Chair's Blog

As we close out October and the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign, I would like to highlight the importance of raising awareness, regular screenings, and continued efforts to find a cure.  Every year, over 25,000 Canadians are diagnosed with breast cancer and thousands more are living with the disease.  Despite all the work in this important area, it remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Canadian women, with 1 in 8 expected to be diagnosed in our lifetimes. 

One of the many areas of research studied by Dr. Andy Mason is the link between Breast Cancer and Betaretroviruses.  He recently received grants exceeding $1 million to further investigate this potential causation.  I had the opportunity to read more about this topic in a book he recommended to me – Catching Breast Cancer:  The Hunt for the Breast Cancer Virus. Written by Dr. James Lawson, a widely published Professor of Public Health in Sydney, Australia, the book traces the history of breast cancer research, from the discovery of viral-like particles in breast cancer cells in the mid-20^th century to modern-day investigations which researchers (like Dr. Mason) are conducting.  The book provides a balanced view of the evidence, both supporting and challenging the viral hypothesis. 

Weaved into the narrative, are beautiful stories of breast cancer patients, humanizing the scientific exploration and emphasizing the urgency of finding answers to this disease.  A fascinating and easy read for those interested in the topic.

Many of us have been closely touched by breast cancer and recognize the importance of continued research, collaboration, and funding to better understand and combat this devastating disease beyond the month of October.

Dr. Narmin Kassam, Professor and Chair
Department of Medicine

Dr. Narmin Kassam, Chair of the Department of Medicine, Dr. Brenda Hemmelgarn, Dean of College of Health Sciences, Dr. Tom Stelfox, Deputy Dean, and Dr. Lawrence Richer, Vice Dean Research, lead by example, getting their flu shots. Let's protect ourselves and others! 

Find an AHS flu shot clinic near you: Week 4 (Oct 30 - Nov 3) of Flu Campaign

Week 3 Flu Campaign Stats: 5,008 immunizations

• Last year, a total of 5,500 immunizations were completed in 5 weeks.

Rexall Pharmacies at U of A

U of A Hospital (UAH) Rexall and Kaye Edmonton Clinic (KEC) Rexall now have both XBB vaccine formulations (Pfizer and Moderna) available. No appointment necessary. Drop in at their kiosk or pharmacy location to receive your shot. Spread the word.

Flu Shots for U of A Community Members

Flu shots are available at the University Health Centre (UHC) and UHC Pharmacy in SUB. Book your visit today.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Medical Education

CaRMS is a very important matching service for learners in medical training, and biases in the CaRMS selection process can positively or negatively impact their training. Our dedicated team investigated how we can enhance the fairness and equity of CARMS for the betterment of our medical learners.

Read more in our 2022 Annual Report.

Laboratories and Power Outages Planning and Response 

North Campus is at an elevated risk of a power outage due to a project to upgrade EPCOR infrastructure. Read more.

Research: 

News and Information

• Once Upon a Time in a Research Tower: Captivating Audiences Through Storytelling (Nov 2). This workshop will provide you with strategies for communicating a message, the importance of an effective hook, and tips and advice for social media.
   
• NFRF Transformation LOI Application: Tips & Strategies from Dr. Brenda Parlee, ALES (Nov 3; register by Nov 2.). Researchers who are applying for a 2024 New Frontiers in Research Fund Transformation grant are strongly encouraged to attend. 
   
• Mitacs Elevate Postdoctoral Fellowships Info Session (Nov 8). Open to any academic discipline, the Mitacs Elevate Fellowship provides a one- or two-year fellowship valued at $60,000 per year.
   
• CIHR Media Training Webinar (Nov 14, register by Oct 31). This webinar will provide you with training on interacting with the media when interviewed about your research. Register by emailing info@cihr-ig-irsc.ca.
   
• DoM Internal Review for CIHR Project Grant Spring 2024 Competition (Dec 1 for Notice of Intent). 

Funding and Grants Deadlines

• American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Research Awards (Nov 27)

• American College of Gastroenterology Junior Faculty Development Grant (Nov 27)

• AbSPORU Graduate Studentship in Patient-Oriented Research (Dec 8)

Many more grants are listed on the Research News and Funding web page.  

Sources for Funding Opportunities: 

• U of A Research Administrative Services (RAS) Funding Opportunities Database

• U of A RAS Funding Deadlines Calendar

• FoMD Sponsor Listing (funding opportunities by specialty)

Members' Recent Publications

• Exploring the clinical utility of ammonia in critically ill patients with cirrhosis: More to do? Authors' reply. Cardoso FS, Kim M, Pereira R, Bagulho L, Fidalgo P, Pawlowski A, Wunderink R, Germano N, Bagshaw SM, Abraldes JG, Karvellas CJ. Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics. 2023 Nov;58(9):962-3.
   
• Referral Criteria to Specialist Palliative Care for People with Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review. Collins A, Hui D, Davison SN, Ducharlet K, Murtagh F, Chang YK, Philip J. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2023 Jul 26.

See DoM Publications for a complete list of journal publications.

A study by Dr. Sofia Ahmed (Professor, Division of Nephrology), Danica Chang (2nd year medical student) and others found that women with chronic kidney disease commonly experience abnormal menstruation and infertility, but knowledge and discussion around these issues are lacking. (Healio)

If you’ve never had a heart attack, don’t take daily Aspirin until you talk to your doctor.
Dr. Kevin Bainey (Associate Professor, Division of Cardiology) has led the development of new Canadian Guidelines based on the latest evidence on use of antiplatelet drugs to treat and avoid heart attack, stroke or heart failure. (Folio)

• E. N. Skakun Award for Service to Education
  This award recognizes the achievements of an individual who has made a major and long-term contribution to the educational leadership and scholarship in the FoMD.
  Nomination Deadline: Dec 15, 2023

• David Cook Award
  This award recognizes an FoMD faculty member (or a group of FoMD members) who has successfully planned and implemented a significant curricular innovation. Open to all levels of GFT, Clinical faculty members, and FSO faculty members and may be seen as a part of the pathway to national or international recognition.
  Nomination Deadline: Dec 15, 2023

• Tour the new Sperber Health Sciences Library in the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy.

• Upcoming Faculty Development Workshops - visit the FoMD calendar.

• Mandatory Zoom update required. As of November 4, Zoom will be enforcing that all users update their current software to the minimum required version (5.13.5).
   

• New way to access IT support and services. To better support the University of Alberta community and enable a consistent experience for requesting support, intake of all IT support and services will transition to the U of A Service Portal.

Important message regarding changes to ambulatory referral orders, a message from
Dr. Tim Graham, Associate Chief Medical Information Officer, Edmonton Zone, AHS.

Support Resources: 

• New HRDF system now available. The Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) system, which supports learning and development requests for NASA employees, is now open to receive funding applications.
   
• Incident lessons learned — Verbal harassment. In the Culture of Care, having a safe environment includes being free from verbal harassment. Learn what you can do to help reduce verbal harassment incidents and how to offer meaningful support if they do occur.