research news - alberta heritage foundation for medical ... · by this lack of context. the result...
TRANSCRIPT
ahfmrA L B E R T A H E R I T A G E F O U N D A T I O N F O R M E D I C A L R E S E A R C H
F A L L 2 0 0 6
research news
contents
AHFMR MissionAHFMR supports a community ofresearchers who generate knowledge, theapplication of which improves the health and quality of life of Albertans and peoplethroughout the world. AHFMR’s long-termcommitment is to fund health researchbased on international standards of excellence and carried out by new andestablished investigators and researchersin training.
TrusteesRichard HaskayneCled LewisJo-Anne LubinNancy MannixIndira SamarasekeraRobert SeidelEldon SmithGail Surkan (Chair)Harvey Weingarten
President and CEOKevin Keough, PhD
Contact Us:Your comments, views and suggestionsare welcome. Please forward them to:
The Editor, AHFMR Research NewsAlberta Heritage Foundation for Medical ResearchSuite 1500, 10104 - 103 AvenueEdmonton, Alberta T5J 4A7
Phone: (780) 423-5727Fax: (780) 429-3509E-Mail: [email protected]: www.ahfmr.ab.ca
research newsA L B E R T A H E R I T A G E F O U N D A T I O N F O R M E D I C A L R E S E A R C H
F A L L 2 0 0 6
Regular featuresResearch Views .............................................................1
Researchers in the making ..........................................20
Reader resources ........................................................21
Back page featuring 2006 AHFMR Media Fellows...........22
Production NotesExecutive editor: Kathleen ThurberManaging editor: Janet HarveyWriters: Connie Bryson, Janet Harvey, Tara Narwani,Barbara Kermode-ScottDesign: Lime Design Inc.Cover Illustration and feature story illustrations: Trudie LeeInside illustrations: Cindy RevellPhotography: Trudie Lee, Brian Harder, Calgary;Laughing Dog Photography, Edmonton; Getty Images
The AHFMR Newsletter is published four times annuallyand is distributed free of charge to a controlled circula-tion list within Canada. If you wish to receive it, pleasecontact us by phone, e-mail, fax or by letter. It is alsoon the web at www.ahfmr.ab.ca.
AHFMR Research News is printed by grafikom.Speedfast on 70lb Luna Matte text.
© Contents copyright of AHFMR.ISSN 1700-6236 (print) ISSN 1703-5694 (online)
Canadian Publications Agreement #40064910Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:AHFMR 1500, 10104-103 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5J 4A7
10
18
8
4 Sports injuries and kidsYour child’s athletic injury could have long-term health implications. Heritage researcher Dr. Carolyn Emery investigates risk factors to help prevent sports-related injuries.
From the heart: cardiac careDr. Padma Kaul searches for trends in treatment and outcomes of cardiac patients.
New faces of researchThe world of health research is constantly evolving. Meetsome of the young, up-and-coming Alberta researchers—the next generation of research excellence.
Biotech in Alberta: the next generationAHFMR’s ForeFront Intern program and the University of Calgary’s M.B.T. program are a perfect combination for training the next generation of Alberta’s health andbiotechnology leaders.
On the Cover
Featured on the cover is Will Shead, a Ph.D. student in clinical psychology at the University of Calgary whoreceives support through an AHFMR studentship. The coverphoto was shot by Calgary photographer Trudie Lee whosework is regularly featured in AHFMR Research News.
Dear reader,AHFMR Research News is getting a new look. After six years,it’s time for a fresh design and some new features. Watch for the first issue of our newly redesigned magazine in the new year.
i
s
Research Views
So just why is it so impor-tant? Ingram explains thatthe world today faces a
number of scientific issues withfar-reaching consequences—global warming is one, and theappropriate harvesting of stemcells is another. “These issuesultimately reach political levels,so it’s important the pub-lic be at least as wellinformed as ourpoliticians,” hesays. “There isnothing goodabout a public thatis in the dark.
“It’s not necessary for peopleto be ‘scientifically literate’,although I don’t know why youwouldn’t want to be,” he contin-ues. “Because to not understandwhat science says—not onlyabout the world and some of theissues that impinge on our dailylives, but about the history of theuniverse and also the future—is
really to miss out on someimportant, enlightening,
and quite sensationallyinteresting information.Insights into naturemake nature a whole lot
more interesting.”
Ingram came toAlberta recentlyas chair of theBanff Centre’snew Science
Communicationsprogram, a two-week
course co-sponsored byAHFMR. The program was devel-oped for scientists and communi-cators who want to explore newways of communicating science.Ingram explains that while thereare many effective ways to dothis—including magazines, news-papers, radio, and television—there are certain limitations.“Because the general public don’tbring an elaborate science contextto the picture, you are actuallyobliged to supply that contextbefore you can tell them anything.If I wanted to explain the newestresearch on stem cells, I’d have tospend quite a bit of time establish-ing what stem cells are before Icould go on. So communicatorsare constrained by the scientificvocabulary, constrained by thedepth of research, and constrainedby this lack of context. The resultis that it is very hard to be experi-mental about how to get theseideas across. That is the main reason we created this program.”
An award-winning science communicator in his own right,Ingram can boast an extensivebackground in this area, including12 years with The DiscoveryChannel and 13 years as host ofCBC Radio’s science programQuirks and Quarks. He found hiscalling after realizing he was notcut out to be a laboratory scien-tist. “I really loved the informationand the theory, but I didn’t loveworking in the lab,” he remem-
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
1
If people are considered philistines for not having read at least oneof Shakespeare’s plays, should they also be considered ignorant anduncultured if they don’t know the second law of thermodynamics?The comparison (originally drawn by British novelist C. P. Snow) isone Jay Ingram makes when considering the importance of communi-cating science. The producer and co-host of The Discovery Channel’spopular science show, Daily Planet, is not about to write us off ifwe’re not familiar with this particular law of nature (that heat cannot,of itself, pass from a colder to a hotter body), but he is emphatic inhis belief that a scientifically informed public is crucial for society.
A B O V E : J A Y I N G R A M
tPage 2
Ascientifically
informed public is crucial
for society
“Thereis nothing
good about apublic that is in the dark”
voicesfrom the community
P H O T O : D I S C O V E R Y C H A N N E L
voicesfrom the community
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
2bers. “It took me years to figure that out.” At one point,while pursuing a Ph.D. in prenatal biology, he foundhimself reading more aboutthe research being done downthe hall than what was takingplace in his own field. “I wasmore interested in the breadththan the depth of research.
“I really view communicat-ing science as an unfinishedbusiness,” says Ingram. “I tryto keep abreast of new tech-nologies and think about howthey can be adapted to communicating science—likeusing a 3-D virtual-realitysystem to illustrate andmanipulate a DNA molecule.It’s an amazing tool. And itsure beats PowerPoint.”
