Chair's Blog

As we recognize World Diabetes Day on Nov 14, it is staggering to learn that 1 in 10 adults worldwide have diabetes and close to half are not yet diagnosed.  Over 5.7 million Canadians are living with diabetes, with estimates of the cost to the healthcare system being over $30 billion per year.  In many cases, type 2 diabetes and its complications can be delayed or prevented with early diagnosis and timely treatment.

A study published in the CMAJ earlier this year, led by Dr. Darren Lau along with Dr. Rose Yeung and resident Dr. Shiva Nandiwada in our department, provides insights into the current state of diabetes management in Canada.  Comparing data from 2015 with 2020, the investigators identified areas for improvement in achieving treatment targets and optimizing medication use to reduce cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes.  This study is one of many that highlight the significant amount of Quality Improvement work to be done in Diabetes care.

Dr. Narmin Kassam, Professor and Chair
Department of Medicine

2023 AHS Flu Campaign Stats: 6,076 immunizations

AHS has successfully concluded the 2023 Flu Shot Campaign. A big "thank you" to all the hardworking immunizers.

• Last year's total = 5,500 immunizations. That's 576 more immunizations this year.
• This was made possible by the great collaboration between various immunizers, Workplace Health and Safety staff, and Rexall and KEC pharmacies in immunizing people on-site. The immunizers worked hard, providing outstanding coverage to nine locations across campus.
• AHS had many first-time immunizers this year who had a lot of fun participating in the campaign. Returning immunizers looked to see how many more they could immunize and beat their personal best records.

Please join us in welcoming the following new staff:

• Dr. Sarah Dobrowolski, Assistant Professor, Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
   
• Allen Mathew, DoM's Facilities Support Coordinator.  Allen will be responsible for facilities management, operations coordination, safety and compliance, and space allocation and utilization.  He can be reached at domfacil@ualberta.ca.

Research: 

News and Information

• Webinars for 2024 New Frontiers in Research Fund - Transformation Competition (Nov 16). 
   
• Tips and advice on writing a CIHR Project Grant application (Nov 30) - The Research Partner Network will be providing an overview of the project grant, followed by an open discussion with experienced project grant applicants.
   
• U of A's Research Computing group provides access to digital research systems, services, and support for research projects, as well as grant advice on digital research and digital research communities of interest. Request a consultation.
   
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research - RSO's web page has many resources for integrating EDI into research programs, including an action plan and videos.

Funding and Grants Deadlines

• China Scholarship Council Scholarship Program Trainee Supervision (Nov 20) - Update: PIs may not be required to obtain additional funding. Click on the above link for more information.

• Burroughs Wellcome Fund: Next-gen pregnancy initiative (Nov 28)

• Brain Canada Foundation: Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research (Nov 29)

• Heart & Stroke: Research Networks of Excellence in Women's Health and/or Brain Health (Nov 30)

• 2024 Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowships and Grant Notley Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowships (Jan 7, 2024) - Potential postdoctoral fellows may apply to both the Killam and Notley competitions. Email complete applications to Office of Research, Department of Medicine by Jan 7.

Many more grants and sources of funding opportunities are listed on the Research News and Funding web page.  

Members' Recent Publications

• Associations of Estradiol With Mortality and Health Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis: A Prospective Cohort Study. Lau L, Wiebe N, Ramesh S, Ahmed S, Klarenbach S, Carrero JJ, Stenvinkel P, Thorand B, Senior P, Tonelli M, Bello AK. Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease. 2023 Nov;10:20543581231209233.
   
• Systemic corticosteroids for outpatient respiratory viral infections in lung transplant recipients. Ghandi V, Li D, Weinkauf J, Lien D, Hirji A, Varughese R, Weatherald J, Sligl W, Kabbani D, Schwartz I, Doucette K, Cervera C, Halloran K. Transplant Infectious Disease. 2023:e14181.

See DoM Publications for a complete list of journal publications.

Congratulations, Dr. Bruce Ritchie and Dr. Deena Hinshaw, on receiving the U of A's 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award!  The Distinguished Alumni Award is the Alumni Association’s highest honour. Read more about their accomplishments.

Nearly 40M unused rapid COVID-19 tests in Alberta will expire soon. Dr. Lynora Saxinger (Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases) suggests that further analysis be done to determine if the tests could be used beyond their expiry date. (CBC News)

Studies in Subclinical Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Speakers: Dr. Angela Lau, Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary Medicine and Dr. Courtney Heffernan, Senior Research Associate and Manager, Tuberculosis Program Evaluation and Research Unit
Time:  8 - 9 a.m. MT
Venue: In person at 2-191 Clinical Sciences Building or register for Zoom 
Audience: Open to all

If you missed a previous session, visit our MGR Library to watch the recordings.

• Dean’s Precision Health Lecture (Nov 28 @ 12 p.m.) - featuring Dr. Valerie Taylor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary. Dr. Taylor will speak about “A precision medicine approach to innovation in mental illness.” In person, Classroom D (2F1.04 WMC)

• Global Health Fair, Call for Abstracts (Jan 12 @ 12 p.m.) - Open to all students, postdocs, clinicians, research staff, and faculty. Four abstracts will be chosen for a 15-minute oral presentation at the Global Health Fair on February 8, 2024. Send an abstract (250 words max) to ghfomd@ualberta.ca.

• Upcoming Faculty Development Workshops - visit the FoMD calendar.

• U of A’s strong subjects stand out in two global rankings - Latest results reflect excellence in teaching and research across an array of disciplines.

• Results from the 2023 Faculty and Staff Engagement Survey will be used as building blocks for positive change. Hear about the results at the online Town Hall (Nov 16). 

• President's Speaker Series Recap - The first two recordings are now available:
  1. The Growing Threat of Health Misinformation
  2. Artificial Intelligence: The Risks, The Rewards, The Realities

• New name for Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research - The General Faculties Council has approved a new faculty name for FGSR: the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS).

• Alumni Awards 2024, Call for Nominations (Dec 15) - The University of Alberta Alumni Awards recognizes the professional achievements, community service and innovation of its graduates around the globe.

• Read the November 2023 MD Culture Shift, an AHS publication created by physicians for physicians. 
   
• Alberta Health Services, Edmonton Zone invites applications for the role of Medical Lead, Medicine Patient Flow.
   
• Information regarding faxing prescriptions directly to a pharmacy using Connect Care.

Support Resources: 

• The Design Thinking Practitioner Program empowers teams to drive innovation in their work. Your team will learn cutting-edge design thinking methodologies to become equipped with the skills to approach challenges with a fresh perspective. 
   
• Managing Stress (Nov 21) - Do you feel overworked and overwhelmed? Find out how stress may be impacting your health, and learn strategies to feel better and function more effectively.
   
• Integrated Awareness + Well-being (Nov 24) - Explore your personal path to happiness and wisdom by building awareness of how we respond to, adapt, and integrate information in changing contexts.
   
• Understanding Depression & Addressing Unhelpful Thinking Patterns (Nov 30) - Learn adaptive, realistic strategies designed to help replace problematic thoughts through practical activities and discussion.
   
• Mindsets and Skills for Today’s Problem Solver (Dec 5) - This session is for faculty and staff who want to solve problems differently. In this interactive session, you will learn about the fundamentals of human-centred problem solving.