This is a round-up of relevant news and media stories involving the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. We appreciate you relaying information which is relevant to faculty members in your respective areas.
TOP STORIES
There aren't many father-son duos in the Order of Canada. There is Paul Martin, the former prime minister, and his father, Paul Martin Sr. And there is Wayne Gretzky, and his father, Walter Gretzky. And there is Lewis Kay, 56, and his father, Cyril Kay, 86, two research scientists who've spent remarkable careers studying proteins, the building blocks of life.
Financial Post: For doctors, necessity really is the mother of invention
Darren Freed, an associate professor in the University of Alberta's Department of Surgery, has learned that commercialization is the path physicians and researchers must take. His work focuses on finding better ways to preserve organs for transplantation. The story also appears in other PostMedia papers across Canada.
STAT: A century-old vaccine vial sheds light on one of medicine's enduring mysteries
Medical legend has it that Edward Jenner-father of vaccination-used cowpox virus to protect against the dreaded smallpox. A new report shows a virus closely related to the horsepox virus was used in a 1902 smallpox vaccine, providing fresh ammunition to those who believe the history books have it wrong. U of A virologist David Evans gives expert comment.
RESEARCH
Rare Disease Report: Can a Ganglioside Stop Huntington's Disease
An interesting and potentially game-changing animal study was published in EMBO Molecular Medicine recently, and it could lead to a viable treatment for patients with Huntington's disease. Melanie Alpaugh and colleagues at the U of A have conducted a series of tests that exhibit the improvement and occasional reversal of symptoms in mice models of Huntington's disease with the administration of ganglioside.
Global News: University of Alberta receives $24M grant for research equipment
The federal government has announced that $23.8 million in funding is going towards developing projects at the U of A that lead to ground-breaking results in areas such as adapting forests to climate change, advancing heart failure research and detecting and studying dark matter. Related coverage also appears in the Edmonton Journal.
Global News: Edmonton research team raises troubling questions over resurrecting deadly disease
Researchers at the U of A are attracting attention for essentially reviving horsepox, which is closely related to smallpox, one of the most deadly diseases in human history. While they're using it for good, some are pointing out the potential for evil.
MedPage Today: Hospital-Acquired AKI Costly for Healthcare Systems
Acute kidney injury (AKI) acquired during a hospital stay, often as the result of surgery, infection or medications, costs the Canadian health-care system an extra $200 million per year, a population-based study led by the U of A's Scott Klarenbach estimated. Coverage also appears on MedicalXpress.
EXPERT
Winnipeg Free Press: Look out for malnutrition, frailty-particularly in seniors
Gastroenterologist Leah Gramlich co-authored an article about the high incidence of malnutrition among seniors and its impact on health. Coverage also appears in the Vancouver Province.
Global News: Doctor shares tips to make needles easier for kids this flu season
Samina Ali, a professor of pediatrics at the U of A, says needles don't have to be scary or even painful. She offers a few tips on how to make the process go smoothly for kids.
CFPL Radio Ontario: Obesity in Canada
Arya Sharma, a professor of medicine at the U of A, discusses obesity rates in Canada. No link.
Fort Saskatchewan Record: 85 per cent of us aren't getting enough exercise
A whopping 85 per cent of Canadians don't meet the physical activity guideline set out for the population. Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity throughout the week and it doesn't have to be all at once, said Doug Klein, an associate professor of family medicine at the U of A.
Today's Parent Magazine: How to deal with headaches during pregnancy
Many women get headaches during pregnancy, and if you're already prone to headaches, you may find them getting worse while you're expecting. David Olson, a professor with the U of A's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, gives advice on how to relieve a headache during pregnancy.
CBC News: 'It's unheard of': Death of Edmonton worker from walnut shells baffles allergy expert
The death of an Edmonton man who suffered a fatal allergic reaction after visiting a worksite where walnut shells were used to blast paint off walls is baffling, says allergy expert Yarden Yanishevsky with the U of A's Division of Pediatric Immunology & Allergy.
PEOPLE, PARTNERSHIPS AND EDUCATION
Ghana News Agency: UG wins seventh inter-medical school debate
The University of Ghana has emerged as champions of the seventh inter-medical school debate overcoming a fierce challenge by three other public universities. Suicidality risk and criminalization of attempted survivors in Ghana was the topic for the debate. The competition was initiated seven years ago by Vincent Agyapong, a medical scientist of the U of A, to give opportunity to medical students to brainstorm on issues relating to the medical field. The story also appears on GhanaWeb.
NJBIZ: ContraVir partners with Canadian research firm for hepatitis research
ContraVir Pharmaceuticals, which specializes in targeted antiviral therapies, has formed a partnership with Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology in Edmonton. The collaboration will involve the research and development of vaccines and therapies to reduce deaths due to viral infections. The research will focus on human epidemiologic and genetic studies, which the Li Ka Shing Institute specializes in.
Leduc Rep: City hosting second fentanyl information session
Experts on fentanyl returned to Leduc for an information session on Oct. 19. U of A professor of pharmacology Martin Davies and Cpl. Brad McIntosh with K Division's Clan Lab Enforcement and Response (CLEAR) team offered a presentation to explain how fentanyl works and its effects from both a medical and criminal perspective.
St. Albert Gazette: Wizard School
Paul Kane students will perform more acts of academic arcana Saturday as they help thousands of local students graduate from a school of witchcraft and wizardry. Some 2,000 Edmonton-area youths will be at the U of A's Katz Group Centre for Pharmacy and Health Research this Saturday for the sixth annual School of Witchcraft and Wizardry event.