ucalgary medicine magazine spring / summer 2014
DESCRIPTION
ÂTRANSCRIPT
01
On the Rhode to greatness Vol. 5 / Issue 3Exchange program welcomesstudents from China
UCalgary
MEDICINEFACULTY OF MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 2014
Here are the stories of a bunch of students...
DEPARTMENTS
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN 2
RESEARCH
What is a heart attack? 14 Deep impact 16 It’s in the air 24
ALUMNI
Faculty of Medicine alumni shine at Mount Royal University 18
Alumna dedicated to global health 19
EDUCATION
On the Rhode to greatness 20
Resident embraces life changes 26
SERVICE TO SOCIETY
Local media have him on speed dial during flu season 23
NEWS
In the news 27
Awards and recognition 28
In the community 29
SPRING / SUMMER 2014
UCALGARY MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 2014
EDUCATION
Exchange program welcomes students from China 3
FEATURES
PHILANTHROPY
Donors contribute to lymphedema research 7
EDUCATION
Here are the stories of a bunch of students... 9
Look for this icon for more content found exclusively online at
medicine.ucalgary.ca/magazine
WANT MORE?
VOLUME 5 | ISSUE 3
UCalgary Medicine is published two times a year by the University
of Calgary Faculty of Medicine, providing news and information for and
about our faculty, staff, alumni, students, friends and community.
For more information contact:
MANAGING EDITOR
Kathryn Kazoleas
T 403.220.2232
EDITORIAL TEAM
Jordanna Heller, Director, Communications and Media Relations
Marta Cyperling, Manager, Media Relations
Amy Dowd, Manager, Internal Relations
Amanda Fisher, Communications Coordinator
Aisling Gamble, Communications Advisor, Events and Recognition
DEAN
Dr. Jon Meddings
VICE-DEAN
Dr. Glenda MacQueen
SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEANS
Dr. Gerald Zamponi, Research
Dr. Jocelyn Lockyer, Education
Dr. Ronald Bridges, Faculty Affairs
ASSOCIATE DEANS
Dr. Ebba Kurz, Undergraduate Science Education
Dr. Bruce Wright, Undergraduate Medical Education
Dr. Jennifer Hatfield, Global Health and International Partnerships
Dr. Doug L. Myhre, Distributed Learning and Rural Initiatives
Dr. Maureen Topps, Postgraduate Medical Education
Dr. Tara Beattie, Graduate Science Education
Dr. Lara Cooke, Continuing Medical Education and Professional Development
Dr. Ray Turner, Research Grants
Dr. Michael Hill, Clinical Trials
Dr. Janet de Groot, Equity and Professionalism
Dr. Kamala Patel, Faculty Development
Dr. Paul Schnetkamp, Research Infrastructure
Dr. Samuel Wiebe, Clinical Research
DESIGN
Combine Design & Communications
PHOTOGRAPHY AND ILLUSTRATIONS
Swathi Damarju, Amanda Fisher, Janice Heard, Trudie Lee,
Live Love Laugh Photography, Ricky Leong (Foter) James May,
Jon Meddings, Don Molyneaux, Bruce Perrault, RCMP,
Dan Roycroft, Kathy Youssef, Hude Quan
CONTENTS
FREE COPY / ALUMNI UPDATE
To receive a free copy of UCalgary Medicine
please call 403.220.2819 or email
The Faculty of Medicine is commited to staying in
touch with our alumni. Please update your contact
information at our website alumni.ucalgary.ca
(CLICK ON “UPDATE YOUR INFO”)
FACULTY OF MEDICINE ALUMNI
FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE:
Dr. Carolyn Emery, Dr. Cy Frank, Dr. Aravind
Ganesh, Dr. Bill Ghali, Dr. Michael Hill, Dr. Vera
Krejcik, Dr. Brent Mitchell
ON THE COVER
Here are the stories
of a bunch of students…
PM Agreement No. 41095528
Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to:University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine,
Communications and Media Relations
7th Floor, TRW Building 3280 Hospital Drive NW
Calgary, Alberta T2N 4Z6
On the Rhode to greatness Vol. 5 / Issue 3Exchange program welcomesstudents from China
UCalgary
MEDICINEFACULTY OF MEDICINE
SPRING / SUMMER 2014
Here are the stories of a bunch of students...
DEPARTMENTS
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN 2
RESEARCH
What is a heart attack? 14Deep impact 16It’s in the air 24
ALUMNI
Faculty of Medicine alumni shine at Mount Royal University 18
Alumna dedicated to global health 19
EDUCATION
On the Rhode to greatness 20
Resident embraces life changes 26
SERVICE TO SOCIETY
Local media have him on speed dial during flu season 23
NEWS
In the news 27
Awards and recognition 28
In the community 29
SPRING / SUMMER 2014
UCALGARY MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 2014
EDUCATION
Exchange program welcomes students from China 3
FEATURES
PHILANTHROPY
Donors contribute to lymphedema research 7
EDUCATION
Here are the stories of a bunch of students... 9
Look for this icon for more content found exclusively online at
medicine.ucalgary.ca/magazine
WANT MORE?
VOLUME 5 | ISSUE 3
UCalgary Medicine is published two times a year by the University
of Calgary Faculty of Medicine, providing news and information for and
about our faculty, staff, alumni, students, friends and community.
For more information contact:
MANAGING EDITOR
Kathryn Kazoleas
T 403.220.2232
EDITORIAL TEAM
Jordanna Heller, Director, Communications and Media Relations
Marta Cyperling, Manager, Media Relations
Amy Dowd, Manager, Internal Relations
Amanda Fisher, Communications Coordinator
Aisling Gamble, Communications Advisor, Events and Recognition
DEAN
Dr. Jon Meddings
VICE-DEAN
Dr. Glenda MacQueen
SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEANS
Dr. Gerald Zamponi, Research
Dr. Jocelyn Lockyer, Education
Dr. Ronald Bridges, Faculty Affairs
ASSOCIATE DEANS
Dr. Ebba Kurz, Undergraduate Science Education
Dr. Bruce Wright, Undergraduate Medical Education
Dr. Jennifer Hatfield, Global Health and International Partnerships
Dr. Doug L. Myhre, Distributed Learning and Rural Initiatives
Dr. Maureen Topps, Postgraduate Medical Education
Dr. Tara Beattie, Graduate Science Education
Dr. Lara Cooke, Continuing Medical Education and Professional Development
Dr. Ray Turner, Research Grants
Dr. Michael Hill, Clinical Trials
Dr. Janet de Groot, Equity and Professionalism
Dr. Kamala Patel, Faculty Development
Dr. Paul Schnetkamp, Research Infrastructure
Dr. Samuel Wiebe, Clinical Research
DESIGN
Combine Design & Communications
PHOTOGRAPHY AND ILLUSTRATIONS
Swathi Damarju, Amanda Fisher, Janice Heard, Trudie Lee,
Live Love Laugh Photography, Ricky Leong (Foter) James May,
Jon Meddings, Don Molyneaux, Bruce Perrault, RCMP,
Dan Roycroft, Kathy Youssef, Hude Quan
CONTENTS
FREE COPY / ALUMNI UPDATE
To receive a free copy of UCalgary Medicine
please call 403.220.2819 or email
The Faculty of Medicine is commited to staying in
touch with our alumni. Please update your contact
information at our website alumni.ucalgary.ca
(CLICK ON “UPDATE YOUR INFO”)
FACULTY OF MEDICINE ALUMNI
FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE:
Dr. Carolyn Emery, Dr. Cy Frank, Dr. Aravind
Ganesh, Dr. Bill Ghali, Dr. Michael Hill, Dr. Vera
Krejcik, Dr. Brent Mitchell
ON THE COVER
Here are the stories
of a bunch of students…
PM Agreement No. 41095528
Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to:University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine,
Communications and Media Relations
7th Floor, TRW Building 3280 Hospital Drive NW
Calgary, Alberta T2N 4Z6
On the Rhode to greatness Vol. 5 / Issue 3Exchange program welcomesstudents from China
UCalgary
MEDICINEFACULTY OF MEDICINE
SPRING / SUMMER 2014
Here are the stories of a bunch of students...
3
Message from the Dean
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
Once again it’s been an exciting winter term here at the Faculty of Medicine, and you may see the word ‘proud’ on more than one occasionin this message.
A number of faculty and former faculty
members were recently named to the
Order of Canada, this country’s highest
civilian honour. On behalf of the Faculty
of Medicine, I congratulate Drs. Ewan
Affl eck, Mortan Doran, and Catherine
Hankins, and I would like to extend
those congratulations to our friend
and long-time supporter Joan Snyder,
the namesake of our Snyder Institute
for Chronic Diseases. The contributions
to education, research and service to
society made by our members and
by our community of donors are a
constant source of pride and cannot
be understated. You are all part of
helping us create the future of health.
I have always marveled at the incredible
potential and commitment to excellence
demonstrated by our students. In December
2013, that commitment was recognized
with one of the most prestigious and
competitive awards in the world—and not
just once, but twice. The University of
Calgary is the only university in Canada that
can boast two 2014 Rhodes Scholars, and
they’re both from the Faculty of Medicine.
Aravind Ganesh, a second-year
neurology resident and MD alumni, and
Yan Yu, a third-year medical student,
were named two of Canada’s 11 recipients.
These exceptionally bright and talented
young men will both travel to Oxford
University in the fall to carry out further
studies to advance their medical education.
We look forward to hearing all about their
experiences and couldn’t be more proud
to call them our own.
Our new faculty-wide Clinical Research
Unit (CRU) has opened its doors, so to
speak, extending its services to researchers
across the health-care continuum. Capable
of supporting data management for a
large variety of health research endeavours,
the CRU ultimately aims to streamline
clinical research within the faculty. As the
custodian of a variety of large and complex
data resources, the CRU is already being
utilized by over 400 researchers within
the faculty.
In continued support of the state-of-
the-art research underway at the Faculty
of Medicine, the Canadian Institutes of
Health Research (CIHR) announced funding
for 19 concussion-related research
projects across Canada in November,
with a focus on improving the prevention,
diagnosis and treatment of these injuries
in children and youth. Three Calgary
projects, led by researchers Carolyn
Emery, Karen Barlow and Garnette
Sutherland received funding totaling
nearly $2.5 million. Their combined
contributions to this vital fi eld of research
will continue to impact the prevention
and treatment of concussion and other
brain injuries now and into the future.
Finally, 2014 is a milestone year
for two of our seven research institutes.
The Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Libin
Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta are
celebrating their 10-year anniversaries.
These two institutes have worked tirelessly
to put Calgary on the map in terms of
brain and mental health research and
cardiac care and research respectively.
As such, these anniversaries are a wonderful
opportunity to recognize the remarkable
efforts of our researchers, clinicians and
trainees. They are also an opportunity to
acknowledge the progress made by our
research engines—our institutes—uniting
our strengths in basic, translational and
clinical research to improve patient care
here in Calgary and throughout southern
Alberta. I’m looking forward to marking
these anniversaries with a nostalgic look
back and an enthusiastic look ahead.
I hope you enjoy this issue of UCalgary
Medicine, and through the stories
contained within, feel equally proud
to be a part of this community.
Jon Meddings, MDDean, Faculty of Medicine
University of Calgary Exchange program welcomes students from China By Kathryn Kazoleas
Originally from Harbin Medical University in China, Dr. Yang Yang
is a gynecological surgeon. With a special focus on ovarian cancer,
her research at her home institution focuses on the effi cacy of new
therapeutic drugs and surgery in patients with metastatic ovarian
cancer (ovarian cancer that has spread to other parts of the body).
Recognizing the value basic research could contribute to her clinical
research, Yang successfully applied to the University of Calgary
Faculty of Medicine’s student exchange program—one of many
ongoing initiatives between the faculty and China.
EDUCATION
3
Message from the Dean
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
Once again it’s been an exciting winter term here at the Faculty of Medicine, and you may see the word ‘proud’ on more than one occasionin this message.
A number of faculty and former faculty
members were recently named to the
Order of Canada, this country’s highest
civilian honour. On behalf of the Faculty
of Medicine, I congratulate Drs. Ewan
Affl eck, Mortan Doran, and Catherine
Hankins, and I would like to extend
those congratulations to our friend
and long-time supporter Joan Snyder,
the namesake of our Snyder Institute
for Chronic Diseases. The contributions
to education, research and service to
society made by our members and
by our community of donors are a
constant source of pride and cannot
be understated. You are all part of
helping us create the future of health.
I have always marveled at the incredible
potential and commitment to excellence
demonstrated by our students. In December
2013, that commitment was recognized
with one of the most prestigious and
competitive awards in the world—and not
just once, but twice. The University of
Calgary is the only university in Canada that
can boast two 2014 Rhodes Scholars, and
they’re both from the Faculty of Medicine.
Aravind Ganesh, a second-year
neurology resident and MD alumni, and
Yan Yu, a third-year medical student,
were named two of Canada’s 11 recipients.
These exceptionally bright and talented
young men will both travel to Oxford
University in the fall to carry out further
studies to advance their medical education.
We look forward to hearing all about their
experiences and couldn’t be more proud
to call them our own.
Our new faculty-wide Clinical Research
Unit (CRU) has opened its doors, so to
speak, extending its services to researchers
across the health-care continuum. Capable
of supporting data management for a
large variety of health research endeavours,
the CRU ultimately aims to streamline
clinical research within the faculty. As the
custodian of a variety of large and complex
data resources, the CRU is already being
utilized by over 400 researchers within
the faculty.
In continued support of the state-of-
the-art research underway at the Faculty
of Medicine, the Canadian Institutes of
Health Research (CIHR) announced funding
for 19 concussion-related research
projects across Canada in November,
with a focus on improving the prevention,
diagnosis and treatment of these injuries
in children and youth. Three Calgary
projects, led by researchers Carolyn
Emery, Karen Barlow and Garnette
Sutherland received funding totaling
nearly $2.5 million. Their combined
contributions to this vital fi eld of research
will continue to impact the prevention
and treatment of concussion and other
brain injuries now and into the future.
Finally, 2014 is a milestone year
for two of our seven research institutes.
The Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Libin
Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta are
celebrating their 10-year anniversaries.
These two institutes have worked tirelessly
to put Calgary on the map in terms of
brain and mental health research and
cardiac care and research respectively.
As such, these anniversaries are a wonderful
opportunity to recognize the remarkable
efforts of our researchers, clinicians and
trainees. They are also an opportunity to
acknowledge the progress made by our
research engines—our institutes—uniting
our strengths in basic, translational and
clinical research to improve patient care
here in Calgary and throughout southern
Alberta. I’m looking forward to marking
these anniversaries with a nostalgic look
back and an enthusiastic look ahead.
I hope you enjoy this issue of UCalgary
Medicine, and through the stories
contained within, feel equally proud
to be a part of this community.
Jon Meddings, MDDean, Faculty of Medicine
University of Calgary Exchange program welcomes students from China By Kathryn Kazoleas
Originally from Harbin Medical University in China, Dr. Yang Yang
is a gynecological surgeon. With a special focus on ovarian cancer,
her research at her home institution focuses on the effi cacy of new
therapeutic drugs and surgery in patients with metastatic ovarian
cancer (ovarian cancer that has spread to other parts of the body).
Recognizing the value basic research could contribute to her clinical
research, Yang successfully applied to the University of Calgary
Faculty of Medicine’s student exchange program—one of many
ongoing initiatives between the faculty and China.
EDUCATION
5MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
She hypothesizes that her research will show the
ING factor will be able to inhibit the EMT process,
and says that the skills she is learning while testing
that hypothesis are invaluable.
“This knowledge of basic science will complement
the human aspect of my work,” she says. “When I
return to China, the processes I use and my research
skills will have improved.”
As part of the exchange, Yang has also been
participating in lectures and seminars related to her
fi eld of study, and she says she is happily adapting to
the differences in educational delivery she is receiving.
“In China we are used to listening and following
the teachers, but here the professors encourage you
to ask questions,” she says, adding that she believes
it’s a cultural fear of making mistakes and asking ‘silly’
questions that prevents the same behaviour at home.
“I really like that you can say what you want
here and that you don’t have to be afraid of
making mistakes.”
The program, which takes four to fi ve years to
complete, currently has 10 Chinese students enrolled,
with the hopes of expanding to 50 in the coming
years—a goal that will require the participation of
many faculty supervisors as well as increased funding
(a fundraising initiative was recently launched).
Although the program is administered through the
Faculty of Medicine with students researching a
diverse spectrum of topics including cancer biology,
bioinformatics and developmental biology, the
initiative is multidisciplinary and multi-faculty;
for example, two students are currently studying
with supervisors in the Faculty of Science.
Dr. Hallgrimur Benediktsson, assistant dean,
global health and capacity building, says the
long-term vision for the program is to build a
strong network of collaborators between the
University of Calgary and China.
“China has a wealth of materials, infrastructure
and a large patient population, and we have a lot of
highly skilled researchers,” he says. “By sharing our
knowledge and having access to their resources,
we hope that more research opportunities will be
generated and more multi-faceted opportunities
for collaboration are created.
“The expansion of our program can only happen
when we have more awareness by our faculty.
Supervisors who are already involved in supervising
Chinese students not enrolled in the program may
fi nd a benefi t to both themselves and their students
to enter into this exchange program,” he says.
As part of a rigorous selection process, Frans van
der Hoorn, PhD, professor and former associate dean
of graduate science education, travels to China to
interview students to determine who is the best fi t
for the program. Students are fi rst and foremost
evaluated based on academic excellence, attitude
and leadership potential. They must also have a
functional level of English and be able to answer
questions about their research in English.
Additionally, their admittance to the program
is dependent on securing a suitable supervisor
in Calgary.
van der Hoorn says while the exchange
program only formally accepts Chinese students
to study in Calgary at this time, they are hoping
to send students from Calgary to study in China
in the near future. In the meantime, organizers are
currently investigating additional ways to share the
expertise and knowledge of the Chinese participants
with faculty members and students here in Calgary.
“China has leading investigators and many are
interested in coming to Calgary to talk about
their work and develop collaborations,” he says.
Going forward, while the faculty hopes to
increase enrolment in the student exchange
program as is, it also hopes that the program will
grow to include additional Chinese post-secondary
institutions. “We want to broaden the reach
of the program,”
says van der Hoorn. “This will allow us to recruit
even more strong students.”
In addition to the expansion of the student
exchange program, the faculty is investigating
additional opportunities in other Chinese
locations in hopes of building an even stronger
collaborative network.
“One of the central roles that we see in the global
health enterprise at the faculty is capacity building,”
says Benediktsson, “And that’s what we’re doing in
China. Combining their infrastructure and resources
with our expert know-how…we are creating a very
strong collaborative network that will lead to great
things for the future of health.”
Did you know? Daqing was twinned with Calgary
in 1985. The city even has a street
named Calgary Trail.
