October 2018

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    Redesigning life as we know it

    Synthetic biology has opened up a limitless world of opportunity for scientists, making it possible to create products like pharmaceuticals and non-browning food from scratch. But not everyone has welcomed this futuristic scientific advancement with open arms.

  • decorative imagePublic health graduate driven by community service
    Meet Sukhmeet Rohan Sachal, Canada’s future Minister of Health. It’s an ambitious goal, but the 24-year-old isn’t afraid to voice it aloud. And he's now one step closer, graduating from the Master of Public Health program in October.

  • decorative imageResearch excellence recognized with Internal Graduate Awards
    Congratulations to the 14 recipients of the 2018 Internal Graduate Awards – Miljan Kuljanin, Jacqueline Dron, Zachary Hawley, Tracy Ssali, Faraj Haddad, Ornela Kljakic, Megan Roussy, Krystyna Wieczerzak, Karen Dunkerley, Charmainne Cruje, Charles Yin, Maria Sancho-Gonzalez, Alireza Akbari and Sergio Fabris.

  • decorative imageUnderstanding and treating the 'sacred disease'
    Epilepsy is a complicated neurological disorder with no clear answers. Solving the puzzle requires strong, interdisciplinary research – the kind taking place at Robarts Research Institute.

  • decorative imageGenetic mutation may increase risk of pancreatic cancer in females
    New research led by Chris Pin, PhD, identifies a sex-specific genetic risk factor for pancreatic cancer, creating possibility for female-specific targets for therapy and the development of new markers for early detection.

  • decorative imageCommentary in The Lancet explores role of lipoprotein(a) in cardiovascular disease risk
    Lipoprotein(a) may be entering its prime time moment. Called a “heart risk factor even doctors know little about” by The New York Times earlier this year, the medical community is now starting to pay attention to this mysterious fatty particle in the blood. Michael Boffa, PhD, recently co-authored a commentary in The Lancet responding to a landmark paper on Lp(a).

  • decorative imageGrants help fuel Western as ‘engine’ of change
    Researchers at Western will share $23.9 million in fundamental research grants and scholarships from the federal government through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). More than 90 projects at the University will benefit from this funding, including 21 led by Schulich Medicine & Dentistry researchers.

  • decorative imageAlumni tapped for Governor General honours
    The Governor General’s Academic Gold Medals recognize the outstanding scholastic achievements of students in Canada. Alumni Dante Capaldi, MClSc/PhD'18, and Robert Koch, MESc'18, are among recipients of the prestigious honour this year.

  • decorative imageFunding: Grant enables researchers to study the effect of exercise on the brain
    With a recent grant from the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Dr. Rob Petrella and a team from the Centre for Studies in Family Medicine will be initiating a community-based exercise program combining high-intensity exercise with mind-motor training. Their goal is to look for ways to improve cardiovascular health and cognitive function.

  • decorative image2018 Gairdner Lecture - October 22
    Dr. Alan Lopez, recipient of the 2018 John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award, presents "Strengthening the evidence base for health policy: the Global Burden of Disease Study." Monday, October 22 at 10:00 a.m., Auditorium A, University Hospital.

  • decorative imageMyGradSkills.ca - Free skills training for Ontario graduate students and postdoctoral fellows
    Whether you’re interested in continuing with a career in academia or planning a future in the private sector, MyGradSkills.ca features self-paced, online modules on a range of topics, including communication, intellectual property, mentoring, intercultural competency, teaching online and more.

  • decorative imageFive science podcasts that will feed your brain
    Looking for a new podcast? Tune in to these science shows to learn more about the world (and universe) around you. Via The Globe and Mail

  • decorative imageCandace Gibson appointed Acting Vice Dean, Basic Medical Sciences
    Effective September 1, 2018, the responsibilities related to the Vice Dean, Basic Medical Sciences role will be overseen and managed by Candace Gibson, PhD, who will be the Acting Vice Dean, Basic Medical Sciences. She will be supported by Susanne Schmid, PhD, and Jeff Frisbee, PhD.

  • decorative imageResearch Western Conference - Slides available
    Research Western hosted its first conference in late August, a one-day series of collaborative workshops for researchers on campus. Topics included internal funding opportunities, drafting compelling project summaries, application budget development, tips for ethics board applications and more.

  • decorative imageBreath of life: Fred Possmayer, PhD’65, nurtures the science of possibilities
    During his five-decade career, Fred Possmayer, PhD'65, pioneered research on Infant Respiratory Distress Syndrome. His lab’s work with bovine lung surfactant was named among the top 50 most significant Ontario research discoveries of the century.

  • decorative imagePatches signals revolution in reconstructive surgery
    Patches, a nine-year-old American dachshund, had her skull replaced with a 3D-printed custom implant produced by ADEISS (Additive Design in Surgical Solutions), a commercialization centre based at Western Discovery Park.

  • decorative imageResearchers contribute to the first open-source NHP imaging database
    Stefan Everling, PhD, and Ravi Menon, PhD, contributed to the world's largest non-human primate (NHP) imaging database, providing researchers around the world with MRI data sets. The goal is to accelerate the development of a map of the neural connections in the NHP brain.

  • decorative imageMoving Out of the Shadows: Epilepsy research featured at 2018 Taylor Symposium - Register today
    World-renowned epilepsy researchers and clinicians present recent developments in the investigation of patients with epilepsy. The day includes a panel discussion moderated by Avis Favaro (CTV National News) and a keynote lecture by Istvan Mody, PhD, the 2018 J. Allyn Taylor International Prize in Medicine recipient, on "The Multifaceted Epilepsies." No cost to attend, but RSVP required.

  • Beyond the bench
    From international conferences to team building activities, take a look at what your colleagues have been up to this fall via Twitter. Tweets from Julio Martinez-Trujillo, Andrew Pruszynski, Alison Allan, Savita Dhanvantari and more.

  • Celebrating your recent achievements
    Congratulations to Matthew D. Morrison, Susan Simpson, Geoffrey Pickering, Janet Pope, Frank Prato, Emil Schemitsch, the fourteen recipients of the Translational Breast Cancer Research Studentships, as well as many others, on your recent accomplishments.

  • Featured publications
    Featured publications covering topics ranging from obesity and multimorbidity to advance care planning. Authors include Charles Weijer, John Ronald, Paula Foster, Muriel Brackstone, David Hess, Peeyush Lala, Ravi Taneja, Valerie Schulz, Lorelei Lingard and more.