Gairdner awardee Dr. Lewis Kay to present public talks at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, local high school

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 20:18:57 +0000

For the fifth consecutive year, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is one of only 15 universities across Canada selected to host a Gairdner Student Outreach & Gairdner Lecture Program event, bringing one of the world’s top scientific researchers to southern Alberta.

From Oct. 19-20, Dr. Lewis Kay, professor, Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Chemistry, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto; senior scientist, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto will be hosted by the U of L’s Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI) and the Canadian Centre for Research in Advanced Fluorine Technologies (C-CRAFT).

Kay is one of five 2017 Canada Gairdner International Laureates who, along with his co-workers, has made important contributions to the field of biomolecular nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. They have developed methods used to visualize protein molecules in their natural solution environment, shedding new light on how molecules involved in neurodegeneration can form abnormal structures that ultimately lead to diseased states.

These methods extend our understanding of how cellular machines function and how the communication between different parts of these machines can be targeted for the development of drugs in the fight against certain cancers.

“We’re extremely fortunate to be a part of the Gairdner program and to be able to bring a researcher such as Dr. Kay to campus,” says Dr. Ute Kothe, associate/assistant professor of biochemistry and ARRTI member. “In addition to his on-campus lecture for faculty and students, he will deliver a lecture to high school students, host a brown bag lunch session with students, tour various facilities on the U of L campus, host a graduate student luncheon and take part in our annual Chinook Symposium.”

A major thrust of the Gairdner Foundation program is to ignite scientific discovery in young minds by making science accessible.

“We believe that science is for everyone,” states a Gairdner Foundation release that indicates Gairdner events across Canada reach more than 3,000 students every year. “With our annual student outreach program, we make current scientific developments relatable, digestible and exciting to audiences of all ages. Our speakers share more than just their world class achievements with student audiences; they put a real face and story to scientific careers and unexpected pathways to success.”

Dr. Trushar Patel, an associate/assistant professor of biochemistry and ARRTI member, says that bringing a researcher the calibre of Kay to campus benefits faculty and students, both undergraduate and graduate.

“Interacting with a world-class researcher like Dr. Kay is one of the most inspirational experiences for any scientist, junior or senior,” says Patel. “We can all learn from Dr. Kay how to strive for the most exciting scientific discoveries that will advance our understanding of human health and ultimately provide the basis for innovative approaches in medicine.”

Kay will kick off his visit with the Gairdner High School Lecture on Thursday, Oct. 19 at 9:45 a.m. at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, followed by a brown bag lunch session with students. At 2 p.m., he’s at the U of L presenting the Gairdner Free Lecture, NMR Why Bother? Studies of the p97 Molecular Machine Provide an Answer, at 2 p.m. in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall, W570.

On Friday, Kay will take part in a series of meetings and tour the U of L’s ARRTI, C-CRAFT and Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience facilities before leading a career development discussion at a graduate student luncheon. He will then view the annual Chinook Symposium, which runs from 1 to 5 p.m. in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall Atrium.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge C-CRAFT symposium to showcase power of fluorine and NMR spectroscopy

trevor.kenney — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 19:00:32 +0000

The first centre of its kind in Canada, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Canadian Centre for Research in Advanced Fluorine Technologies (C-CRAFT), presents a Symposium Celebrating NMR Spectroscopy and Fluorine Chemistry, Friday, December 5, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the U of L.

With plenary speakers Dr. Jean-François Paquin (Université Laval) and Dr. Klaus Schmidt-Rohr (Brandeis ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ) joining world-class researchers within C-CRAFT, the symposium will examine various applications of the element fluorine and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

“C-CRAFT is the first Canadian centre focusing on research and training around the element of fluorine and brings together a unique team of researchers with a wide range of expertise,” says Dr. Michael Gerken, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the director of C-CRAFT. “While we were formalized as a centre nearly one year ago, this symposium is somewhat of a launch event for C-CRAFT.”

Fluorine is a unique element because of its reactivity in the elemental form and the large number of applications of fluorine compounds. For example, it has been estimated that 20 per cent of pharmaceuticals on the market contain fluorine and 30 to 40 per cent of agrochemicals contain fluorine.

“Fluorine chemistry is definitely a strength that is unique to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, and this centre is a way to build on that strength by getting together scientists who are interested in this chemistry in order to share knowledge, conduct research together and to provide services and expertise that are helpful to industry,” says Gerken.

The symposium will feature a host of talks throughout the afternoon, beginning with Paquin’s address at 1:10 p.m. when he presents Revisiting the Use of Fluoride as a Leaving Group. The U of L’s Dr. Stacey Wetmore follows at 1:50 p.m. as she presents Using Fluorine to Understand DNA Damage. At 4:20 p.m., Nora Foroud and Jim Miller of the Lethbridge Research Centre – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada present NMR Resolutions of Agricultural Traits: From Soil Chemistry to Crop Health.

“Since the centre was opened, we have added a 700 MHz NMR spectrometer, thanks to $1.6 million of funding through the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Alberta Government and the U of L,” says Gerken. “NMR spectroscopy is a powerful technique that allows for even more in-depth study of fluorine compounds and can be used in trans-disciplinary studies by researchers of various departments at the U of L and from other universities, research institutes and industry.”

C-CRAFT and the magnetic resonance facility at the U of L are already gaining a reputation as the hub for fluorine researchers across Canada and worldwide to collaborate with each other and share their expertise on fluorine and NMR spectroscopy for areas such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, plastics, oil production, biochemistry and neuroscience.

The symposium, to be held in C640, features a total of eight presentations.

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Gairdner awardee Dr. Lewis Kay to present public talks at ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, local high school

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��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge C-CRAFT symposium to showcase power of fluorine and NMR spectroscopy

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Gairdner awardee Dr. Lewis Kay to present public talks at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, local high school

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge C-CRAFT symposium to showcase power of fluorine and NMR spectroscopy