China’s wealth of materials and infrastructure,
combined with the value it places on higher
education, position the country as a strong
collaborative partner internationally. With a relationship
spanning more than 20 years, and with China being
one of the six countries/regions of interest highlighted
in the University of Calgary’s international strategy,
the partnership between China and the faculty
is growing in importance and will continue to do
so well into the future.
In partnership with Capital Medical University
in Beijing and Harbin Medical University in Harbin,
the student exchange program, which began formally
accepting students in September 2012, is a relatively
new concept. Targeting top Chinese clinical investigators
interested in pursuing doctoral studies, the program
aims to produce highly skilled and knowledgeable
clinical researchers, who will then return to China to
take on leadership roles within the health research
paradigm. Following the cotutelle model of education
(an international co-supervised PhD), the program
is entirely a joint effort; students are supervised by
highly qualifi ed researchers at both institutions,
they take course components at both institutions,
carry out one collaborative research project and,
upon successful completion, receive their degree
from both institutions.
Yang arrived with the fi rst cohort of students in
September 2012. Working in the lab of Karl Riabowol,
PhD, she is investigating the basic science behind
cancer metastasis. More specifi cally, she is investigating
a tumour suppressor called inhibitor of growth
(ING protein) to see if it is able to regulate the cellular
process epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
EMT is a natural process in the body that occurs
during the early development of organs and tissues
and when the body is repairing a wound. Any time
a cell changes, there is a chance it can become
invasive, subsequently causing cancer. As EMT
has been linked to the development of cancer
metastasis, Yang is interested in knowing if the
ING protein has the ability to regulate or inhibit the
EMT process, thereby infl uencing tumour metastasis.
“ In China we are used to listening and following the teachers, but here the professors encourage you to ask questions.”
UCALGARY MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 20144
Dr. Yang Yang in her lab.
5MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
She hypothesizes that her research will show the
ING factor will be able to inhibit the EMT process,
and says that the skills she is learning while testing
that hypothesis are invaluable.
“This knowledge of basic science will complement
the human aspect of my work,” she says. “When I
return to China, the processes I use and my research
skills will have improved.”
As part of the exchange, Yang has also been
participating in lectures and seminars related to her
fi eld of study, and she says she is happily adapting to
the differences in educational delivery she is receiving.
“In China we are used to listening and following
the teachers, but here the professors encourage you
to ask questions,” she says, adding that she believes
it’s a cultural fear of making mistakes and asking ‘silly’
questions that prevents the same behaviour at home.
“I really like that you can say what you want
here and that you don’t have to be afraid of
making mistakes.”
The program, which takes four to fi ve years to
complete, currently has 10 Chinese students enrolled,
with the hopes of expanding to 50 in the coming
years—a goal that will require the participation of
many faculty supervisors as well as increased funding
(a fundraising initiative was recently launched).
Although the program is administered through the
Faculty of Medicine with students researching a
diverse spectrum of topics including cancer biology,
bioinformatics and developmental biology, the
initiative is multidisciplinary and multi-faculty;
for example, two students are currently studying
with supervisors in the Faculty of Science.
Dr. Hallgrimur Benediktsson, assistant dean,
global health and capacity building, says the
long-term vision for the program is to build a
strong network of collaborators between the
University of Calgary and China.
“China has a wealth of materials, infrastructure
and a large patient population, and we have a lot of
highly skilled researchers,” he says. “By sharing our
knowledge and having access to their resources,
we hope that more research opportunities will be
generated and more multi-faceted opportunities
for collaboration are created.
“The expansion of our program can only happen
when we have more awareness by our faculty.
Supervisors who are already involved in supervising
Chinese students not enrolled in the program may
fi nd a benefi t to both themselves and their students
to enter into this exchange program,” he says.
As part of a rigorous selection process, Frans van
der Hoorn, PhD, professor and former associate dean
of graduate science education, travels to China to
interview students to determine who is the best fi t
for the program. Students are fi rst and foremost
evaluated based on academic excellence, attitude
and leadership potential. They must also have a
functional level of English and be able to answer
questions about their research in English.
Additionally, their admittance to the program
is dependent on securing a suitable supervisor
in Calgary.
van der Hoorn says while the exchange
program only formally accepts Chinese students
to study in Calgary at this time, they are hoping
to send students from Calgary to study in China
in the near future. In the meantime, organizers are
currently investigating additional ways to share the
expertise and knowledge of the Chinese participants
with faculty members and students here in Calgary.
“China has leading investigators and many are
interested in coming to Calgary to talk about
their work and develop collaborations,” he says.
Going forward, while the faculty hopes to
increase enrolment in the student exchange
program as is, it also hopes that the program will
grow to include additional Chinese post-secondary
institutions. “We want to broaden the reach
of the program,”
says van der Hoorn. “This will allow us to recruit
even more strong students.”
In addition to the expansion of the student
exchange program, the faculty is investigating
additional opportunities in other Chinese
locations in hopes of building an even stronger
collaborative network.
“One of the central roles that we see in the global
health enterprise at the faculty is capacity building,”
says Benediktsson, “And that’s what we’re doing in
China. Combining their infrastructure and resources
with our expert know-how…we are creating a very
strong collaborative network that will lead to great
things for the future of health.”
Did you know? Daqing was twinned with Calgary
in 1985. The city even has a street
named Calgary Trail.
China’s wealth of materials and infrastructure,
combined with the value it places on higher
education, position the country as a strong
collaborative partner internationally. With a relationship
spanning more than 20 years, and with China being
one of the six countries/regions of interest highlighted
in the University of Calgary’s international strategy,
the partnership between China and the faculty
is growing in importance and will continue to do
so well into the future.
In partnership with Capital Medical University
in Beijing and Harbin Medical University in Harbin,
the student exchange program, which began formally
accepting students in September 2012, is a relatively
new concept. Targeting top Chinese clinical investigators
interested in pursuing doctoral studies, the program
aims to produce highly skilled and knowledgeable
clinical researchers, who will then return to China to
take on leadership roles within the health research
paradigm. Following the cotutelle model of education
(an international co-supervised PhD), the program
is entirely a joint effort; students are supervised by
highly qualifi ed researchers at both institutions,
they take course components at both institutions,
carry out one collaborative research project and,
upon successful completion, receive their degree
from both institutions.
Yang arrived with the fi rst cohort of students in
September 2012. Working in the lab of Karl Riabowol,
PhD, she is investigating the basic science behind
cancer metastasis. More specifi cally, she is investigating
a tumour suppressor called inhibitor of growth
(ING protein) to see if it is able to regulate the cellular
process epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
EMT is a natural process in the body that occurs
during the early development of organs and tissues
and when the body is repairing a wound. Any time
a cell changes, there is a chance it can become
invasive, subsequently causing cancer. As EMT
has been linked to the development of cancer
metastasis, Yang is interested in knowing if the
ING protein has the ability to regulate or inhibit the
EMT process, thereby infl uencing tumour metastasis.
“ In China we are used to listening and following the teachers, but here the professors encourage you to ask questions.”
UCALGARY MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 20144
Dr. Yang Yang in her lab.
7MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
Joint Liver Institute:In collaboration with Capital Medical
University (CMU), the Joint Liver Institute
is a virtual institute created to engage
liver clinicians and researchers in both
China and Calgary in hopes of discovering
new treatments for liver diseases. Liver
diseases such as hepatitis and cancer
are widely prevalent in both China and
Canada; however, the patient population
—and therefore the population to study—
is much smaller in Canada. The institute,
which officially opened in China in 2010
and in Calgary in 2011, affords Calgary
researchers the opportunity to study
these diseases in much larger numbers
through a joint biobank that houses
thousands of tissue samples, and provides
China with access to the expertise of our
skilled clinician researchers. Representatives
from the Faculty of Medicine’s liver group
and the Snyder Institute for Chronic
Diseases have travelled to CMU to teach
both students and physicians, as well
as the broader community.
Did you know? Some of the students studying through
the student exchange program are
investigating liver disease by utilizing
resources created through this institute.
and around the world having to live
through it as well.
With a $5-million donation from
Dianne and her husband Irving to the
University of Calgary’s Calvin, Phoebe
and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic
Diseases in September 2013, a collaborative
provincial program has been established
with the goal of researching the condition
at the cellular level in order to seek
prevention, while also providing physicians
with additional education on the lymphatic
system and how lymphedema develops.
“I think one of the most important
things is education: to educate people
about what can happen, to help them
take preventative measures before it
gets to be serious,” the philanthropist
says from her office in Edmonton.
IMAGINE SURVIVING CANCER then finding
yourself afflicted with a resulting
condition that leaves your legs twice
their normal size, bright red and covered
with large, scaly patches. Then imagine
struggling to find a diagnosis and
treatment options.
Dianne Kipnes doesn’t have to
imagine. She lived it. So have millions of
cancer survivors afflicted with secondary
lymphedema—a painful, chronic swelling
of the limb close to where cancer-prone
lymph nodes were removed—which can
lead to debilitation and even death if left
untreated. Kipnes hopes her actions in
the four years since the onset of her
lymphedema diagnoses (five years
following her first cancer treatment)
will help lead to fewer people in Alberta
PHILANTHROPY
Sub-specialty training:Daqing, Calgary’s sister city, has been
extremely eager to cultivate relationships
with the faculty. Over the years, many
faculty members have gone to the
teaching hospital there to teach, train
and consult. Recently, the faculty has
begun accepting Chinese physicians
to Calgary for short training periods of
approximately four to six months.
The visiting physicians are paired up
with a faculty mentor for the duration
to learn specific skills related to their
area of clinical expertise.
“Essentially this program is clinical
sub-specialty training for physicians,
as opposed to research training,” says
Dr. Hallgrimur Benediktsson. “They may
be learning a specific methodology
or surgical technique…this exchange
is very individualized and tailored to
specific needs.”
Much like the student exchange
program, physicians accepted into this
program are highly skilled. When they
return to China, they have the potential
to take on leadership roles in their
field, training the leaders of tomorrow
and thereby broadening the
collaborative network.
Centre for Infection and Genomics:In collaboration with Harbin Medical
University, the joint Centre for Infection
and Genomics opened in 2013. Created
to address the ongoing need for further
understanding and more treatment
options for infection, it is hoped this centre
will provide additional and necessary
insight into the complexity of immunity
and genomics, which play a role in patient
susceptibility. Much like the Joint Liver
Institute, the centre is working in a collab-
orative manner to benefit from both the
high patient population in China and the
level of research expertise in Calgary.
6
Additional involvement
Signing ceremony for the establishment of the Centre for Infection and Genomics in Harbin.
Donors contribute to lymphedema research
By Steve Macfarlane
7MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
Joint Liver Institute:In collaboration with Capital Medical
University (CMU), the Joint Liver Institute
is a virtual institute created to engage
liver clinicians and researchers in both
China and Calgary in hopes of discovering
new treatments for liver diseases. Liver
diseases such as hepatitis and cancer
are widely prevalent in both China and
Canada; however, the patient population
—and therefore the population to study—
is much smaller in Canada. The institute,
which officially opened in China in 2010
and in Calgary in 2011, affords Calgary
researchers the opportunity to study
these diseases in much larger numbers
through a joint biobank that houses
thousands of tissue samples, and provides
China with access to the expertise of our
skilled clinician researchers. Representatives
from the Faculty of Medicine’s liver group
and the Snyder Institute for Chronic
Diseases have travelled to CMU to teach
both students and physicians, as well
as the broader community.
Did you know? Some of the students studying through
the student exchange program are
investigating liver disease by utilizing
resources created through this institute.
and around the world having to live
through it as well.
With a $5-million donation from
Dianne and her husband Irving to the
University of Calgary’s Calvin, Phoebe
and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic
Diseases in September 2013, a collaborative
provincial program has been established
with the goal of researching the condition
at the cellular level in order to seek
prevention, while also providing physicians
with additional education on the lymphatic
system and how lymphedema develops.
“I think one of the most important
things is education: to educate people
about what can happen, to help them
take preventative measures before it
gets to be serious,” the philanthropist
says from her office in Edmonton.
IMAGINE SURVIVING CANCER then finding
yourself afflicted with a resulting
condition that leaves your legs twice
their normal size, bright red and covered
with large, scaly patches. Then imagine
struggling to find a diagnosis and
treatment options.
Dianne Kipnes doesn’t have to
imagine. She lived it. So have millions of
cancer survivors afflicted with secondary
lymphedema—a painful, chronic swelling
of the limb close to where cancer-prone
lymph nodes were removed—which can
lead to debilitation and even death if left
untreated. Kipnes hopes her actions in
the four years since the onset of her
lymphedema diagnoses (five years
following her first cancer treatment)
will help lead to fewer people in Alberta
PHILANTHROPY
Sub-specialty training:Daqing, Calgary’s sister city, has been
extremely eager to cultivate relationships
with the faculty. Over the years, many
faculty members have gone to the
teaching hospital there to teach, train
and consult. Recently, the faculty has
begun accepting Chinese physicians
to Calgary for short training periods of
approximately four to six months.
The visiting physicians are paired up
with a faculty mentor for the duration
to learn specific skills related to their
area of clinical expertise.
“Essentially this program is clinical
sub-specialty training for physicians,
as opposed to research training,” says
Dr. Hallgrimur Benediktsson. “They may
be learning a specific methodology
or surgical technique…this exchange
is very individualized and tailored to
specific needs.”
Much like the student exchange
program, physicians accepted into this
program are highly skilled. When they
return to China, they have the potential
to take on leadership roles in their
field, training the leaders of tomorrow
and thereby broadening the
collaborative network.
Centre for Infection and Genomics:In collaboration with Harbin Medical
University, the joint Centre for Infection
and Genomics opened in 2013. Created
to address the ongoing need for further
understanding and more treatment
options for infection, it is hoped this centre
will provide additional and necessary
insight into the complexity of immunity
and genomics, which play a role in patient
susceptibility. Much like the Joint Liver
Institute, the centre is working in a collab-
orative manner to benefit from both the
high patient population in China and the
level of research expertise in Calgary.
6
Additional involvement
Signing ceremony for the establishment of the Centre for Infection and Genomics in Harbin.
Donors contribute to lymphedema research
By Steve Macfarlane
9
Here are the stories of a bunch of students…
…and how they found their way to medicine
Karina Pillay
Becoming a
doctor is a dream
Karina Pillay has
had since she
was young. When
her applications to medical
school immediately following
her Bachelor of Science degree,
were unsuccessful, she set her
sights on something a little
different—politics, business and
education. The combination
of the three culminated in her
most recent career as mayor of
her hometown of Slave Lake.
Serving for three terms—
approximately nine years—
Pillay played an integral role
in the growth of Slave Lake
as it experienced a boom
in industry and transitioned
into a large service hub for
the entire region.
“I really enjoyed being
a part of building a healthy
community,” she says.
She also guided her town
through the aftermath of the
devastating fi res of 2011—
the second largest natural
disaster in Canadian history
at the time, resulting in
nearly $1 billion in losses.
As a community leader,
Pillay found that she had
frequent opportunities to
engage with young people
and to encourage them to
chase their dreams and
accomplish their goals.
“You always say the words,
‘follow your dreams, live your
life with purpose and passion’
and I just thought, I have to do
that. I didn’t want any regrets.”
So, Pillay decided to give
medical school another try.
Studying over a summer
as mayor and re-writing the
MCAT, one of her applications
earned her a spot on a waitlist;
however it wasn’t until 2013,
the year she decided would
be her last attempt, that she
was formally accepted into
medical school.
“Being accepted is a gift,”
she says. “To be given the
opportunity to serve the
community in this new
capacity…it’s an honour.”
Throughout her term as
mayor, Pillay served on the
Health Advisory Council
for Lesser Slave Lake and
collaborated with higher levels
of government to advocate
for health issues. She worked
with people of all ages and
cultures, and feels that her
leadership experiences
have given her the strong
interpersonal skills needed
to relate to diverse communities
—skills that will defi nitely be
an asset in her new career.
And while stepping down as
mayor to pursue her childhood
dream was emotional, she is
confi dent in the team she was
part of and knows that Slave
Lake will continue to recover
and thrive.
“I don’t think I would have
been given this chance if I didn’t
serve as mayor,” she says.
“The people of Slave Lake really
supported me through this
and helped to give me the skills
I needed to get in.”
By Kathryn Kazoleas
and Caitlyn MacDonald
Class of 2016
EDUCATION
“Surviving cancer is a major thing. When
people have cancer, that’s all they focus
on. But I think we have to keep in mind
that there are some after effects, and
perhaps they can be prevented.”
Her personal struggle to discover
what was happening to her fi nally came
to an end with her oncologist’s diagnosis
of lymphedema, which began a new
plight to fi nd treatment.
Luck led her to meet a friend’s
husband, Ian Soles, a therapist who
happened to specialize in manual
lymphatic drainage—a gentle type of
massage that stimulates lymph fl ow and
drainage, and the treatment of choice for
affl icted individuals. Kipnes’ commitment
to improving the health-care landscape
led to the establishment of a clinic in
Edmonton where Soles and three other
therapists treat patients with lymphedema.
“I get to see quite often how much
of a difference this clinic makes in
people’s lives,” Kipnes says. “We also get
to see some of the diffi cult things that
happen to people who haven’t been able
to get treatment or a diagnosis, or who
have been searching for a long time.”
Seeing so many people suffering, the
Kipneses looked into what research was
being done in the area of lymphedema
and how they may be able to help
support that research.
“If we don’t really understand what
the process is, how are we ever going to
fi gure out what to do about it?” Kipnes says.
Pierre-Yves von der Weid, PhD, an
associate professor in the Department
of Physiology and Pharmacology at the
University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine,
is attempting to answer that question.
Kipnes was pleasantly surprised to
fi nd a researcher located right here in
Alberta. They spoke, decided to meet,
and discussed how they could bring the
province to the forefront of a changing
landscape in lymphatic system research.
“It feels like there are a lot of things
that are synchronistically coming
together,” Kipnes says.
This work could also benefi t a
much wider base of patients: primary
lymphedema is rare (but seen in some
infants) with little knowledge available
about how to treat it; and the lymphatic
system could play a prominent role
in other conditions such as diabetes,
obesity and infl ammatory bowel disease.
The possibilities are encouraging, and
positive reaction has been pouring in from
all over the world since the donation.
Kipnes is quick to defl ect credit but is
pleased to be a part of the initiative at a
time of growth. She is hopeful those who
are experiencing what she went through
will have positive outcomes and easier
access to information and treatment,
and that lymphedema can someday
be prevented altogether.
“I’m getting to a point where I have
a normal life, with some restrictions. I can
manage,” Kipnes says of her own treatment
progression. “When I was fi rst diagnosed,
I couldn’t manage at all.
This was just something that was very
important to me. There are a lot of people
who become seriously depressed, and
become disabled if they don’t get this
condition treated.”
Donation supports collaborative
program with university partners
Our province will be front and centre in
the coming years, with the University of
Calgary and University of Alberta working
collaboratively to establish a world-class
lymphedema program. The future
state-of-the-art Kipnes Lymphatic Imaging
Suite will help researchers understand
how the lymphatic system works and
what goes wrong when it doesn’t.
