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WE-SPARK Health Institute Releases Quarterly Report WE-SPARK Health Institute has released its Year 5, 2nd quarter report highlighting key accomplishments from August 2023 – October 2023: continued to grow the WindsorEssex research ecosystem with a total of 1,146 members, adding 225 from Q2 2021-22; WE-SPARK members attracted $4.7M in new funding, and produced 15 publications; increased the number of active RedCap users to 258, a data sharing platform for research studies; hosted five events and workshops focused on researcher networking and health research innovation; a total of 65 student volunteers worked with WE-SPARK staff supporting research activities, knowledge translation and community events, logging 3,550 hours and reaching over 1,485 participants; and completed its next 5 year Strategic Plan. Read the Report here. WE-SPARK quarterly reports communicate outcomes and provide accountability to its members and the Windsor-Essex community. All reports can be found on our website. WE-SPARK Health Institute is supported by an…
December 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 December 7th 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.
Grant to fund exploration of causes of blood cancers Biomedical sciences professor Brian DeVeale (fourth from left) received support for his research from the Katelyn Bedard Bone Marrow Association and representatives Joanne Bedard, Sonya Cottrell, Nicholle Kuzniak, Bryan Bedard, and Andrew Kidd. By developing a technique to measure how long it takes each cell type in the bloodstream to divide, Brian DeVeale hopes to reveal cancer-causing mechanisms. An assistant professor of biomedical sciences, he will begin “Defining relative cell cycle lengths in mixed cell populations,” after receiving a one-year $25,000 WE-Spark Igniting Discovery grant funded by the Katelyn Bedard Bone Marrow Association. “I’m extremely grateful,” says Dr. DeVeale.“We can’t do what I believe will be high-impact early stage research without this kind of support.” The plan is to develop a technique to measure the cell cycle length of all cell types in the human bloodstream, and then use it to detect and dissect molecular stages of transformation. “Despite…
Project adds diversity to human anatomy images Kinesiology professor Dave Andrews has teamed up with researchers at the University of Calgary to build a repository of illustrations and videos that better represent the diversity of humans, including people of different ages, sexes, body compositions, skin tones, and more. Open an anatomy textbook and any illustrations you find will mostly depict fit, young, white males. The University of Windsor’s Dave Andrews and the University of Calgary’s Heather Jamniczky want to change that. The professors are leading a project they call the Anatomy Video and Imagery Diversity project, or AVID for short. AVID is building an open-access repository of videos and anatomical illustrations showcasing the diversity of humans, including different ages, sexes, body compositions, skin tones, and hair colours and styles. People with amputations, prosthetics, tattoos, and piercings will also be portrayed. The images can be used in science, kinesiology, nursing, and medical programs, and for other non-commercial…
Conference shares advancements in health research WE-Spark Health Institute attracted more than 300 attendees to its health research conference, Nov. 4 at Caesars Windsor. More than 300 people networked and discussed the latest health research advancements at the WE-Spark Health Institute’s 2023 Health Research conference, held Nov. 4 at Caesars Windsor. Health researchers, clinicians, students, and trainees from the Windsor-Essex health research community came together to learn from local and international experts and innovators to discuss, collaborate, and deepen their knowledge of the latest research advancements. The second annual conference featured more than 100 research posters and 51 oral presentations from experts representing diverse health research areas. WE-Spark Health Institute introduced the innovative “Lived Experience Accelerating Research kNowledge” (LEARN) program aimed to foster increased engagement between individuals with lived experience and research partners, encouraging meaningful collaboration to accelerate…
Research project aims to safeguard Great Lakes and your drinking water from harmful toxins Saad Jasim an adjunct professor at the University of Windsor preparing for a new research project to prevent certain toxins from entering the drinking water supply in Windsor, Ont. Rising global temperatures are causing harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes which can lead to the emergence of three toxins in the water, according to the past president of the International Ozone Association. Saad Jasim, an adjunct professor at the University of Windsor, is preparing for a new research project to prevent these toxins from entering the drinking water supply. The project involves taking water samples from the Detroit River, ozonating them, and analyzing them to check for levels of microcystins, anatoxins, and cylindrospermopsis. Microcystins and cylindrospermopsins can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, inflammation, pneumonia, kidney damage, and potential tumor growth. Ingesting high amounts of anatoxins can lead to numbness, drowsiness, incoherent speech, respiratory paralysis, and…
Scientists working to secure access to research technology Mario Campana (third from left), a scientist at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, meets with UWindsor students Omotayo Gbadamosi, Maks Dziura, and Stuart Castillo at its facility in Oxfordshire, U.K. Drew Marquardt is travelling around the world trying to get Canadian researchers access to neutron scattering technology. Neutron beams help analyze materials on the smallest scales to provide information that would be impossible to find out any other way. Canada’s last source of neutrons closed in 2018, and since then, Dr. Marquardt — acting head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry — has been rustling up agreements and plans to get Canadian users access to highly coveted facilities. “These activities will help the Canadian community overall,” he says. Most recently, he was given a leadership role and asked to contribute to a United States Congress report. In late October, Marquardt, president of the Canadian Institute for Neutron Scattering, went to Washington, D.C.…
Coating shows promise in fighting bacteria Post-doctoral researcher Abhinandan (Ronnie) Banerjee is part of a team exploring an antimicrobial coating. An odourless antimicrobial coating invented in a UWindsor lab shows promise to neutralize bacteria in its tracks. Scientists in chemistry and biochemistry professor John Trant’s team brainstormed the product during the early days of the pandemic. Senior post-doctoral researcher Abhinandan (Ronnie) Banerjee says the combination of materials is physically damaging to bacteria in such a way that antibiotic resistance will not develop. “We were looking at research opportunities to develop materials that cleanse surfaces with the idea that you apply something once and don’t worry about it for a number of days versus bleach, which you have to constantly wipe,” says Dr. Banerjee. They combined ionic liquids, compounds completely composed of ions with a melting point below 100°C, and copper nanoparticles. “I realized they were structurally similar to surfactants like soap and…
November 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 November 2nd 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.
