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 learn what is happening locally, make connections and help your research idea move forward, all in an informal and enjoyable atmosphere. The next event will be held July 5, 5-8pm. Contact WE-SPARK for location information. No RSVP is required. WE-SPARK Health Institute is a partnership of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, the University of Windsor and Windsor Regional Hospital designed to take healthcare to the next level through research.
Windsor researcher earns grant money for breast cancer UWindsor professUniversity of Windsor professor Lisa Porter is shown on campus on Feb. 25, 2019. PHOTO BY DAN JANISSE /Windsor Star UWindsor professor and cancer researcher Lisa Porter was one of six recipients of new grant money from the Breast Cancer Society of Canada (BCSC). Researchers from across Canada were invited to submit projects last December for funding consideration in 2022 and beyond. BCSC recently announced $350,000 in grants for precision oncology research. Porter received $25,000 for her ongoing research into treatments. In February 2021, the World Health Organization stated breast cancer was the most diagnosed cancer worldwide. It’s anticipated that approximately 28,000 Canadians will be diagnosed this year. The breast cancer research projects that were selected for funding will aim to advance screening, detection, precision oncology and patient reported outcomes, enhancing care for Canadians with breast cancer. “Research has shown us that there are more…
Smart Beach arrives in our community: reflections on a successful launch L-R: Doug Kennedy, Municipality of Kincardine; Becky Smith, NII; Dr. Chris Houser, University of Windsor; Kara Van Myall, MIC Chair Photo courtesy: Nuclear Innovation Institute Lake Huron was enticingly still, and the different shades of blue rivalled the Caribbean as a slow, warm southern breeze swirled along the shore. Which was a huge relief after I’d been incessantly checking the weather for the past two weeks and saw the forecast flip-flop from rainy, cold and damp weather to finally, sunshine and 22 degrees! Smart Beach takes over the airwaves We couldn’t have asked for a better day for the launch of the Smart Beach project in partnership with the MIC member municipalities. I had the pleasure of MC-ing the event, which featured our speakers: Doug Kennedy, Councillor, Municipality of Kincardine; Dr. Chris Houser, Dean of Environment, University of Windsor and lead researcher of the Smart Beach project; and Kara Van Myall, CAO of Saugeen Shores and Chair of the MIC. It’s…
Video showcases health research environment in Windsor/Essex A new video from WE-Spark Health Institute carries the message that research changes lives. A new video highlighting the Windsor-Essex health research environment carries the message that research changes lives. The WE-Spark Health Institute debuted the video to an audience of more than 130 people during its fundraising reception “Cheers to Hope,” April 27 at the Essex Golf and Country Club. It features local experts and students across the institute’s four partner institutions — the University of Windsor, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, and Windsor Regional Hospital — and thanks supporters for making a difference. “Our research projects have already attracted national and international funding to our region and are bringing cutting-edge infrastructure,” said executive director Lisa Porter, a professor of biomedical sciences. “World-class research helps to attract and retain the best and brightest, fuels our local economy, and improves health outcomes…
Health research collaboration meeting set for June 10 Do you like to discuss new ideas? Solve problems? Make new connections? Then considering joining the WE-Spark Health Institute for a think tank session Friday, June 10. The event will feature an overview of three projects: Building International Collaborations to Support Better Health Outcomes in Developing Countries Indryas Woldie, Windsor Regional Hospital Marked for Destruction - Targeting Ubiquitination for Understanding Cancers and Drug Discovery Yufeng Tong, University of Windsor Measuring Arithmetic Ability to Track Clinical Recovery in Traumatic Brain Injury Retage Al-Bader and Balraj Jhawar, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry - Windsor Campus and Windsor Regional Hospital All disciplines and expertise are welcome to participate, including students. The WE-Spark Health Institute hosts bi-monthly sessions. Click here to register for the June event, which will run 1 to 3:30 p.m. WE-Spark Health Institute is a partnership of the University of Windsor, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare,…
Article offers advice to entrepreneurs on developing psychological resistance Psychological resilience is a key personal resource and competitive advantage for entrepreneurs. Like building muscle, building psychological resilience takes time, effort, and the right technique, says management professor Kyle Brykman. He and co-authors describe five ways entrepreneurs can become more psychologically resilient in an article published Wednesday in the Conversation, which shares news and views from the academic and research community. Cultivate a growth- or learning-orientated mindset. Adopting a healthy mindset about adversity can change how you respond to inevitable bumps in the road. Proactively learn from others. Invest time in reading about how other entrepreneurs overcame adversity while launching and accelerating a business. Develop strong social support networks. Social support is critical to overcoming adversity. Find people and organizations you can lean on. Focus on your core strengths and capabilities to achieve success. Passion is the fuel that keeps…
Student researchers win national funding to create human tissue models Omotayo Gbadamosi is working to develop a miniature human brain tissue model to advance diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Two graduate students are trying to solve medical mysteries by using the latest in animal-free testing technologies. Omotayo Gbadamosi (BSc 2021) and Jessica Szawara (BSc 2021) each received a Canadian Institute of Health Research Canada Graduate Scholarship - Master’s Program for their health research proposals. They are using a 3D bioprinter to create miniature versions of human organs to emulate human disease in a Petri dish. Szawara is researching new ways to assess the effects on human health of inhaled chemicals. She is working in the Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods (CCAAM) to develop and validate a 3D-bioprinted human lung tissue model they have dubbed “lung-in-a-dish” to test the toxicity of chemicals in consumer products such as cosmetics and personal care items, household cleaners, and pesticides. “We are using the latest in…
WE-SPARK Health Institute Releases Quarterly Report WE-SPARK Health Institute has released its 4th quarter report, highlighting key accomplishments from February – April 2022, wrapping up its third year. Highlights include: • added 54 new members for total of 860 members; • doubled its Student Volunteer Network to 54 students, logging over 800 hours this quarter; • launched a local grant competition with 30 Letter of Intent submissions; • hosted two think tanks with 86 participants. Highlighted success from past think tank presenters including $432,000 in grant funding; • increased active users of REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) platform by 20%, with over 10,000 records / participants, up 26% from Q3; • facilitated four adjunct appointments in the Department of Biomedical Sciences University of Windsor to support local physicians and healthcare providers to build their research programs; • hosted “Cheers to Hope” event to feature local research and raise support…
Project to train nurses to cope with heath-care crisis Reports of nurses leaving the profession during the pandemic due to burnout and overall distress was the impetus for a UWindsor-led research project that will develop a course to psychologically prepare nursing students for work in hospitals during health-care crises. Photo by Cedric Fauntleroy/Pexels. A new research project out of the University of Windsor aims to ensure nursing graduates have the extra psychological preparation they need to work in hospitals during health-care crises. Flowing from interviews with local nurses during the pandemic, the project will yield a 10-week training program for senior nursing students. It will first be offered at the UWindsor Faculty of Nursing, then rolled out at the University of Ottawa and Queen’s University. The pandemic has decimated the nursing profession, said psychology professor Dana Ménard, the lead researcher on the project. Dr. Ménard, fellow psychology professor Kendall Soucie, and nursing professors Laurie Freeman and Jody Ralph,…
