MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Please join us in welcoming the following DoM members:

• Dr. Lavanya Bathini, Assistant Professor, Division of Nephrology

• Dr. Ana-Maria Bosonea, Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Dermatology

• Chathuri Hettiarachchi, Division Administrative Support (DAS), Division of Dermatology

NEW FELLOWSHIP: Call for Applications

Looking to enhance your training in a neurology subspecialty? Thanks to a generous donation, the Neurology Roozen Family Fellowships are enhancing expertise in critical areas of neurology across Alberta and Canada.
Fellowship value: $100,000 per year (max. of 2 years).

DoM RESEARCH

Research News

Dr. Vivian Mushahwar (Professor, Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation) leads a large interdisciplinary research team to develop smartwear clothing that will assist with mobility issues. Congratulations to the team on successfully receiving a $24 million grant from the 2024 New Frontiers in Research Fund-Transformation competition. (Folio)

For more information, contact Lisa McFaull at eagastro@ualberta.ca.

• 2025 Me2 Majumdar Research and Quality Improvement Day | May 15. This flagship event of the Department of Medicine highlights the outstanding research conducted over the past year by more than 90 graduate students, 30 postdoctoral fellows, and 290 residents. Note: this event will be held in ECHA 2-490 this year.

The Division of Infectious Diseases is excited to have Dr. Susan Huang speak at ID Research Day in conjunction with the Dr. Geoffrey Taylor Lectureship on Thursday, May 29.

• Coming soon: Enrolment Registry for Tri-Agency Grant Submission. New for 2025, the U of A will pilot a voluntary Enrolment Registry for researchers submitting grant applications for CIHR Project Grants, NSERC Discovery Grants, or SSHRC Insight Grants for the Fall 2025 competitions.
   

• Publish without paying Open Access Article Processing Charges. Thanks to agreements between the Library and academic publishers, there are over 10,000 journals for which U of A corresponding authors receive APC-free or APC-discounted Open Access publishing. Use the Library’s new Journal Search Tool to check on specific journals or to explore options for journals in your area. 

Faculty Funding and Awards

• UHF Igniters Funding Application (Word docx) | April 25. The theme for the 2024-2025 Igniters Funding Application is Redefining Healthcare: AI Technology and Sustainability for a Better Future. Submitted projects must be related to either Artificial Intelligence or Sustainability. Available Funding: $77,500. For more information, contact Funding@GivetoUHF.ca.

Department of Medicine Translational Research Implementation Fund (TRIF)

The TRIF is designed to support research to generate preliminary data or pilot data with the expectation that it would be used for future applications, particularly Tri-Agency (CIHR). The fund will distribute $70,000 each year to successful applicants:

• up to one $30,000 award, and
• up to two $20,000 awards

Trainee Funding and Awards

Now Accepting Applications

Empower the next generation of medical researchers! The Ballermann fellowship award, of up to $24,500, supports a trainee by facilitating dedicated research efforts — both in basic and clinical domains — conducted within the department. 

Dr. Barbara Romanowski Publication Award in Sexually Transmitted Infections

The Dr. Barbara Romanowski research award recognizes top FoMD trainees for outstanding published work on sexually transmitted infections. Up to two $1,000 awards are given annually for research on specific STIs, with one award each for basic research and clinical/public health studies.

Now Accepting Applications

The Dr. Jutta Preiksaitis publication award recognizes top FoMD trainees for outstanding research on infections in immunocompromised patients. This $1,000 award supports published work on transplant recipients, primary immunodeficiency, or immunosuppressive therapy.

Now Accepting Applications

This year, the department is pleased to offer one award of $25,000 to an outstanding prospective PhD student. 

The scholarship will be awarded based on superior academic achievement and research potential, as demonstrated by a GPA of 3.5 or higher, awards, and publications.

For more Faculty or Trainee Funding
and Award Opportunities, see:

Members' Journal Publications

• Lisa M. A. van Lierop, Larissa Albino, Ryan Rosentreter, Pepijn W. A. Thomas, Cathy Lu, Jesse Siffledeen, Karen I. Kroeker, Christopher Ma, Farhad Peerani, Brendan P. Halloran, Daniel C. Baumgart, Levinus A. Dieleman, Lillian Du, Frank Hoentjen, and Karen Wong. Long-Term Effectiveness and Safety of Ustekinumab Dose Escalation in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Ulcerative Colitis: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study. Dig Dis Sci (2025). doi.org/10.1007/s10620-025-08977-1

See a complete listing of journal publications by DoM members.