Education and knowledge are also
a key component, with training elements
such as a scholarship and a lymphatic
education course all part of the vision.
“This community now has the
opportunity to grow and put lymphedema
and the lymphatic system on the map,”
says Pierre-Yves von der Weid, PhD,
whose program is taking shape.
Researcher Shan Liao, PhD, began her
appointment at the University of Calgary
in October 2013 and has recruited a lab
technician to work alongside her at the
future imaging suite. The team is in the
process of testing various microscopes
in order to determine the best fi ts for
its experimental needs.
von der Weid and Liao have also
produced their fi rst collaborative review
paper on the subject of their research, which
has been accepted for publication.
Did you know? Lymphedema affects up to 60 per cent of Canadian cancer survivors.
MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE8
Surviving cancer is a major thing. When people have cancer, that’s all they focus on. But I think we have to keep in mind that there are some after effects, and perhaps they can be prevented. – Dianne Kipnes
“”
9
Here are the stories of a bunch of students…
…and how they found their way to medicine
Karina Pillay
Becoming a
doctor is a dream
Karina Pillay has
had since she
was young. When
her applications to medical
school immediately following
her Bachelor of Science degree,
were unsuccessful, she set her
sights on something a little
different—politics, business and
education. The combination
of the three culminated in her
most recent career as mayor of
her hometown of Slave Lake.
Serving for three terms—
approximately nine years—
Pillay played an integral role
in the growth of Slave Lake
as it experienced a boom
in industry and transitioned
into a large service hub for
the entire region.
“I really enjoyed being
a part of building a healthy
community,” she says.
She also guided her town
through the aftermath of the
devastating fi res of 2011—
the second largest natural
disaster in Canadian history
at the time, resulting in
nearly $1 billion in losses.
As a community leader,
Pillay found that she had
frequent opportunities to
engage with young people
and to encourage them to
chase their dreams and
accomplish their goals.
“You always say the words,
‘follow your dreams, live your
life with purpose and passion’
and I just thought, I have to do
that. I didn’t want any regrets.”
So, Pillay decided to give
medical school another try.
Studying over a summer
as mayor and re-writing the
MCAT, one of her applications
earned her a spot on a waitlist;
however it wasn’t until 2013,
the year she decided would
be her last attempt, that she
was formally accepted into
medical school.
“Being accepted is a gift,”
she says. “To be given the
opportunity to serve the
community in this new
capacity…it’s an honour.”
Throughout her term as
mayor, Pillay served on the
Health Advisory Council
for Lesser Slave Lake and
collaborated with higher levels
of government to advocate
for health issues. She worked
with people of all ages and
cultures, and feels that her
leadership experiences
have given her the strong
interpersonal skills needed
to relate to diverse communities
—skills that will defi nitely be
an asset in her new career.
And while stepping down as
mayor to pursue her childhood
dream was emotional, she is
confi dent in the team she was
part of and knows that Slave
Lake will continue to recover
and thrive.
“I don’t think I would have
been given this chance if I didn’t
serve as mayor,” she says.
“The people of Slave Lake really
supported me through this
and helped to give me the skills
I needed to get in.”
By Kathryn Kazoleas
and Caitlyn MacDonald
Class of 2016
EDUCATION
“Surviving cancer is a major thing. When
people have cancer, that’s all they focus
on. But I think we have to keep in mind
that there are some after effects, and
perhaps they can be prevented.”
Her personal struggle to discover
what was happening to her fi nally came
to an end with her oncologist’s diagnosis
of lymphedema, which began a new
plight to fi nd treatment.
Luck led her to meet a friend’s
husband, Ian Soles, a therapist who
happened to specialize in manual
lymphatic drainage—a gentle type of
massage that stimulates lymph fl ow and
drainage, and the treatment of choice for
affl icted individuals. Kipnes’ commitment
to improving the health-care landscape
led to the establishment of a clinic in
Edmonton where Soles and three other
therapists treat patients with lymphedema.
“I get to see quite often how much
of a difference this clinic makes in
people’s lives,” Kipnes says. “We also get
to see some of the diffi cult things that
happen to people who haven’t been able
to get treatment or a diagnosis, or who
have been searching for a long time.”
Seeing so many people suffering, the
Kipneses looked into what research was
being done in the area of lymphedema
and how they may be able to help
support that research.
“If we don’t really understand what
the process is, how are we ever going to
fi gure out what to do about it?” Kipnes says.
Pierre-Yves von der Weid, PhD, an
associate professor in the Department
of Physiology and Pharmacology at the
University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine,
is attempting to answer that question.
Kipnes was pleasantly surprised to
fi nd a researcher located right here in
Alberta. They spoke, decided to meet,
and discussed how they could bring the
province to the forefront of a changing
landscape in lymphatic system research.
“It feels like there are a lot of things
that are synchronistically coming
together,” Kipnes says.
This work could also benefi t a
much wider base of patients: primary
lymphedema is rare (but seen in some
infants) with little knowledge available
about how to treat it; and the lymphatic
system could play a prominent role
in other conditions such as diabetes,
obesity and infl ammatory bowel disease.
The possibilities are encouraging, and
positive reaction has been pouring in from
all over the world since the donation.
Kipnes is quick to defl ect credit but is
pleased to be a part of the initiative at a
time of growth. She is hopeful those who
are experiencing what she went through
will have positive outcomes and easier
access to information and treatment,
and that lymphedema can someday
be prevented altogether.
“I’m getting to a point where I have
a normal life, with some restrictions. I can
manage,” Kipnes says of her own treatment
progression. “When I was fi rst diagnosed,
I couldn’t manage at all.
This was just something that was very
important to me. There are a lot of people
who become seriously depressed, and
become disabled if they don’t get this
condition treated.”
Donation supports collaborative
program with university partners
Our province will be front and centre in
the coming years, with the University of
Calgary and University of Alberta working
collaboratively to establish a world-class
lymphedema program. The future
state-of-the-art Kipnes Lymphatic Imaging
Suite will help researchers understand
how the lymphatic system works and
what goes wrong when it doesn’t.
Education and knowledge are also
a key component, with training elements
such as a scholarship and a lymphatic
education course all part of the vision.
“This community now has the
opportunity to grow and put lymphedema
and the lymphatic system on the map,”
says Pierre-Yves von der Weid, PhD,
whose program is taking shape.
Researcher Shan Liao, PhD, began her
appointment at the University of Calgary
in October 2013 and has recruited a lab
technician to work alongside her at the
future imaging suite. The team is in the
process of testing various microscopes
in order to determine the best fi ts for
its experimental needs.
von der Weid and Liao have also
produced their fi rst collaborative review
paper on the subject of their research, which
has been accepted for publication.
Did you know? Lymphedema affects up to 60 per cent of Canadian cancer survivors.
MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE8
Surviving cancer is a major thing. When people have cancer, that’s all they focus on. But I think we have to keep in mind that there are some after effects, and perhaps they can be prevented. – Dianne Kipnes
“”
11
Prior to entering
medical school,
Gordon Jewett
was an elite
cross-country
ski racer. Having started
competing seriously at the
age of 14, his 15-year career
was crowned by competing
for Canada at the 2010
Olympic Winter Games in
Vancouver.“In high school
my biggest concern was ski
racing and I put little energy
into formal academics, but
it was sport that initially
awakened my interest in the
human body,” he says. After
high school he moved from
Toronto to Canmore to train
with the Canadian Ski Team.
Years of intense training
resulted in a lower back injury
that eventually sidelined him
through his first two seasons
in the senior ranks. “My career
became defined by back
problems, including three
spine surgeries. In the final
two years of my career
I finally figured out how to
manage my injuries and still
be internationally competitive.”
Jewett’s career included
representing Canada at five
world championships and
winning 11 Canadian titles.
In 2010, just 18 months
after undergoing a revision
back surgery, he finally
punched his ticket to the
Olympic Games. “Winning
the Olympic selection race
was the best day of my skiing
career. I will never forget
sharing that moment with
my teammates, wife and
family,” he says.
After fulfilling his childhood
Olympic dream, and retiring
from elite ski racing in 2010,
he went back to school and
enrolled in biomedical software
engineering at the University of
Calgary. There he discovered a
passion for reverse engineering
complex biological systems
and decided to pursue a
career in medicine.
As a medical student,
Jewett finds he is able to apply
the skills he developed as
an athlete on a daily basis. He
long ago adopted the family
motto of famed Antarctic
explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton,
Fortitudine Vincimus, meaning,
‘By endurance we conquer’.
“It is a reminder that success
comes from perseverance,
regardless of how formidable
a challenge seems,” he says.
”It served me well as an athlete
and I think it will serve me
well as a physician caring
for patients.”
Nearing the end of his
first year of medical school,
Jewett is enjoying his new
career path. This past December,
he and his wife Rhonda
celebrated the birth of their
first child, Ayesha. Balancing
a family with medical school
will add a new dynamic to his
student life but he is excited
for the added challenge.
“ My career became defined by back problems, including three spine surgeries. In the final two years of my career I finally figured out how to manage my injuries and still be internationally competitive.”
Gordon Jewett
Class of 2016
MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
Julia Saar has
always had a
diverse set of
interests among
both the arts
and sciences. And while her
interest in medicine was always
there, she wanted to explore
her options before applying
and entering into medical
school—an undertaking
she knew would be time
consuming and require a
large amount of dedication.
Saar began singing in
elementary school and was
told by her parents that one
day she came home and told
them she LOVED to sing. She
continued to sing in choirs
and school plays, and while
she had decided it wouldn’t
be a career pursuit, she was
offered a contract to sing
with the Calgary Opera
during the 2010/2011 season.
“I love to perform and be
on stage,” she says. “During
the season it was so exciting
to play a character from a
different time period, to wear
a costume designed for a
different century…it’s completely
different from day-to-day life.”
Prior to joining the Calgary
Opera, Saar completed a degree
in chemical engineering.
“I enrolled in engineering
thinking it would be a practical
and interesting field that would
give me options if I decided not
to apply for medicine,” she says.
Saar worked in the oil and
gas industry and in biomedical
engineering research as a
summer student, and always
had various volunteer roles on
the go, including one through
which she provided prenatal
support for new mothers from
challenged demographics.
Through these experiences,
she soon realized that she
would bring a unique skill set
to medicine, and have plenty
of opportunities to adapt her
personal strengths.
Now in her final year of
medical school, she has her
sights on anesthesiology—
a path she credits to her
background in chemical
engineering.
“I’m constantly seeing
ways my training in terms of
problem solving and thinking
on my toes can be applied to
anesthesiology,” she says.
“Even some of the knowledge
base required comes from
engineering principles, such
as pump mechanics and
fluid flow.”
While shifting to medicine,
she hasn’t put aside her love
of singing and appreciates
the influence it will have on
her throughout her career
as a physician.
“While learning the acting
side of opera, you find out that
in order to really embrace a
character you have to put
yourself in their shoes. So that
has really helped me with my
capacity for empathy and
communication,” she says.
“It’s also given me an outlet
for stress management.
When I’m singing I’m not
thinking about the stresses
of medical school. I know that
will carry through as I face the
challenges of being a physician.”
“ While learning the acting side of opera, you find out that in order to really embrace a character, you have to put yourself in their shoes, so that has really helped me with my capacity for empathy and communication.”
Julia Saar
Class of 2014
EDUCATION
Julia Saar in costume for the Calgary Opera.
UCALGARY MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 2014
11
Prior to entering
medical school,
Gordon Jewett
was an elite
cross-country
ski racer. Having started
competing seriously at the
age of 14, his 15-year career
was crowned by competing
for Canada at the 2010
Olympic Winter Games in
Vancouver.“In high school
my biggest concern was ski
racing and I put little energy
into formal academics, but
it was sport that initially
awakened my interest in the
human body,” he says. After
high school he moved from
Toronto to Canmore to train
with the Canadian Ski Team.
Years of intense training
resulted in a lower back injury
that eventually sidelined him
through his first two seasons
in the senior ranks. “My career
became defined by back
problems, including three
spine surgeries. In the final
two years of my career
I finally figured out how to
manage my injuries and still
be internationally competitive.”
Jewett’s career included
representing Canada at five
world championships and
winning 11 Canadian titles.
In 2010, just 18 months
after undergoing a revision
back surgery, he finally
punched his ticket to the
Olympic Games. “Winning
the Olympic selection race
was the best day of my skiing
career. I will never forget
sharing that moment with
my teammates, wife and
family,” he says.
After fulfilling his childhood
Olympic dream, and retiring
from elite ski racing in 2010,
he went back to school and
enrolled in biomedical software
engineering at the University of
Calgary. There he discovered a
passion for reverse engineering
complex biological systems
and decided to pursue a
career in medicine.
As a medical student,
Jewett finds he is able to apply
the skills he developed as
an athlete on a daily basis. He
long ago adopted the family
motto of famed Antarctic
explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton,
Fortitudine Vincimus, meaning,
‘By endurance we conquer’.
“It is a reminder that success
comes from perseverance,
regardless of how formidable
a challenge seems,” he says.
”It served me well as an athlete
and I think it will serve me
well as a physician caring
for patients.”
Nearing the end of his
first year of medical school,
Jewett is enjoying his new
career path. This past December,
he and his wife Rhonda
celebrated the birth of their
first child, Ayesha. Balancing
a family with medical school
will add a new dynamic to his
student life but he is excited
for the added challenge.
“ My career became defined by back problems, including three spine surgeries. In the final two years of my career I finally figured out how to manage my injuries and still be internationally competitive.”
Gordon Jewett
Class of 2016
MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
Julia Saar has
always had a
diverse set of
interests among
both the arts
and sciences. And while her
interest in medicine was always
there, she wanted to explore
her options before applying
and entering into medical
school—an undertaking
she knew would be time
consuming and require a
large amount of dedication.
Saar began singing in
elementary school and was
told by her parents that one
day she came home and told
them she LOVED to sing. She
continued to sing in choirs
and school plays, and while
she had decided it wouldn’t
be a career pursuit, she was
offered a contract to sing
with the Calgary Opera
during the 2010/2011 season.
“I love to perform and be
on stage,” she says. “During
the season it was so exciting
to play a character from a
different time period, to wear
a costume designed for a
different century…it’s completely
different from day-to-day life.”
Prior to joining the Calgary
Opera, Saar completed a degree
in chemical engineering.
“I enrolled in engineering
thinking it would be a practical
and interesting field that would
give me options if I decided not
to apply for medicine,” she says.
Saar worked in the oil and
gas industry and in biomedical
engineering research as a
summer student, and always
had various volunteer roles on
the go, including one through
which she provided prenatal
support for new mothers from
challenged demographics.
Through these experiences,
she soon realized that she
would bring a unique skill set
to medicine, and have plenty
of opportunities to adapt her
personal strengths.
Now in her final year of
medical school, she has her
sights on anesthesiology—
a path she credits to her
background in chemical
engineering.
“I’m constantly seeing
ways my training in terms of
problem solving and thinking
on my toes can be applied to
anesthesiology,” she says.
“Even some of the knowledge
base required comes from
engineering principles, such
as pump mechanics and
fluid flow.”
While shifting to medicine,
she hasn’t put aside her love
of singing and appreciates
the influence it will have on
her throughout her career
as a physician.
“While learning the acting
side of opera, you find out that
in order to really embrace a
character you have to put
yourself in their shoes. So that
has really helped me with my
capacity for empathy and
communication,” she says.
“It’s also given me an outlet
for stress management.
When I’m singing I’m not
thinking about the stresses
of medical school. I know that
will carry through as I face the
challenges of being a physician.”
“ While learning the acting side of opera, you find out that in order to really embrace a character, you have to put yourself in their shoes, so that has really helped me with my capacity for empathy and communication.”
Julia Saar
Class of 2014
EDUCATION
Julia Saar in costume for the Calgary Opera.
UCALGARY MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 2014
13
Corinne McDonald
“ He is so incredibly supportive. I couldn’t do it without him.” – On her husband
Having always
been drawn
to work with
people, Corinne
McDonald spent
more than 15 years working
in the field of international
affairs and human rights prior
to entering medical school.
To name just a few of her past
career experiences—which
took her to high-risk and
conflict zones—she carried
out negotiations at the
United Nations on the status
of women, worked with the
Department of National
Defence in the Peacekeeping
Directorate, and acted as
an advisor to Parliament on
military and international affairs.
“Eventually I reached a
point in that career when I felt
that the effects of my efforts
weren’t tangible enough,”
she says. “I was going in the
direction of doing more
behind-the-scenes work but
I wanted something that
would get me back into direct
contact with people, where
I would perhaps have a more
immediate capacity to make
a difference.”
Despite a longstanding
interest in medicine, McDonald
had excluded herself from
medical school because of
her non-science background
—she had previously received
a Bachelor of Arts in French
(minor in German, Spanish
extra-to degree), and in
political science (military and
strategic studies), as well as a
Master of International Affairs
(conflict analysis, specializing
in human rights)—but with
the encouragement of her
husband, she decided to apply
anyway. She was both relieved
and shocked to find out she
had been accepted to the first
and only medical school she
applied to, and along with her
husband and three children
(then ages nine, seven and
five) packed up, left Ottawa
and moved back to her
hometown of Calgary.
With years of experience
working in high-stress situations,
McDonald says she rarely gets
flustered—a highly desirable skill
in the field of medicine. Add to
that her ability to adapt to
varying expectations, as well
as her extensive knowledge of
languages and acute awareness
of body language and facial
expressions, McDonald finds it
second nature to communicate
within a variety of diverse
populations.
“In international negotiations,
you learn to listen for how things
are said and to hear what’s
not being said.”
So how does this wife and
mother of three handle the
pressures of medical school?
She credits her husband as
being a major driving force
of her success.
“He is so incredibly supportive.
I couldn’t do it without him.”
Class of 2015
Sam Montasser
MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
While Sam
Montasser had
intended to apply
to medical school
after completing
his undergraduate degree
in mechanical engineering,
a summer internship and
subsequent volunteer work
with the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police (RCMP)
peaked his interest in policing.
Following graduation, he was
accepted into the training
academy and became a full-
time member of the RCMP.
“I have always had an interest
in medicine, I just happened
upon another interest that
I needed to explore,” he says.
During his four-year career
with the RCMP, Montasser
served in a number of roles.
His first was with highway
patrol, where he was a part
of a team dedicated to
proactively enforcing provincial
and federal statutes on the
roadways between Athabasca
and Cold Lake, Alberta.
The remainder of his career
was spent in general duty,
working within the community
responding to dispatch calls.
He also served as a media
liaison—working with media
outlets within print, radio and
television—sharing stories
of significant public interest,
and was also given the
opportunity to pilot-test one
of only a handful of prototype
vehicles built around a new
technology streamlining the
operation of police vehicles.
During his career with the
RCMP, Montasser experienced
and witnessed the challenges
faced by remote and rural
communities regarding the
delivery of essential services.
