Home
July networking event to bring together health research community WE-SPARK Health Institute hosts monthly networking events for members of the Windsor-Essex health research community to get to know one another through fun and casual conversations. There is no formal agenda, and all are welcome. This is an opportunity for anyone interested in health research to make connections in an informal and enjoyable atmosphere. The next event will be held Thursday July 4th from 5-8pm at the Bourbon Tap & Grill, 1199 Ottawa St, Windsor. No RSVP is required. WE-SPARK Health Institute is supported by an innovative partnership between the University of Windsor and Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, and Windsor Regional Hospital that brings together health research strengths, expertise, and infrastructure from across the Windsor-Essex region.
Implants explored as way to prevent recurrence of brain cancer The research group of chemistry professor Nick Vukotic (seated in jacket) is exploring biodegradable material to treat brain cancer. Professor Nick Vukotic is helping design a novel biodegradable material that could potentially treat one of the deadliest brain cancers, glioblastoma. Once implanted, the polymeric material would deliver chemotherapy medications. The release rate of the drug would be controlled by how fast that polymer degrades or breaks up. “Brain cancer is very challenging to treat due to the impermeability of the blood-brain barrier and the sensitivity of the organ, with glioblastoma multiforme being one of the deadliest treatment-resistant cancers,” says Dr. Vukotic, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “We want to apply the chemistry to chemotherapy agents so that after the surgeons take out the primary tumour, they could place our drug-embedded polymer materials inside the surgical site to slowly release the chemotherapy agent…
Study exploring sexual experiences of Canadians with endometriosis Psychology professor Dana Ménard is seeking subjects for a survey on the experiences of Canadians with endometriosis. Over one million Canadians suffer from endometriosis, a chronic health condition affecting more than one in 10 women and people assigned female at birth worldwide. Endometriosis is a disease characterized by cells resembling the uterine lining — the endometrium — growing outside the uterus, including around the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the rectum, and other locations. It is associated with painful menstrual cycles, pelvic pain, gastrointestinal and bladder symptoms, and infertility. While the condition is known to have a negative impact on physical and psychological functioning, less is known about sexual well-being among sufferers. Psychology professor Dana Ménard’s current study of sexual well-being among those diagnosed with endometriosis is funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and WE-Spark Health Institute. This study is surveying…
Conference provides a chemical bond for industry and academe About 100 scientists, students, and industry professionals attended the May 16 ChemiConn. Chemists and biochemists were in full networking form at UWindsor’s fifth annual ChemiConn on May 16. The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry hosted around 100 scientists, students, and industry professionals. “This unique networking event aims to introduce the high-quality research being carried out at our institution and establish new ties with industrial communities,” says conference founder Simon Rondeau-Gagné, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “The annual event has been fostering collaborations between our institution and industry partners since 2017.” Several industrial participants from varying areas of chemical and biochemical sciences discussed research and development in the industry and related challenges. There was also a networking session and mixer to connect academics, potential future employees, and students. “This year, we are proud…
Prof recognized for contributions to health care The Ontario Medical Association has conferred its Centennial Award on biomedical sciences professor Lisa Porter. The Ontario Medical Association has recognized biomedical sciences professor Lisa Porter with the 2023 Centennial Award, which honours non-physicians for outstanding achievements in advancing the health and welfare of the people of Ontario. “I’m so grateful and humbled that my physician colleagues at Windsor Regional Hospital and Essex County Medical Association would take their valuable time to nominate me for this award,” says Dr. Porter. “It speaks to their passion for health research and the incredible potential for growth in our region.” Windsor physician Padmaja Naidu says she nominated Porter for her notable research as well as her involvement with WE-Spark Health Institute. She calls Porter an international leader in understanding unique aspects of cell growth that lie at the interface of healthy development, aging, and the initiation and progression of diseases…
UWindsor partners land $6.5 million in U.S. federal funding to continue Great Lakes research Mike McKay, director of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, is pleased his collaboration with the Great Lakes Center for Fresh Waters and Human Health at the University of Michigan will continue. A Great Lakes research centre that studies the link between climate change, harmful algal blooms, and human health is getting $6.5 million US to continue its work and relocate to the University of Michigan, bringing it closer to its research partners in Windsor. The Great Lakes Center for Fresh Waters and Human Health will be able to continue its work, thanks to funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Mike McKay, director of UWindsor’s Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, is a co-investigator with the center. Before coming to GLIER, McKay was a principal researcher at the center when it was founded at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and has continued his research partnerships with scientists…
Project to advance sensor combining cancer detection and treatment Simon Rondeau-Gagné is part of a team seeking to develop an implantable device that could detect and treat brain cancer. A UWindsor-led research investigation is looking to create degradable electronics that could detect and treat brain cancer. The implanted electronics would detect cancer growth and then degrade and release medicine. “The goal is to use materials chemistry, device engineering, and polymer science to get these little devices, which are sensors, to be physically placed at the site of the brain cancer that has been surgically removed,” says Simon Rondeau-Gagné. “When there are biomarkers of the cancer relapsing, it triggers, and we could selectively degrade those devices which would liberate a drug for treatment — we call that E-Theranostic.” The researchers received a grant of $250,000 over two years through the Tri-Agency New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) - Exploration program for their project “Implantable Electronics and E-Theranostics: A Paradigm Shift…
June networking event to bring together health research community WE-SPARK Health Institute hosts monthly networking events for members of the Windsor-Essex health research community to get to know one another through fun and casual conversations. There is no formal agenda, and all are welcome. This is an opportunity for anyone interested in health research to make connections in an informal and enjoyable atmosphere. The next event will be held Thursday June 6 from 5-8pm at the Bourbon Tap & Grill, 1199 Ottawa St, Windsor. No RSVP is required. WE-SPARK Health Institute is supported by an innovative partnership between the University of Windsor and Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, and Windsor Regional Hospital that brings together health research strengths, expertise, and infrastructure from across the WindsorEssex region.
Fundraiser to connect community with research superheroes May is brain tumour awareness month, and the local community is coming together to raise funds for research. Research saved her life, says Mckenna Lumley, a 14-year brain tumour survivor who just completed her first year of studies in the School of Dramatic Art. “I recognize the diagnostic technology, surgical techniques, innovations, medications, and expertise that went into me having the wonderful outcomes and life I have now,” she says. “I’m proud of the research taking place at the University of Windsor and am excited to play a small role in supporting local researchers.” Lumley and her mother Karen Metcalfe, assistant director of the WE-Spark Health Institute, are among the organizers of Connecting for a Cause, a fundraiser in support of the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation. The event, 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 31, in the Essex Centre of Research atrium, will offer a chance to meet brain tumour researchers and tour their laboratories, connecting with local superheroes. “I…
