UNews - H.J. Wieden

Pandemic underlines need to revamp academic system that disadvantages parenting researchers and women

caroline.zentner — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 15:10:26 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic pressure tests our societies in many ways and reveals often overlooked, long-existing and festering systemic challenges and disadvantages. One of the most universal experiences associated with the current pandemic has been the struggle of working parents forced to balance full-time, stay-at-home jobs with the challenge of parenting and home-schooling.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers Drs. H.J. Wieden and Ute Kothe, along with graduate student Luc Roberts (BSc '12), detailed in a recent article published in EMBO Reports, that the struggle is just as acute in the academic world — widening an already existing gulf between researchers who are active parents and those who are not, thereby presenting a threat to the diversity, inclusivity and quality of research communities. The authors identify the pandemic as an opportunity to rethink and overhaul the academic career and reward system that consistently disadvantages parenting researchers and women.

Parenting researchers — an invisible divide, examines the pressure active parents face while trying to juggle pushing scientific boundaries and child strollers all at once. In the article, Kothe, Wieden and Roberts argue an already broken system is being exacerbated by the pandemic, which only weakens the system in the end.

“The current structure of the academic system — funding, publishing incentives and career options — disadvantages parents and women in particular,” says Wieden. “The present pandemic deepens the already existing divide between parenting researchers and their peers without such obligations. In the long run, this will negatively affect recruiting and retaining junior researchers and maintaining a diverse talent pool.”

Roberts is a PhD candidate now at home with a toddler. His wife, a front-line medical worker, must continue to work out of the home, leaving him as the primary parent. A recent email he received reminded him that, “It is work from home and not a vacation.” Struggling to work on his thesis given his new responsibilities, he blistered at suggestions he should be even more productive at home with so much free time to devote to writing and publishing.

“Let’s be honest, unless my thesis is going to be about the sounds farmyard animals make — coauthored by my son of course — it is not getting written,” says Roberts in the article. “It feels as though I have to choose between my child and a scientific career, and as much as I love science, I am always going to pick my family.”

An age-old struggle, there seems to be an overriding perception that dedicated researchers are devoted to their craft because it is more important. Wieden, Kothe and Roberts would beg to differ, especially now.

“Without any doubt, the well-being of our children and family is most important,” says Kothe. “But it is not only for selfish reasons that our children must be the highest priority. They will be a generation who has experienced and been shaped by the pandemic — the greatest global crisis since the Second World War. It is essential that they are not traumatized by this experience, that they become strong and smart individuals who can build a resilient and intelligent society that is better prepared to handle future threats and pandemics. All parents have an essential and system-relevant job.”

Therein lies the conundrum and what the authors would like to see corrected when the pandemic ends. Good scientific minds have been put in this situation for years, pushed along by a publish or perish culture where rewards are based solely on productivity. As a result, the scientific community may be losing valuable scientific contributors who place familial priorities high.

“How we will deal with this situation will define the character of our research community. Do we reward only the most productive ones, or do we embrace anyone who genuinely conducts high-quality research?” asks Wieden.

They call for a complete overhaul of the academic system as it is currently constructed, recognizing at long last that true equity, diversity and inclusion is not a compromise, but a prerequisite to fostering strong and creative research communities that generate high-quality knowledge. Inclusion means fair recognition of the contributions of parent researchers, women and other underrepresented groups — including their additional obligations.

“Now is the time to completely re-think the academic system,” they argue. “It is critical that we analyze the effects of the pandemic on parenting researchers and trainees and seize the opportunity to thoroughly revamp the academic system and not simply go back to the old routine once it is over.”

For a look at the full article, visit EMBO Reports.

Synthetic biology education, beginning in high school, touted as impetus for STEM careers, research advances

trevor.kenney — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 21:52:07 +0000

A ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge professor sees synthetic biology as a driver of the next generation of scientific researchers and a key to economic diversification and prosperity in southern Alberta and beyond.

Dr. H.J. Wieden and his group at the U of L have been at the forefront of Canadian participation in iGEM competitions for the last decade.

Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, an Alberta Innovates Strategic Chair in Bioengineering in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and director of the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI), says in a recently published article in the world-leading journal Nature Biotechnology that engaging students in synthetic biology projects enhances their desire to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers and ultimately leads to advances benefitting society both economically and socially. This training is even more impactful when it begins at the high school level and is in step with the high school curriculum in the province of Alberta.

His vehicle of choice – high school iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machines) competitions.

“The transdisciplinary nature of synthetic biology projects creates a powerful learning opportunity for high school students by combining aspects of biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, engineering and social studies,” says Wieden. “I believe that synthetic biology projects integrate well into the high school curriculum and can provide a dynamic training environment for students and add an excellent engagement and education tool, allowing students to explore the scientific, as well as ethical, legal and social implications of the field.”

Wieden and his group at the U of L have been at the forefront of Canadian participation in iGEM competitions for the last decade, winning 10 gold medals and launching a high school program encouraging participation both locally and provincially.

