions collected by the University of Calgary's Hotchkiss Brain Institute.

CancerBridges is a provincial research-based program out of the University of Calgary/Tom Baker Cancer Centre that is dedicated to improving the quality of life for cancer survivors’ in Alberta, as well as the health-care systems understanding of their needs.

The Markin Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP) has awarded a studentship to Eadric Cai−an award that has come as a welcome boost to his research.

While pregnant, women pay particular attention to factors such as diet and exercise to ensure their babies are born healthy and develop normally. New research from the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine suggests another factor women should pay particular attention to while pregnnant - their mood.

New technology designed to prevent pressure ulcers for people with spinal cord injury.

The Heritage Research Innovation Centre building, Foothills Campus, University of Calgary, is now home to a Distinguished Awards wall, honouring 39 current and former faculty members.

Dr. Tom Noseworthy has been appointed Associate Chief Medical Officer, Strategic Clinical Networks and Clinical Care Pathways, Alberta Health Services.

Bachelor of Health Sciences student Melissa Yue has received funding from the Markin Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP) to study the effects that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medications have on the blood pressure of children being treated for the condition.

If a medical emergency happens outside of a hospital, we rely on the rapid response of emergency medical services (EMS) to provide us with medical care and even to potentially save our lives. A common principle in modern EMS systems is that a faster response saves lives and many EMS systems have translated this into a policy of responding to 911 calls within eight minutes. New research from the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine has investigated the clinical effectiveness of this goal.

The Canadian Government has announced an important investment that will help Canadians in getting more effective treatments and make the healthcare system more sustainable through personalized medicine.

Two University of Calgary researchers were honoured to accept an invitation to share their work on physician wellness at Stanford University−one of the top medical schools in the world. Dr. Jane Lemaire and Jean Wallace, PhD, spoke at Stanford on January 17th about their research on the critical subject.

The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) announced the latest round of Leader’s Opportunity Fund projects on Jan. 24, and two University of Calgary researchers were among those who received funding.

Calgarians interested in learning about what researchers are doing to combat hospital infections can attend a free panel discussion called Science Café.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) celebrated the work of exceptional researchers when they announced the six recipients of the 2011 CIHR-CMAJ Top Achievements in Health Research Awards on Jan 23.

A new study challenges conventional thinking about how brain cells die in Alzheimer’s disease. The findings demonstrate a previously unknown mechanism by which the cells die and will help lead researchers in new directions for treating the degenerative brain disease. The study by scientists at the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute is published this week in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Bilingualism may also have additional benefits. Learning and using two or more languages throughout life may delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by up to four years.

“It may do this by stimulating the brain and building up more of a cognitive reserve,” says David Hogan, Brenda Strafford Foundation Chair in Geriatric Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine. “Learning the second language early and using both throughout life seems to give the greatest protection.”

The Snyder Institute launched its new name - the Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases - and new logo at an event held yesterday, January 17, at the Faculty of Medicine.

The Snyder Institute is one of seven research institutes in the University’s Faculty of Medicine, consisting of a collection of researchers and clinicians that focus on chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease and cystic fibrosis.

Featured in the January edition of the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada is an article which suggests that delayed child-bearing is associated with an increased risk of infertility, pregnancy complications, and adverse pregnancy outcomes

The Heart and Stroke Foundation (HSF) has negotiated a commitment of $450,000 from Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. These funds will support the advancement of heart and stroke research in Calgary and Edmonton over the next three years.

Dr. Hallgrimur Benediktsson has been appointed Assistant Dean, Global Health Capacity Building; Dr. Gwen Hollaar has been appointed Assistant Dean, Global Health Education Development.

Congratulations to Dr. Fiona Costello and Dr. David Johnson.

University of Calgary neurosurgeon Dr. Garnette Sutherland has achieved another first in a career spent breaking new ground. Dr. Sutherland has been named a member of the Order of Canada, an honour he found out about while he was prepping for surgery.