April
In the Media: Is it safe to go to the ER during COVID-19?
April 30, 2020
Adjunct faculty member and Emergency Physician Dr. Ken Milne speaks to Dr. Brian Goldman on CBC's podcast, The Dose, about the reasons why he thinks patients are avoiding the ER during this pandemic, and when patients should definitely be coming in to the hospital.
Award: Nicole Campbell, PhD, recognized provincially for teaching excellence
April 29, 2020
Congratulations to Nicole Campbell, PhD, Assistant Professor, who has received a 2020 Teaching Excellence Award from the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA). The Teaching Excellence Award recognizes educators who excel at unlocking the potential of Ontario’s young people.
Feature: Western Researchers using algae to help quickly produce COVID-19 test kits
April 29, 2020
Thanks to new funding from Mitacs, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry researchers are collaborating with Suncor to rapidly develop serological test kits for COVID-19 that would determine if someone has been previously infected and has the antibodies for the virus. They are employing a method that uses algae as a way to produce the testing reagent.
Feature: Study backs shelter space as housing solution
April 28, 2020
A program to convert emergency shelter space into long-term affordable housing showed incredible benefits for the community’s most vulnerable, prompting a call from Western researchers to push for additional permanent housing solutions in emergency shelters nationwide.
Announcement: Gregory Dekaban, PhD, has been extended as Acting Chair, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
April 28, 2020
Gregory Dekaban, PhD, has been extended as Acting Chair, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University effective from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 or until a new Chair is appointed.
Announcement: Western names Lesley Rigg as Vice-President (Research)
April 27, 2020
Internationally recognized academic leader Lesley Rigg will join Western as Vice-President (Research) on August 1. Western’s Board of Governors approved a five-year term for Professor Rigg at its meeting on April 23. Currently, Rigg is dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Calgary where she leads 250 faculty, 300 staff and 6,000 students spanning six departments and five multidisciplinary programs.
Feature: Researchers explore the possibility of using geostatistics to track COVID-19 transmission hot spots
April 24, 2020
Peter Rogan, PhD, demonstrated that geostatistical analysis could be accurately used to pinpoint the location of a radiation plume in the event of a nuclear accident. He is exploring how this decades-old method, used by miners to determine where to dig for gold, might be used to help understand emerging hot spots in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Media Release: London researchers join global initiative to study loss of smell in COVID-19 patients
April 24, 2020
As part of an initiative called the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research (GCCR), Dr. Leigh Sowerby is studying the sudden loss of smell in COVID-19 patients. He and team of researchers are asking individuals with confirmed or presumptive cases of COVID-19 worldwide to participate in a survey to better understand this symptom.
Announcement: Joy MacDermid named Distinguished University Professor
April 22, 2020
Professor Joy MacDermid, PhD, cross-appointed to the Departments of Surgery and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, has been named a Distinguished University Professor. She is a global leader in preventing, assessing and treating hand and upper-limb injuries and an award-winning educator.
Honours: Faculty Scholars recognized for achievements in teaching and research
April 22, 2020
Congratulations to Hanif Ladak, PhD, Dr. Manuel Montero-Odasso, Cheryle Séguin, PhD, and Dr. Chris Watling, selected among 16 new Faculty Scholars at Western. The recipients are considered all-around scholars and will hold the title for two years and receive $7,000 each year for scholarly activities.
Media Release: CIHR awards $1M to study treatment for first responders with PTSD
April 21, 2020
A study co-led by researchers at Western and McMaster universities on a new approach to treating public safety personnel (PSP) with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is receiving close to $1 million in funding.
Announcement: Dr. Terri Paul appointed Interim Assistant Dean, Resident Wellbeing
April 21, 2020
Dr. Terri Paul has been appointed Interim Assistant Dean, Resident Wellbeing, Learner Equity & Wellness for a six-month term from April 9, 2020 to September 30, 2020. This is in addition to her role as Interim Assistant Dean, Faculty Equity Wellbeing.