The Banff Centre’s ScienceCommunications program is atwo-week intensive course for professional communicators andscientists sponsored by AHFMR,Alberta Ingenuity, the CanadaFoundation for Innovation, andCTV. At the end of the program,participants present group proj-ects created from a number ofworkshops, debates, visits, talks,and one-on-one dialogues. Thegoal is for participants to returnto their professional practice—inscience, media, research, or otherfields—ready to provide leadershipin the advancement of sciencecommunications.
rn
Dr. Edan Foley’s first encounter with the double helixchanged his life. Newly fascinated by the twisted,ladder-shaped DNA molecule that is the genetic roadmap for all life, he turned his back on his first love,physics, to pursue studies in a new field. “I tossedphysics out the window and went into biology,” heremembers. “I’d never even taken biology in school.”
r e a d i n g t h e
GENETIC ROAD MAP
PH
OT
O:
DIS
CO
VE
RY
CH
AN
NE
L
Dr. Foley is now an AHFMR Scholarand a leader in the study of geneticsand immunity. Someday we may all
be glad for that about-face on his careerpath. Because many diseases result from“genes gone wrong”, more knowledge ofhow these genes work could provide infor-mation leading to new treatments for avariety of illnesses. “If we can understand howthe immune response works, then this is informa-tion that other people can work with,” he says.
An analogy borrowed from fellow geneticistCynthia Kenyon helps to explain his work. “Thegenome is a collection of genes that explains exactlyhow to build an organism and how to keep thatorganism working. Consider that genome a blue-print for a car. Now imagine an alien species invadesthe planet and wants to understand how cars work.The simplest way is to take that blueprint, build10,000 cars, and take a different part out of everysingle one. You try to drive the car and see whatgoes wrong, then that tells you what that part does.”
Dr. Foley does the same thing to the genome ofthe fruit fly, switching off every single gene in turnto see what goes wrong. “What works in simple ani-mals tends to be conserved higher up the evolution-ary scale,” he says. “So the way a fruit fly will fightoff infection is very similar to the first steps that thehuman body will take to fight off an infection.”
Dr. Foley uses a technology called RNA interferenceto turn off these genes. RNA acts as a messenger tothe cells, telling them how to build proteins whichcarry out specific functions. RNA interferenceinvolves the creation of double-stranded RNA thatlooks like DNA in terms of structure. Becausemany viruses have double-stranded RNA insteadof DNA in their genomes, the cell senses that it’sbeing infected by a virus when it’s treated withthe RNA. It then sets about deactivating this“viral” gene. “The cell turns on this huge processing machine that starts to chew up thatspecific RNA, turning off the gene.” Dr. Foleyand the members of his lab are using this technology to create a library that details thevarious functions of thousands of fruit-fly genes.
Dr. Foley’s work illustrates how far thescience of genetics has come. “Until recently,
this branch of science consisted of a whole bunchof labs working on single genes,” he says. “Butthere’s been a huge increase in the complexity of understanding in the past 10 years. We’re now looking at how thousands of genes can interact with each other in any given circumstance.”
Dr. Edan Foley is an AHFMR Scholar and an assistant professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology andImmunology within the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Foley is a Canada Research Chair inFunctional Genomics of Innate Immunity, and receives support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research(CIHR). In 2005 he was awarded the CIHR Institute of Genetics Maud Menten Prize as the top-rated new biomedical investigator in the country.
Selected publications
Saleh M-C, van Rij RP, Hekele A, Gillis A, Foley E, O’Farrell PH, AndinoR. The endocytic pathway mediates cell entry of dsRNA to induce RNAisilencing. Nature Cell Biology 2006 Aug;8(8):793-802.
Stroschein-Stevenson SL, Foley E, O’Farrell PH, Johnson AD.Identification of Drosophila gene products required for phagocytosis of Candida albicans. PLoS Biology 2006 Jan;4(1):0087-0099(e4).
Foley E, O’Farrell PH. Functional dissection of an innate immuneresponse by a genome-wide RNAi screen. PLoS Biology 2004Aug;2(8):1091-1106(e203).
rn AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
3
Many diseases result from “genes gone wrong”
“We’re now looking at howthousands of genes caninteract with each other”
R I G H T : D R . E D A N F O L E Y
Dr. Emery should know. As a coach and an avidparticipant in hockey, swimming, hiking, andskiing, she has seen plenty of injuries. And as
a dedicated researcher and epidemiologist with aspecial interest in the prevention of sports injuries,she investigates how children and teenagers can be active while remaining injury-free. In her clinicalrole as a physiotherapist at the University ofCalgary’s Sport Medicine Centre, she assesses and treats people with sports-relatedinjuries. And as a mother, she doeswhat she can to ensure that her ownthree children stay safe while havingfun playing organized sports.
Dr. Emery works with mentorsDr. Willem Meeuwisse and Dr. NickMohtadi and a multidisciplinaryresearch team at the University ofCalgary. Her team collaborateswith researchers elsewhere inCanada and internationally toundertake injury surveillance, toidentify risk factors, and to developand evaluate injury-prevention
strategies in sports.Athletic injuries are a modern-day epidemic and
have a major impact on population health, pointsout Dr. Emery. “If kids are injured, it’s not just abouttheir being off for a week or two,” she says. “There’soften a long-term impact with sport injuries.” Someinjuries can seriously reduce the ability to partici-pate in physical activity, introducing a significantrisk factor for such illnesses as cancer and cardiovas-
cular disease. And certain knee and ankleinjuries can increase the risk ofosteoarthritis in adulthood.
Dr. Emery and her colleagues investi-gate the internal and external risk factors
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
4
Sports injuriesand kids
Organized sports are great for kids, no doubtabout it. Yet sports are also the leading cause, amongadolescents, of injury requiring medical attention. Thegood news, according to Heritage Population HealthInvestigator Dr. Carolyn Emery, is that many sportsinjuries are both predictable and preventable.
“There’s often along-term impact
with sportinjuries”
Sports injuries
R I G H T : D R . C A R O LY N E M E R Y
riesuriesfor sports injuries, sothat athletes, thera-pists, and physicianscan predict them andprevent them beforethey occur.Sometimes risk fac-
tors are sport-specific; for example, in minor hockeyleagues that permit body checking, 50% of injuriesare related to hitting. Risk factors intrinsic to theindividual, such as muscle weakness and poor balance, can be addressed through improvement ofmuscular control and balance training. Dr. Emery’sresearch team has shown that a home-based balance-training program using a wobble boardimproves static and dynamic balance and reducessports-related injuries among healthy adolescents.
“The impact of a pre-season training program iscritical at all levels of sport, so that kids aren’t entering sports unprepared,” recommends Dr.Emery. “For instance, most kids don’t play hockeyfrom March to August, and then suddenly they’re onthe ice for hours every week. Hockey uses musclesin a very different way than other sports do, so players are at potentially increased risk for injury.”
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
5
Athleticinjuries are a modern-dayepidemic
“A pre-seasontraining programis critical at alllevels of sport”
Elite athletes typically undergo a pre-season evaluation by a physician and physiotherapist toidentify areas that need to be addressed before competition. Dr. Emery suggests that a pre-seasonevaluation may also help to identify a child or adolescent’s individual risk factors. Significant evidence suggests that children and teens who have had previous injuries are at much greater riskfor injury or re-injury. Adequate rehabilitation following a significant injury is critical in loweringthe risk of re-injury down the road.
What we need is a global approach to injury prevention in sports, suggests Dr. Emery. Changesneed to be implemented by clinicians, educators,coaches, parents, and participants—to reduce thenumber and severity of injuries and allow childrenand adolescents to be active, healthy, and safe.
Dr. Carolyn Emery is an AHFMR Population HealthInvestigator. She is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, with a joint appointment in the Departmentof Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary.Dr. Emery also receives support from the CanadianInstitutes of Health Research (CIHR).
