University of Windsor Students Recognized as One of the Top 40 Teams from Across the North America in Medical Case Competition Kylie Slogan and Alex Agostinis were selected as one of the top 40 teams to present at the IgNITE Medical Case Competition. Kylie Slogan and Alex Agostinis, 2nd-year students studying in Dr. Yufeng Tong’s protein biochemistry lab at the University of Windsor, were selected as one of the top 40 teams out of over 200 participating teams from across North America to present at the IgNITE Medical Case Competition. This is the first time that a UWindsor undergraduate team participated in this competition and made it into the final round. Annually, students are invited to submit their proposals beginning with an abstract and elevator pitch video. Kylie and Alex were successful in progressing to the final round and prepared a poster presentation video of their novel research proposal to experts in the field. They were both drawn to seeing how eyes from the chemistry and biological fields offer different interpretations. Cardio Respiratory Diseases was the theme for this year and the team…
Lab tour fuels hope for brain tumour research More than 65 brain tumour researchers, doctors, survivors, volunteers, and their family members gathered on May 11 at the Centre for Research Excellence (CORe) to tour the tumour research laboratory. The tours were led by adjunct professor Dorota Lubanska, research associate in the biomedical sciences lab of Lisa Porter. Master’s candidate Alexandra Sorge said connecting with those affected by brain tumours has made an impact on her work researching glioblastoma. “As any researcher would agree, it is easy to get caught up In the logistics of the science we do each day but events like these where we are able to connect with survivors — and those impacted by this life-altering illness — is a reminder of the real reason why we love the work we do,” she said. May is Brain Tumour Awareness Month in Canada, which aims to raise awareness about brain tumours, promote research, and support those affected by the disease. Karen Metcalfe, assistant director of the WE-Spark Health Institute…
Computational tool to simplify process of drug discovery Drug discovery research can get complicated quickly and John Trant, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, wants to simplify the process. When designing a potential new drug, researchers cannot look at all the possible combinations of molecules ― there are more possible “small molecule” drugs than there are atoms in the universe. But that isn’t the case for small parts of proteins called peptides. Dr. Trant and his team have created an open-access computational tool that simplifies the process of investigating potential peptide drugs and recently published it in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis. They previously posted an earlier version of the paper to the open-access repository ChemRxiv. “This easy-to-use computational tool we’ve released will help people around the world who are trying to do peptide drug discovery,” says Dr. Trant. “Peptide-based therapeutics are increasingly pushing to the forefront of biomedicine with their promise of high specificity…
May 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 May 4th, 5-8pm at Bourbon Tap & Grill, 1199 Ottawa St, Windsor. No RSVP is required.
Research into the Trends of Pediatric Diabetes and How Families Can Thrive Dr. Jessica Kichler, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Windsor Dr. Jessica Kichler, a core principal member of WE-SPARK Health Institute, conducts research focusing on pediatric health psychology, especially type 1 diabetes and young adult transition to adulthood. She is an Associate Professor and Clinical and Health Psychologist in the Department of Psychology at the University of Windsor, also certified in the United States as a Diabetes Care and Education Specialist. “My area in diabetes is to understand the psychological adjustment, coping and self-management around having diabetes, but all especially in youth and families…. What are the family factors that help kids thrive with diabetes?” Dr. Kichler has recently been part of a group of researchers that has been awarded a team grant from The Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) of Canada. Titled, “Building CAPACIty for Pediatric Diabetes Research and Quality Improvement Across Canada”,…
Researchers working to learn from the COVID pandemic and prepare for emerging global pathogens A $500,000 grant will fuel a project to research improvements in detecting potentially pandemic pathogens in the region of North America’s busiest border crossing. “It makes sense to be prepared” when it comes to the possibility of a new pathogen or new COVID variant infecting people in Windsor-Essex, says Kenneth Ng, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry. That is why Dr. Ng joined seven fellow UWindsor researchers from various disciplines on a project to improve the surveillance and detection of new potentially harmful pathogens and to develop a flexible framework for dealing with challenges from future pandemics. “To meet the urgent challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, our group rapidly established a surveillance-based informative framework combining saliva-based PCR screening, wastewater testing, pathogen genome sequencing and a real-time dashboard to efficiently communicate information to decision-makers and the community,” says Ng, principal investigator on the…
April think tank session to spark research collaborations in public health The April WE-Spark Think Tank is looking to hear from community partners to help address real problems. Do you like to discuss new ideas? Solve problems? Make new connections? Then WE-Spark Think Tanks are for you. The April 21 event will begin with an update on local health research activities and new funding opportunities, followed by an overview of three projects that are looking for creative input, and breakout sessions: Integrating Health Equity and Population Health Approaches in Windsor and Essex County, Darcie Renaud and Kristy McBeth, Windsor-Essex County Health Unit Predictive Modelling for Food-borne Illness in Windsor and Essex County using ACES data, Ramsey D’Souza, Windsor-Essex County Health Unit Drug Checking Services in Windsor and Essex County, Eric Nadalin and Gordon Thane, Windsor-Essex County Health Unit This discussion is looking to hear from community partners in health care, industry, public health, etc., to help address real problems needing to be solved. WE-Spark…
Next Great Big Ideas with Dr. Lisa Porter The Next Great Big Ideas (NGBIdeas) Podcast - the people, ideas and future of Canada’s Life Sciences community Who are today’s visionaries and tomorrow’s leaders in Canada’s Life Sciences sector? What are they doing and how did they get there? Jim Wilson sits down with notable leaders, innovators and disruptors who are working on the Next Great Big Ideas in Biotech, Genetics, Medtech and Life Sciences. Dr. Lisa Porter, executive director WE-SPARK Health Institute shares shares her perspective on the growing life sciences sector in Windsor Essex. "As Dr. Porter points out, if you're part of Canada's life sciences sector and you do not have Windsor on your radar, you should." Listen here.
Event to support health innovation in Windsor/Essex The April 20 “Cheers to Hope” event will raise funds for WE-SPARK Health Institute research grants to support innovation across Windsor-Essex. WE-Spark grants bring together experts from its five partner institutions — the University of Windsor, Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, and Windsor Regional Hospital — as well as collaborators across the Windsor-Essex region, Canada, and internationally. “Every year, we are amazed and excited at the volume of applications we receive. But each competition we have had to leave great projects without support due to lack of funds available,” says executive director Lisa Porter, a professor of biomedical sciences. “Our goal this year is to raise $300,000 in order to support the projects that are seeking funding.” Since its launch in 2020, the institute has awarded 67 grants totaling over $1.1 million with researchers across diverse disciplines and areas of expertise. Examples include improving…
