Top Schulich Medicine & Dentistry News Stories of 2022
Schulich Medicine & Dentistry people were front and centre in 2022, with no shortage of accomplishments to remember. Take a chronological look at 2022 through the lens of some of the important stories that generated a lot of traffic on our news website and social media. From visits by the prime minister to research excellence and more, let’s celebrate some of the top stories that defined the year.
Discovering animal-to-human transmission of COVID-19
March 4, 2022
Professor Jennifer Guthrie’s study on SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer found evidence of possible animal-to-human transmission of the virus. The article in Discover Magazine highlighted Western research that could potentially open doors to many more discoveries related to the transmission of COVID-19 among different species. The article was widely read and shared on Facebook. Read more
Impact of COVID-19 on the brain
March 7, 2022
Dr. Adrian M. Owen discussed the impact of COVID-19 on brain function, including the possibility of experiencing brain fog and severe brain damage, based on his Brain Study. This National Post piece was widely read and shared, and particularly popular on Facebook, with almost 900 interactions recorded. Read more
The monkeypox explainer
May 20, 2022
The Wall Street Journal spoke with Dr. Sameer Elsayed to understand what’s behind the outbreak of monkeypox, a disease that’s rarely seen outside of Africa. Read more
A fishy tale
June 13, 2022
When shoals of parasitic fish moved to the inland waterways of New Brunswick, it surprised many. However, Professor Oana Birceanu knew exactly what was going on. In this CBC article, Birceanu shared details about the sea lamprey, a bloodsucking fish that she has been studying for years. This story, which highlighted the depth and breadth of research at the School, recorded more than 4,000 interactions on Facebook. Read more
The mystery behind long COVID
June 28, 2022
What causes long COVID? Professor Grace Parraga spoke with Global News to shed light on this topic, based on the findings of a study she led. The story went viral on social media with more than 7,000 interactions on Twitter, approximately 4,000 on Facebook and almost 60 discussions on Reddit. Read more
The financial impact of long COVID
July 20, 2022
Financial stress due to a health affliction is real, but not routinely discussed in the media. This Globe & Mail article, which was shared widely across the country, featured Vice Dean of Research Robert Bartha’s insights into how long COVID leaves patients with deep financial woes, lending a unique perspective to widely covered COVID-19 issue. Read more
Entering a new dimension in virtual health care
August 11, 2022
Researchers at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry are turning a sci-fi fan’s imagination into virtual reality. This CBC article highlighted Dr. Adam Sirek and his team’s successful feat to conduct the world’s first two-way hologram teleportation. The article discussed how this technology is being explored to provide long-distance health-care solutions. Read more
Tracking COVID-19 in wastewater
September 17, 2022
Schulich Medicine scientists were among the first in Canada to study traces of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage water. This CBC article features Professor Eric Arts’ contribution to national efforts to trace viral spread in wastewater. The article also mentions other pathogen-related research being conducted at Western’s level 3 containment lab. The article was extremely popular on social media, with more than 150 tweets and retweets on Twitter and approximately 500 interactions on Facebook. Read more.
Policy matters
September 20, 2022
Schulich Medicine & Dentistry stands for equity in health care, and our experts have been forthcoming in discussing health policy issues that echo the same commitment. CBC Radio spoke with Schulich Dentistry’s Vice Dean and Director Dr. Carlos Quiñonez to understand how the federal dental care program can make dental care in Canada more equitable and accessible. Read more
Federal funding to fight future pandemics
November 21, 2022
The news of Schulich Medicine’s biocontainment level 3 lab, ImPaKT, receiving $16 million in federal funding to expand its capacity was widely covered by all major media organizations. Some media outlets also used our video with Professor Eric Arts explaining the significance of the federal grant and the type of work being done and planned at the facility to prepare for future pandemics. Read more
PM Justin Trudeau visits Schulich
December 1, 2022
On Dec.1, 2022, the media’s spotlight was on the School as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited one of our dental clinics to launch the federal dental benefit for children under the age of 12. Schulich Medicine & Dentistry was prominently mentioned in news articles covering the prime minister’s announcement, including pictures of Western leadership and our students and staff interacting with PM Trudeau and families visiting the clinic. Read more