Selected publications
Emery CA, Cassidy JD, Klassen TP, Rosychuk RJ, Rowe BH.Effectiveness of a home-based balance-training program in reducingsports-related injuries among healthy adolescents: a cluster randomizedcontrolled trial. Canadian Medical Association Journal 2005 Mar15;172(6):749-754.
Emery CA, Meeuwisse WH, Hartmann SE. Evaluation of risk factors forinjury in adolescent soccer: implementation and validation of an injurysurveillance system. American Journal of Sports Medicine 2005;33(12):1882-1891.
Emery CA, Meeuwisse WH, McAllister JR. Survey of sport participationand sport injury in Calgary and area high schools. Clinical Journal ofSport Medicine 2006 Jan;16(1):20-26.
rn
“After gaining my Ph.D., I looked around,” hesays, “and basically there were only threelabs in the world that were doing the kind of
research on the spine that I was interested in at that time, one of them being Calgary. I contacted Dr. NeilDuncan, a biomedical engineer in the Department of CivilEngineering here, and ended up coming up as a post-doctoral fellow. Things just kind of snowballed from there.This is a fantastic research centre. It’s exciting work.”
These days Dr. Hunter searches for new treatment optionsfor individuals with lower-back pain; particularly, paincaused by the breakdown of the discs between the bones inthe spine. Disc degeneration is a natural part of the agingprocess, but in certain people the condition can lead toslipped discs, sciatica, and other problems. Disc-related backpain affects about 50,000 Canadians. Along with his col-leagues in the Centre for Bioengineering Research andEducation at the University of Calgary, Dr. Hunter hopes hisresearch will ultimately help improve the quality of life,
health, and mobility of patients with debilitating andpainful disc-related spinal problems.
Degeneration of the spine can occur in variousways. Typically it is caused by a breakdown of
the discs between the bony vertebral bodiesof the spine, he explains. The spinal
vertebrae provide the weight-bearing structural support; the intervertebral
discs are the flexible elements inthe spine that cushion the bonesand provide a certain degree ofshock absorption. Each disc is
composed of a gelatinous core sur-rounded by flexible fibrous tissue.
“When these discs function nor-mally, they work fantastically,” hesays. “In many of us they can workfor 80 years without any problems.But in various cases, for reasonswhich aren’t entirely understood,
you can get a structural failure inthe disc, leading to collapse, hernia-
tion, and later, secondary problemssuch as arthritis.”
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
6
A P A I N I N T H E B A C K
Heritage Scholar Dr. Christopher
Hunter is one of a new breed of
medical researchers. He’s not a
basic scientist or a clinician, but
a mechanical engineer. After gradu-
ating as an engineer in the United
States, he developed an interest in
bioengineering, biomechanics, and
biomaterials, studying cartilage
and arthritis before becoming
fascinated with the structure and
function of the spine. His passion
for innovative research led him to
move to Canada.
L E F T : D R . C H R I S T O P H E R H U N T E R
Dr. Hunter’spassion for
innovative researchled him to
Canada
Spinal disc degeneration
When the disc breaks down, other areas ofthe back, such as ligaments and joints, begin tobear increased amounts of stress and strain to compensate for disc degeneration. Pressure from this added load on the back can lead to injury, causing both acute and chronic pain.
In investigating how and why discs degenerate, Dr. Hunter is focusing on the early development of thespine and discs. “I’m trying to identify what’s going on,from both a cell-based and a molecule-based level:why the discs are breaking down in the first place,” he explains. “If we can understand that, perhaps wecan find clues about how to reverse the process.”
He hopes to find effective methods to prevent disc breakdown, as well as new ways to treat it. Thebest early therapy for back pain is to get up and getmoving, he suggests. The next step, usually, is totreat with painkillers and perhaps physiotherapy,
massage, or chiropractic. The best option for peoplewith advanced degeneration is surgery. One new
surgical option is to insert an artificial (steel andplastic) disc to replace the damaged disc.
The classic surgical option is fusion, usingeither a bone graft or instrumentation (such asa titanium rod) to fuse the affected vertebrae.Unfortunately the failure rates for this type ofsurgery are high. For instance, if the patienthas osteoporosis, the bones are already com-promised and may not repair well. Anotherproblem is that the adjacent discs typicallybreak down several years after surgery.
Dr. Hunter is currently working on cell-based therapies to repair, replace, or maintain
degenerated discs. These, biological treat-ments would be used as early interventions to
prevent the breakdown of the adjacent discs fol-lowing fusion surgery.
He also explores how new tissue-engineer-ing technology could help in the develop-ment of living implantable discs. Tissue bioengineering is a process in which humantissue is stimulated to grow or grown artifi-
cially. Dr. Hunter develops biomaterials for thegrowth of engineered tissues that would be used
to replace tissues which have degenerated so badlythat conservative treatments are of no help.
Dr. Christopher Hunter is an assistant professor in theUniversity of Calgary Department of Mechanical andManufacturing Engineering and at the Centre forBioengineering Research and Education. He is also anadjunct assistant professor in the Department of CellBiology and Anatomy and the Department of CivilEngineering. An AHFMR Scholar, Dr. Hunter also receivesfunding from the Alberta Ingenuity Fund, the CanadaFoundation for Innovation, NSERC (the Natural Sciencesand Engineering Research Council of Canada), and CIHR(the Canadian Institutes of Health Research).
Selected publication
Hunter CJ, Matyas JR, Duncan NA. The notochordal cell in the nucleus pulposus: a review in the context of tissue engineering. Tissue Engineering 2003;9(4):667-677.
rn
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
7
Whatlessons has Dr.
Christopher Hunterlearned about care of thespine from his research?
“I am much more conscious of my wife’s calcium intake,and we are both very careful to get lots of load-bearing exer-
cise,” he says. “We do weights, and we run.”But the biggest lesson he has learned is to not allow his
children to do weights. The standard recommendation is thatuntil adolescence children should not bear any more weight thantheir own body weight, reports Dr. Hunter. Using free weightsand weight machines is not advised for children because ofthe high risk of fracturing growth plates. Growth plates areareas of growing tissue near the end of the long bones of
children and young people. Fractures of these platesbefore growing has ceased can cause defor-
mity. By the time young people finishgrowing, the growth plates have
closed and been replaced by solid bone.
Disc-relatedback pain affects
about 50,000Canadians
c degeneration
One specific question drives her researchagenda: Is there a link between revascular-ization rates and mortality rates in cardiac
patients? Revascularization procedures (theseinclude coronary angioplasty, as well as open-heartsurgery) are used to restore blood supply to ablocked region of the heart.
A recent study by Dr. Kaul comparing patientoutcomes in the US and Canada provided good evi-dence of the value of these types of studies. “If you
look at procedure rates in the two countries, theyare very different. But how about the outcomes?”she asks. “Do the differences in how patients aretreated actually make a difference in whether theysurvive in the long term?”
Dr. Kaul’s study was the first to examine long-term differences in mortality rates between the twocountries. The results showed that the more aggres-sive use of revascularization procedures in the USwas associated with a significant decline in the
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
8
When AHFMR Population
Health Investigator Dr. Padma
Kaul goes to work each day, she
doesn’t put on lab coat and
gloves. Instead, she turns on
her desktop computer and
examines databases of health
statistics from Alberta and
worldwide, looking for trends
in the treatment of cardiac
patients and the outcomes
of their treatment.
