UNews - Alberta Innovates

Gairdner speaker event brings Dr. Samuel Weiss to campus

trevor.kenney — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 22:12:28 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge faculty and students, along with select southern Alberta high school students, will have the unique opportunity to experience a lecture by Gairdner International Award winner Dr. Samuel Weiss, Monday, Oct. 21.

The Gairdner Foundation Speaker Event will include a lecture for the area’s elite high school students, a lecture for U of L faculty and undergraduate students, as well as a host of interactive science activities designed to engage the visiting students as well as showcase the research activities taking place on campus.

Dr. Samuel Weiss won a 2008 Gairdner International Award.

“It is very exciting to be able to bring a Gairdner International Award winner to campus,” says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Mike Mahon. “The fact that many people with our Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience also work closely with Dr. Weiss, makes it even more fitting.

“We’re also pleased to be able to allow high school students from throughout the area access to such a distinguished speaker, hopefully further inspiring their passion for science.”

Dr. Samuel Weiss is a Professor and Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions Scientist in the Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Faculty of Medicine.

His lecture, The Stem Cells You Have in Your Brain: What Can They Do?, will be presented to high school students at 9:30 a.m., followed by a second lecture, Adult Neural Stem Cells: From Basic Science to Therapeutic Applications, at 11 a.m. for U of L faculty, undergraduate and graduate students. Both talks are in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre. High school students can sign up here.

Weiss is the inaugural Director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, whose mission is to translate innovative research and education into advances in neurological and mental health.

“The Gairdner Foundation is very pleased that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has become the 22nd institution to participate in our annual National Program of Lectures,” says Dr. John Dirks, President and Scientific Director of the Gairdner Foundation. “During a recent visit to the campus, we were very impressed with the quality of teaching and research, and particularly with the opportunities for undergraduate students. This year, Sam Weiss will speak to high school students about his life in science. We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with the U of L.”

In 2008, Weiss was named recipient of a Gairdner International Award for “his seminal discovery of adult neural stem cells in the mammalian brain and its importance in nerve cell regeneration,” and in 2009 he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

His current research focuses on human brain tumour stem cells and the development of new therapies for adult brain cancer.

Created in 1959 by James Arthur Gairdner, the Gairdner Foundation recognizes and rewards the achievements of medical researchers whose work contributes significantly to improving the quality of life. Over the past 53 years, a total of 313 Canada Gairdner International Awards have been presented to scientists from 15 countries, with 80 Canada Gairdner Laureates going on to win Nobel Prizes.

The Gairdner Foundation 2013 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Lectures are sponsored by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, BMO Bank of Montreal, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, London Drugs and the Globe and Mail.

To register for the high school portion of the event, follow this link.

2013 Gill Symposium honours neuroscience researcher McNaughton

robert.cooney — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 19:08:50 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Neuroscience researcher Dr. Bruce McNaughton is receiving a significant award from a major US-based neuroscience research institute located at Indiana ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, in Bloomington, IN.

As part of the annual Indiana ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ – Bloomington Gill Centre for Biomolecular Science Symposium, McNaughton, the Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions (AIHS) Polaris Research Chair at the Department of Neuroscience and Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), will receive the 2013 Gill Award for his significant contributions to neuroscience research.

He will also deliver a keynote address to the 300 delegates who attend the event each year from around the world.

Dr. Bruce McNaughton was the first scientist to win the $10 million Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions (AIHS) Polaris Award, the richest health research award in Canada.

McNaughton joined the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 2008, moving his research program from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Arizona to the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

His research focuses on how brain cells process information and form memories, and how those processes are altered by aging, trauma or substance abuse.

McNaughton is the first scientist to win the $10 million Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (now Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions (AIHS)) Polaris Award, the richest health research award in Canada. The AIHS award of $10 million was matched by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the Informatics Circle of Research Excellence (ICORE) for a total investment of $20 million into McNaughton's research and the CCBN.

There are presently 56 researchers on McNaughton’s Polaris team at the CCBN, including principal investigators, doctoral and post-doctoral researchers, masters and undergraduate students, and a team of technicians.

According to Gerry Oxford, executive director of the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute and professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the IU School of Medicine, McNaughton has provided definitive experimental evidence for the concept that consolidation of memory -- in this case the memory of an individual journey in space -- was facilitated by repetitive "replay" of the hippocampal neuronal activity that occurred during the actual experience.