Drawing parallels between the
fundamentals of policing and
health care, he says delivery
of both of these services
depends largely on the human
factor. Thus, he understands
the demands of working
in rural communities where
it is often difficult to staff
these services.
“This appreciation of the
challenges in rural communities
is something that can only
come from experiencing
it first hand,” he says.
While retiring his RCMP
uniform for medical school
was difficult, it’s not a decision
that he regrets. While his
biggest hesitation in entering
the field of medicine was the
time commitment required to
train to become a physician,
Montasser says he has since
embraced it.
“I’m equally passionate
about my new pursuit and
excited about the opportunity
to once again serve my
community in a meaningful
way. Life is a journey, not
a destination.”
Class of 2015
EDUCATION UCALGARY MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 2014
13
Corinne McDonald
“ He is so incredibly supportive. I couldn’t do it without him.” – On her husband
Having always
been drawn
to work with
people, Corinne
McDonald spent
more than 15 years working
in the field of international
affairs and human rights prior
to entering medical school.
To name just a few of her past
career experiences—which
took her to high-risk and
conflict zones—she carried
out negotiations at the
United Nations on the status
of women, worked with the
Department of National
Defence in the Peacekeeping
Directorate, and acted as
an advisor to Parliament on
military and international affairs.
“Eventually I reached a
point in that career when I felt
that the effects of my efforts
weren’t tangible enough,”
she says. “I was going in the
direction of doing more
behind-the-scenes work but
I wanted something that
would get me back into direct
contact with people, where
I would perhaps have a more
immediate capacity to make
a difference.”
Despite a longstanding
interest in medicine, McDonald
had excluded herself from
medical school because of
her non-science background
—she had previously received
a Bachelor of Arts in French
(minor in German, Spanish
extra-to degree), and in
political science (military and
strategic studies), as well as a
Master of International Affairs
(conflict analysis, specializing
in human rights)—but with
the encouragement of her
husband, she decided to apply
anyway. She was both relieved
and shocked to find out she
had been accepted to the first
and only medical school she
applied to, and along with her
husband and three children
(then ages nine, seven and
five) packed up, left Ottawa
and moved back to her
hometown of Calgary.
With years of experience
working in high-stress situations,
McDonald says she rarely gets
flustered—a highly desirable skill
in the field of medicine. Add to
that her ability to adapt to
varying expectations, as well
as her extensive knowledge of
languages and acute awareness
of body language and facial
expressions, McDonald finds it
second nature to communicate
within a variety of diverse
populations.
“In international negotiations,
you learn to listen for how things
are said and to hear what’s
not being said.”
So how does this wife and
mother of three handle the
pressures of medical school?
She credits her husband as
being a major driving force
of her success.
“He is so incredibly supportive.
I couldn’t do it without him.”
Class of 2015
Sam Montasser
MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
While Sam
Montasser had
intended to apply
to medical school
after completing
his undergraduate degree
in mechanical engineering,
a summer internship and
subsequent volunteer work
with the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police (RCMP)
peaked his interest in policing.
Following graduation, he was
accepted into the training
academy and became a full-
time member of the RCMP.
“I have always had an interest
in medicine, I just happened
upon another interest that
I needed to explore,” he says.
During his four-year career
with the RCMP, Montasser
served in a number of roles.
His first was with highway
patrol, where he was a part
of a team dedicated to
proactively enforcing provincial
and federal statutes on the
roadways between Athabasca
and Cold Lake, Alberta.
The remainder of his career
was spent in general duty,
working within the community
responding to dispatch calls.
He also served as a media
liaison—working with media
outlets within print, radio and
television—sharing stories
of significant public interest,
and was also given the
opportunity to pilot-test one
of only a handful of prototype
vehicles built around a new
technology streamlining the
operation of police vehicles.
During his career with the
RCMP, Montasser experienced
and witnessed the challenges
faced by remote and rural
communities regarding the
delivery of essential services.
Drawing parallels between the
fundamentals of policing and
health care, he says delivery
of both of these services
depends largely on the human
factor. Thus, he understands
the demands of working
in rural communities where
it is often difficult to staff
these services.
“This appreciation of the
challenges in rural communities
is something that can only
come from experiencing
it first hand,” he says.
While retiring his RCMP
uniform for medical school
was difficult, it’s not a decision
that he regrets. While his
biggest hesitation in entering
the field of medicine was the
time commitment required to
train to become a physician,
Montasser says he has since
embraced it.
“I’m equally passionate
about my new pursuit and
excited about the opportunity
to once again serve my
community in a meaningful
way. Life is a journey, not
a destination.”
Class of 2015
EDUCATION UCALGARY MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 2014
15
Right coronary artery
Information provided by Dr. Edward R.M. O’Brien, professor and director of research at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary. O’Brien is also chief of cardiology for Alberta Health Services. His specialty is general cardiology, with research interests in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, and the biological mechanisms of vascular repair.
MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
What is a blockage?A blockage is a narrowing of an artery.
There are different types of blockages,
but the most common type results from
a fatty build-up inside the artery wall
called a plaque. This plaque can rupture,
creating a clot over the damaged artery
wall, eventually blocking the fl ow of
blood completely.
How severe does a blockage have
to be to cause a heart attack?Often, heart attacks occur in individuals
who have only a modest degree of
narrowing, but because of the vulnerable
nature of the plaque, a rupture occurs,
resulting in a blood clot that blocks blood
fl ow. In other cases, individuals can have
signifi cant narrowing in their arteries
without experiencing any symptoms at
all—at least until there is increased stress
placed on the heart, such that blood fl ow
must increase to keep up with the demand.
Can you reverse a blockage?A moderate level of physical activity
and lifestyle adaptations can encourage
the development of new, smaller blood
vessels, bypassing the blockage or
diverting blood fl ow from another part
of the heart. This is called collateral fl ow.
A healthy diet and cholesterol-lowering
medications can change the characteristics
of a plaque, making it more resilient
and less prone to rupture.
RESEARCH
Who is most at risk?Many factors can play a role in increasing
the risk of a heart attack such as: age,
genetics, lifestyle (including diet, activity
level and smoking habits), or traumatic
injury. Risk typically increases with age,
often occurring earlier in men.
Did you know?Women are typically at less risk until
the onset of menopause; this is thought
to be a result of the protective effects
of estrogen.
Are symptoms different
for men and women?Although some reports suggest that
symptoms can vary between genders,
it’s important that both women and
men are aware of all possible symptoms,
as any one of them could indicate a
possible heart attack.
Symptoms include:
• Tightness, heaviness, squeezing
or burning in the left or right arm,
jaw, neck or chest
• Shortness of breath
• Sudden, excessive perspiration
• Lightheadedness
• Acid refl ux, nausea and/or vomiting
• Abdominal pain
How is a heart attack diagnosed?Diagnostic tools include blood tests that
can indicate damage to the heart, and
electrocardiograms, which measure the
heart’s electrical impulses. Another
diagnostic tool is an angiogram, in which
a dye is injected through a catheter into
the arteries of the heart so blockages
can be located on an X-ray.
How is a heart attack treated?Medications such as blood thinners and
clot-busters are often used in the treatment
of a heart attack. Other medications
can be used to relax the heart muscle,
lower blood pressure, and reduce
blood cholesterol.
The most common interventional
treatment is angioplasty, or the insertion
of a balloon into the affected artery
usually in conjunction with the placement
of a stent, or a metal scaffold, to prop
open the blockage. In other cases,
coronary artery bypass surgery is
performed, in which healthy segments of
either arteries or veins are grafted around
the blockage to reroute the fl ow of blood.
Did you know?• There is an increase in the number
of heart attacks during Christmas
and New Year’s Day, likely due to the
stress of the holidays, over exertion
from shoveling snow or winter sports,
and a higher consumption of fatty
foods and alcohol.
• Stress increases blood pressure
leading to a greater likelihood of
a plaque rupture.
• Sudden strenuous exercise can
signifi cantly increase blood pressure.
Moderate exercise is a better way
to reduce risk.
What is a heart attack?Text and illustrations by Amanda Fisher
A heart attack occurs when the heart muscle does not receive an adequate blood supply,
often due to a blockage.
Left coronary artery
UCALGARY MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 2014
What is angina?Angina is pain, tightness or a squeezing sensation in
the chest caused by a lack of blood fl ow to the heart.
Its onset frequently occurs with physical activity,
and it only lasts a few minutes upon rest. Although
angina is not a heart attack, it is a sign of partially
blocked arteries. If the pain persists, medical
attention should be sought immediately.
1 Plaque forms as blood
cholesterol is deposited
in artery wall.
2 Fibrous cap forms,
separating the plaque
from the artery.
3 Fibrous cap thins as plaque
expands. Blood fl ow
becomes compromised.
4 Plaque rupture, blood clot
forms over the damaged
artery wall.
1
2
3
4
15
Right coronary artery
Information provided by Dr. Edward R.M. O’Brien, professor and director of research at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary. O’Brien is also chief of cardiology for Alberta Health Services. His specialty is general cardiology, with research interests in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, and the biological mechanisms of vascular repair.
MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
What is a blockage?A blockage is a narrowing of an artery.
There are different types of blockages,
but the most common type results from
a fatty build-up inside the artery wall
called a plaque. This plaque can rupture,
creating a clot over the damaged artery
wall, eventually blocking the fl ow of
blood completely.
How severe does a blockage have
to be to cause a heart attack?Often, heart attacks occur in individuals
who have only a modest degree of
narrowing, but because of the vulnerable
nature of the plaque, a rupture occurs,
resulting in a blood clot that blocks blood
fl ow. In other cases, individuals can have
signifi cant narrowing in their arteries
without experiencing any symptoms at
all—at least until there is increased stress
placed on the heart, such that blood fl ow
must increase to keep up with the demand.
Can you reverse a blockage?A moderate level of physical activity
and lifestyle adaptations can encourage
the development of new, smaller blood
vessels, bypassing the blockage or
diverting blood fl ow from another part
of the heart. This is called collateral fl ow.
A healthy diet and cholesterol-lowering
medications can change the characteristics
of a plaque, making it more resilient
and less prone to rupture.
RESEARCH
Who is most at risk?Many factors can play a role in increasing
the risk of a heart attack such as: age,
genetics, lifestyle (including diet, activity
level and smoking habits), or traumatic
injury. Risk typically increases with age,
often occurring earlier in men.
Did you know?Women are typically at less risk until
the onset of menopause; this is thought
to be a result of the protective effects
of estrogen.
Are symptoms different
for men and women?Although some reports suggest that
symptoms can vary between genders,
it’s important that both women and
men are aware of all possible symptoms,
as any one of them could indicate a
possible heart attack.
Symptoms include:
• Tightness, heaviness, squeezing
or burning in the left or right arm,
jaw, neck or chest
• Shortness of breath
• Sudden, excessive perspiration
• Lightheadedness
• Acid refl ux, nausea and/or vomiting
• Abdominal pain
How is a heart attack diagnosed?Diagnostic tools include blood tests that
can indicate damage to the heart, and
electrocardiograms, which measure the
heart’s electrical impulses. Another
diagnostic tool is an angiogram, in which
a dye is injected through a catheter into
the arteries of the heart so blockages
can be located on an X-ray.
How is a heart attack treated?Medications such as blood thinners and
clot-busters are often used in the treatment
of a heart attack. Other medications
can be used to relax the heart muscle,
lower blood pressure, and reduce
blood cholesterol.
The most common interventional
treatment is angioplasty, or the insertion
of a balloon into the affected artery
usually in conjunction with the placement
of a stent, or a metal scaffold, to prop
open the blockage. In other cases,
coronary artery bypass surgery is
performed, in which healthy segments of
either arteries or veins are grafted around
the blockage to reroute the fl ow of blood.
Did you know?• There is an increase in the number
of heart attacks during Christmas
and New Year’s Day, likely due to the
stress of the holidays, over exertion
from shoveling snow or winter sports,
and a higher consumption of fatty
foods and alcohol.
• Stress increases blood pressure
leading to a greater likelihood of
a plaque rupture.
• Sudden strenuous exercise can
signifi cantly increase blood pressure.
Moderate exercise is a better way
to reduce risk.
What is a heart attack?Text and illustrations by Amanda Fisher
A heart attack occurs when the heart muscle does not receive an adequate blood supply,
often due to a blockage.
Left coronary artery
UCALGARY MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 2014
What is angina?Angina is pain, tightness or a squeezing sensation in
the chest caused by a lack of blood fl ow to the heart.
Its onset frequently occurs with physical activity,
and it only lasts a few minutes upon rest. Although
angina is not a heart attack, it is a sign of partially
blocked arteries. If the pain persists, medical
attention should be sought immediately.
1 Plaque forms as blood
cholesterol is deposited
in artery wall.
2 Fibrous cap forms,
separating the plaque
from the artery.
3 Fibrous cap thins as plaque
expands. Blood fl ow
becomes compromised.
4 Plaque rupture, blood clot
forms over the damaged
artery wall.
1
2
3
4
17
ONE IN 10 CANADIANS experience
depression at some point in their lives.
For many people, symptoms can be
effectively managed with medication
and psychotherapy. But for approximately
one per cent of depressed patients,
standard treatments are not enough.
“If you translate that statistic to
the Calgary population, about 10,000
depressed patients fail to respond to
available treatments and experience
treatment-resistant depression, or TRD,”
says Dr. Rajamannar Ramasubbu, a
psychiatrist and associate professor in
the Department of Psychiatry and a
member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute
Deep impact By Janice Lee
04 MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE RESEARCH
A pacemaker for the brainDBS is a surgical procedure that involves
implanting a pair of tiny electrodes into
targeted areas deep inside the brain.
The electrodes are connected to a thin,
insulated extension wire passed under
the skin from the head to a pulse generator
placed beneath the skin on the chest.
Working like a pacemaker for the brain,
the pulse generator delivers continuous
electrical pulses to the electrodes, which
alter the faulty electrical signals that are
implicated in different neurological
and psychiatric disorders.
Targeting the pathways of depressionAfter years of investigating the pathways
of the brain through medical imaging,
neurologist Dr. Helen Mayberg (formerly
at the University of Toronto and now at
Emory University in Atlanta) identifi ed a
region in the brain called the subcallosal
cingulate, located in the cerebral cortex,
as an important area for emotional
regulation.
“Her research found this area of the
brain was always hyperactive in patients
who were depressed,” says Kiss, a
neurosurgeon and associate professor in
the Department of Clinical Neurosciences.
In 2005, Mayberg and colleagues at
the University of Toronto led the fi rst pilot
study using DBS to target the subcallosal
cingulate area. The results of the study
were promising: improvement in four
of six depressed patients.
Findings from subsequent studies
have also been encouraging. “Published
studies to date suggest about 50 to
60 per cent of depressed patients will
respond to DBS treatment,” says Kiss.
Looking at DBS in a new wayBuilding on previous studies in the fi eld,
Kiss and Ramasubbu are examining the
role of stimulation parameters in DBS
for TRD—something that has never
been done before.
“There are several variables that can
be adjusted with DBS: you can increase
the amplitude, the frequency or the
duration of the pulses applied,” says
Ramasubbu. “Which of these parameters
will lead to the best outcomes for the
patient? It’s a lot like fi nding the right
dose of medication.”
In a pilot study recently published
in The Journal of Psychiatry and
Neuroscience, Kiss and Ramasubbu found
that 50 per cent of depressed patients
improved with chronic stimulation and
three of four patients showed a positive
effect with long duration pulse/low
intensity stimulation. These results
suggest that increasing pulse duration
may improve the clinical outcomes
of patients with TRD.
Collaborating for better treatmentBased on these fi ndings, Kiss and
Ramasubbu were awarded a Collaborative
Research and Innovation Opportunities
(CRIO) grant from Alberta Innovates -
Health Solutions to treat 25 patients with
TRD using DBS over a three-year period.
A collaboration between the
departments of clinical neurosciences
and psychiatry, the study also involves
13 interdisciplinary researchers from
Calgary and the United States, including
Kartikeya Murari, PhD, from the University
of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering,
and DBS pioneer Dr. Helen Mayberg,
who is the study consultant and
scientifi c advisor.
Kiss and Ramasubbu’s team will
investigate two types of stimulation
parameters—short duration pulse/high
intensity stimulation and long duration
pulse/low intensity stimulation—in a
randomized and blinded clinical trial.
Another important question the team
will aim to answer is how to best predict
which patients will benefi t from DBS.
“Previous studies have not addressed
why only half of depressed patients
improve with DBS,” says Kiss.
The team will try to understand
whether there are biomarkers that can be
measured with a blood test or magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) to indicate
who might respond best to treatment.
Results from the study could have
life-changing implications for patients who
do not respond to available treatment
for depression.
“DBS has revolutionized the treatment
of Parkinson’s disease and it has the
potential to improve quality of life for
depression too,” says Kiss.
The case for more researchKiss notes that the research in this fi eld
is still in an investigational stage.
“Researchers in this area probably
need another 10 years of studying
patients and reporting and understanding
fi ndings. We still do not understand how
DBS works at the cellular and circuit level
so DBS must be applied cautiously. It is
an invasive surgery, and we want to make
sure that we are applying the right kind
of stimulation and operating on the
patients who will respond best.”
(HBI) and the Mathison Centre for
Mental Health Research & Education.
Without viable treatment options,
individuals with TRD are often isolated
from family and friends and unable to
attend work. They have frequent relapses
and hospitalizations and are at a greater
risk for suicide.
Innovative research from the HBI
could provide hope for patients suffering
with TRD. Ramasubbu and fellow HBI
member Dr. Zelma Kiss are investigating
the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS)—
a therapy currently used for Parkinson’s
disease, tremors, and other movement
disorders—to treat TRD.
New research from the
Hotchkiss Brain Institute
could lead to better
treatment—and quality
of life—for patients
suffering from severe
depression.
DBS has revolutionized the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and it has the potential to improve quality of life for depression too. –Dr. Zelma Kiss
“”
UCALGARY MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 2014
Dr. Zelma Kiss (left) and
Dr. Rajamannar Ramasubbu (right).
17
ONE IN 10 CANADIANS experience
depression at some point in their lives.
For many people, symptoms can be
effectively managed with medication
and psychotherapy. But for approximately
one per cent of depressed patients,
standard treatments are not enough.
“If you translate that statistic to
the Calgary population, about 10,000
depressed patients fail to respond to
available treatments and experience
treatment-resistant depression, or TRD,”
says Dr. Rajamannar Ramasubbu, a
psychiatrist and associate professor in
the Department of Psychiatry and a
member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute
Deep impact By Janice Lee
04 MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE RESEARCH
A pacemaker for the brainDBS is a surgical procedure that involves
implanting a pair of tiny electrodes into
targeted areas deep inside the brain.
The electrodes are connected to a thin,
insulated extension wire passed under
the skin from the head to a pulse generator
placed beneath the skin on the chest.