From the
C A R D I A C C A R Eheart
number of patient deaths 5 years afterwards.Mortality rates were 21.4% in Canadian patients and19.6% in American patients. Dr. Kaul cautions, how-ever, that these numbers come from a select group ofpatients involved in a clinical trial, and reflect prac-tices in Canada and the US in the 1990s. She pointsout that Canada has since intensified its use of theseprocedures. In the course of her current research, shehopes to discover whether the changes in theCanadian healthcare system have closed the gap.
Dr. Kaul also investigates variations incardiac treatments for the elderly, to seewhether they are associated with differ-ences in US and Canadian mortality rates.Given the entry of the baby-boomer gen-eration into old age and the extremelylimited number of clinical trials per-formed on elderly populations, this typeof information is increasingly importantto policy-makers. For her study Dr. Kaul
will use Medicare data from the US and data gath-ered by Alberta Health and Wellness in Canada; sheexpects to have preliminary results in the next year.
If the study shows that mortality rates are lowerin the US, possibly as a result of higher rates ofrevascularization, Dr. Kaul suggests we may have toconsider a greater allocation of health resources tothis area. On the other hand, if no differences arefound, it could indicate that healthcare dollars areused efficiently in Alberta. “At a healthcare-systemlevel, my research will hopefully help with decisionsregarding the allocation of resources to cardiovascu-lar care, and provide information on how theyimpact the health of patients suffering from thisheart disease,” she explains.
Dr. Kaul came to this area of research throughwhat she describes as a “convoluted evolution”.With degrees in business, public policy, and epi-demiology, she feels her current work combines allthe skills she gathered through her diverse training.And what motivates her as she sifts through reams
and reams of data? “The public and poli-cy-makers are interested in getting thebest care, and the most cost-effective
care. Is that being done? That’s whatI’m trying to answer.”
Heritage Population Health Investigator Dr.Padma Kaul is an assistant professor in the
Division of Cardiology, part of the Departmentof Medicine at the University of Alberta. In addi-
tion to support from AHFMR, she receives fundingfrom the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
Selected publication
Kaul P, Chang W-C, Lincoff AM, Aylward P, Betriu A, Bode C, Califf RM,Ohman EM, Guetta V, Steg PG, Van de Werf F, Armstrong PW.Optimizing use of revascularization and clinical outcomes in ST-eleva-tion myocardial infarction: insights from the GUSTO-V trial. EuropeanHeart Journal 2006 May;27(10):1198-1206.
rn
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
9
D R . K A U L A L S O
I N V E S T I G A T E S C A R D I A C
T R E A T M E N T S F O R
T H E E L D E R LY
I S T H E R E A L I N K B E T W E E N
R E VA S C U L A R I Z A T I O N
R A T E S A N D M O R T A L I T Y
R A T E S ?A B O V E : D R . P A D M A K A U L
The world of health research is constantlyevolving. New fields emerge, scientistscrisscross boundaries to work in differentdisciplines, and more and more researchoccurs outside the confines of the traditional lab setting. The researchersthemselves are also changing. This issueof AHFMR Research News profiles some of the up-and-coming young Heritageinvestigators—the next generation ofresearch excellence.
New faces of research
L E F T : W I L L S H E A D
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
10
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
11
People take all sorts of paths to arrive atresearch careers. Some know very early onthat research is what they want to do. Forothers, an inspiring professor from theirundergraduate years makes the difference.For Michelle Zec, it was a broken arm.
H E W A S I N H E R T H I R D Y E A R O F Z O O L O G Yat the University of Calgary, when a broken arm from a snowboarding accident brought her to the university’sSport Medicine Clinic for physiotherapy. The experi-ence prompted her to volunteer at the clinic, which inturn piqued her interest in musculoskeletal injuries—particularly those of the knee. She embarked on anundergraduate research project on knee ligaments,
which was co-supervised by zoology professor Dr. Anthony Russell andsurgery professor Dr. Cy Frank. That research experience motivated herto pursue both research and medicine further. Zec is now enrolled inthe University of Calgary’s M.D.-Ph.D. program, supported byan AHFMR studentship.
“Early on, research was not in my sights at all,” she says.“I think most undergraduates have a misconception aboutresearch. It’s much more interesting than they think. Butyou have to be exposed to it. I was very fortunate to havehad that initial opportunity.”
Michelle Zec defended her Ph.D. thesisin April 2006 and will finish medical schoolin 2008. Her Ph.D. research in biomedical engi-neering involved a biomechanical study of ligamenttissue. She was co-supervised by Dr. Frank, who is aHeritage Scientist, and engineering professor Dr.Nigel Shrive.“Every step we take loads and unloadsour joints,” she explains. “I want to know how ligament tissue in the knee responds to repetitiveloading, especially in the case of an injured joint.
“The goal is to understand which factors mightcompromise ligament healing following injury.When these are known, it may be possible to optimize healing. For example, I found thatswelling significantly alters how ligaments respondto loading. Since swelling is common after injury,understanding the role this factor plays in tissuemechanics becomes important.”
S
tPage 12
L E F T : M I C H E L L E Z E C
search
Although currently immersed in medical-school studies, Zec plans to continue withresearch as a clinician-scientist, perhaps as anorthopedic surgeon. “I want to learn more aboutthe research methods of evidence-based sur-gery. Joint injuries dramatically change people’slives. Measuring the impact of both the injuryand the treatment is an important means ofoptimizing patient care. If I could contribute toimproved patient outcomes, that would be theultimate research reward.”
Focus on the brainE R I T A G E F E L L O W D R . N I K O L A IM A L Y K H I N always wanted to be abrain researcher. But he was born in thewrong part of the world. A native of
Belarus, he did both a medical degree and aPh.D. in clinical psychopharmacology. “But whatI really wanted to do was brain research,” hesays. “It was not possible to pursue this inBelarus, mainly because of the lack of the latestMRI equipment which allows researchers toapply advanced MRI techniques.”
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is a non-invasive imaging technique that uses magneticfields. It has become an important tool forstudying the structure of the brain. Fortunatelyfor Dr. Malykhin, he was awarded an AHFMRHealth Research Fellowship at one of the bestplaces in the world for magnetic resonanceimaging of the brain—the University of AlbertaIn Vivo NMR Centre. “This is an incredibleopportunity for me, not only because I get to dobrain research but because I have access toabsolutely state-of-the-art equipment. We’reopening new windows to the brain.”
Dr. Malykhin is now a full-time researcherworking with Heritage Scholar Dr. NickCoupland, director of the PsychopharmacologyResearch Unit at the University of Alberta. Dr. Malykhin leads a number of projects, all ofwhich involve the very latest MRI techniques.One of them is MRI spectroscopy, a non-invasivemeans of measuring chemicals in the brain. Dr.Malykhin uses MRI spectroscopy to study howbrain chemicals change in post-traumatic stress
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
12
H
From animal health to human health
For her Ph.D. research at the University ofSaskatchewan, Heritage Fellow Dr. Julia
Ewaschuk studied metabolic acidosis, a condition of neonatal diarrhea in cattle anda major source of economic loss to live-stock enterprises in Canada. Her work ledto a new understanding of this disease andthe potential to treat it with probiotics—micro-organisms that benefit the health of their hosts. Nowat the University of Alberta, Dr. Ewaschuk still studies probiotics, but for human health.