"His scientific accomplishments are extraordinary and broad, but with a relentless focus on understanding cognitive function through the dynamics of functional brain circuitry," Oxford said.

Gill Symposium organizers will also acknowledge the achievements of Dr. Loren M. Frank, associate professor of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of California San Francisco Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Department of Physiology, who is receiving this year’s Gill Young Investigator Award. His findings have broken new ground concerning memory formation and wakefulness.

For more information about the Gill Symposium or the Gill Center please contact Misty Theodore at 812-856-1930 or mtheodor@indiana.edu.

To speak with Professor McNaughton, contact Amanda Mauthe-Kaddoura at 403-332-4099 or amanda.mauthe2@uleth.ca.

Website: http://ccbn.uleth.ca/people/primary/McNaughton.php

Professor Frank can be reached at 415-502-7357 or loren@phy.ucsf.edu.

For additional information, please visit the Gill Symposium website: http://news.indiana.edu/releases/iu/university-wide/2013/09/2013-gill-awards.shtml

About the Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science

The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, which is part of the College of Arts and Sciences at IU Bloomington, was established by a generous gift from Linda and Jack Gill to advance the understanding of complex biological processes and to train the next generation of scientists in biomolecular measurements, especially in the field of neuroscience. Members and collaborators include faculty from IU's departments of Biology, Chemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Physics, Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience and the School of Medicine.

http://www.indiana.edu/~gillctr/symposiums.shtml

Alumnus Clark returns to CCBN in search of answers to brain's puzzle

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 17:41:02 +0000

Every time you turn your head one way or another, the nerve cells in your brain, called neurons, keep you oriented in space.

Scientists have clues about how this brain-based compass works. But the nuts and bolts of the system, and its possible role in the way memories form and fade, are still a puzzle that researchers such as Dr. Ben Clark (BSc '05), are trying to solve.

In particular, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge postdoctoral researcher and Alberta Innovates -- Health Solutions postgraduate fellowship recipient is working to understand if and how the brain circuits that deal with directional information may also impact both memory formation and dementia.

Dauphin, Man.-born Clark began looking at the brain's direction-sensing systems as a graduate student in Jeffrey Taube's lab at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.

Now back in Canada and working as a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Bruce McNaughton's Lethbridge Brain Dynamics lab at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), Clark, who also holds an honours bachelor of science degree in neuroscience from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge (2005), is interested in figuring out whether the same sorts of brain maps are also used to commit new information or situations to memory.

If so, he and others speculate that the breakdown of these maps could also contribute to memory-related conditions, such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Ben Clark earned his undergraduate degree at the U of L in 2005.

The potential links between these two neural functions are complex, Clark explains, but the idea is that the memories rely, at least in part, on the brain's ability to determine direction.

In animals, spatial mapping seems to centre on sets of so-called 'head direction' neurons, brain cells that are electrically active when an animal's head is pointing in one direction but not another -- and 'grid cells,' which contribute to a broader brain-based map of the surrounding environment.

Together, this brain cell activity produces something of an internal compass for understanding our place in the world around us.

The neurons communicating these direction-dependent signals are spread throughout the brain's temporal lobes, which are found just behind each ear, Clark explains.

But past studies suggest that their signals come together in a part of that brain region known as the entorhinal cortex, which also deals with information the brain uses to recognize objects.

There are hints that the entorhinal cortex is among the first parts of the brain to show changes during Alzheimer's disease too, which is consistent with the notion that object recognition and spatial cues may be crucial to memory.

To explore these potential connections, Clark plans to follow the activity of grid cells and head direction neurons, those direction-sensitive brain cells, using a system that lets him physically see neurons' activation.

That's possible because when neurons fire they turn on specific genes. And with a bit of genetic engineering, researchers can couple the gene activation to the production of proteins that glows fluorescent green or red under certain wavelengths of light.

Working with esteemed researcher Dr. Bruce McNaughton, right, the team is searching for ways to combat symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

For the current project, Clark and his collaborators will use two such genes as a means of tracking spatial mapping and head direction neurons in rats as they encounter new objects or spatial situations, for instance.

With slightly different experimental techniques in other experiments, they also plan to follow the neurons that stretch from the entorhinal cortex into other memory-related parts of the brain.