Working like a pacemaker for the brain,
the pulse generator delivers continuous
electrical pulses to the electrodes, which
alter the faulty electrical signals that are
implicated in different neurological
and psychiatric disorders.
Targeting the pathways of depressionAfter years of investigating the pathways
of the brain through medical imaging,
neurologist Dr. Helen Mayberg (formerly
at the University of Toronto and now at
Emory University in Atlanta) identifi ed a
region in the brain called the subcallosal
cingulate, located in the cerebral cortex,
as an important area for emotional
regulation.
“Her research found this area of the
brain was always hyperactive in patients
who were depressed,” says Kiss, a
neurosurgeon and associate professor in
the Department of Clinical Neurosciences.
In 2005, Mayberg and colleagues at
the University of Toronto led the fi rst pilot
study using DBS to target the subcallosal
cingulate area. The results of the study
were promising: improvement in four
of six depressed patients.
Findings from subsequent studies
have also been encouraging. “Published
studies to date suggest about 50 to
60 per cent of depressed patients will
respond to DBS treatment,” says Kiss.
Looking at DBS in a new wayBuilding on previous studies in the fi eld,
Kiss and Ramasubbu are examining the
role of stimulation parameters in DBS
for TRD—something that has never
been done before.
“There are several variables that can
be adjusted with DBS: you can increase
the amplitude, the frequency or the
duration of the pulses applied,” says
Ramasubbu. “Which of these parameters
will lead to the best outcomes for the
patient? It’s a lot like fi nding the right
dose of medication.”
In a pilot study recently published
in The Journal of Psychiatry and
Neuroscience, Kiss and Ramasubbu found
that 50 per cent of depressed patients
improved with chronic stimulation and
three of four patients showed a positive
effect with long duration pulse/low
intensity stimulation. These results
suggest that increasing pulse duration
may improve the clinical outcomes
of patients with TRD.
Collaborating for better treatmentBased on these fi ndings, Kiss and
Ramasubbu were awarded a Collaborative
Research and Innovation Opportunities
(CRIO) grant from Alberta Innovates -
Health Solutions to treat 25 patients with
TRD using DBS over a three-year period.
A collaboration between the
departments of clinical neurosciences
and psychiatry, the study also involves
13 interdisciplinary researchers from
Calgary and the United States, including
Kartikeya Murari, PhD, from the University
of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering,
and DBS pioneer Dr. Helen Mayberg,
who is the study consultant and
scientifi c advisor.
Kiss and Ramasubbu’s team will
investigate two types of stimulation
parameters—short duration pulse/high
intensity stimulation and long duration
pulse/low intensity stimulation—in a
randomized and blinded clinical trial.
Another important question the team
will aim to answer is how to best predict
which patients will benefi t from DBS.
“Previous studies have not addressed
why only half of depressed patients
improve with DBS,” says Kiss.
The team will try to understand
whether there are biomarkers that can be
measured with a blood test or magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) to indicate
who might respond best to treatment.
Results from the study could have
life-changing implications for patients who
do not respond to available treatment
for depression.
“DBS has revolutionized the treatment
of Parkinson’s disease and it has the
potential to improve quality of life for
depression too,” says Kiss.
The case for more researchKiss notes that the research in this fi eld
is still in an investigational stage.
“Researchers in this area probably
need another 10 years of studying
patients and reporting and understanding
fi ndings. We still do not understand how
DBS works at the cellular and circuit level
so DBS must be applied cautiously. It is
an invasive surgery, and we want to make
sure that we are applying the right kind
of stimulation and operating on the
patients who will respond best.”
(HBI) and the Mathison Centre for
Mental Health Research & Education.
Without viable treatment options,
individuals with TRD are often isolated
from family and friends and unable to
attend work. They have frequent relapses
and hospitalizations and are at a greater
risk for suicide.
Innovative research from the HBI
could provide hope for patients suffering
with TRD. Ramasubbu and fellow HBI
member Dr. Zelma Kiss are investigating
the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS)—
a therapy currently used for Parkinson’s
disease, tremors, and other movement
disorders—to treat TRD.
New research from the
Hotchkiss Brain Institute
could lead to better
treatment—and quality
of life—for patients
suffering from severe
depression.
DBS has revolutionized the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and it has the potential to improve quality of life for depression too. –Dr. Zelma Kiss
“”
UCALGARY MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 2014
Dr. Zelma Kiss (left) and
Dr. Rajamannar Ramasubbu (right).
19
Don Fujita, PhD) from the University
of Calgary. “Preparing for the candidacy
exam and doing research in my fi eld
equipped me well for what I am doing.
I felt well prepared for the academic
side of teaching.”
A common thread that connects
most of these alumni, one to which they
attribute their success at MRU, is the
exposure to teaching experiences during
their time as graduate students in the
Faculty of Medicine. Many took advantage
of the Teaching and Learning Centre
(TLC) at the University of Calgary to
enhance their skills and understanding
of teaching, learning and the technology
used in higher education.
John Chik, PhD, took advantage of the
TLC while he did his post-doctoral training
in the lab of David Schriemer, PhD and
James McGhee, PhD. “It was a great
experience and it became an important
part of my CV,” says Chik, adding that
the transition from teaching large classes
at the University of Calgary to small
classes at MRU has presented a different
dynamic to teaching. “I was surprised
by the different challenges of teaching
small classes versus large classes.”
Dr. Katja Hoehn echoed Chik’s
sentiments on teaching experience.
“When I arrived at the University of Calgary,
I already had an MD from another
institution. I have always loved teaching,
FACULTY OF MEDICINE graduate science
education alumni are having a huge impact
in the Faculty of Science and Technology
at Mount Royal University (MRU).
Since gaining university status in
2009, the faculty has grown and changed
— now hosting several UCalgary medicine
alumni, including the current dean,
Jeff Goldberg, PhD. Goldberg completed
his PhD in 1983 under the guidance of
Ken Lukowiak, PhD. Eleven of his MRU
faculty members, comprising a large
proportion of the biology department,
completed training at the University of
Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine, ranging
from the Bachelor of Health Sciences
program to post-doctoral fellowships.
“Since health science, and cellular
and molecular biology are two of the
fi rst four majors that we developed in
anticipation of gaining university status,
great opportunities opened up for
individuals from the University of Calgary’s
Faculty of Medicine who were looking
for teaching focused positions,” says
Goldberg. “Because of the excellent
training they received at UCalgary in
a research-intensive environment, this
talented group of people has had a
huge impact on our undergraduates
in both classroom teaching and
hands-on research.”
The training these MRU faculty
members received at the University of
Calgary was instrumental in preparing
them for their current positions. Many
aspects of their research-intensive
education and teaching experience
helped to give them the tools they
needed to succeed as faculty members.
Tracy O’Connor, PhD, received her
BSc and PhD (under the supervision of
so while I was working on my post-
doctoral research with Brian MacVicar,
PhD, I was able to teach in the
Undergraduate Medical Education
program. This turned out to be an
important part of my training and
experience that eventually led to my
position at MRU.”
While refl ecting on their own successes,
members of the MRU Faculty of Science
and Technology offered some valuable
advice to graduate students about
to enter the workforce.
“It’s important to get teaching
experience and to be diverse and fl exible
enough to reinvent yourself along the
way,” says Trevor Day, PhD, a past trainee
in the lab of Richard Wilson, PhD. “In
addition to a great training opportunity,
what the Faculty of Medicine gave me
was exposure to other trainees who have
now become my collaborators and
mentors. I look back on my training at
the University of Calgary as community
building for the future.”
Adrienne Benediktsson, PhD, who
trained as a post-doctoral fellow under
Jaideep Bains, PhD, agrees. “It’s important
to seek out as many diverse opportunities
as possible. The ability to broaden your
experience is key. I did my research and
training in neuroscience and now I’m
teaching cell biology.“
Looking to the future, our UCalgary
alumni at the MRU Faculty of Science and
Technology see opportunities to reconnect
with their alma mater, both to broaden the
experiences of their students and to remain
connected to the research community
in the Faculty of Medicine. While several
individual connections have been made,
it’s clear there is capacity to increase
the collaborative opportunities.
There seems to be a natural synergy
to be able to join forces around summer
research opportunities for undergraduate
students, opportunities to co-supervise
graduate students, and to create teaching
experiences for graduate students where
such experiences are not readily available in
some programs. The fact that so many of
the faculty members at MRU are University
of Calgary alumni is a strong foundation on
which to build such collaborations.
ALUMNI
It’s important to get teaching
experience and to be diverse
and fl exible enough to reinvent
yourself along the way.
–Trevor Day, PhD
MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
Faculty of Medicine alumni shine at
Mount Royal UniversityBy Leigh Hurst
!
how you defi ne global health. I believe
it involves helping challenged and
underserved communities here at
home—not just overseas.
How did the University of Calgary’s
MD curriculum allow you to advance
your work internationally?
The program gave me the opportunity
to do an international elective but it also
allowed me to participate in rural and
remote medicine during my clerkship.
While my clerkship was located in the city,
I also worked in remote areas like Hay
River, Northwest Territories. Even then,
I knew that I would eventually practice
global health, so in 2011 I completed a
diploma in tropical medicine from the
London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine. This three-month course is
designed for Western-trained physicians
who want intensive exposure to health
care in low-income countries.
Recently, you travelled to Laos to
teach doctors and residents about
the Helping Babies Breathe initiative.
How did you become involved with
this project?
After completing my diploma in
tropical medicine, I wanted to be more
involved in global health. I gave up my
DR. AMY GAUSVIK, MD ’04
(Taphozous), is a family physician
specializing in low risk obstetrics and
a master teacher in Undergraduate
Medical Education at the University
of Calgary. She has made signifi cant
contributions to global health
initiatives around the world, including
Tanzania, Laos, Guyana, and in refugee
camps on the Thai-Burma border.
When were you fi rst drawn to
global health?
I was fi rst drawn to global health in
medical school when I went to Trinidad for
my fi rst elective. From there, I took every
opportunity to engage in global health.
In Guyana, I was involved with an initiative
that screened remote populations for
cervical cancer. When we found a case,
we transferred the patients to the
volunteer surgeons for treatment.
In 2009, I volunteered with my husband
in refugee camps and internally-displaced-
persons villages on the Thai-Burma border.
That experience instilled in me a passion for
medical teaching in the developing world.
I fi nd it interesting that people who
love global health are also drawn to rural
medicine and working with underserved
populations. It makes a person question
practice in Vulcan, Alberta, to become
involved with the Laos project and to
become a mentor with the global health
concentration in the Faculty of Medicine.
The Helping Babies Breathe project
teaches traditional birth attendants and
medical professionals how to perform
neonatal resuscitation maneuvers, and
the evidence behind their use. Often
these basic maneuvers are needed to
help babies take their fi rst breath.
How does the training that you have
been involved with benefi t physicians
in Laos, and ultimately the patients
that they interact with?
In Laos, we are teaching a basic but
effective course and it’s becoming
infectious. The physicians, nurses and
traditional birth attendants we train go
on to teach all of their colleagues and
other midwife attendants. Having a child
die affects not only the family, but also
the broader community.
ALUMNI
Alumna dedicated to global healthBy Leigh Hurst
What is a taphozous?A taphozous is a sac-winged bat found
in Indonesia.
The University of Calgary’s Faculty
of Medicine began formally naming its
MD classes after animals in 1975 when
a professor became frustrated with
his class and called them “a bunch of
turkeys”. The name stuck and so did
the tradition, with each medical class
naming the class behind them.
Taphozous Unite!10 year reunion—Class of 2004
Sept 26 – 28, 2014
Contact [email protected]
for more information.
19
Don Fujita, PhD) from the University
of Calgary. “Preparing for the candidacy
exam and doing research in my fi eld
equipped me well for what I am doing.
I felt well prepared for the academic
side of teaching.”
A common thread that connects
most of these alumni, one to which they
attribute their success at MRU, is the
exposure to teaching experiences during
their time as graduate students in the
Faculty of Medicine. Many took advantage
of the Teaching and Learning Centre
(TLC) at the University of Calgary to
enhance their skills and understanding
of teaching, learning and the technology
used in higher education.
John Chik, PhD, took advantage of the
TLC while he did his post-doctoral training
in the lab of David Schriemer, PhD and
James McGhee, PhD. “It was a great
experience and it became an important
part of my CV,” says Chik, adding that
the transition from teaching large classes
at the University of Calgary to small
classes at MRU has presented a different
dynamic to teaching. “I was surprised
by the different challenges of teaching
small classes versus large classes.”
Dr. Katja Hoehn echoed Chik’s
sentiments on teaching experience.
“When I arrived at the University of Calgary,
I already had an MD from another
institution. I have always loved teaching,
FACULTY OF MEDICINE graduate science
education alumni are having a huge impact
in the Faculty of Science and Technology
at Mount Royal University (MRU).
Since gaining university status in
2009, the faculty has grown and changed
— now hosting several UCalgary medicine
alumni, including the current dean,
Jeff Goldberg, PhD. Goldberg completed
his PhD in 1983 under the guidance of
Ken Lukowiak, PhD. Eleven of his MRU
faculty members, comprising a large
proportion of the biology department,
completed training at the University of
Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine, ranging
from the Bachelor of Health Sciences
program to post-doctoral fellowships.
“Since health science, and cellular
and molecular biology are two of the
fi rst four majors that we developed in
anticipation of gaining university status,
great opportunities opened up for
individuals from the University of Calgary’s
Faculty of Medicine who were looking
for teaching focused positions,” says
Goldberg. “Because of the excellent
training they received at UCalgary in
a research-intensive environment, this
talented group of people has had a
huge impact on our undergraduates
in both classroom teaching and
hands-on research.”
The training these MRU faculty
members received at the University of
Calgary was instrumental in preparing
them for their current positions. Many
aspects of their research-intensive
education and teaching experience
helped to give them the tools they
needed to succeed as faculty members.
Tracy O’Connor, PhD, received her
BSc and PhD (under the supervision of
so while I was working on my post-
doctoral research with Brian MacVicar,
PhD, I was able to teach in the
Undergraduate Medical Education
program. This turned out to be an
important part of my training and
experience that eventually led to my
position at MRU.”
While refl ecting on their own successes,
members of the MRU Faculty of Science
and Technology offered some valuable
advice to graduate students about
to enter the workforce.
“It’s important to get teaching
experience and to be diverse and fl exible
enough to reinvent yourself along the
way,” says Trevor Day, PhD, a past trainee
in the lab of Richard Wilson, PhD. “In
addition to a great training opportunity,
what the Faculty of Medicine gave me
was exposure to other trainees who have
now become my collaborators and
mentors. I look back on my training at
the University of Calgary as community
building for the future.”
Adrienne Benediktsson, PhD, who
trained as a post-doctoral fellow under
Jaideep Bains, PhD, agrees. “It’s important
to seek out as many diverse opportunities
as possible. The ability to broaden your
experience is key. I did my research and
training in neuroscience and now I’m
teaching cell biology.“
Looking to the future, our UCalgary
alumni at the MRU Faculty of Science and
Technology see opportunities to reconnect
with their alma mater, both to broaden the
experiences of their students and to remain
connected to the research community
in the Faculty of Medicine. While several
individual connections have been made,
it’s clear there is capacity to increase
the collaborative opportunities.
There seems to be a natural synergy
to be able to join forces around summer
research opportunities for undergraduate
students, opportunities to co-supervise
graduate students, and to create teaching
experiences for graduate students where
such experiences are not readily available in
some programs. The fact that so many of
the faculty members at MRU are University
of Calgary alumni is a strong foundation on
which to build such collaborations.
ALUMNI
It’s important to get teaching
experience and to be diverse
and fl exible enough to reinvent
yourself along the way.
–Trevor Day, PhD
MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
Faculty of Medicine alumni shine at
Mount Royal UniversityBy Leigh Hurst
!
how you defi ne global health. I believe
it involves helping challenged and
underserved communities here at
home—not just overseas.
How did the University of Calgary’s
MD curriculum allow you to advance
your work internationally?
The program gave me the opportunity
to do an international elective but it also
allowed me to participate in rural and
remote medicine during my clerkship.
While my clerkship was located in the city,
I also worked in remote areas like Hay
River, Northwest Territories. Even then,
I knew that I would eventually practice
global health, so in 2011 I completed a
diploma in tropical medicine from the
London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine. This three-month course is
designed for Western-trained physicians
who want intensive exposure to health
care in low-income countries.
Recently, you travelled to Laos to
teach doctors and residents about
the Helping Babies Breathe initiative.
How did you become involved with
this project?
After completing my diploma in
tropical medicine, I wanted to be more
involved in global health. I gave up my
DR. AMY GAUSVIK, MD ’04
(Taphozous), is a family physician
specializing in low risk obstetrics and
a master teacher in Undergraduate
Medical Education at the University
of Calgary. She has made signifi cant
contributions to global health
initiatives around the world, including
Tanzania, Laos, Guyana, and in refugee
camps on the Thai-Burma border.
When were you fi rst drawn to
global health?
I was fi rst drawn to global health in
medical school when I went to Trinidad for
my fi rst elective. From there, I took every
opportunity to engage in global health.
In Guyana, I was involved with an initiative
that screened remote populations for
cervical cancer. When we found a case,
we transferred the patients to the
volunteer surgeons for treatment.
In 2009, I volunteered with my husband
in refugee camps and internally-displaced-
persons villages on the Thai-Burma border.
That experience instilled in me a passion for
medical teaching in the developing world.
I fi nd it interesting that people who
love global health are also drawn to rural
medicine and working with underserved
populations. It makes a person question
practice in Vulcan, Alberta, to become
involved with the Laos project and to
become a mentor with the global health
concentration in the Faculty of Medicine.
The Helping Babies Breathe project
teaches traditional birth attendants and
medical professionals how to perform
neonatal resuscitation maneuvers, and
the evidence behind their use. Often
these basic maneuvers are needed to
help babies take their fi rst breath.
How does the training that you have
been involved with benefi t physicians
in Laos, and ultimately the patients
that they interact with?
In Laos, we are teaching a basic but
effective course and it’s becoming
infectious. The physicians, nurses and
traditional birth attendants we train go
on to teach all of their colleagues and
other midwife attendants. Having a child
die affects not only the family, but also
the broader community.
ALUMNI
Alumna dedicated to global healthBy Leigh Hurst
What is a taphozous?A taphozous is a sac-winged bat found
in Indonesia.
The University of Calgary’s Faculty
of Medicine began formally naming its
MD classes after animals in 1975 when
a professor became frustrated with
his class and called them “a bunch of
turkeys”. The name stuck and so did
the tradition, with each medical class
naming the class behind them.
Taphozous Unite!10 year reunion—Class of 2004
Sept 26 – 28, 2014
Contact [email protected]
for more information.
21
Y I found the mock interview sessions
and many chats with friends and
professors very helpful. Some members
of the mock interview panel took extra time
to speak with us on certain topics which
defi nitely helped with the fi nal interview.