She has joined the laboratory of Heritage SeniorScholar Dr. Karen Madsen, who studies the relation-ship between the human intestine and the bacteriathat live in it. These bacteria are vital to our healthbecause they aid in proper digestion and supportimmune-system function.
Dr. Ewaschuk looks at one aspect of this relation-ship: the signals that pass back and forth betweenthe bacteria and the epithelial cells that line the intes-tine. “A dynamic cross talk goes on continuously,” sheexplains. “Intestinal epithelial cells can recognize thedifference between good and bad bacteria. We’re not
entirely sure how this happens, but part ofit occurs via a receptor that recog-
nizes bacterial DNA. I hope tounderstand the mechanics ofthis interaction.”
The work is done in thecontext of inflammatory boweldisease (IBD), which involvesan aggressive immune reac-
tion against the bacteria in theintestines. The condition, which
includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’sdisease, strikes one in 350 Canadians.
“Studies show that feeding probiotics to people withIBD has benefits. By understanding how bacteria inter-act with the intestine, we may be able to exploit thisand use it to help people with IBD.”
Dr. Julia Ewaschuk is an AHFMR Fellow in the Division ofGastroenterology, part of the Department of Medicine at theUniversity of Alberta. She also holds a Canadian Associationof Gastroenterology Fellowship.
Selected publications
Ewaschuk JB, Walker JW, Diaz H, Madsen KL. Bioproduction of conjugated linoleic acid by probiotic bacteria occurs in vitro and in vivoin mice. Journal of Nutrition 2006;136(6):1483-1487.
rn
A B O V E : D R . J U L I A E W A S C H U K T O P R I G H T : D R . N I K O L A I M A LY K H I N
B O T T O M R I G H T : D R . H U G O L E H M A N N
disorder and major depression. His particu-lar interest is the role of the stress hor-mone cortisol. “During periods of stress,people have very high levels of cortisol,”explains Dr. Malykhin. “If cortisol levelsremain high over a period of time, cells incertain areas of the brain will start to die.We are trying to determine the mechanism.”His team examines evidence that cortisol affects the level of the neurotransmitter glutamate.
“MRI spectroscopy is our way of finding out whatis going on in the brain. It’s very exciting to be ableto do this work. Uncovering the mechanism of damage opens up the possibility of repair.”
Brain research is also the focus of Heritage FellowDr. Hugo Lehmann, but it wasn’t always his passion.He was going to be a marine biologist. Then, a college course in psychology in Dr. Lehmann’s home province of Quebec got him hooked on childdevelopment and learning. Biology and psychologyremained two competing interests until an under-graduate course in the neurobiology of learning andmemory tied them together.
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
13
Neurobiology is the study of cells of the nervous systemand how they are organizedto process information andmediate behaviour. Dr.Lehmann looks at neurons(the cells in the brain) tounderstand what they do in terms of learning andmemory. He now does post-doctoral research withHeritage Scientist Dr. RobertSutherland at the CanadianCentre for BehaviouralNeuroscience of the
University of Lethbridge. Dr. Lehmann focuses onunderstanding the exact functions of the medialtemporal lobe area of the brain, including the hip-pocampus and the amygdala, which play a role in
learning and memory. Research in this area hasbeen galvanized by the recent discovery that
the hippocampus is one of only two areas inthe adult brain that can make new neurons,a process called neurogenesis. It was oncethought that the adult brain could not make
new neurons, and that it was, therefore,impossible to repair a damaged brain.“While we know neurogenesis is happening,
we don’t know much at all about what it is doing,”explains Dr. Lehmann. “Is it contributing to cogni-
“We’re opening newwindows to the brain”
“Research has opened up the possibility of recovering brain function”
tPage 14
tive function such as learning and memory? It’s one thing to make new neurons. Theimportant thing for me is to find out whateffect these new neurons have on behaviour.
“This is an exciting time for the neurobiolo-gy of learning and memory combined withneurogenesis. It’s clinically relevant becauseresearch has opened up the possibility of recoveringbrain function, which could offer hope to individualssuffering from brain injury and from brain disorderssuch as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
“We’re far from there yet, because we don’tunderstand what is going on. But if we did, perhapswe could stimulate specific areas of the brain torepair themselves by replacing cells.”
A great teacher inspired Preston Williams to dograduate work. Williams did his undergraduatedegree in North Bay, Ontario, at NipissingUniversity, one of Canada’s smallest universities.There he met Dr. Matti Saari, who teaches psycholo-gy and runs a neuroscience research lab. “Mattioffers undergrads an incredible research experience.He believes undergraduates are capable of doinggraduate-level research if given the chance. As a
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
14
“We’re looking at theability of the brain tomake new connections”
student, you are involved with experimentsfrom start to finish.”
Williams completed a master’sdegree and is now working on a Ph.D.at the University of Lethbridge, in the
Canadian Centre for BehaviouralNeuroscience. He is supervised by another
inspiring research mentor: Dr. Bryan Kolb, a founding father of behavioural neuroscience inCanada. Williams aims to understand the neuro-physiology of stroke and its long-lasting effects. He studies rat models of stroke; in particular, stroke that occurs outside the brain’s primary motor cortex—the origin of one of the major pathways controlling movement. Surprisingly, the rats exhibitmotor impairments even though the brain tissue inthis region is intact. “I’m interested in finding outwhy,” says Williams.
The first step in the research was creating anindex of these impairments. Now he is getting set to test two rehabilitation strategies to see how theycompare. One is a behavioural approach thatinvolves teaching a skilled motor task. It uses prac-tice and repetition to help build new networks inthe brain. The other is a pharmacological approachthat uses a drug to stimulate the production of newconnections. Nicotine is one such drug, and theKolb lab has shown that nicotine stimulates growthof new connections between neurons that aid inrecovery after brain injury. “What we’re looking at is plasticity,” explains Williams, “the ability of thebrain to make new connections. We believe it is keyto better recovery and improvement after stroke.
“Brain injury is devastating. The things we takefor granted—the activities of daily living—arechanged forever. My hope is that one day thisresearch will be used to design treatment programsthat will help people with brain injuries.”
Understanding gamblingA M B L I N G W A S N O T W I L L S H E A D ’ SM A I N I N T E R E S T I N P S Y C H O L O G Y ,but that all changed when he started graduate work with Dr. David Hodgins, a
professor of clinical psychology at the University ofCalgary. Dr. Hodgins has been involved in research
GL E F T : P R E S T O N W I L L I A M S
tPage 16
Beyond cool tools
Alove of working with his hands combined withan interest in medicine led Heritage Health
Research Clinical Fellow Dr. Steven Heitman to gas-troenterology—the field of medicine that deals withthe diagnosis and treatment of problems of thedigestive system. “Gastroenterology is an exciting,procedure-oriented field,” he explains. “We have anincredible set of tools to care for patients, and the
technology behind these tools isexpanding rapidly. I’m particularly
keen on learning and studyingthe advanced procedures.”