The researchers have done preliminary experiments to ensure that their fluorescent gene scheme will be able to measure neuron activity. Next, they're gearing up to use these tools to test normal rats as well as rat models of disease that show some of the symptoms associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Over the longer term, Clark explains, researchers intend to create functional maps of the these animal brains during disease, looking not only at the entorhinal cortex but also at other brain areas that are thought to contribute to dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Story by Andrea Anderson, photos by Trudie Lee. Re-printed with permission from Alberta Innovates -- Health Solutions. This story appeared in the most recent issue of Health Solutions magazine.

5 Questions with Dr. Ute Wieden-Kothe

trevor.kenney — Fri, 31 May 2013 22:32:24 +0000

Dr. Ute Wieden-Kothe joined theDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 2006 after completing her PhD in biochemistry at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Witten/Herdecke, Germany. Her research focuses on RNA (ribonucleic acid), an important molecule in life that resembles our genetic information, DNA.

Wieden-Kothe is particularly interested in understanding the complex functions of RNA in the cell which go far beyond encoding information. In particular, she investigates the formation of the cellular protein factories that are composed of RNAs and proteins. Wieden-Kothe is a member of the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI), and every second year organizes the RiboWest Conference, which attracts hundreds of RNA researchers from across Canada. Her research is funded by NSERC, Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions and CFI.

Together with enthusiastic colleagues in the sciences and a number of science graduate and undergraduate students, Wieden-Kothe established the Let's Talk Science program in 2010 and now serves as the program's faculty supervisor.

Dr. Ute Wieden-Kothe, right, champions the notion of science outreach.

What first piqued your interest in your research discipline?

In biochemistry, we are investigating the molecular basis of life. In high school, I was absolutely stunned when I learned that we understand perfectly how glucose is broken down in our bodies to provide us with energy. I was deeply impressed that we can follow the fate of each atom of glucose until it is converted to water and carbon dioxide while ATP, the cell's fuel, is formed. It is amazing that science allows us to comprehend the world around us on such a detailed level. The idea fascinates me that by precisely understanding cellular processes, we might ultimately be able to address diseases at their roots, i.e. at their molecular causes, instead of "fixing" the symptoms of a disease.

How is your research applicable in the "real world"?

My research group studies the early steps of forming large machines in the cell, called ribosomes, which ultimately produce all proteins. Interestingly, ribosomes are composed of both proteins and RNAs which are intricately intertwined. By unravelling the assembly of RNAs and proteins, we want to obtain a better understanding of the formation of protein factories. Conducting this basic research is important for the real world in two aspects.

First, these protein factories are essential for rapidly growing cancer cells. Understanding how they are built will ultimately help to inhibit this process in cancer cells and allow us to find novel targets for cancer therapy. At the same time, it is our goal to identify the molecular cause of genetic diseases affecting formation of these protein factories. Second, we are learning how to construct novel molecular machines from RNA and proteins with unlimited functions and applications in nanobiotechnology, including nanomedicine.

What is the greatest honour you have received in your career?

I have received a couple of nice awards, such as the Minerva Mentoring Award and the CIHR Synapse Mentorship Award; however, celebrating students' successes together and seeing a student mature and grow is the greatest honour I can receive. It always fills me with joy when I observe how a student, who didn't quite know where he or she wanted to go, finds a passion and goal in research, science outreach or in teaching. Likewise, I am incredibly proud to help students push their boundaries, take on challenges and achieve more than they ever thought possible. I am at the university because of and for the students, and I am very happy when I can make a difference for these young people.

How important are students to your research endeavours?

Students are at the heart of my research program. Biochemistry is a highly collaborative and laboratory-intensive field where many sophisticated experiments have to be performed. This requires a team approach. Also as biochemical processes are often complex, we need year-round thorough discussions of all aspects of the question under study. The daily interaction with my students is thus the most important aspect of my research. I stop by the lab every couple hours to look at data, and every day I am sitting down with at least one student to have in-depth discussions. These conversations with my students are inspiring, creative, thorough and incredibly rewarding.

I am grateful every day to have a fabulous group of students in my research lab ranging from undergraduate to master's and PhD graduate students.

If you had unlimited funds, which areas of research would you invest?

First of all, I would support all areas of basic research to allow all of us to follow our imagination, to be curious and creative and to explore new ideas. The chances are very good that this basic knowledge will be useful in the long term. So many of our current technologies are based on such research in the past where nobody could envision today's applications.

Second, I would support all areas of science outreach to bridge the gap between research and the general public, in particular the next generation. We need to give children and youth the tools to expand their horizons, to better understand the world, to be confident to ask questions and to search for answers.