News: Dental students give back, support community members during COVID-19
April 17, 2020
Amid the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, dental students from Schulich Medicine & Dentistry have directed their focus to helping their local communities.
Feature: Pandemic provides real-time case study for public health students
April 17, 2020
As a future public health professional, Yun (Cherry) Lee is paying close attention to how Canada is managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with her classmates in the Master of Public Health program, Lee is analyzing the global response to the virus and exploring short- and long-term impacts.
Announcement: Students find success in second iteration of 2020 CaRMS process
April 16, 2020
Schulich Medicine students were successful in the second iteration of the 2020 CaRMS process, which was released on April 15.
Announcement: Celebrating the 2020 Awards of Excellence recipients
April 15, 2020
As educators, researchers, innovators and leaders, the 2020 Awards of Excellence recipients are making a difference at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. This year, we celebrate 42 award recipients. It is with great pride that we recognize and honour their achievements.
In the Media: The multi-pronged search for the Holy Grail of the pandemic - a vaccine
April 15, 2020
Researchers across the country are working tirelessly and collaborating on various approaches. In this article for University Affairs, Stephen Barr, PhD, explains the work being done at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry and how they are collaborating globally to develop a vaccine for COVID-19.
Feature: Simulation improves care, confidence during COVID-19
April 14, 2020
Faculty members are engaged in creating and delivering interprofessional simulation experiences, with the goal of helping health care providers learn, adapt and prepare for the COVID-19 cases they may encounter.
Opinion: What is the ‘COVID-ified’ future for dentists?
April 14, 2020
From patient management to staffing to supply chains, COVID-19 is significantly impacting the dental profession. Puneet Bhatnagar, a student with the Internationally Trained Dentists program, explores the current issues and long-term implications in an article for Dentistry IQ.
Media Release: ‘Cough chamber’ shows six-feet may not be far enough for physical distancing
April 14, 2020
Collaborating with Eric Arts, PhD, an interdisciplinary research team is using a 'Cough Chamber' to examine the pathways of COVID-19 droplets through the air and analyze different material surfaces in order to verify its survivability under different temperature and humidity conditions.
News: Researchers donate critical protective equipment to health care workers
April 14, 2020
When researchers at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry learned that their colleagues in health care on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic were in need of donations of critical personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies, they didn’t hesitate to contribute.
News: Faculty wellbeing program launches amidst COVID-19 pandemic
April 09, 2020
Based on a Peers for Peers model, the Schulich Wellbeing Program will provide support for clinical and dentistry faculty in London and Windsor. Drs. Terri Paul, Bill McCauley and Andrea Lum are the faculty leads for the Program.
Alumni News: Dr. Margaret Chan appointed inaugural Dean of Tsinghua University’s new public health school
April 09, 2020
Dr. Margaret Chan, BA'73, MD’77, DSc'99, has been appointed the inaugural Dean of the Vanke School of Public Health at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
Opinion: Seven Reasons Your ‘Coronavirus Party’ Is a Bad Idea
April 08, 2020
In this Opinion Piece for the New York Times, Greta Bauer, PhD, discusses the idea of people considering intentionally infecting themselves with COVID-19. "As an epidemiologist, I can confirm that’s a horrible idea," she writes.
Feature: Researchers assessing risks of surgery during COVID-19 pandemic
April 07, 2020
Schulich Medicine & Dentistry researchers Dr. Davy Cheng and Associate Professor Janet Martin are collaborating with the WHO and global organizations to assess risks of surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic and other viral epidemics.
Announcement: Dr. Terri Paul has been appointed Interim Assistant Dean, Faculty Equity Wellbeing
April 07, 2020
Dr. Terri Paul, has been appointed Interim Assistant Dean, Faculty Equity Wellbeing for a six-month period from March 27 to September 30, 2020.
News: Web resource supports emergency staff
April 03, 2020
First-year medical student Max Stone has helped create a web resource for emergency staff at a Toronto hospital that will support their essential work on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