But it’s more than just “cooltools” for Dr. Heitman. His clini-
cal interest in advancedendoscopy has sparked a research
interest in technology assessment andhealth economics in gastroenterology. For his fellow-ship at the University of Calgary (supervised by Dr.Braden Manns and Heritage researcher Dr. RobertHilsden) he is leading a clinical trial to evaluate thecost-effectiveness of a new technology called cap-sule endoscopy. The procedure involves having apatient swallow a jelly-bean-sized camera that takestwo pictures per second while it travels through thegastrointestinal system. The camera takes about50,000 images in total, which are then transmittedto a sensor array on the patient’s abdomen anddownloaded to a computer for analysis.
One of the main reasons for the excite-ment around capsule endoscopy is itsability to image the small bowel. Thisvery long and twisty structure is locat-ed between the stomach and the largebowel, which makes it hard to reachwith instruments passed in througheither the mouth or the anus. “Identifyingand treating the source of gastrointestinalbleeding originating in the small bowel is one ofthe major challenges facing gastroenterologists,”notes Dr. Heitman. “It’s a blind spot, and capsuleendoscopy appears to be better than X-ray studiesfor visualizing the small bowel. However, it is alsovery costly—the capsules cost about $1000 andcan only be used once.”
Dr. Heitman’s clinical trial is a randomized studyof capsule endoscopy compared to the current standard of care for people with bleeding of obscureorigin. “This is an economic evaluation—we will belooking at both cost and effectiveness,” he says.
“It’s not all about saving money. It is aboutchoosing treatments that offer the most benefit tothe most patients at an acceptable cost to society.We don’t have unlimited healthcare resources. Oneof the challenges for health policy decision-makersis to sort through the many available technologiesand choose those that are most cost-effective for treating patients. Economic evaluation is
designed to help decision-makers makerational decisions.”
Dr. Steven Heitman is an AHFMR HealthResearch Clinical Fellow in the Faculty ofMedicine at the University of Calgary. He also
holds a Clinical Fellowship Award from theCanadian Association of Gastroenterology,
co-sponsored by the Canadian Institutes of HealthResearch and Janssen-Ortho Inc. His research is also
supported by the Calgary Health Region and the NoelHershfield Fund for Training in Advanced Gastroenterology.
Selected publication
Heitman SJ, Manns BJ, Hilsden RJ, Fong A, Dean S, Romagnuolo J.Cost-effectiveness of computerized tomographic colonography versuscolonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening. Canadian MedicalAssociation Journal 2005 Oct 11;173(8):877-881.
rn
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
15
A B O V E : D R . S T E V E N H E I T M A N
“Gastroenterology
is an exciting,
procedure-
oriented field”
on problem gambling for nearly a decade. Shead is now doing his Ph.D., supported by an AHMR studentship. “Gambling intrigues me. It’s quite different from other addictions, such as alcohol ordrugs. We know there are addictive properties inthe substances that people are putting into theirbodies. But gambling isn’t like that, and yet peoplestill become addicted.”
Shead studies the role that expectancy plays ingambling. His first step is a questionnaire to screen people with gambling experience, in order
to identify those who fall into one of two gambling subtypes: reward-expectancy gamblers and relief-expectancy gamblers.
It may be that reward-expectancy gamblers associatepositive emotion and gambling.
When they’re in a good mood, they are more inclined to gamble.
Similarly, it may be that relief-expectancy gamblers associate gambling with a reductionof tension or the alleviation of negative emotions. When they are feeling down, they aremore likely to gamble—even though gamblingdoes not necessarily elevate their mood.
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
16
“Gambling is quitedifferent from otheraddictions”
Once the screening process is complete, Sheadwill try to determine whether reward-expectancygamblers differ from relief-expectancy gamblers inthe degree to which gambling concepts come tomind or are activated in memory, and whether gambling behaviour is actually precipitated byexpectancies.
“Once you know the type of gambler, it might be possible to tailor treatment to their type ofexpectancy,” says Shead. “For example, a reward-expectancy gambler might benefit more from learning how to manage high levels of positiveaffect than learning how to deal with negative emotions. But we’re not at this point yet. The use of the questionnaire to determine these subtypes is in its infancy. We have to do the research first.”
Asking the right questions
E R I T A G E C L I N I C A L F E L L O W D R . C H L O Ë J O Y N T was the kind of childwho was always asking questions. “I think Ireally annoyed my family,” she says. Now a
physician and a resident in neonatology, she hasn’tlost her passion for questions—if anything, it’sstronger than ever. “When you’re working as a doctor, all sorts of clinical questions come to mind.Doing this fellowship, I have the perfect opportunityto learn how to ask questions properly, so I get use-ful answers that can be applied to patients.”
H
A B O V E : W I L L S H E A D
R I G H T : D R . C H L O Ë J O Y N T
Dr. Joynt is working toward a master’s degreewith supervisor and Heritage Clinical InvestigatorDr. Po-Yin Cheung. Dr. Joynt’s researchfocuses on the resuscitation and conse-quent medical management of babieswho suffer from asphyxia. This con-dition is caused by the inadequateintake of oxygen, and it accounts formany birth complications.
“The effects of asphyxia are wide-spread,” explains Dr. Joynt. “After asphyx-ia, the heart undergoes what we call stunning—itdoesn’t work very well. These babies have low bloodpressure and low blood flow, which can damagemany internal organs. This can lead to serioushealth conditions or even death. It isn’t enough justto get the oxygen back. The body has undergonequite a shock and needs to get going again. That’swhy drugs are given to help the heart out afterasphyxia.”
Internationally, practices vary greatly as to whatdrug gets used and when. To figure out which onesare best for asphyxia, Dr. Joynt tests all the medica-tions head-to-head. “They all seem to do differentthings to different parts of the body,” she says. “My aim is to compile the information to determinewhich one would help the babies the most overall.
“I’ve presented preliminary findings at a few con-ferences. People from all over the world come up tome and want to chat about what they do. In thefuture, I hope to set up a number of collaborationsto do even more work in this area.”
Michelle Zec is enrolled in the M.D.-Ph.D. program at theUniversity of Calgary, as well as the Alberta ProvincialCIHR Training Program in Bone and Joint Health. Shecompleted her Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at theUniversity of Calgary Schulich School of Engineering.
Dr. Nikolai Malykhin is an AHFMR Health Research Fellowin the Department of Psychiatry at the University ofAlberta. He also holds a Wyeth-Ayerst Canadian Institutesof Health Research R&D Fellowship Award.
Dr. Hugo Lehmann is an AHFMR Fellow in the CanadianCentre for Behavioural Neuroscience at the University ofLethbridge. He also holds a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Research Fellowship Award.
rn
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
17
“The effects of asphyxiaare widespread”
Preston Williams is a Ph.D. student at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience at the University ofLethbridge. He is supported by an AHFMR Studentship.
Will Shead is a Ph.D. student in the Department of ClinicalPsychology at the University of Calgary. He is supported by an AHFMR Studentship and also receives funding fromSSHRC (the Social Sciences and Humanities Research
Council of Canada), the Alberta Gaming ResearchInstitute, the University of Calgary, and the Peguis
School Board (Manitoba).
Dr. Chloë Joynt is an AHFMR Clinical Fellow and aClinician Investigator trainee of the Royal College of
Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, working in theDivision of Newborn Medicine, part of the Department
of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta. She also receivesfunding from the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Selected publications
Adeeb SM, Zec ML, Thornton GM, Frank CB, Shrive NG. A novel application of the principles of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM)to the fatigue behaviour of tendon tissue. Journal of BiomechanicalEngineering 2004 Oct;126(5):641-650.