This story first appeared in the May 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

5 Questions with Dr. Ute Wieden-Kothe

trevor.kenney — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:13:41 +0000

Dr. Ute Wieden-Kothe, right, champions the notion of science outreach.

What first piqued your interest in your research discipline?

How is your research applicable in the "real world"?

What is the greatest honour you have received in your career?

How important are students to your research endeavours?

I am grateful every day to have a fabulous group of students in my research lab ranging from undergraduate to master's and PhD graduate students.

If you had unlimited funds, which areas of research would you invest?

This story first appeared in the May 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Functional Flows gets funding boost

trevor.kenney — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:58:56 +0000

A critical study by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Water Institute for Sustainable Environments (WISE) that could shape how the province manages its water sources is being given a $1 million boost by the Alberta government.

Alberta Innovates – Energy and Environment Solutions is contributing $1 million toward a proposed $2.5 million project that will take place over the next three years.

Functional Flows, headed by principal researcher Dr. Stewart Rood of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Department of Biological Sciences, will attempt to answer the question of how much water needs to be left in our rivers to sustain healthy aquatic and riparian ecosystems, all the while developing strategies to provide sufficient water to support growing human populations and industrial expansion.

"It is critical for the environmental health of our aquatic ecosystems that we understand the ecological impacts from river damming and water diversions," says Rood.

"Further, we need to create and implement strategies for environmental flow regimes that will ensure that our rivers continue to sustain high water quality, as well as the fish and floodplain forests that we value."

Alberta's rivers deliver mountain snow-melt and rainfall to the drier regions of the prairie and parkland zones, where most Albertans live and work.

Water is trapped by dams and reservoirs and diverted off-stream for agricultural irrigation, municipal and domestic use and industrial purposes.

As the human population grows and industrial expansion continues, the demand for Alberta's surface water will progressively increase.

Rood and his team support the notion of working rivers, whereby river regulation and water withdrawal continues, but in a strategic manner that both sustains environmental health and supports socio-economic uses.

Rood contends that deliberately artificial flow patterns can optimize water for environmental survival during low flow years, and capitalize on the opportunities provided in high flow years to rejuvenate the fish and floodplain forest ecosystems.

"One of the significant challenges identified in Alberta's Water for Life strategy is meeting the needs of healthy aquatic ecosystems. The work being undertaken by Dr. Rood and his team provides a scientific and evidence-based approach to improving environmental performance, even in Alberta's highly allocated river systems," says David Hill, director of Centres and Institutes and Research Advocacy at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

"This approach allows stakeholders and water managers to directly participate in building and improving environmental resilience through specific water management opportunities. The understanding gained through this research will be a critical component in ongoing integrated watershed management decision-making."

The research activities associated with Functional Flows involve substantial student training, contributing towards the next generation of environmental scientists and natural resource managers for Alberta and Canada. The research projects bring together biologists, geographers and other natural and social scientists affiliated with WISE, working in collaboration with other academic and government researchers.

The collaborations also engage regional agencies such as Alberta Environment, the Alberta Conservation Association and the public Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils.

"The U of L has a long history of research collaboration with the community. This is particularly the case in Dr. Rood's research. This program brings together the research team, with government operators and regulators and stakeholders of the community, ensuring that the science and research findings can be implemented to deliver improved environmental performance measures," says Hill.

"This project will contribute to Alberta being recognized not just for its forward looking water strategy – but for ongoing and improved watershed management operations."

Balancing environmental sensibilities with the future economic prosperity of the province was a driver of the Functional Flows project, which received an initial $250,000 contribution from ConocoPhillips Canada (CPC). Based in Calgary, CPC is part of ConocoPhillips, a leading global exploration and production company. "We see this as an opportunity to engage the research expertise at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in a manner that will benefit everyone from students and faculty members involved in the research, to industry, agriculture, municipalities, Aboriginal communities and end users of Alberta's water resources," says Lloyd Visser, VP, Environment and Sustainable Development.

Updated President's message on 2013/14 Alberta budget

trevor.kenney — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 20:50:25 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Dr. Mike Mahon discusses latest details

On March 7, 2013, the Alberta government released the 2013/2014 budget for the Province of Alberta. As indicated in my initial message, the Campus Alberta Operating Grant for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will be reduced by 7.3% in 2013/2014. Since that time, Senior Administration has had the opportunity to have additional conversations with the Ministry of Enterprise and Advanced Education and have learned the following additional details.