DoM NEWS

Congratulations to Dr. Janis Miyasaki (Professor, Division of Neurology) for receiving the 2025 President's Award from the American Academy of Neurology!

Congratulations to Dr. Brenda Hemmelgarn (Professor, Division of Nephrology; Dean and Vice-Provost, College of Health Sciences; and Dean, FoMD), Dr. Sanjay Kalra (Professor, Division of Neurology) and Dr. Connie Switzer (Clinical Professor, Division of Gastroenterology), recipients of the King Charles III's Coronation medal!

Dr. Perry Grewal (Clinical Professor, Division of Dermatology) and Dr. Ravina Sanghera (Pharmacy) write a new dermatology chapter in Canada’s authoritative pharmacy reference book to help people of colour with better diagnosis and treatment. (Folio)

• Dr. Quentin Durand-Moreau (Assistant Professor, Division of Preventive Medicine)
  • What do you do when you’ve been pushed to the limit at work (Globe and Mail)
  • Quels sont les signes d’un épuisement professional? (Ohdio, French CBC Radio)
     
• Dr. Justin Ezekowitz (Professor, Division of Cardiology) 
  • Effects of Tirzepatide on the Clinical Trajectory of Patients with Heart Failure, a Preserved Ejection Fraction, and Obesity (Circulation on the Run, ANA Podcast)
     
• Dr. Mark Joffe (Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases)
  • 13 measles cases confirmed in Alberta, triggering public health warnings (CBC News)
     
• Dr. Padma Kaul (Professor, Division of Cardiology)
  • Celebrating International Women's Day 2025 (The Quad)
     
• Dr. Grace Lam (Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary Medicine)
  • The plague still on our houses (Rocky Mountain Outlook)
     
• Two AI in Health students of Dr. Ross Mitchell and Dr. Mohamed Abdalla (Professor and Assistant Professor, respectively, Division of General Internal Medicine) and Dr. Randy Goebel (Professor, Division of Gastroenterology) won the grand prize at 2025 Young Innovators Competition for work on frailty. Congratulations to computer science students, Yasmin Madani Shamami and Nafisa Sadaf Hriti!
   
• Dr. Colleen Norris (Adjunct Professor, Division of Cardiology)
  • Alberta health experts aim to close gaps in women's health research (CBC News)
     
• Dr. Lynora Saxinger (Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases)
  • Doctors thrust into COVID-19 celebrity reflect on backlash, threats and thank you letters (St. Albert Gazette)
  • Health experts recommend measles vaccine as Alberta preaches ‘parental choice’ (CTV News Calgary)
  • Canadian doctors share personal toll of COVID-19 pandemic 5 years later (CBC News BC)
  • Do you need another measles shot as an adult in Alberta? You might (CBC Calgary)
     
• Dr. Ameeta Singh (Clinical Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases)
  • Historic HIV, syphilis testing initiative launches in Canada (UM News)
• Dr. Stephanie Smith (Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases)

  • Alberta ‘needs to come out’ with measles vaccine guidance as cases climb (CTV News)

DoM ACCESS, COMMUNITY
AND BELONGING

Why are equity and diversity important to the promotions process?

Ensuring diversity at all levels is an important element of an organization’s success. Promotion policies that emphasize fairness and diversity drive organizational performance fostering a culture of trust, increasing colleague engagement, and building diversity over the span of career development.

Equity-focused promotion policies help to address bias and create pathways for a wider range of people to bring their unique skills and attributes to the table. These strategies help to reduce the "Advancement Gap", a stumbling block for organizational development that can occur when marginalized groups are promoted at a slower rate.

By developing paths for promotion with an equity lens, leaders can be intentional in recognizing potential in those from a variety of backgrounds, highlighting work done outside traditional and formal roles, and creating space for everyone to make meaningful contributions to the work we do.

Read other ACB definitions and topics on the DoM ACB site.

HAPPENINGS IN DoM

Note: change of venue until June 30, 2025 
Classroom D - 2F1.04 WMC, University Hospital.

Or click on the links below to register on Zoom.