Choi C, Coupland NJ, Bhardwaj PP, Malykhin N, Gheorghiu D, Allen PS.Measurement of brain glutamate and glutamine by spectrally-selectiverefocusing at 3 Tesla. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 2006May;55(5):997-1005.
Lehmann H, Lecluse V, Houle A, Mumby DG. Retrograde amnesia following hippocampal lesions in the shock-probe conditioning test.Hippocampus 2006 Apr;16(4):379-387.
Williams PTJ, Gharbawie OA, Kolb B, Kleim JA. Experience-dependentamelioration of motor impairments in adulthood following neonatalmedial frontal cortex injury in rats is accompanied by motor mapexpansion. Neuroscience 2006 Sep 1;141(3):1315-1326.
Shead NW, Dobson KS. Psychology for sale: the ethics of advertisingprofessional services. Canadian Psychology 2004 May;45(2):125-136.
“Iwas unemployed for six months, and it wasproving very difficult to get back into theenvironmental field,” says Dr. Rawal.
“I began to explore alternatives, and a friendsuggested the Master of BiomedicalTechnology (M.B.T.) program at theUniversity of Calgary. I took the leap,and that’s how I ended up in biotech-nology.”
While in the M.B.T. program, Dr.Rawal was mentored by Ken Boutilier,president of the Calgary-based biotechcompany MBEC BioProducts Inc. When he graduated in 2005, Dr. Rawal wentto work at MBEC (now known asInnovotech Inc.). He then appliedfor an AHFMR ForeFront Internship.
This program provides opportuni-ties for university graduates to devel-op careers in Alberta’s biotechnologyand health industries. Interns learnthe business aspects of the healthindustry through a combination oftraining courses and business experi-ence. The program aims to keep scientists interested in the biotechand health fields in Alberta, ratherthan training them in Alberta only tohave them move elsewhere to findemployment in the industry.
Working as a ForeFront Intern,Dr. Rawal is well on his way tocarving out a successful career in
Alberta. Together with otherInnovotech senior scientists, he hasdeveloped a test kit (bioFILM PA)that quickly identifies the right com-bination of antibiotics to kill biofilmsformed by Pseudomonas bacteria. Itwill allow improved, customized carefor patients with cystic fibrosis andthose who are immunocompromised.The test kit has received Health
Canada approval. The company’s next step is to gainapprovals in the United States and the European
Union, an effort to be spearheaded by Dr. Rawal.Dr. Rawal was one of three people from the
M.B.T. class of 2005 who went on to becomeAHFMR ForeFront Interns. The other two wereSarah Keen and Tony Abboud.
Sarah Keen entered the M.B.T programbecause she was interest-ed in moving into thebusiness side of biotech-nology. She had beenworking in a variety ofuniversity research labsafter graduating fromthe University of Alberta
with a degree in biochem-istry. “The M.B.T programallowed me to gain a different perspective onbiotechnology withoutnegating my sciencebackground,” sheexplains.
Following her M.B.T. studies with aForeFront Internship,she completed her firstyear at the technology-
transfer organizationTEC Edmonton, a joint
venture of Economic
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
18
Dr. Bhavin Rawal has quite a story. Armed with a Ph.D. in microbi-ology from his native India and post-doctoral training in Germany,he immigrated to Canada in 1997. His field was the environmentsector and he soon got a job as a manager of reclamation projectsin Ontario. But in 2002, the Ontario government made an engineer-ing degree and P.Eng. designation mandatory for reclamation andremediation managers. The new regulation put Dr. Rawal out of ajob, and the firm he worked for went bankrupt.
Biotech in Albertathe next generation
R I G H T : D R . B H A V I N R A W A L
Interns learnthe businessaspects of the healthindustry
Development Edmonton and theUniversity of Alberta. Recently shebegan a new internship at CVTechnologies Inc., manufacturer of COLD-fX, the popular cold- andflu-preventive medication. Sheworks in the areas of intellectualproperty management and scientific affairs.
“After completing the M.B.T program andpracticum, the ForeFront Internship has provided me with further exposure and work experience intechnology commercialization,” she says. “There is a synergy between the M.B.T. program and theForeFront Internship. Hands-on training throughsupport from the ForeFront program is ideal, and hasdefinitely added value to my career development.”
Unlike Dr.Bhavin Rawal and Sarah Keen, TonyAbboud went directly into the M.B.T. program afterfinishing his undergraduate degree in cellular,molecular, and microbial biology at the University of Calgary. He did his M.B.T. internship at Calgary-based SemBioSys Genetics Inc., a biotechnologycompany that develops a line of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical products based on its plant-based oilbody-oleosin technology platform. Hestayed on with the company as a ForeFront Intern.
His main role at SemBioSys is identifying newproducts to complement the company’s current phar-maceutical line. Recently, inspired by an AHFMR-
sponsored seminar he attended, hestarted a competitive intelligence unit.Competitive intelligence is a systematicprocess for gathering and analyzinginformation about general businesstrends and competitors’ activities.
“I put forward a proposal to manage-ment, and it was accepted,” he says. “I have begun to implement a gatedapproach to competitive intelligence. I’ll do a twice-quarterly update to man-agement on news and relevant issues inbiotech. In addition, I’m starting a data-
base to track competitive intelligence; any-one in the company can contribute to it.”
Long-term goals include gaining someinternational experience. “Biotechnology isdefinitely where I want to be. My end goalremains the same: to be the CEO of a
biotech company. The difference is that I’vebecome much smarter at how to go about doing that.Both the M.B.T. program and the ForeFrontInternship have expanded my skill set and have beenkey stepping stones to help me reach my goal.” rn
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
19
n Albertat generation
A winning combination
Since 1996, AHFMR has supported 42 ForeFrontinterns. Of this group, 11 hold M.B.A. degrees from
the University of Alberta and 6 have M.B.T.s from theUniversity of Calgary. Both of these degree programs offerstudents a broad range of tools to help them understandand address the needs of industry. The AHFMR ForeFrontInternship program provides hands-on experience and men-torship to help interns develop important skills and knowl-edge of the business of commercialization. This combina-tion of education and work experience prepares the individ-ual for entry into the exciting world of innovation in the lifesciences. Recognizing the natural fit between the ForeFrontInternship and these programs, AHFMR is developing newawards to support students who pursue these degrees.The studentship awards represent yet another componentof AHFMR’s commitment to fostering future leaders in thelife-sciences industry.
A B O V E : S A R A H K E E N A N D T O N Y A B B O U D
“There is a synergybetween the M.B.T.program and theForeFront Internship”
researchersin the making
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
20
Chowdhury’s Rhodes studiesmark a bit of a departurefrom his research at the
University of Alberta, research hewill continue after completing histime at Oxford. In Edmonton heworks in the lab of electrical engi-neer Dr. Chris Backhouse and can-cer researcher Dr. Linda Pilarski.“When I was in medical school, Ilooked for a lab doing researchtargeted toward translating theresults into actual patient benefitsat the bedside. I really enjoy theinterdisciplinary approach—the
interaction between the differentdisciplines, and how they cometogether and use their strengths toaccomplish something.”