Why do you think your application and interview were successful?
G I have the ability to recognize key
challenges in my fi eld and community,
and build multidisciplinary teams and
solutions to address them directly—be it
leading Canada’s fi rst psychiatric screening
study for the homeless right here in Calgary
or identifying unique risk factors for stroke
in women (hypertension in pregnancy—
a combined internal medicine, neurology,
and obstetrics/gynecology project).
The great support and mentorship
I received from the University of Calgary
was instrumental in building my confi dence
and really helped smooth the process.
Attending the interviews with my friend
Yan also meant that I was quite relaxed
through this high-stakes process, which
helped immensely.
Y I went into the interview wanting
to have fun with it and really enjoy
the process and experience. With all the
support, and with Aravind also at the
interview, I felt very well prepared and
very comfortable.
When do you plan to attend Oxford? What do you plan to study?
G I will start at Oxford in October
2014. I will pursue a clinical research
fellowship in stroke and dementia through
the Nuffi eld Department of Clinical
Neurosciences. This means that I will
combine DPhil (PhD) research work
examining the public health challenges
of preventing and treating stroke and
dementia—the two leading neurological
causes of disability worldwide—with
clinical work in these areas. This will
be a great extension of the work that
I am currently doing as a neurology
resident-physician in Calgary, and I hope
to build my skills in the areas of clinical
trials design, clinical epidemiology, and
health-care delivery. With respect to the
latter, Oxford is also home to cutting-
edge basic neuroscience research, so I
also plan to cultivate a better appreciation
for this during my years there. The most
innovative solutions in medicine and
neurology will come from such laboratory
research, and I hope to appreciate how
to take insights from such work and
bring them to the forefront in clinics
and health-care systems.
Y I will be attending Oxford from
September 2014 and will study for
an MBA and a master’s degree in public
policy. It will be a great opportunity to
learn as much as I can about issues and
challenges that are health care related,
but outside the fi eld of medicine. I’m also
looking forward to meeting the people
at Oxford. I’m sure the work and ideas
of my professors and fellow students
will be inspiring, to say the least.
Will you return to the University of Calgary following your time at Oxford?
G The University of Calgary is where
I see my future. On returning from
Oxford, I will spend a couple of years
wrapping up my specialization in neurology
here in Calgary and then hope to work as
a clinician-scientist and medical educator
within the university. I am hoping to apply
the skills that I build at Oxford to bring us
to the forefront of health-care quality and
medical education, and in turn help us
lead progress in the quality of care for
patients worldwide.
Y Defi nitely. I want to teach medicine
and health policy at the University
of Calgary. I want to bring the knowledge
and experience of Oxford back home
and see if we can work with like-minded
people to make a difference in our
health-care system here at home.
Thirteen students at the University of Calgary, including Yu and Ganesh, have received the Rhodes Scholarship. They join the likes of former Canadian Prime Minister John Turner and former U.S. President Bill Clinton as Rhodes Scholars.A MEDICAL STUDENT and resident
physician respectively, Yu and Ganesh
will travel to Oxford this fall with
aspirations of discovering great things
to bring back and implement here
in Calgary. The scholars talk about
their reactions when they found out,
expectations for their time at Oxford
and what advice they would give
to future Rhodes applicants.
The obvious fi rst question–what was your reaction when you were notifi ed you were a Rhodes Scholarship recipient?
Ganesh It was a humbling
moment, and I really
felt honoured to be joining the Rhodes
community. I was with my parents
when I found out, and it made the
moment that much more special.
Yu I was with my dad driving home
after arriving back from my
interview when I got the call. I’m glad
I was sitting down. I was so excited,
so relieved, and so humbled.
How did you prepare for the application and interview process?
G I think the most important preparation
that I did was refl ecting on my life,
values and goals to develop a confi dent
vision of where I wanted to be in the next
fi ve years, and how my studies at Oxford
would fi t into that. To help with this, I had
frank discussions about this opportunity
and about my career with my current
supervisors and mentors in the neurology
department, and also with potential
supervisors at the University of Oxford.
On the Rhode
to greatnessBy Aisling Gamble
MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE EDUCATION UCALGARY MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 2014
The Rhodes Scholarship is widely considered the world’s most prestigious scholarship. The 2013 round of awards honoured 83 international recipients, with the University of Calgary’s Yan Yu and Dr. Aravind Ganesh among the 11 Canadians named as Rhodes Scholars.
Yan Yu
Dr. Aravind Ganesh
21
Y I found the mock interview sessions
and many chats with friends and
professors very helpful. Some members
of the mock interview panel took extra time
to speak with us on certain topics which
defi nitely helped with the fi nal interview.
Why do you think your application and interview were successful?
G I have the ability to recognize key
challenges in my fi eld and community,
and build multidisciplinary teams and
solutions to address them directly—be it
leading Canada’s fi rst psychiatric screening
study for the homeless right here in Calgary
or identifying unique risk factors for stroke
in women (hypertension in pregnancy—
a combined internal medicine, neurology,
and obstetrics/gynecology project).
The great support and mentorship
I received from the University of Calgary
was instrumental in building my confi dence
and really helped smooth the process.
Attending the interviews with my friend
Yan also meant that I was quite relaxed
through this high-stakes process, which
helped immensely.
Y I went into the interview wanting
to have fun with it and really enjoy
the process and experience. With all the
support, and with Aravind also at the
interview, I felt very well prepared and
very comfortable.
When do you plan to attend Oxford? What do you plan to study?
G I will start at Oxford in October
2014. I will pursue a clinical research
fellowship in stroke and dementia through
the Nuffi eld Department of Clinical
Neurosciences. This means that I will
combine DPhil (PhD) research work
examining the public health challenges
of preventing and treating stroke and
dementia—the two leading neurological
causes of disability worldwide—with
clinical work in these areas. This will
be a great extension of the work that
I am currently doing as a neurology
resident-physician in Calgary, and I hope
to build my skills in the areas of clinical
trials design, clinical epidemiology, and
health-care delivery. With respect to the
latter, Oxford is also home to cutting-
edge basic neuroscience research, so I
also plan to cultivate a better appreciation
for this during my years there. The most
innovative solutions in medicine and
neurology will come from such laboratory
research, and I hope to appreciate how
to take insights from such work and
bring them to the forefront in clinics
and health-care systems.
Y I will be attending Oxford from
September 2014 and will study for
an MBA and a master’s degree in public
policy. It will be a great opportunity to
learn as much as I can about issues and
challenges that are health care related,
but outside the fi eld of medicine. I’m also
looking forward to meeting the people
at Oxford. I’m sure the work and ideas
of my professors and fellow students
will be inspiring, to say the least.
Will you return to the University of Calgary following your time at Oxford?
G The University of Calgary is where
I see my future. On returning from
Oxford, I will spend a couple of years
wrapping up my specialization in neurology
here in Calgary and then hope to work as
a clinician-scientist and medical educator
within the university. I am hoping to apply
the skills that I build at Oxford to bring us
to the forefront of health-care quality and
medical education, and in turn help us
lead progress in the quality of care for
patients worldwide.
Y Defi nitely. I want to teach medicine
and health policy at the University
of Calgary. I want to bring the knowledge
and experience of Oxford back home
and see if we can work with like-minded
people to make a difference in our
health-care system here at home.
Thirteen students at the University of Calgary, including Yu and Ganesh, have received the Rhodes Scholarship. They join the likes of former Canadian Prime Minister John Turner and former U.S. President Bill Clinton as Rhodes Scholars.A MEDICAL STUDENT and resident
physician respectively, Yu and Ganesh
will travel to Oxford this fall with
aspirations of discovering great things
to bring back and implement here
in Calgary. The scholars talk about
their reactions when they found out,
expectations for their time at Oxford
and what advice they would give
to future Rhodes applicants.
The obvious fi rst question–what was your reaction when you were notifi ed you were a Rhodes Scholarship recipient?
Ganesh It was a humbling
moment, and I really
felt honoured to be joining the Rhodes
community. I was with my parents
when I found out, and it made the
moment that much more special.
Yu I was with my dad driving home
after arriving back from my
interview when I got the call. I’m glad
I was sitting down. I was so excited,
so relieved, and so humbled.
How did you prepare for the application and interview process?
G I think the most important preparation
that I did was refl ecting on my life,
values and goals to develop a confi dent
vision of where I wanted to be in the next
fi ve years, and how my studies at Oxford
would fi t into that. To help with this, I had
frank discussions about this opportunity
and about my career with my current
supervisors and mentors in the neurology
department, and also with potential
supervisors at the University of Oxford.
On the Rhode
to greatnessBy Aisling Gamble
MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE EDUCATION UCALGARY MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 2014
The Rhodes Scholarship is widely considered the world’s most prestigious scholarship. The 2013 round of awards honoured 83 international recipients, with the University of Calgary’s Yan Yu and Dr. Aravind Ganesh among the 11 Canadians named as Rhodes Scholars.
Yan Yu
Dr. Aravind Ganesh
23
G My parents have been my
biggest role models in life and
have been a constant source of
advice. I also had amazing referees
who supported my application with
their letters, which I am sure went
a long way: Dr. Tom Feasby, Dr. Scott
Patten, Joanne Cuthbertson, Dr. Dawn
Pearson, Dr. Eric Smith, Dr. Bruce
Wright and Dr. Steve Simpson have
played a huge role in my career so
far. Juliet Guichon, Charlie Fischer,
Dr. Bob Schultz, and Jessica Cohen
with the Scholars Academy were
key advisors through the process.
I wouldn’t have been able to enter
into a career in neurology without
the advice and support of Dr. Bill
Fletcher, Dr. Farnaz Amoozegar, and
Dr. Doug Zochodne. Given that I was
applying for this opportunity in the
middle of a busy residency, it also
helped that I had the full support
and encouragement of my program
director in the Department of
Neurology, Dr. Michael Yeung, as
well as my department mentors
Dr. Lawrence Korngut, Dr. Gregory
Cairncross and Dr. Robert Bell.
There are so many people I look
to as mentors, including Dr. Lara
Cooke, Dr. Kevin Busche, and Dr.
Dave Patry, and my biology professor
Dr. Heather Addy, who inspired
me to pursue my work in medical
education; Dr. Andrew Demchuk,
Dr. Michael Hill and Dr. Bijoy Menon
have been key in helping foster my
interest in stroke; Dr. Luanne Metz,
Dr. Sam Wiebe and Dr. Raj Midha,
who have been amazing leaders of
our Clinical Neurosciences Division.
SERVICE TO SOCIETY
“ Yan and Aravind are outstanding representatives of the faculty and of the University of Calgary and we are incredibly proud of them. The Rhodes Scholarship is both an exclusive and prestigious award, and what an honour for these two scholars and for our university. Congratulations and I wish them both the best of luck at Oxford.” – Dr. Jon Meddings, Dean, Faculty of Medicine
Do you have any advice for future applicants?
G The Rhodes application and
interview process is rigorous and
time-consuming, so it’s key to be sure
that this is something one wants to
pursue. Take time to think about your
goals for the future and fi gure out how
this fi ts into your vision. Don’t hesitate to
seek advice. And once you’ve set your
mind on it, go for it with confi dence
and hope for the best.
Y I agree with Aravind…especially the
“hope for the best” part. The Rhodes
Scholarship should not be an end-goal,
but simply a means to an end, of which
there are many. The end goal should
always be to improve the state of the
world, in one way or another. There are
always needs to be met today. So look
around, fi nd a societal challenge that
you are passionate about and commit
to it. Be the go-to person for addressing
that issue. Along the way, be open to
opportunities that come up, do what
you love, connect with like-minded
people and fi nd great mentors to learn
from. Little by little, benefi cial change
will happen. And that is the true reward.
MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
He may look familiar—but
you’re just not quite sure
where you have seen him.
It could have been on
television, in the newspaper or
on the web. Glen Armstrong,
PhD, participates in up to
15 media interviews per week
at certain times of the year,
so it’s easy for his face to grow
familiar. He’s a vaccine expert
at the University of Calgary’s
Faculty of Medicine, and when
fl u season starts, his calendar
fi lls with requests from
reporters at radio stations,
newspapers and TV outlets,
both locally and nationally.
As a professor and
researcher he is used to
communicating and breaking
down scientifi c concepts.
What is your background?I am a microbiologist specializing
in microbes, specifi cally food
and waterborne bacteria.
Most of my research is on
E. coli 0157 and fi nding
effective ways to treat it.
What do the media interview you about?I usually speak to the media
on the topics of food-borne
illnesses and vaccines.
I started doing a lot of
media interviews on the fl u
vaccine during the 2009 H1N1
pandemic. I also did a lot of
media interviews in 2012 during
the E. coli outbreak at the
Brooks beef-processing facility.
Each fl u season, media are
interested in exploring fl u
vaccines and how they work.
Part of my research involves
looking at the possibility of
developing an E. coli vaccine,
so vaccines is an area I’m
familiar with. This winter we
have also had cases of measles
emerge in Alberta, and the
media have been phoning me
to answer questions about
measles vaccinations.
What’s your most memorable interview?The most interesting request
I’ve had so far wasn’t from a
media outlet—it was from a
science fi ction author writing
a novel on a deadly virus
outbreak. He wanted to talk to
me to learn about how a virus
spreads, and the process
of isolating a virus to make
a vaccine.
You get a lot of requests to talk with the media and unless you’re out of town, you rarely turn them down. Why is that?I feel a responsibility to do
them. The media asks pretty
simple questions about
vaccines. This is vaccine 101.
We need to help the public
determine if something is a
concern; we need to get the
right information out there.
We need to show the public
what the university is doing
with their tax dollars—we need
to show the community what
research we are doing and the
expertise we have. We need to
answer questions on how to
protect ourselves.
What has been a career highlight?
In 2011 I was awarded the
NSERC Brockhouse Canada
Prize for Interdisciplinary
Research in Science and
Engineering. I never anticipated
I would go to Rideau Hall and
have the Governor General
put a medal around my neck.
I am part of the Alberta
Carbohydrate Group, which
includes researchers at
UCalgary and the University
of Alberta. The group is
looking at micro-organisms
that are drug resistant and
is trying to develop vaccines
as well as therapeutics for
a range of infections. One of
the infections we are focusing
on is Clostridium (C.) diffi cile
—which can affect one in
10 hospital patients.
I love discovering how
things work and translating it
into something practical to
makes our lives better.
Armstrong also served as
the Head of the Department
of Microbiology, Immunology
and Infectious Diseases at the
University of Calgary, from
2003–2013. He is also a member
of the university’s Snyder Institute
for Chronic Diseases.
Is there a particular mentor who you feel played a role in your successful application?
22
Y Absolutely. There were many,
many people who supported me
in this application and in my medical
school life. They have all been
amazing, but some key mentors
of mine at the University of Calgary
are Dr. Bruce Wright, Dr. David
Keegan, Juliet Guichon and Dr. Bill
Ghali here in the Faculty of Medicine,
and Dr. Bob Schultz at the Haskayne
School of Business. In the community,
I have been fortunate enough to
work closely with Dr. Glenn Gould, a
practicing family physician in Calgary,
as well as Dr. Janet McCulloch, a
psychiatrist in Kingston, Ontario.
And of course my rural medicine
community in Canmore, with
Dr. Andrew Reed and Dr. Alina
Constantin being my primary
preceptors there. Without their
help, I would not be where I am
today. Special thanks to Dr. Sam
Weiss and Dr. Jeff Goldberg, for
believing in me even when I was
a keen but clueless undergrad
student, and also to my high school
teachers (i.e. my biology teacher
Ted Pike), who believed in me when
I was an even more clueless high
school student. Lastly, my friends
and peers who are involved in
student governance, sustainability
initiatives, and health-care innovation
—they were the ones who showed
me that student activism can make
a difference.
Local media have him on speed dial during fl u seasonBy Marta Cyperling
23
G My parents have been my
biggest role models in life and
have been a constant source of
advice. I also had amazing referees
who supported my application with
their letters, which I am sure went
a long way: Dr. Tom Feasby, Dr. Scott
Patten, Joanne Cuthbertson, Dr. Dawn
Pearson, Dr. Eric Smith, Dr. Bruce
Wright and Dr. Steve Simpson have
played a huge role in my career so
far. Juliet Guichon, Charlie Fischer,
Dr. Bob Schultz, and Jessica Cohen
with the Scholars Academy were
key advisors through the process.
I wouldn’t have been able to enter
into a career in neurology without
the advice and support of Dr. Bill
Fletcher, Dr. Farnaz Amoozegar, and
Dr. Doug Zochodne. Given that I was
applying for this opportunity in the
middle of a busy residency, it also
helped that I had the full support
and encouragement of my program
director in the Department of
Neurology, Dr. Michael Yeung, as
well as my department mentors
Dr. Lawrence Korngut, Dr. Gregory
Cairncross and Dr. Robert Bell.
There are so many people I look
to as mentors, including Dr. Lara
Cooke, Dr. Kevin Busche, and Dr.
Dave Patry, and my biology professor
Dr. Heather Addy, who inspired
me to pursue my work in medical
education; Dr. Andrew Demchuk,
Dr. Michael Hill and Dr. Bijoy Menon
have been key in helping foster my
interest in stroke; Dr. Luanne Metz,
Dr. Sam Wiebe and Dr. Raj Midha,
who have been amazing leaders of
our Clinical Neurosciences Division.
SERVICE TO SOCIETY
“ Yan and Aravind are outstanding representatives of the faculty and of the University of Calgary and we are incredibly proud of them. The Rhodes Scholarship is both an exclusive and prestigious award, and what an honour for these two scholars and for our university. Congratulations and I wish them both the best of luck at Oxford.” – Dr. Jon Meddings, Dean, Faculty of Medicine
Do you have any advice for future applicants?
G The Rhodes application and
interview process is rigorous and
time-consuming, so it’s key to be sure
that this is something one wants to
pursue. Take time to think about your
goals for the future and fi gure out how
this fi ts into your vision. Don’t hesitate to
seek advice. And once you’ve set your
mind on it, go for it with confi dence
and hope for the best.
Y I agree with Aravind…especially the
“hope for the best” part. The Rhodes
Scholarship should not be an end-goal,
but simply a means to an end, of which
there are many. The end goal should
always be to improve the state of the
world, in one way or another. There are
always needs to be met today. So look
around, fi nd a societal challenge that
you are passionate about and commit
to it. Be the go-to person for addressing
that issue. Along the way, be open to
opportunities that come up, do what
you love, connect with like-minded
people and fi nd great mentors to learn
from. Little by little, benefi cial change
will happen. And that is the true reward.
MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
He may look familiar—but
you’re just not quite sure
where you have seen him.
It could have been on
television, in the newspaper or
on the web. Glen Armstrong,
PhD, participates in up to
15 media interviews per week
at certain times of the year,
so it’s easy for his face to grow
familiar. He’s a vaccine expert
at the University of Calgary’s
Faculty of Medicine, and when
fl u season starts, his calendar
fi lls with requests from
reporters at radio stations,
newspapers and TV outlets,
both locally and nationally.