Campus Alberta Operating Grant – The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will receive a Campus Alberta Operating grant of $92,072,000 – a 7.3% decrease from last year. This reduction translates into reducing the operating budget by approximately $11.9 million in 2013/2014.

The 7.3% decrease is consistent with some, though not all; of the Campus Alberta Operating Grant reductions that other Alberta post-secondary institutions were assessed. The Comprehensive Academic and Research Institutions all received a cut in the range of 7.2%-7.3%.

In the 2012/13 Alberta budget, post-secondary institutions were informed by the government that there would be three years of stable funding with a 2% increase in the operating grant per year. While the economic climate suggested that the planned 2% was in jeopardy, there was no indication or warning from the Ministry of Enterprise and Advanced Education, or elected officials, that a cut of this significance was planned or forthcoming. Even with a 2% increase in the operating grant the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ would have been looking to decrease its overall budget expenditures by $2.6 million in order to produce a balanced budget.

Infrastructure Maintenance Program – Last year, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ had its Infrastructure Maintenance Program funding cut by 50% from $3,646,729 to $1,823,365. The 2013/14 Alberta Budget reduced this grant a further 2.3 % to $1,782,000.

These funds are restricted grants for use only in the maintenance and replacement of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ infrastructure. These funds cannot be used for operating expenses or to offset the operating budget deficit. Ongoing infrastructure renewal projects and projects slated to commence during the spring and summer of 2013 are enabled through this dedicated grant. More information on these planned projects as well as the source of funds for the projects will be released in a subsequent communication.

Campus Alberta Innovation Program (CAIP) Chairs – The Government of Alberta is maintaining its commitment to the CAIP Chair program. The U of L has hired two CAIP Chairs to date and will continue the process to fill the additional chairs. Also, the U of L will look to fill its allocated health-related chairs through a similar Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions Chairs program.

Letters of Expectation – There has been much media and public speculation about the introduction of letters of expectation ("Mandate Letters") directed to each institution in Alberta. Through our discussion with the Assistant Deputy Minister, we have been informed that our approved government mandate will not be changed. We have been told that the letter will include expectations pertaining to learner pathways, working with government, industry and system partners, fiscal responsibility, and research and entrepreneurship directions.

While the details of this letter are not yet fully understood, the Assistant Deputy Minister has assured us that the letter will be received in draft form and that we will be consulted before the letter is finalized. I will be attending a meeting on April 12 with the Ministry, along with the other Alberta post-secondary Presidents, to discuss our letters of expectation and to gain further details of the budget.

Other items in the provincial budget that will be of direct impact on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community are:

Student Aid - The Alberta budget outlines $211 million for the Student Aid programs in 2013‑14. This budget includes:

$71 million for merit‑based scholarship awards;

$59 million for bursaries and grants;

$42 million for student debt management programs; and

$11 million for Alberta Centennial Education Savings Plan grants.

In addition, $425 million in student loans will be disbursed in 2013‑14.

Innovation and Economic Competitiveness - The budget is $204 million in 2013/14 for economic development, innovation and technology commercialization.

I will continue to provide regular updates to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community as more information becomes available regarding the Letters of Expectation, the impact of the provincial budget on our own operating budget and most importantly on the process we will follow to address these budget reductions. As well, I will schedule a series of open meetings to ensure that everyone at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has access to the information I have just shared with you. I have no doubt that utilizing the experience, intelligence and the breadth of talent of the people we have at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge we can find innovative solutions to this current challenge.

As a community, we cannot understate the significance of these reductions and the negative impact they may have on our students, faculty and staff. As one of the largest employers and contributors to the economies in Lethbridge and southern Alberta, these reductions will also be felt well beyond our campuses.
We also cannot understate the fact that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has faced significant challenges in the past and from those challenges we, along with those who have come before us, have built one of the top ranked universities in Canada recognized for the quality of its academic programs and research, and for the outstanding experience provided to our students.
Dr. Mike Mahon
President and Vice-Chancellor
The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

Graduate Studies celebrates student research

trevor.kenney — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:38:03 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's School of Graduate Studies celebrated the achievements of some of its top student researchers at the 10th Annual Celebration of Graduate Students' Research Excellence on Wednesday, Jan. 23.

A total of 33 students were recognized for the outstanding calibre of their research projects, all of which have been granted significant external funding support.

"The evening was a celebration of the excellent research our graduate students continue to be involved in," says School of Graduate Studies Dean, Dr. Robert Wood. "To see major awards from agencies such as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council given to our students, demonstrates the work they are doing is of national importance."