Chowdhury found that inter-face in the Backhouse-Pilarski lab,known as the Alberta CancerDiagnostic Consortium(ACDC). Here engineers,biologists, and clinicianscombine their expertise innanofabrication, microflu-idics, oncology, andmolecular biology to cre-ate hand-held devices for
genetic testing.“We’re takingcutting-edgemolecular biol-ogy that’s onlydone in theresearch lab and trying to turn itspower to patients. For medicine toprogress, we need to equip physi-cians with those tools so they canlook beyond the physical to themolecular,” Chowdhury explains.Although scientists can alreadyidentify the genetic markers thatdetermine why some peoplerespond poorly to chemotherapy,the costs of testing every patientgenetically would be massive.ACDC aims to create a cost-effec-tive hand-held system so that,eventually, physicians at the bedside can do the genetic teststhat now take up a whole floor atthe Cross Cancer Institute.
What with his research interestsand the academic burdens of medical school, it might seem thatChowdhury would find little timefor anything else. Not so. Herecently trained for a marathon,and he was also a member of boththe University of Alberta andEdmonton rowing clubs. In fact, he says, the early-morning trainingsessions required for rowing were
good preparation forthe rigours of medical school.“Rowing is a fabulous workout—and being part of a team and the
coordination and
A B O V E : J E E S H A N C H O W D H U R Y
A road less travelled
Jeeshan Chowdhury is going places—in every sense. As a recipient of the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, the AHFMR M.D.-Ph.D. Studentrecently moved to Oxford University for two to three years of studieswhich will take him even farther across the globe. He will conducthalf of his research in West Africa, specifically in Gambia, a smallcountry where hepatitis is rampant and liver cancer is a significantcause of mortality. His field, pharmacogenetics, looks at how geneticfactors affect people’s individual responses to drugs. Chowdhuryplans to study the pharmacogenetics of specific liver cancers.
“We need to equip
physicians with those
tools”
Research views
The Banff CentreScience Communicationsprogramhttp://www.banffcentre.ca/programs/program.aspx?id=527
Discovery Channelhttp://www.discoverychannel.ca
Reading the geneticroadmap
Dr. Edan Foley’s web sitehttp://www.ualberta.ca/~efoley/Home.html
Sports injuries and kids
University of CalgarySport Medicine Centrehttp://www.sportmed.ucalgary.ca
From the heart: cardiac care
Theheart.orghttp://www.theheart.org
New faces of research
University of CalgaryAddictive BehavioursLaboratoryhttp://www.fp.ucalgary.ca/addictivebehlab/
Alberta Provincial CIHRTraining Program in Boneand Joint Healthhttp://www.boneandjoint-training.ca/
Alberta GamingResearch Institutehttp://www.abgaminginstitute.ualberta.ca/
Researchers in the making
The Rhodes Trusthttp://www.rhodesscholar.org
reader resourcesdiscipline you develop are great,” he says, adding thathe hopes to continue pursuing this passion while atOxford, an institution renowned for its rowing tradi-tion. Chowdhury’s athletic background served himwell in securing a Rhodes Scholarship: participation insports is one of its requirements, along with academicexcellence and leadership qualities.
“It was an honour just to be nominated,” he saysof the intense selection process and two rounds ofinterviews he underwent at the hands of formerRhodes Scholars. Interviewers questioned him abouteverything from his thoughts on the NASA spaceprogram to his views on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport. But the most interestingquestion came when he was asked to identify thesymbol that best represents Canada for him.
His answer? The sculpture which appears onCanada’s $20 bill. The Spirit of Haida Gwaii—byrenowned Haida artist Bill Reid—depicts a variety ofcreatures in a very crowded canoe. “Some of themare getting along, some of them aren’t, but they allstay together and chart a course,” says Chowdhury.“It really symbolizes Canada’s diversity for me, as afirst-generation Canadian.” Jeeshan Chowdhury is an AHFMR M.D.-Ph.D. student and a Rhodes Scholar.
rn
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
21
The Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarships were initiated in 1902by Cecil John Rhodes, founder of Rhodesia,
the African country now known as Zimbabwe. The scholarships, awarded for academic qualitiesand strength of character, provide successful candidates with two years of study at the Universityof Oxford, sometimes extended to a third year.
Applicants are judged according to the following criteria:l literary and scholastic attainments; l energy to use one’s talents to the full, as
exemplified by fondness for and success in sports; l truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and
protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness,and fellowship;
l moral force of character, and instincts to lead and to take an interest in one’s fellow beings.
Famous Rhodes Scholars include former Canadianprime minister John Turner; former US presidentBill Clinton; Newfoundland premier Danny Williams;and medical researcher and University of Torontopresident Dr. David Naylor.
Every summer, AHFMR selectsone student from the Universityof Alberta and one from theUniversity of Calgary and givesthem the opportunity of workingwith an Alberta media outlet. The AHFMR Media Fellowship program allows participants tospend 12 weeks working on science stories as reporters,researchers, or production assis-tants. In the personal accountsbelow, the 2006 Media Fellowsdescribe their experiences atCBC radio this past summer.
Piotr Klakowicz, medical student,University of Alberta (below)
Coming from academia, I hadmuch to learn from working as aCBC Radio reporter. Early on, Ilearned that radio is perhaps themost intimate and engaging of themedia forms. But most important-ly, the experience taught me tokeep information simple and on a personally meaningful level.
This summer, local affairsranged from sport championships
to military conflicts. Myfocus was on health andscience in the community,on issues such as theboom in health-care con-struction. But I also cov-ered a number of otherdiverse topics, from festi-vals to sex for seniors.
Working in radio introduced meto challenges that will likely helpme become a better physician:how to ask the right questions,and how to communicate techni-cal information in a personallyengaging way.
Chris Willie, health sciences student, University of Calgary(above right)
Working at the CBC as an AHFMRmedia fellow was both rewardingand extremely challenging. In aca-demia I have learned to work andcommunicate in a certain way, but this position stretched me indirections I didn’t know existed.Translating science for the publicwas more difficult than I hadanticipated. Scientific and medicaltopics tend to be quite esoteric,and finding methods to dissemi-nate information in a clear andconcise manner, so that the gener-al public understands it and findsit interesting, can be a dauntingtask. However, by the end of the
CBC experience, I feltwell equipped to make science a matter that listeners could relate to their own lives and,consequently, careabout.
During the final yearof my undergraduate
degree, I will be working on myhonours thesis with Dr. MarcPoulin. I spent the summer learning to convey other people’sresearch to the public. Now I amlooking forward to putting theseskills to use when communicatingmy own research to those aroundme. No matter what I do in thefuture, I know that the AHFMRmedia fellowship has provided mewith an invaluable experience. rn
Physicians: pleaseplace in your patientwaiting rooms.
Canadian Publications Agreement #40064910Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:AHFMR 1500, 10104-103 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5J 4A7
Dear Reader,
If you are not already on our mailing listfor our quarterly AHFMR Research News,
and would like to receive it, please phone,fax, e-mail or write us and ask to be addedto our subscribers list. It’s free!
Phone: (780) 423-5727 and ask for AHFMR Communications
Fax: (780) 429-3509
E-mail: [email protected]
Write: Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research1500, 10104 – 103 AvenueEdmonton, Alberta T5J 4A7
AH
FM
R
RE
SE
AR
CH
N
EW
S
FA
LL
2
00
6
22
2006 AHFMR Media Fellows