• Apr. 4 — New Professor Series: Graduate Student Supervision - Pearls and Pitfalls. Dr. Karen Kroeker, Professor, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, U of A
• Apr. 11 — Topic TBA. Dr. Melanie Lewis, Professor / Associate Dean LAW in the Department of Pediatrics, U of A
• Apr. 18 — Good Friday holiday; no rounds
• Apr. 25 — TBA
• May 2 — Topic: Access, Community, and Belonging. Dr. Lindsay Bridgland, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, U of A, and Dr. Shannon Ruzycki, Cumming School of Medicine University of Calgary

On Saturday, May 3, immerse yourself in a dynamic environment featuring experts in general internal medicine in adult medicine. Explore diverse topics that impact daily medical practice.

Hosted by the Division of Cardiology, this eagerly awaited event will be held on Saturday, May 10 at the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy. It will bring together healthcare professionals including family physicians, emergency medicine physicians, internists, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, EMS personnel, and others passionate about cardiovascular medicine.

Are you passionate about improving the lives of older adults? Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with experts, enhance your skills, and stay updated on the latest advancements in geriatric care.

Save the Date

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

Anything to share?

If you have news or information to share with the department, submit your announcement below, and we'll help spread the word!

FACULTY OF MEDICINE & DENTISTRY

• Swinging at Curveballs: Reflections on Leading and Resilience in Crisis from the COVID-19 Pandemic | Apr. 3 @ 12 p.m. | ECHA 4-036. Dr. Lawrence Loh, former Medical Officer of Health for the Region of Peel, will share insights on navigating uncertainty, fostering collaboration, and leading through adversity. 
   

• Spring FoMD Town Hall | Apr. 24 @ 3:30 p.m. Join FoMD’s annual spring town hall, where Dean Brenda Hemmelgarn and Deputy Dean Tom Stelfox will provide faculty updates. Attend via Zoom or in person in CSB 2-193. See FoMD Events Calendar for more info.
   

• J Alan Gilbert Chair Grants in Health Professions Education | due May 16. 
  Applications are now open for learners, early-career professionals, faculty/academic staff and interprofessional teams grants. 

UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA NEWS

• U of A ranked among world’s Top 50 ‘most international’ universities (Folio)
   
• 2025-26 University Calendar now available online. The Academic Calendar is your go-to for dates, deadlines, regulations and program information for the upcoming academic year.
   
• Institutional values development workshops | April 8-10. Under Forward Together: The University of Alberta People Strategy, the U of A has committed to developing formal, institutional values. The U of A employee community are invited to drop in to a dynamic “values lab,” in person or online.
   
• Giving Day matching update: Make your donations go further! Giving Day on May 13 will once again feature a matching opportunity — up to a total of $100,000. This year, each participating faculty/unit fund will not be capped to a certain match amount. Instead, the gifts you bring in will be matched until the $100,000 is used up!

ALBERTA HEALTH SERVICES NEWS

Primary Care Alberta Seeks Your Input on Two Surveys

1. FAST Program Evaluation Survey
   This survey seeks to gather valuable insights from primary care providers and specialty physicians across Alberta to drive meaningful improvements and to ensure Specialty Access programs continue to align with provider needs and best practices. 

   Alberta's Specialty Access program is designed to enhance timely and efficient access to specialty care through four components: FAST, Alberta Pathway Hub, Specialty Advice and the Electronic Referral Solution (ERS). While the program has made significant progress, there are opportunities to further optimize referral processes, and strengthen collaboration with partners.

   Survey Information: The survey is open until April 4 and takes about 5-10 minutes to complete. Your answers will remain confidential and will be aggregated into a final report. Participate here: FAST Program Evaluation 
   
   If you have any questions or would like to share additional insights, please contact specialtyaccess@primarycarealberta.ca
    

2. Clinical Pathway Development Survey 
   The Provincial Pathways Unit (PPU) is seeking input on future clinical pathway development from primary care providers. 

   Input will be collected through a two-question survey. This is your opportunity to tell the PPU about the conditions for which pathways will help in your clinical practice. Clinical pathways address common conditions where there is either variation in approaches to care, a lack of Alberta-specific guidance, or frequent requests for advice. Clinical pathways also provide clear referral points that can help reduce declined referrals. 

   Visit https://redcap.link/y69get78 to anonymously participate. 

   If you have questions about clinical pathway work, contact the PPU at albertapathways@primarycarealberta.ca 

HELPFUL SUPPORT & TIPS

• Collaborating in a Complex Environment | Apr. 15. 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.
   
• Funding For Employee Professional Development. There are programs available to financially support eligible employees in their development and professional growth. The types of funds or reimbursement available, as well as eligibility requirements, will vary based on your staff group and appointment type.