RNA Innovation program creating future scientific leaders

trevor.kenney — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 18:45:55 +0000

The practical applications of RNA research and innovation have never been more prominent than over the last year with the development of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines. The joint RNA Innovation program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Université de Sherbrooke is designed to create scientific leaders in RNA research.

“This program helps prepare the next generation for the complicated world of scientific work,” says Dr. HJ Wieden, Director of RNA Innovation. “We are teaching them not only cutting-edge RNA research but how to be critical and inclusive leaders in their field.”

This unique Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program enables trainees to gain experience through industry-driven research and development challenges and internship placements. In addition, trainees participate in the RNA Innovation Scientific Leadership course. Developed by U of L Board of Governors’ Teaching Chair, Dr. Ute Kothe, this exclusive course brings together students from around the world.

“During the Fall 2020 semester, we had students participating from Lethbridge and Sherbrooke, as well as India and Egypt,” says Kothe. “We knew this course was going to have students from across Canada due to the unique nature of the RNA Innovation program, and because of the pandemic, we had students stuck outside of Canada still able to participate.”

In addition to the technical aspects of the course, students receive comprehensive training in leadership skills including scientific ethics and integrity, equity, diversity and inclusion as well as professional communication.

“It was shocking and surprised me to learn about the type of bias that exists in the scientific world,” says Bimaldeep Singh, a master’s student currently studying in India.

The class participated in a presentation from Dr. Sarah Viehbeck, associate vice-president, Research Programs – Strategy at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Her talk discussed issues involving equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) at granting agencies and what these agencies are doing to address unconscious bias.

“Understanding the presence of bias in ourselves, knowingly or unknowingly, helped me clear up my mind towards implicit bias,” adds Singh.

Trainees also discuss the ethics and integrity needed to make tough decisions. Dr. Michael Stingl (philosophy) and graduate students Michaela Thompson & Jodi Newman lead the discussions.

“Being ethical should be the most dominant trait not only as a scientist but as a human,” says master’s student Riya Roy. “I was introduced to a totally unknown philosophical world. The simplified presentation, along with our comprehensive discussions gave a new dimension to my current thought process.”

Teamwork and collaboration are dominant themes of the course and present students with opportunities to gain different perspectives. Most projects are designed to be completed in groups, and students frequently debate controversial topics.

“The most effective portion of this class is the collaborative aspect of the group meetings,” says Daniel Rocca, a first year master’s student. “Moving into grad studies felt like there were more expectations on me and the class has given me practice in basic professional skills that will help me succeed.”

Interested students can find information on how to apply to the RNA Innovation program at RNAInnovation.ca.

CREATE grant funding to support development of RNA Bioengineering and Innovation Network

trevor.kenney — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 17:25:35 +0000

The Government of Canada announced Monday that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, in partnership with the Université de Sherbrooke, has been awarded $1.65 million over the span of six years to develop the RNA Bioengineering and Innovation Network Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE).

The U of L’s principal investigator on the project is Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden.

The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, announced $29.7 million in CREATE grants to 18 Canadian research teams across the country that are working to further discovery and innovation in areas such as environmental protection, green energy and advanced manufacturing. The teams include a wide range of collaborators from several countries, including Germany, France, Australia, the United States, Switzerland and Brazil.

“When young Canadians choose science, programs like CREATE empower them to pursue their ambitions and gain the hands-on experiences they need to launch their careers,” says Duncan. “Thanks to the worldwide interdisciplinary connections they will build through this program, these talented young researchers will further Canada’s reputation as a leader in research and innovation.”

The CREATE Program improves the mentoring of, and training environment for, the Canadian researchers of tomorrow by improving areas such as communication, collaboration and professional skills, and providing experience relevant to both academic and non-academic research environments.

The U of L’s principal investigator on the project is Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, a Alberta Innovates Strategic Chair in RNA Bioengineering, Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair in Biomolecular Design and Function and the founding director of the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI). He maintains, due to the fundamental role that RNA-mediated processes play for all living systems, that the next revolution in biotechnology will be the age of rationally designed Ribonucleic acid (RNA)-based systems, molecular machines and devices. Wieden points to the emergence of commercially-successful RNA-based therapeutics and pesticides as examples.

“As manufacturing and production floors become higher tech through advances in biology, materials science and computer applications, it is critical that trainees receive the most advanced and broad education possible in order to be leaders in their careers,” says Wieden. “Compounded by the labour shortage projected by the Government of Canada in this key economic sector, we propose to establish an industry-driven Bioengineering and Innovation Training Network with emphasis on innovative RNA-based technologies.”

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the Université de Sherbrooke are recognized as the country’s leading RNA-research institutions and through this grant, look to jointly train job-ready leaders and innovators in the emerging biotechnology field.

“The innovation potential of RNA Bioengineering has implications in an incredibly diverse range of applications including bioconversion for renewable energy sources, detoxification, recovery from mining tailings, green chemistry and environmental monitoring,” says Wieden.

The institutions propose to establish entrepreneurial research and development challenges, coupled with an extensive internship program that strongly integrates private sector participation.

“The focus here will be on knowledge transfer and migrating students/trainees into the workforce who are job ready,” he says. “This is a critical aspect for accessing the many applications of RNA-based technologies that are developed in our research institutions.”

The timing for the grant support is ideal. With the completion of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s new Science and Academic Building on the horizon, the new RNA Bioengineering and Innovation Network CREATE will greatly benefit the new facility, the Synbridge Maker Space and the transdisciplinary integration of research activities.

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RNA Innovation program creating future scientific leaders

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CREATE grant funding to support development of RNA Bioengineering and Innovation Network

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