As a professor and
researcher he is used to
communicating and breaking
down scientifi c concepts.
What is your background?I am a microbiologist specializing
in microbes, specifi cally food
and waterborne bacteria.
Most of my research is on
E. coli 0157 and fi nding
effective ways to treat it.
What do the media interview you about?I usually speak to the media
on the topics of food-borne
illnesses and vaccines.
I started doing a lot of
media interviews on the fl u
vaccine during the 2009 H1N1
pandemic. I also did a lot of
media interviews in 2012 during
the E. coli outbreak at the
Brooks beef-processing facility.
Each fl u season, media are
interested in exploring fl u
vaccines and how they work.
Part of my research involves
looking at the possibility of
developing an E. coli vaccine,
so vaccines is an area I’m
familiar with. This winter we
have also had cases of measles
emerge in Alberta, and the
media have been phoning me
to answer questions about
measles vaccinations.
What’s your most memorable interview?The most interesting request
I’ve had so far wasn’t from a
media outlet—it was from a
science fi ction author writing
a novel on a deadly virus
outbreak. He wanted to talk to
me to learn about how a virus
spreads, and the process
of isolating a virus to make
a vaccine.
You get a lot of requests to talk with the media and unless you’re out of town, you rarely turn them down. Why is that?I feel a responsibility to do
them. The media asks pretty
simple questions about
vaccines. This is vaccine 101.
We need to help the public
determine if something is a
concern; we need to get the
right information out there.
We need to show the public
what the university is doing
with their tax dollars—we need
to show the community what
research we are doing and the
expertise we have. We need to
answer questions on how to
protect ourselves.
What has been a career highlight?
In 2011 I was awarded the
NSERC Brockhouse Canada
Prize for Interdisciplinary
Research in Science and
Engineering. I never anticipated
I would go to Rideau Hall and
have the Governor General
put a medal around my neck.
I am part of the Alberta
Carbohydrate Group, which
includes researchers at
UCalgary and the University
of Alberta. The group is
looking at micro-organisms
that are drug resistant and
is trying to develop vaccines
as well as therapeutics for
a range of infections. One of
the infections we are focusing
on is Clostridium (C.) diffi cile
—which can affect one in
10 hospital patients.
I love discovering how
things work and translating it
into something practical to
makes our lives better.
Armstrong also served as
the Head of the Department
of Microbiology, Immunology
and Infectious Diseases at the
University of Calgary, from
2003–2013. He is also a member
of the university’s Snyder Institute
for Chronic Diseases.
Is there a particular mentor who you feel played a role in your successful application?
22
Y Absolutely. There were many,
many people who supported me
in this application and in my medical
school life. They have all been
amazing, but some key mentors
of mine at the University of Calgary
are Dr. Bruce Wright, Dr. David
Keegan, Juliet Guichon and Dr. Bill
Ghali here in the Faculty of Medicine,
and Dr. Bob Schultz at the Haskayne
School of Business. In the community,
I have been fortunate enough to
work closely with Dr. Glenn Gould, a
practicing family physician in Calgary,
as well as Dr. Janet McCulloch, a
psychiatrist in Kingston, Ontario.
And of course my rural medicine
community in Canmore, with
Dr. Andrew Reed and Dr. Alina
Constantin being my primary
preceptors there. Without their
help, I would not be where I am
today. Special thanks to Dr. Sam
Weiss and Dr. Jeff Goldberg, for
believing in me even when I was
a keen but clueless undergrad
student, and also to my high school
teachers (i.e. my biology teacher
Ted Pike), who believed in me when
I was an even more clueless high
school student. Lastly, my friends
and peers who are involved in
student governance, sustainability
initiatives, and health-care innovation
—they were the ones who showed
me that student activism can make
a difference.
Local media have him on speed dial during fl u seasonBy Marta Cyperling
25
For people the world over, coming to Calgary can be a real headache. Let’s just say it’s something in the air.
UCALGARY MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 2014 RESEARCH MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
A chinook arch over Calgary.
“It’s nice to get into a fi eld where you understand enough about the disorder that you can design treatments specifi cally for it.”
It’s in the airby Alison Myers
of Calgarians better manage their pain.
CHAMP gives patients access to an
occupational therapist, a psychologist and
a nurse, as well as a headache specialist.
Before they’re seen, patients need to
participate in a two-hour information
session to learn how stress management,
relaxation and avoiding triggers will help
reduce the number of attacks.
“The demand for headache services is
huge,” says Becker. CHAMP gets more than
100 referrals a month, mostly from family
doctors whose patients have signifi cant
problems with headaches. In fact, a third
of the patients referred to CHAMP have
more than 14 days of headache a month.
“But those patients aren’t all seen. We want
them to work with us. So if the patient
doesn’t come to the education session,
we send the referral back.”
CHAMP is just one of Becker’s
contributions to headache care. His CHORD
study, or Canadian Headache Outpatient
Registry and Database, characterized the
kind of patient referred to fi ve Canadian
headache specialists. It showed that
three-quarters of the patients had some
kind of migraine diagnosis and that
many of them were severely disabled
by their attacks.
He also arranged the Canadian
Migraine Forum and developed a
Canadian Migraine Strategy, an attempt
to roadmap how headache care can be
improved in Canada. His latest project is
looking into the possibility of implanting
nerve stimulators to help patients who
get little to no relief from medication.
Perhaps surprisingly, the man who has
dedicated much of his career to helping
people fi nd relief from these debilitating
attacks has rarely suffered one himself.
“I am a little headachey before some of
the Chinooks,” Becker says, “and once
had a typical migraine aura while working
in the headache clinic, but no headache
followed it.”
“It’s the weather patterns and altitude,”
says Dr. Werner Becker, professor of
clinical neuroscience at the University of
Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine and
member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute.
Becker has been researching and treating
headache, especially migraine, for more
than 20 years.
When Becker fi rst came to Calgary in
1978, he was doing clinical tests in patients
with multiple sclerosis and studying motor
control physiology—the refl exes that
help control our movements. His turn to
migraine and tension headache research
was somewhat serendipitous, as is often
the case in the world of science.
In the early 90s, Becker had an
opportunity to participate in the research
surrounding a new strain of migraine
medication called triptans. It was the fi rst
time a drug had been developed to
specifi cally treat migraine, a condition he
was seeing more often in his practice.
“It’s nice to get into a fi eld where you
understand enough about the disorder
that you can design treatments specifi cally
for it,” he says. Through his research and
caring for patients at the Calgary Chronic
Pain Centre’s Headache Clinic, Becker soon
realized migraine sufferers were lacking
more than just designer drugs.
“There wasn’t a good system in place
to treat them effectively,” he explains. “As
a consultant, you could make recommen-
dations to the family doctor, but you’d see
the patient a year later and realize nothing
much had changed.”
Using a three-year grant from the
provincial government in 2003, Becker
launched a multidisciplinary program
to help patients and physicians better
understand what causes migraines and
tension headaches, how to treat them and,
most importantly, how to keep them at bay.
Eleven years later, the Calgary
Headache Assessment and Management
Program, or CHAMP, is helping thousands
Migraine medications called
triptans only work on 85
per cent of patients. In 2001,
Becker conducted a study
to see if it was possible to
predetermine whether a
patient would react to the
drugs. The research didn’t
reveal anything clinically
relevant, but did suggest
those who don’t benefi t
from triptans have a higher
prevalence of anxiety,
shyness and perfectionism.
The World Health Organization
ranks migraine the eighth
most disabling condition in
the world. It bases this
assessment on the notion
that the average migraine
patient has an attack at least
once every 20 days and that
the attack leaves them
unable to fully function.
Migraine is one of society’s
more expensive diseases.
A European study found
headache costs society
more than stroke and double
what Parkinson’s and multiple
sclerosis do in terms of
lost productivity.
Migraine 101
Migraines are genetic, but
the number of attacks
someone has in their lifetime
—if any, depends largely on
environmental factors and
personal triggers. Those can
include red wine, processed
foods, stress and insomnia.
Chinooks are a migraine curse
disguised as a winter blessing.
According to Becker’s research,
half of the patients who are
sensitive to Mother Nature’s
reprieve react to the drop in
air pressure. The others get
migraines from chinook
winds, but only if they go
over 38 km/h.
25
For people the world over, coming to Calgary can be a real headache. Let’s just say it’s something in the air.
UCALGARY MEDICINE SPRING / SUMMER 2014 RESEARCH MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
A chinook arch over Calgary.
“It’s nice to get into a fi eld where you understand enough about the disorder that you can design treatments specifi cally for it.”
It’s in the airby Alison Myers
of Calgarians better manage their pain.
CHAMP gives patients access to an
occupational therapist, a psychologist and
a nurse, as well as a headache specialist.
Before they’re seen, patients need to
participate in a two-hour information
session to learn how stress management,
relaxation and avoiding triggers will help
reduce the number of attacks.
“The demand for headache services is
huge,” says Becker. CHAMP gets more than
100 referrals a month, mostly from family
doctors whose patients have signifi cant
problems with headaches. In fact, a third
of the patients referred to CHAMP have
more than 14 days of headache a month.
“But those patients aren’t all seen. We want
them to work with us. So if the patient
doesn’t come to the education session,
we send the referral back.”
CHAMP is just one of Becker’s
contributions to headache care. His CHORD
study, or Canadian Headache Outpatient
Registry and Database, characterized the
kind of patient referred to fi ve Canadian
headache specialists. It showed that
three-quarters of the patients had some
kind of migraine diagnosis and that
many of them were severely disabled
by their attacks.
He also arranged the Canadian
Migraine Forum and developed a
Canadian Migraine Strategy, an attempt
to roadmap how headache care can be
improved in Canada. His latest project is
looking into the possibility of implanting
nerve stimulators to help patients who
get little to no relief from medication.
Perhaps surprisingly, the man who has
dedicated much of his career to helping
people fi nd relief from these debilitating
attacks has rarely suffered one himself.
“I am a little headachey before some of
the Chinooks,” Becker says, “and once
had a typical migraine aura while working
in the headache clinic, but no headache
followed it.”
“It’s the weather patterns and altitude,”
says Dr. Werner Becker, professor of
clinical neuroscience at the University of
Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine and
member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute.
Becker has been researching and treating
headache, especially migraine, for more
than 20 years.
When Becker fi rst came to Calgary in
1978, he was doing clinical tests in patients
with multiple sclerosis and studying motor
control physiology—the refl exes that
help control our movements. His turn to
migraine and tension headache research
was somewhat serendipitous, as is often
the case in the world of science.
In the early 90s, Becker had an
opportunity to participate in the research
surrounding a new strain of migraine
medication called triptans. It was the fi rst
time a drug had been developed to
specifi cally treat migraine, a condition he
was seeing more often in his practice.
“It’s nice to get into a fi eld where you
understand enough about the disorder
that you can design treatments specifi cally
for it,” he says. Through his research and
caring for patients at the Calgary Chronic
Pain Centre’s Headache Clinic, Becker soon
realized migraine sufferers were lacking
more than just designer drugs.
“There wasn’t a good system in place
to treat them effectively,” he explains. “As
a consultant, you could make recommen-
dations to the family doctor, but you’d see
the patient a year later and realize nothing
much had changed.”
Using a three-year grant from the
provincial government in 2003, Becker
launched a multidisciplinary program
to help patients and physicians better
understand what causes migraines and
tension headaches, how to treat them and,
most importantly, how to keep them at bay.
Eleven years later, the Calgary
Headache Assessment and Management
Program, or CHAMP, is helping thousands
Migraine medications called
triptans only work on 85
per cent of patients. In 2001,
Becker conducted a study
to see if it was possible to
predetermine whether a
patient would react to the
drugs. The research didn’t
reveal anything clinically
relevant, but did suggest
those who don’t benefi t
from triptans have a higher
prevalence of anxiety,
shyness and perfectionism.
The World Health Organization
ranks migraine the eighth
most disabling condition in
the world. It bases this
assessment on the notion
that the average migraine
patient has an attack at least
once every 20 days and that
the attack leaves them
unable to fully function.
Migraine is one of society’s
more expensive diseases.
A European study found
headache costs society
more than stroke and double
what Parkinson’s and multiple
sclerosis do in terms of
lost productivity.
Migraine 101
Migraines are genetic, but
the number of attacks
someone has in their lifetime
—if any, depends largely on
environmental factors and
personal triggers. Those can
include red wine, processed
foods, stress and insomnia.
Chinooks are a migraine curse
disguised as a winter blessing.
According to Becker’s research,
half of the patients who are
sensitive to Mother Nature’s
reprieve react to the drop in
air pressure. The others get
migraines from chinook
winds, but only if they go
over 38 km/h.
27
Resident embraces life changes From a young age, Dr. Vera Krejcik knew she wanted to be a doctor. Finding herself drawn to the field of rheumatology—a specialty focusing on diseases of the joints and connective tissue—life threw her a curveball. Working with her circumstances, her medical career has since taken her in another direction.
After years of severe headaches
and periodic bouts of numbness,
weakness and tingling in her left arm
and hand, Krejcik was diagnosed with an
arteriovenous malformation (AVM) near
the end of medical school. A condition
of abnormal connection between arteries
and veins, AVMs are usually present since
birth and become more intricate and
complex as time goes on. If they rupture,
which approximately four per cent do
annually, there is a 50 per cent chance
of complete paralysis or death.
After graduating from medical school
and writing her licensing exam, Krejcik
elected to undergo a high-risk surgery
to remove the AVM. Following the 12-hour
procedure and discharge from the ICU
one week later, she suffered a massive
bleed in her brain, resulting in significant
paralysis on the left side of her body.
Through several months of intensive
physiotherapy, she was able to regain
movement in her left leg; however,
her hand and arm remained paralyzed.
Coming to terms with her new disability,
she says her former concept of self
was shattered.
“I was an active person, I was into
running and skiing and that all went
out the window very quickly.”
A career in rheumatology would
require precise and extensive use of
both of her hands, and she quickly
realized it would no longer be an option
for her. “I was so fragile and had been
sick for so long that I had begun to ask
myself if there would be a place for
me in medicine at all.”
After spending some time reflecting
on her career goals, Krejcik realized that
one of the main reasons she was drawn
to rheumatology was because of the
opportunity to spend a lot of time with
patients over many years. It was the
people aspect of medicine she enjoyed
most, and knowing this, her mentors
encouraged her to consider a different
specialty—psychiatry.
She was able to enter into a
probationary program within the
Department of Psychiatry, which allowed
both the program and Krejcik to decide
if the specialty would be a good fit.
It was, and Krejcik was officially accepted
into the psychiatry residency program
in the fall of 2013.
Having been a patient herself and
someone who is now living with a
permanent disability, the young resident
says her experience has changed the way
she interacts with her patients, and the
challenges she faces allow her to truly
connect with their experiences.
“The physical presence of my disability
shows patients that I know what it means
to be vulnerable, and that I’m respectful
of their experience,” she says, “I walk into
the room with a limp and it’s very clear
that I can’t use my arm or hand, so it
tells patients that I’m human and that
I understand what it means to be sick.”
Having accepted her disability and
the necessary adaptations to her life,
Krejcik asserts that her ability to remain
open to possibilities has shown her
how resilient she can be.
“No matter what happens in my life…
I realize that despite losing my ability
to run, ski or walk around with the same
confidence, the aspect of medicine that
I cherish most, using my mind to care
for patients, is alive and well.
Psychiatry has been so supportive
and it has been wonderful to be welcomed
with open arms after such a difficult
couple of years. The program has been
open-minded and has treated me as
though my experience brings something
unique to the program and to patient
care; perhaps not a weakness, but
a strength.”
By Kathryn Kazoleas
In the news
BRUCE PIKE, PHD, was recruited
to the University of Calgary’s
Hotchkiss Brain Institute and
the Department of Radiology
as part of the Campus Alberta
Innovation Program (CAIP),
and now holds the CAIP Chair
in Healthy Brain Aging.
Pike’s primary research
focus is applying quantitative
methods to medical imaging.
He was at the forefront of
CANCER RESEARCHERS and
clinicians are testing their
homes for radon gas in an
effort to bring awareness to
the cancer-causing radioactive
gas that could be lurking in
the homes of Canadians.
University of Calgary
researcher Aaron Goodarzi,
PhD, is exploring several
initiatives to help understand
and eradicate radon-induced
cancer in Alberta and brain-
brain imaging research at
a time when functional MRI
(fMRI)—real-time imaging—
was just being developed.
“The limitation at the time was
that we could see where the
brain activity was, but it was
very difficult to interpret
exactly what the brain scans
actually meant,” says Pike.
Functional MRI has
revolutionized neuroscience,
and Pike’s pioneering
contributions to quantitative
fMRI have implications for
studying normal brain
development, as well as for
diagnosing and evaluating
treatments for conditions such
as stroke, multiple sclerosis,
epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease,
vascular dementia and
Parkinson’s disease.
stormed the idea to have
Calgary cancer doctors
and researchers test their
homes, especially their
basements, for radon gas
levels. More than 40 cancer
researchers and physicians
signed up.
Because long-term exposure
kits provide the most accurate
readings, the testing will take
about a month. Goodarzi
hopes the preliminary data
from this initiative will help
secure funding for a larger-
scale study to map household
radon levels in major Alberta
population centres to
determine communities
most at risk.
2 Aaron Goodarzi, PhD.
BRUCE PIKE: NEW CAIP CHAIR IN HEALTHY BRAIN AGING
CALGARY CANCER RESEARCHERS TEST THEIR HOMES FOR RADON
NEWS
IN NOVEMBER, Canadian
Minister of Health Rona
Ambrose announced funding
for new national research
on concussions, with a focus
on improving the prevention,
diagnosis and treatment of
these injuries in children
and youth.
The announcement means
funding for 19 new research
RESEARCHERS HAVE discovered
the fundamental biology
of calcium waves in relation
to heart arrhythmias.
The findings, published in
the Jan. 19, 2014 edition of
Nature Medicine, outline the
discovery of this fundamental
physiological process that
researchers hope will one
day help design molecularly
tailored medications that
correct the pathophysiology.
While many factors, including
genetics, contribute to the
development of arrhythmias,
projects across the country.
Three projects at the University
of Calgary received a total of
almost $2.5 million. Researchers
Carolyn Emery, PhD, Dr. Karen
Barlow and Dr. Garnette
Sutherland are leading the
projects on concussion
research.
Ambrose said the federal
government is commited to
building new partnerships with
researchers to raise awareness
about injury prevention and
make life safer for Canadians
from coast to coast to coast.
scientists know that a
common mechanism of
cardiac arrhythmias is calcium
overload in the heart, i.e.
calcium-triggered arrhythmias.
Using a combination
of molecular biology,
electrophysiology, and
genetically engineering mice,
scientists have discovered that
a calcium-sensing-gate in
the cardiac calcium release
channel (ryanodine receptor)
is responsible for the initiation
of calcium waves and calcium-
triggered arrhythmias. Utilizing
a genetically modified mouse
model, they were able to
manipulate the sensor and
completely prevented calcium-
triggered arrhythmias.