The primary aim of synthetic biology is to apply engineering principles to biological systems, and in turn produce a desirable trait or behaviour. The most notable success of synthetic biology is the engineering of artemisinic acid biosynthesis in yeast, a technology being used to produce anti-malarial treatments.

Locally, high school iGEM teams have produced project ideas tackling environmental issues (desalinization, chlorofluorocarbon degradation), health (diabetes, cancer detection) and agriculture (safe pesticides). Each project is student-driven and executed and supported by U of L graduate student teaching units. The projects provide an opportunity for hands-on, experiential research currently unavailable in the high school curriculum.

“This is not just about training scientists; this is about training the next generation of bioengineers and entrepreneurs,” says Wieden, noting the desire to continue to diversify the provincial economy. “Precision agriculture is the next big thing in biotechnology and that will require well-trained bioengineers and we are in an excellent position to do that.”

Wieden points to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Destination Project, scheduled to open in 2019, and its focus on transdisciplinary learning, which is reflected in the study of synthetic biology and particularly in iGEM training. Taking this to the high school level further prepares the next generation of students for post-secondary and career success. To do so, however, challenges must be overcome. Securing supplies, materials, equipment and funding to support high school iGEM projects can prove difficult for some teams, but Wieden says the results are worth the investment, and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ can help lower some of the barriers.

Already, the U of L has offered workshops, supported by Synbridge, for provincial high school teams. Further, there is a proposal to create professional development programs for high school teachers and their students to better equip them to run their own iGEM programs.

“Synthetic biology provides an excellent training environment for students due to the multidisciplinary nature of the field in general and the iGEM competition in particular,” he says. “The significant social, environmental and economic implications of synthetic biology cannot be overstated and I believe it is imperative we provide educational opportunities to interested students as early as possible.”

A link to the full Nature article can be found here: http://rdcu.be/tiQj

Prestigious RNA research conference coming to U of L

trevor.kenney — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 15:16:36 +0000

Leading investigators in the emerging field of Ribonucleic acid (RNA) research – including a Gairdner Foundation International Award recipient – are gathering at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, June 18-21, 2014, for one of Canada’s most prestigious conferences.

Gairdner Award winner, Dr. Joan Steitz, will give the conference's keynote address on Wednesday, June 18.

RiboWest 2014, now in its 10th year, is attracting experts in one of the fastest growing fields in the life sciences. With implications for many diseases, our understanding of evolution, as well as biotechnological applications, RNA research has enormous economic potential.

The U of L’s Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI) is hosting the conference, which will take place at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Lethbridge campus and includes sessions in Waterton.

“The RNA research field has moved dramatically over the past decade,” says Dr. Ute Wieden-Kothe, a conference organizer and member of ARRTI. “RNA research touches so many vital areas related to quality of life including health, agriculture and environment. Every two or three years an RNA researcher is winning a Nobel prize.”

RNA is a key molecule that impacts health (including human health) and is vital for living beings. RNA takes the genetic information found within DNA and kick-starts essential functions (like creating proteins) at the cellular level.

The conference is expected to attract 100 to 150 researchers and students – including 40 principal researchers.

One of the highlights of the conference will be a keynote presentation by Gairdner award winner Dr. Joan Steitz (Wednesday, June 18, 3:10 p.m. in PE275) – a Yale researcher who is a pioneer in the RNA field. Dr. Steitz’s presentation is open to the public.

While the RNA research field is making a global impact, the U of L is being recognized as a centre of excellence in Western Canada and beyond. ARRTI, established in 2012 to facilitate RNA research and training excellence at the U of L, has reflected the institution’s maturation in the field. Additionally, the U of L was recently awarded the Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures Bioengineering Chair (ARRTI Director Dr. H.J. Wieden) and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is currently using a Campus Alberta Innovation Program Chair to recruit additional expertise to the ARRTI membership. U of L students, through the International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition, have excelled on the world stage with RNA projects.

Dr. Stephen Rader organized the first RiboWest Conference in 2005 at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, B.C. Since 2008, the annual conference alternates between Prince George and Lethbridge.

For more information, visit the RiboWest 2014 website.

iGEM team celebrates North American Regional victory

trevor.kenney — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 21:10:49 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has further cemented its reputation as a leader in the teaching and research of synthetic biology by capturing first place at the 2013 North American iGEM Regional Jamboree in Toronto, Ont. this past weekend.

The competition, held at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto, featured teams from across Canada and the United States. The U of L team of Dustin Smith, Graeme Glaister, Jenna Friedt, Suneet Kharey, Harland Brandon and Zak Stinson will now move on to the international competition, which will be held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, Mass. Nov. 1-4.

“This certainly shows that bioengineering research and the aggressive approach we’ve taken to study this field is working at the U of L, and that the RNA Institute is playing a key role in both enabling research and training students,” says Dr. H.J. Wieden, director of the Alberta RNA (Ribonucleic acid) Research and Training Institute (ARRTI) at the U of L, the Innovates Centre of Research Excellence (iCORE) Chair of Bioengineering and faculty advisor for the U of L’s iGEM teams. “The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is poised to continue to be at the forefront of this emerging field.”

