Health institute seeking presenters for think tank sessions WE-Spark Health Institute invites health-care researchers and professionals to present at its upcoming 2022 Think Tanks. WE-Spark Health Institute is inviting researchers and health-care professionals to present at its upcoming 2022 Think Tanks. Think tanks provide the perfect forum for people to share their health research problems and ideas and get help moving them forward. An excellent opportunity for those who want to connect with other experts in the field, get a community perspective, find collaborators, or explore funding opportunities. Presenters are provided with everything they need. The institute’s staff will help to layout their pitch, invite specific people to inform the discussion, and provide a facilitator and note taker for the breakout rooms. Presenters are offered support to follow up on action items and get their research projects off the ground. Think tanks are held every other month on Friday afternoons. View the results of past Think Tanks, and the 2022 schedule,…
Grant program offers undergrads research experience Alma Tamim will now be paid for her work in Prof. Ofelia Jianu’s I-FuELs laboratory, thanks to the Undergraduate Research Experience grant program funded through UWindsor’s Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation. Alma Tamim began her engineering education with a specific interest in next-generation energy. She said she felt lucky to be welcomed into professor Ofelia Jianu’s Intelligent Fuels and Energy Laboratory (I-FuELs) as a volunteer. Now that she’s getting paid, she is ecstatic. Tamim will be compensated through one of 11 Undergraduate Research Experience (URE) grants awarded by the University this year. Each professor awarded a URE grant receives $2,000 in support of a project that will train undergraduate researchers. “I’m thankful for this grant because everyone in the lab is always saying they feel badly asking me for stuff — they don’t want to take advantage of a volunteer,” she said. “Now they don’t have to feel uncomfortable, and maybe…
Local Cancer Program Aims to have Stem Cell Transplants Closer to Home The Windsor Regional Hospital Cancer Program is hoping to expand one of its programs to assist and treat patients with blood cancer diagnoses. The Complex Malignant Hematology (CMH) Program has evolved over many years but the increase in the number of diagnosed patients is reinforcing the need to have an ‘all-inclusive’ program in Windsor that includes the patient’s preparation, treatment, and recovery. Treatment may include stem cell transplants using the patient’s own stem cells (Autologous Stem Cell Transplant) or a donor’s stem cells (Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant) which currently takes place in London or Hamilton. The preparation and part of the recovery currently take place in Windsor. “We’ve come a long way and a key pillar for this program is care close to home,” says Director of the Windsor Regional Hospital Cancer Program Nicole Sbrocca. Initially, patients had to travel to other centres in Michigan to receive the life-saving stem cell transplants forcing them…
Researchers at UWindsor discover a COVID-19 outbreak with wastewater testing Researchers at the University of Windsor discovered a COVID outbreak at one of their on-campus residences. They did it by testing the building's waste water. Listen to CBC Radio's Tony Doucette's interview with Dr. Mike McKay:
New position responsible for science student experience Dora Cavallo-Medved is the acting associate dean of science for student and faculty engagement. The student experience is a top priority for the Faculty of Science, which is why it has created a new associate dean position for student and faculty engagement. “We want to create an environment for students that is welcoming, supportive and inclusive, and the engagement of both faculty and students in this process is essential for this to be successful,” says biomedical science professor Dora Cavallo-Medved, acting associate dean of science for student and faculty engagement. “My goal is to provide active engagement opportunities and transformative experiences that will help build our students’ transferable skills in leadership, collaboration, communication, and management — while they build technical skills in the classroom, labs, and field.” The position will be responsible for developing, co-ordinating, and promoting student and faculty participation in high-impact learning…
Opiate research could lead to better pain management Biochemistry professor Kenneth Ng is studying a naturally occurring enzyme in poppy plants in the hope of developing new medical compounds. A UWindsor biochemistry professor is on a quest to discover new medicinal compounds by studying an enzyme occurring naturally in the poppy plant. Kenneth Ng is working with a research team from the University of Calgary, where he is an adjunct professor, to better understand how natural opiates are formed. The team, which includes PhD student Sam Carr and a research group led by professor Peter Facchini, has narrowed its focus to one enzyme. This enzyme is responsible for the last step in the production of the opiate codeine and what the team learns about it could be used to develop new painkillers and other drugs. “There is a really rich diversity of applications for these compounds,” Dr. Ng said. “This structure gives information, not just about opioid biosynthesis, but also for the production of natural products that include other classes…
Project aims at effective online tests for aging memories Coming up with effective online tools to test the cognitive health of aging adults is the goal of a new research project led by a UWindsor psychology professor. Neuropsychologist Kristoffer Romero is using online testing to reach populations often left out of scientific studies. He is hoping to recruit 200 adults aged 55 or older to take an online questionnaire that asks about your concerns and attitudes toward your cognitive abilities, and tests things like memory, attention, and your ability to multi-task. “Neuropsychological assessment is the gold standard for cognitive testing, but it’s not always available for people in Windsor and Essex County,” said Dr. Romero. “These assessments are not readily available for older adults living in rural regions and may have lower accuracy with racialized groups.” Romero said the COVID pandemic got him and fellow psychology professor Renée Biss thinking about new ways to provide such services. “Usually cognitive assessments like IQ…
Webinar intended to boost confidence in vaccine safety and efficacy An online event Thursday, Dec. 2, aims to answer questions from local young adults and overcome their hesitancy to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Sparking Vaccine Confidence among Students of Windsor-Essex will feature a panel that includes a science expert, a frontline worker, and students from the University of Windsor and St. Clair College. Biomedical sciences professor Dora Cavallo-Medved, lead researcher on the Students Igniting Vaccine Confidence Program, touts the approach of having students reach out to understand the motivators and barriers of those averse to vaccination. “Our team of students have taken the lead to identify reasons why students and young adults in our region are hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine and are developing evidence-based strategies to educate and empower this target population,” she says. “Through student-led discussions, they hope to address some of these hesitancies and build confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines by sharing their own experiences.”…
Study to focus on cancer patients in the workplace If you break a leg, there is a very good chance your workplace is going to do what it can to allow you to keep working, within reason of course. But what if you have cancer? Things can really differ from one workplace to another. A team of researchers at the University of Windsor is trying to get a handle on that. Listen to the November 29, 2021 CBC Radio interview with Debbie Kane, Acting Dean of Graduate Studies, University of Windsor: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-106/clip/15881331 Related: (Published November 29, 2019) Accommodating cancer patients and survivors in the workplace is the focus of a new study led by UWindsor nursing professor Debbie Kane. Dr. Kane has teamed up with psychology professor Kathryn Lafreniere, nursing professor emerita Dale Rajacich, and Windsor Regional Cancer Centre oncologist Caroline Hamm to survey 300 local workers who have undergone cancer treatment or are currently in treatment. They want to gauge the impact of employment on cancer patients’…