Of the awards being recognized at the celebration was a $35,000 Alexander Graham Bell Graduate Doctoral Scholarship NSERC award to Ashley Moore (Biological Sciences), working under the supervision of Dr. Anthony Russell.

Chenyuan Hu (Mathematics and Computer Science, Dr. Hua Li supervisor), Andriy Bilichak (Biological Sciences, Dr. Igor Kovalchuk supervisor), Farhad Faghihi (Chemistry & Biochemistry, Dr. Paul Hazendonk supervisor) and Aki Matsuoka (Biological Sciences, Dr. Igor Kovalchuk supervisor) all received funding in excess of $30,000 from Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures.

"The level of research our graduate students undertake is exceptional, and these awards reflect not only the commitment from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to continue to build its research portfolio, thereby making it a destination university for graduate students, but the commitment of our faculty to actively engage and support graduate student research opportunities," adds Wood.

The complete awards list can be found here.

Experts gather for water conference

trevor.kenney — Fri, 04 May 2012 22:07:12 +0000

Decisions made about water are fundamental to society's long-term social, environmental and economic prosperity.

In the face of compelling regional, national and global water challenges, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, with local, regional, national and international partners, is hosting Water in a World of Seven Billion, an innovative conference taking place in Calgary, May 8-12, bringing together leading experts in water conservation, usage and policy development.

Leading sponsors of the conference include the Canadian Wildlife Federation, Alberta Innovates: Energy & Environment Solutions and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. More than 30 speakers are on the agenda.

Dr. Rick Mrazek is a driving force behind the U of L's water research.

Conference organizers say this is a unique opportunity to learn from water scholars, decision-makers, managers and educators, who will focus on identifying and articulating the science, knowledge and activities that lead to game-changing improvements that support sustainable water management outcomes.

"A primary focus of this event is to enable the direct engagement of students and education professionals with the participants and experts attending the conference," says Dr. Rick Mrazek, one of the conference organizers and a faculty member in the Faculty of Education.

"To create an enduring product and ongoing dialogue, the sessions will be video-taped and in some cases live-streamed via the event website. Presenters and participants will be able to provide their reaction to the events and discussions through various social media channels and there will be an opportunity for students in remote locations to directly participate in some sessions."

Mrazek says the final day of the conference is organized as an education forum.

"Throughout the event, a number of students, educators and education organizations will attend to gain important background knowledge on the range of issues that can be addressed through improved education activities and resources.These educators and students, along with other education professionals, will spend the Saturday exploring opportunities to bring new science into the classroom as part of curriculum, to explore activities and opportunities to put that knowledge to work, and to explore new tools, mechanisms and opportunities to improve learning."

The complete conference schedule, speaker list and registration information are all available at www.ww7b.org/site

This story first appeared in the May issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

U of L partners in research ethics agreement

trevor.kenney — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:20:11 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is pleased to partner in a Research Ethics Reciprocity Agreement for the review of multi-site health research.

This agreement, signed by Dr. Dan Weeks (Vice-President, Research) and Dr. Monique Sedgwick (Chair, Human Subject Research Committee), will streamline the process of ethics review application for studies that are conducted across multiple research jurisdictions.

Once implemented, ethics review applications for multi-site studies need only be submitted at one institution or agency, rather than at each research site as has been the practice to date. The agreement is good news for researchers who will see these process efficiencies translated into savings in time, resources and competitiveness. It is also good news for research and development companies that want to invest in Alberta. A harmonized process for health research ethics review translates into cost savings and value added investment.

Alberta is the first jurisdiction in Canada to have a harmonized ethics review process for multi-jurisdictional health research through the signing of the Research Ethics Reciprocity Agreement. This is a legal agreement among six major institutions and agencies that have Research Ethics Boards which perform and oversee reviews of ethics for health research.

These partners are: ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta, Alberta Health Services, and Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions. Alberta Health and Wellness, and Advanced Education and Technology provided valuable advice.

The agreement is the result of a collaborative process among the partners, initiated by the Chairs of the Health Research Ethics Boards (the Council of Chairs), and is the first step in a strategic plan developed last year by the Chairs in consultation with key stakeholders.

Once implemented, the agreement will streamline the process of ethics review for multi-site health research studies and response time to health research ethics review requests.

Currently, researchers who are part of networks, collaborations, partnerships or teams involving other institutions need to apply for ethics approval at each institution for the same research, a process that can cost researchers valuable time and resources.

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