CONCUSSION RESEARCH AT UNIVERSITY GETS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING BOOST
RESEARCHERS DISCOVER HOW HEART ARRHYTHMIA OCCURS
3
1
MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
I was an active person, I was into running and skiing and that all went out the window very quickly.
1 Young hockey players with former
Calgary Flames player Jamie Macoun.
3 Wayne Cheng, PhD, senior
author on the study.
2
EDUCATION
27
Resident embraces life changesFrom a young age, Dr. Vera Krejcik knew she wanted to be a doctor. Finding herself drawn to the field of rheumatology—a specialty focusing on diseases of the joints and connective tissue—life threw her a curveball. Working with her circumstances, her medical career has since taken her in another direction.
After years of severe headaches
and periodic bouts of numbness,
weakness and tingling in her left arm
and hand, Krejcik was diagnosed with an
arteriovenous malformation (AVM) near
the end of medical school. A condition
of abnormal connection between arteries
and veins, AVMs are usually present since
birth and become more intricate and
complex as time goes on. If they rupture,
which approximately four per cent do
annually, there is a 50 per cent chance
of complete paralysis or death.
After graduating from medical school
and writing her licensing exam, Krejcik
elected to undergo a high-risk surgery
to remove the AVM. Following the 12-hour
procedure and discharge from the ICU
one week later, she suffered a massive
bleed in her brain, resulting in significant
paralysis on the left side of her body.
Through several months of intensive
physiotherapy, she was able to regain
movement in her left leg; however,
her hand and arm remained paralyzed.
Coming to terms with her new disability,
she says her former concept of self
was shattered.
“I was an active person, I was into
running and skiing and that all went
out the window very quickly.”
A career in rheumatology would
require precise and extensive use of
both of her hands, and she quickly
realized it would no longer be an option
for her. “I was so fragile and had been
sick for so long that I had begun to ask
myself if there would be a place for
me in medicine at all.”
After spending some time reflecting
on her career goals, Krejcik realized that
one of the main reasons she was drawn
to rheumatology was because of the
opportunity to spend a lot of time with
patients over many years. It was the
people aspect of medicine she enjoyed
most, and knowing this, her mentors
encouraged her to consider a different
specialty—psychiatry.
She was able to enter into a
probationary program within the
Department of Psychiatry, which allowed
both the program and Krejcik to decide
if the specialty would be a good fit.
It was, and Krejcik was officially accepted
into the psychiatry residency program
in the fall of 2013.
Having been a patient herself and
someone who is now living with a
permanent disability, the young resident
says her experience has changed the way
she interacts with her patients, and the
challenges she faces allow her to truly
connect with their experiences.
“The physical presence of my disability
shows patients that I know what it means
to be vulnerable, and that I’m respectful
of their experience,” she says, “I walk into
the room with a limp and it’s very clear
that I can’t use my arm or hand, so it
tells patients that I’m human and that
I understand what it means to be sick.”
Having accepted her disability and
the necessary adaptations to her life,
Krejcik asserts that her ability to remain
open to possibilities has shown her
how resilient she can be.
“No matter what happens in my life…
I realize that despite losing my ability
to run, ski or walk around with the same
confidence, the aspect of medicine that
I cherish most, using my mind to care
for patients, is alive and well.
Psychiatry has been so supportive
and it has been wonderful to be welcomed
with open arms after such a difficult
couple of years. The program has been
open-minded and has treated me as
though my experience brings something
unique to the program and to patient
care; perhaps not a weakness, but
a strength.”
By Kathryn Kazoleas
In the news
BRUCE PIKE, PHD, was recruited
to the University of Calgary’s
Hotchkiss Brain Institute and
the Department of Radiology
as part of the Campus Alberta
Innovation Program (CAIP),
and now holds the CAIP Chair
in Healthy Brain Aging.
Pike’s primary research
focus is applying quantitative
methods to medical imaging.
He was at the forefront of
CANCER RESEARCHERS and
clinicians are testing their
homes for radon gas in an
effort to bring awareness to
the cancer-causing radioactive
gas that could be lurking in
the homes of Canadians.
University of Calgary
researcher Aaron Goodarzi,
PhD, is exploring several
initiatives to help understand
and eradicate radon-induced
cancer in Alberta and brain-
brain imaging research at
a time when functional MRI
(fMRI)—real-time imaging—
was just being developed.
“The limitation at the time was
that we could see where the
brain activity was, but it was
very difficult to interpret
exactly what the brain scans
actually meant,” says Pike.
Functional MRI has
revolutionized neuroscience,
and Pike’s pioneering
contributions to quantitative
fMRI have implications for
studying normal brain
development, as well as for
diagnosing and evaluating
treatments for conditions such
as stroke, multiple sclerosis,
epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease,
vascular dementia and
Parkinson’s disease.
stormed the idea to have
Calgary cancer doctors
and researchers test their
homes, especially their
basements, for radon gas
levels. More than 40 cancer
researchers and physicians
signed up.
Because long-term exposure
kits provide the most accurate
readings, the testing will take
about a month. Goodarzi
hopes the preliminary data
from this initiative will help
secure funding for a larger-
scale study to map household
radon levels in major Alberta
population centres to
determine communities
most at risk.
2 Aaron Goodarzi, PhD.
BRUCE PIKE: NEW CAIP CHAIR IN HEALTHY BRAIN AGING
CALGARY CANCER RESEARCHERS TEST THEIR HOMES FOR RADON
NEWS
IN NOVEMBER, Canadian
Minister of Health Rona
Ambrose announced funding
for new national research
on concussions, with a focus
on improving the prevention,
diagnosis and treatment of
these injuries in children
and youth.
The announcement means
funding for 19 new research
RESEARCHERS HAVE discovered
the fundamental biology
of calcium waves in relation
to heart arrhythmias.
The findings, published in
the Jan. 19, 2014 edition of
Nature Medicine, outline the
discovery of this fundamental
physiological process that
researchers hope will one
day help design molecularly
tailored medications that
correct the pathophysiology.
While many factors, including
genetics, contribute to the
development of arrhythmias,
projects across the country.
Three projects at the University
of Calgary received a total of
almost $2.5 million. Researchers
Carolyn Emery, PhD, Dr. Karen
Barlow and Dr. Garnette
Sutherland are leading the
projects on concussion
research.
Ambrose said the federal
government is commited to
building new partnerships with
researchers to raise awareness
about injury prevention and
make life safer for Canadians
from coast to coast to coast.
scientists know that a
common mechanism of
cardiac arrhythmias is calcium
overload in the heart, i.e.
calcium-triggered arrhythmias.
Using a combination
of molecular biology,
electrophysiology, and
genetically engineering mice,
scientists have discovered that
a calcium-sensing-gate in
the cardiac calcium release
channel (ryanodine receptor)
is responsible for the initiation
of calcium waves and calcium-
triggered arrhythmias. Utilizing
a genetically modified mouse
model, they were able to
manipulate the sensor and
completely prevented calcium-
triggered arrhythmias.
CONCUSSION RESEARCH AT UNIVERSITY GETS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING BOOST
RESEARCHERS DISCOVER HOW HEART ARRHYTHMIA OCCURS
3
1
MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
I was an activeperson, I was intorunning and skiing and that all wentout the window very quickly.
1 Young hockey players with former
Calgary Flames player Jamie Macoun.
3 S.R. Wayne Chen, PhD,
senior author on the study.
2
EDUCATION
29
THE 2013 Wood Forum took place in both
Calgary and Edmonton. Event attendees
had the opportunity to hear from experts
in the field on improvements to health-care
access and to ask questions concerning
their personal hip and knee health.
Dr. Jim Powell (left), an orthopaedic surgeon and
member of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint
Health, doing a live demo of a hip replacement, and
Jordan Wood (right), an orthopaedic sales rep from
Smith and Nephew—the company that donated
the materials for the demonstration.
UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY graduate
students teamed up with StemCellTalks,
a national outreach group affiliated
with the organization Let’s Talk Science,
to give high school students the
opportunity to see first-hand how stem
cells play an integral role in medical
research. Thirty-five students from eight
schools across Calgary attended the
symposium on Nov. 15, 2013 hosted
at the university’s Foothills Campus.
The day consisted of a series of
discussions, led by University of Calgary
researchers, on topics such as the basic
biology of stem cells, retinal stem cells,
bioengineering with stem cells, how
they’re currently being used and ethical
concerns. Students had the opportunity
to see what goes on inside the labs
where stem cell research takes place,
to participate in case studies, apply
what they learned to discuss various
scenarios, and even witnessed a debate
between two stem cell researchers.
Libin celebrates 10 years of heart excellence in 2014 THE LIBIN CARDIOVASCULAR INSTITUTE
of Alberta is celebrating its 10–year
anniversary with a variety of community
events and initiatives throughout 2014.
Since it’s also an Olympic year, the
institute is proudly sponsoring former
Olympian Justin Warsylewicz, a
speedskater who was diagnosed with
Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome.
Warsylewicz underwent two procedures
at the Libin Institute a decade ago
and took home a silver medal at the
2006 Turin Olympic Games.
Stop by Inglewood’s Gravity Café
on April 29 for a CIHR Café Scientifique,
and the Health and Wellness Expo at
the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon
May 29 and 30. Stay tuned for details
on a gala celebration in the fall and
plenty more events yet to be announced
at libin10.ca.
Over the last decade, the integration
of the University of Calgary’s cardiovascular
research enterprise with the region’s care
delivery mechanisms has contributed
to Calgary having the highest 30-day
post-heart attack survival rate in the
country. Happy anniversary to the
Libin Institute!
The second annual Wood Forum on Hip Osteoarthritis
Graduate students host stem cell symposium
In the community
NEWS MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
Dr. Werner Becker and Dr. Cy Frank were awarded the
Alberta Medical Association medal for their distinguished
service, outstanding personal contributions to the medical
profession and to the people of Alberta, and for raising
the standards of medical practice.
Awards and recognition
NEWS
Dr. Ewan Affleck was
recognized with the Order of
Canada for his commitment to
improving health-care services
in northern communities.
Dr. Morton Doran was awarded
the Order of Canada for his
efforts to raise awareness of
Tourette syndrome, particularly
as a surgeon living with
the condition, and for his
commitment to medical
education.
Dr. Michael Hill and Dr. Brent
Mitchell were among the
54 Fellows inducted into the
Canadian Academy of Health
Sciences (CAHS) in 2013. The
CAHS recognizes individuals
of great accomplishment
and achievement in the
academic health sciences
in Canada.
Five University of Calgary
initiatives were awarded
prestigious ASTech Awards
for their remarkable
innovations in Alberta science
and technology. Winners
from the Faculty of Medicine
included Dr. Pere Santamaria,
Outstanding Leadership in
Alberta Technology, and
Dr. Bill Ghali and the Ward
of the 21 Century, Societal
Impact Award.
The Canadian Association
of Internes and Residents
(CAIR) recognized Dr. Joanne
Todesco as the 2013 staff
recipient of the Dr. Derek
Puddester CAIR Award
for Resident Well-Being.
The award honours those
who have contributed to
improving resident well-being
in Canada.
Avenue Magazine’s Top 40
Under 40 is an annual
selection of Calgary’s brightest
and most active leaders under
the age of 40. The Faculty
of Medicine extends
congratulations to honourees
Drs. Chand Ball, Vika
Kuriachan, Susan Samuel
and Robin Yates.
Dr. Janet de Groot and
Dr. David Topps received
Association of Faculties of
Medicine of Canada (AFMC)
awards for outstanding
contributions to medical
education in Canada.
de Groot is the 2014 recipient
of the May Cohen Equity,
Diversity and Gender Award.
The award is presented to
a female physician who has
demonstrated an ongoing
commitment to mentoring
others. Topps is the co-recipient,
with his colleague Rachel
Ellaway, of the AFMC-Infoway,
e-Health Award. The award
is given to a faculty member
from a Canadian faculty of
medicine who demonstrates
exceptional leadership and
commitment to e-health
and informatics in medical
education curriculum.
Dr. Tom Feasby, neurologist
and former dean of medicine,
received an honorary degree
from Western University. The
degree recognizes Feasby’s
outstanding contributions
to shaping and improving
health-care delivery and policy
in Canada throughout his
academic career.
The College of Family
Physicians of Canada
awarded Dr. Roger Thomas
a Lifetime Achievement
Award. The award recognizes
Thomas as a trailblazer and
leader in family medicine
research, and honours his
contributions to family
medicine research
throughout his career.
Keith Sharkey, PhD, was
named a Canadian Association
of Gastroenterology Fellow
in recognition of his service
to the Canadian Association
of Gastroenterology and to
Canadian gastroenterology.
Gregor Wolbring, PhD, was
presented a Queen Elizabeth II
Diamond Jubilee Medal for his
tireless and impactful work in
the areas of ability and ableism
ethics and governance, the
history of thalidomide and
thalidomiders and disability
studies.
29
THE 2013 Wood Forum took place in both
Calgary and Edmonton. Event attendees
had the opportunity to hear from experts
in the field on improvements to health-care
access and to ask questions concerning
their personal hip and knee health.
Dr. Jim Powell (left), an orthopaedic surgeon and
member of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint
Health, doing a live demo of a hip replacement, and
Jordan Wood (right), an orthopaedic sales rep from
Smith and Nephew—the company that donated
the materials for the demonstration.
UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY graduate
students teamed up with StemCellTalks,
a national outreach group affiliated
with the organization Let’s Talk Science,
to give high school students the
opportunity to see first-hand how stem
cells play an integral role in medical
research. Thirty-five students from eight
schools across Calgary attended the
symposium on Nov. 15, 2013 hosted
at the university’s Foothills Campus.
The day consisted of a series of
discussions, led by University of Calgary
researchers, on topics such as the basic
biology of stem cells, retinal stem cells,
bioengineering with stem cells, how
they’re currently being used and ethical
concerns. Students had the opportunity
to see what goes on inside the labs
where stem cell research takes place,
to participate in case studies, apply
what they learned to discuss various
scenarios, and even witnessed a debate
between two stem cell researchers.
Libin celebrates 10 years of heart excellence in 2014 THE LIBIN CARDIOVASCULAR INSTITUTE
of Alberta is celebrating its 10–year
anniversary with a variety of community
events and initiatives throughout 2014.
Since it’s also an Olympic year, the
institute is proudly sponsoring former
Olympian Justin Warsylewicz, a
speedskater who was diagnosed with
Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome.
Warsylewicz underwent two procedures
at the Libin Institute a decade ago
and took home a silver medal at the
2006 Turin Olympic Games.
Stop by Inglewood’s Gravity Café
on April 29 for a CIHR Café Scientifique,
and the Health and Wellness Expo at
the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon
May 29 and 30. Stay tuned for details
on a gala celebration in the fall and
plenty more events yet to be announced
at libin10.ca.
Over the last decade, the integration
of the University of Calgary’s cardiovascular
research enterprise with the region’s care
delivery mechanisms has contributed
to Calgary having the highest 30-day
post-heart attack survival rate in the
country. Happy anniversary to the
Libin Institute!
The second annual Wood Forum on Hip Osteoarthritis
Graduate students host stem cell symposium
In the community
NEWS MEDICINE.UCALGARY.CA/MAGAZINE
Dr. Werner Becker and Dr. Cy Frank were awarded the
Alberta Medical Association medal for their distinguished
service, outstanding personal contributions to the medical
profession and to the people of Alberta, and for raising
the standards of medical practice.
Awards and recognition
NEWS
Dr. Ewan Affleck was
recognized with the Order of
Canada for his commitment to
improving health-care services
in northern communities.
Dr. Morton Doran was awarded
the Order of Canada for his
efforts to raise awareness of
Tourette syndrome, particularly
as a surgeon living with
the condition, and for his
commitment to medical
education.
Dr. Michael Hill and Dr. Brent
Mitchell were among the
54 Fellows inducted into the
Canadian Academy of Health
Sciences (CAHS) in 2013. The
CAHS recognizes individuals
of great accomplishment
and achievement in the
academic health sciences
in Canada.
Five University of Calgary
initiatives were awarded
prestigious ASTech Awards
for their remarkable
innovations in Alberta science
and technology. Winners
from the Faculty of Medicine
included Dr. Pere Santamaria,
Outstanding Leadership in
Alberta Technology, and
Dr. Bill Ghali and the Ward
of the 21 Century, Societal
Impact Award.
The Canadian Association
of Internes and Residents
(CAIR) recognized Dr. Joanne
Todesco as the 2013 staff
recipient of the Dr. Derek
Puddester CAIR Award
for Resident Well-Being.
The award honours those
who have contributed to
improving resident well-being
in Canada.
Avenue Magazine’s Top 40
Under 40 is an annual
selection of Calgary’s brightest
and most active leaders under
the age of 40. The Faculty
of Medicine extends
congratulations to honourees
Drs. Chand Ball, Vika
Kuriachan, Susan Samuel
and Robin Yates.
Dr. Janet de Groot and
Dr. David Topps received
Association of Faculties of
Medicine of Canada (AFMC)
awards for outstanding
contributions to medical
education in Canada.
de Groot is the 2014 recipient
of the May Cohen Equity,
Diversity and Gender Award.
The award is presented to
a female physician who has
demonstrated an ongoing
commitment to mentoring
others. Topps is the co-recipient,
with his colleague Rachel
Ellaway, of the AFMC-Infoway,
e-Health Award. The award
is given to a faculty member
from a Canadian faculty of
medicine who demonstrates
exceptional leadership and
commitment to e-health
and informatics in medical
education curriculum.
Dr. Tom Feasby, neurologist
and former dean of medicine,
received an honorary degree
from Western University. The
degree recognizes Feasby’s
outstanding contributions
to shaping and improving
health-care delivery and policy
in Canada throughout his
academic career.
The College of Family
Physicians of Canada
awarded Dr. Roger Thomas
a Lifetime Achievement
Award. The award recognizes
Thomas as a trailblazer and
leader in family medicine
research, and honours his
contributions to family
medicine research
throughout his career.
Keith Sharkey, PhD, was
named a Canadian Association
of Gastroenterology Fellow
in recognition of his service
to the Canadian Association
of Gastroenterology and to
Canadian gastroenterology.
Gregor Wolbring, PhD, was
presented a Queen Elizabeth II
Diamond Jubilee Medal for his
tireless and impactful work in
the areas of ability and ableism
ethics and governance, the
history of thalidomide and
thalidomiders and disability
studies.
Faculty of Medicine Alumni AffairsCall for nominations:
Alumnus of Distinction Award for Mentorship
DEADLINE: JUNE 6, 2014 medicine.ucalgary.ca/alumni/awards
“ In recognition of outstanding commitment to mentorship of students and trainees, in an educational or community setting.”
41095528
PM AGREEMENT NO. 41095528
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