Chair's Blog

There will be a new section in our monthly newsletter devoted to micro-topics related to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) – please take a moment to read these so we can all learn and grow on matters around EDI issues. Our first topic is on land acknowledgements.

Dr. Narmin Kassam, Professor and Chair
Department of Medicine

What are Land Acknowledgments?

Land acknowledgments are often done at the beginning of lectures or public events to insert awareness of Indigenous presence and land rights.  To avoid tokenism, land acknowledgments need to be carefully constructed as a reminder of all of the privileges settlers enjoy today as a result of colonialism and the ongoing violence and trauma experienced by Indigenous people.  Land acknowledgments demonstrate respect, understanding and appreciation for the land and culture of Indigenous peoples that was erased and forever altered by colonialism. A useful resource for identifying Indigenous lands/territories can be found at: https://native-land.ca/.

Below is an example of a well thought out land acknowledgment from The Law Society of Alberta:

We acknowledge Treaty 6 territory — the traditional and ancestral territory of the Cree, Dene, Blackfoot, Salteaux and Nakota Sioux. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Métis settlements and the Métis Nation of Alberta, Regions 2, 3 and 4 within the historical Northwest Métis Homeland.  We acknowledge the many First Nations, Métis and Inuit who have lived in and cared for these lands for generations.  We are grateful for the traditional Knowledge Keepers and elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us. We make this acknowledgement as an act of reconciliation and gratitude to those whose territory we reside on or are visiting. 

Join us in commemorating a century of achievements!

In 2024, the Department of Medicine marks its 100th anniversary, a milestone reflecting the remarkable evolution in both medicine and our department. Stay tuned for announcements detailing the exciting ways in which we'll be celebrating this momentous occasion.

Call for Nominations!

The Department of Medicine (DoM) wishes to recognize the outstanding work of individuals and teams and is now accepting nominations for all DoM Awards.

Nominations are due by 5 p.m. MT on Friday, March 15, 2024.  Nominations can be submitted online through the appropriate nomination form.  

• Research Awards
  Basic Science Publication Award
  Clinical Investigation Publication Award
  Clinical Faculty Research Award
  Paul W. Armstrong Excellence in Research Award
  Translational Research Award
   

• Medical Education Publication Award
   

• J. Charles "Chuck" Morrison Award
   

• Career Development Awards
  Thomas J. Marrie Mentorship Award
  Jonathan B. Meddings Clinical Innovation Award
  Cooperation, Collaboration and Teamwork Award

Join us in recognizing the extraordinary achievements of department members.

Submit Your Abstracts for the 2024 Me2 Majumdar Research and Quality Improvement Collaborative Day

Graduate students, residents/fellows and postdoctoral fellows are invited to present their research findings as:

• Oral presentations which will be conducted throughout the day in the Katz Group Centre Allard Family Lecture Theatre (Katz Room 1080), and/or
• Poster presentations. 

Abstracts can be submitted online starting Friday, March 1, 2024.

NOTE: Attendance is mandatory for all graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

If you have any questions regarding electronic submission, please contact the DoM Office of Research.

Research News and Information

• Choosing a Peer Review Committee for your CIHR Project Grant application 
  (Jan 10). Past committee chairpersons Drs. Kate Storey, Andrea Gruneir, and Christian Beaulieu will offer advice and answer questions about CIHR peer review committees and how to select the appropriate one for your Project Grant application. 
   
• Integrating sex and gender and EDI in CIHR applications (Jan 17). This virtual session will provide background information on EDI in health research and expert advice on integrating sex and gender in CIHR applications.
   
• Research Technologies Seminar Series (Jan 18).  This series will resume on Jan 18, 3-4 p.m. in 2-420 ECHA (new time & location) where they will share exciting new technology to the U of A, the Vizgen MERSCOPE. Dr. Anastassia Voronova and Mike Wong will share how you can incorporate spatial genomics into your research programs.
   

Research Funding and Grants Deadlines

• DoM Internal Review for CIHR Project Grant Spring 2024 Competition (Jan 8). Don't miss this important deadline to submit your draft CIHR application to Jay Babiak, Grants Facilitator.  Refer to the Spring 2024 Timeline.

• CIHR Team Grant: Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment in Aging KM Hub
  (LOI: Jan 9)

• ALS Association: Clinical Trial Awards (CTA) Program (Jan  25)
  This award seeks to de-risk clinical programs of novel or repositioned approaches for ALS by providing up to $1,000,000 in total funding over 2 or 3 years to support early- to mid-stage trials.  

• Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry Graduate and Postdoctoral Awards and Scholarships.
  There are many research-related awards, scholarships and bursaries available to students, trainees and faculty members in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry.