The U of L team’s project includes developing a bioengineering part that compresses genetic information – essentially working like a zip drive. Every gene needs DNA, but there is only so much DNA that will fit in a cell. This novel part may allow future bioengineers more flexibility in their work.

Additionally, the U of L team developed software that quickly determines what DNA is compatible to compress together.

“Each year we are also tasked with exploring the social implications of our project. Our team sought to ensure that our part could not be misused to hide dangerous genes,” says team member Harland Brandon (BSc’13), a first-year master’s student and Winston Churchill High School graduate. “We hypothesized that our part could be used to hide dangerous sequences, such as Ricin or Ebola, from gene synthesis companies. We then took it a step further and actually consulted with gene synthesis companies, U of L Risk and Safety Services and even a representative from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Not only do we see our project benefitting the field, but we found through our critical analysis that the potential for misuse is not possible.”

In addition to winning the overall Regional Overgrad award, the U of L also claimed the award for best Wiki (website explaining their project).

iGEM is the premier competition for young scientists interested in the emerging field of synthetic biology, which is quickly leading to new discoveries that will diversify key economic sectors such as pharmaceutical, agriculture, medical diagnostics, clean energy and resource extraction. It also facilitates scientific research and education by establishing and operating the Registry of Standard Biological Parts, a community collection of open source biological components.

The organization promotes the advancement of science and education by developing an international open community of students and practitioners in schools, laboratories, research institutes and industry.

Earlier this year, a team of Lethbridge high school students was awarded the coveted Green Brick grand prize at iGEM’s High School Jamboree.

Research awards a culmination of collaboration

trevor.kenney — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:11:41 +0000

Research funding awards are the end result of an incredible amount of preparation, primarily by the lead researcher for the funded project. What cannot be forgotten is the behind-the-scenes legwork the Office of Research and Innovation Services (ORIS) does in support of these programs.

From advertising funding opportunities to helping with eligibility requirements, reviewing drafts and submissions, coordinating fund payments with financial services and filling out forms, forms and even more forms, ORIS plays an integral role in the process.

"We try to make it as seamless as possible for our researchers," says Penny D'Agnone, a Grant Officer for ORIS. "They don't need to know about the hoops and hurdles that can sometimes pop up behind the scenes."

D'Agnone is one of three grant officers. She works with Jane Allan and Chris Picken to co-ordinate pre- and post-award processes for the various funding agencies that help support research initiatives at the U of L. Her portfolio includes medical and health sciences agencies such as the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR). Allan is entrusted with the social sciences and humanities agencies such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), while Picken looks after the natural sciences and engineering agencies such as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

D'Agnone, Allan and Picken will either alert researchers to funds they think might be applicable to their studies or assist in the process already initiated by faculty. They'll help with eligibility requirements, read through draft applications and ensure all deadlines are reached.

"We're not experts but we do provide a non-expert opinion on readability, making sure the applications have all the components the agencies are asking for, such as budget constraints and all the letters of support," says D'Agnone. "Having worked on a number of applications, both successful and unsuccessful, our team has garnered some insight into the process that we are able to share with faculty."

In addition, the ORIS has many strong connections to the funding agencies and colleagues across Canada providing a network of support for faculty members.

D'Agnone also participates in a CIHR peer review program each year, giving her the opportunity to see multiple applications – valuable experience she can take back to faculty.

This experience is essential when dealing with the application process, which can sometimes be a long and complicated path not always leading to success. When peer reviewers deny applications, it can be discouraging but D'Agnone, Allan and Picken play a key role in keeping the motivation for applying and reapplying alive.

"For a lot of the motivation, you have to give credit to the researchers," says D'Agnone. "I know that a peer review is not personal but I don't know how you wouldn't take it personally. You're putting your life into it, it's what you do, and it's your passion. Then when you have a group of people come back and say it isn't good enough, that can be difficult to hear."

Often it's a lack of money that's the issue, not the application itself. The money simply runs out and only so many programs can be supported. In these instances, bridge funding can be awarded to keep initiatives alive. One such application was a proposal for funding put forth by
Dr. H.J. Wieden. Initiated in 2005, Wieden reapplied to CIHR on multiple occasions and received three bridge grants before finally being awarded a $515,416 grant over 5 years.

"I give him all the credit for believing in this project and staying with it," says D'Agnone. "It really is a lesson in perseverance."

D'Agnone is confident in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's research excellence as it continues to evolve as a comprehensive institution and says the entire office is eager to support funding possibilities they know are on the horizon.

"We're still relatively young in some of these research areas," she says. "Health Sciences is a new faculty and I can see their research environment is expanding. People are starting to apply for planning grants to take the next step forward and they are seeing success so it is exciting to be a part of that growth."

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

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