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

Members' Research Publications

January is Alzheimer's Awareness Month. Read more about some of our interesting Alzheimer's research activities:

• Detection of β-amyloid aggregates/plaques in 5xFAD mice by labelled native PLGA nanoparticles: implication in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease

  Govindarajan K, Kar S. Journal of Nanobiotechnology. 2023 Jul 10;21(1):216.

• Machine learning analyses identify multi-modal frailty factors that selectively discriminate four cohorts in the Alzheimer's disease spectrum: a COMPASS-ND study
  Bohn L, Drouin SM, McFall GP, Rolfson DB, Andrew MK, Dixon RA. BMC Geriatrics. 2023 Dec 11;23(1):837.

• Use of medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil in subjects with Alzheimer's disease: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, with an open-label extension
  Juby AG, Blackburn TE, Mager DR. Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions. 2022;8(1):e12259.

See DoM Publications for a complete list of all our division members' research in peer-reviewed journals.

A big 'THANK YOU' to six DoM members for their many years of service 

Each year, the university hosts the Celebration of Service to recognize faculty and staff.

This year, we congratulate the above DoM members on attaining significant milestones of 25 and 40 years of service.

Congratulations to Dr. Jan Willem Cohen Tervaert (Professor, Division of Rheumatology) on receiving the 2024 Canadian Rheumatology Association Master Award for his outstanding contributions to the field of rheumatology.

Soaring flu hospitalizations are contributing to overstuffed hospital wards in Alberta.
Dr. Lynora Saxinger (Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases) says it's not too late to get a flu shot which also covers the H1N1 strain. (Edmonton Journal)

2023 Core Internal Medicine Residency Program Awards

The awards for the Core Internal Medicine (CIM) Residency Program were bestowed on December 15, accompanied by entertaining and amusing skits performed by the residents. Congratulations to the awardees!

Wanted: Facilitators needed for MSK and Cardio blocks

We have a number of musculoskeletal (MSK) and cardio small group and physical examination sessions in which we are in need of facilitators. Please see below for sessions and dates.

Read more about the objectives for these sessions. Please contact Kimberly Schreurs if you are available for any of the sessions.

MED 585 - Advanced Topics at the Intersection of Health and Planning

Interested in how we can work with planners and other sectors to improve community environments for health?  Take MED 585 led by DoM's Dr. Karen Lee (Associate Professor, Division of Preventive Medicine) during Reading Week: Feb. 20-23, 2024, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.  You will have an opportunity to interact with multi-disciplinary students from various sectors, including human geography and urban and regional planning. The course will not have exams, but it will require an individual paper and a group project.  Registration deadline: Jan 19.

Want to see more events?  Visit the DoM Events web page to see what else is upcoming.

Dr. Alan Underhill appointed as Associate Dean Research, Graduate Studies

Dr. Underhill is an Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology, Division of Experimental Oncology, where he also serves as Associate Chair of training programs.
Dr. Underhill has more than two decades of experience overseeing graduate training programs. In his role, he will ensure programs, students and postdoctoral fellows are supported in their training programs to ensure their success. 

• Upcoming Faculty Development Workshops - visit the FoMD calendar.

• Dr. Verna Yiu has been appointed as the university’s provost and vice-president (Academic), effective January 1, 2024. 

• U of A makes strong gains in latest ranking of Canada’s top 50 research universities. Significant funding boosts propel university to an all-time high of nearly $600 million in annual revenue dedicated to research, despite an overall decline nationally. 

• Nominations for the 2024 Community Connections Awards are now open. These awards recognize individuals or teams of community members, faculty, staff, students or postdoctoral fellows who embody the spirit of the U of A's promise, “leading with purpose.” There are three award categories: Community Scholar Award, Community Leader Award, and University of Alberta Advocate Award.

• Read the January 2024 MD Culture Shift, an AHS publication created by physicians for physicians. 
   
• Privacy Breach Resource Package. Be mindful of how you ask for a patient chart. If you access a chart out of curiosity, even for a friend or family member, this is considered a breach and can issue a system flag to AHS. 
   
• The Prehabilitation Program will be launching in two more Edmonton zone sites by February 2024. This program helps to prepare patients for surgery while they wait. Read more about the AHS Prehabilitation Program (info sheet).

Support Resources: 

• Strategic Conversations (Feb 1). This session is for faculty and staff who would want to develop their ability to have difficult conversations with colleagues, supervisors, students, clients or in personal relationships. You will explore proven practices that promote positive, respectful relationships and head off the need for potentially difficult conversations. 

• Integrated Awareness + Well-being (Feb 8). This day-long workshop explores your personal path to happiness and wisdom by building awareness of how we respond to, adapt, and integrate information in changing contexts.

• Collaborating in a Complex Environment (Feb 29). Whether you are in an  administrative or an academic role, work in a research lab, or in facilities and operations, collaboration is one of the most important skills you bring to the workplace. Explore the components of collaborative success and be introduced to practical tools, processes, and techniques that support effective collaboration.