In this issue:

• Message from the Chair
• AMHSP Tip: Have you visited the AMHSP home page recently?
• What You Need to Know
  • Transitions in Medicine, Session 2
• The Science of Explaining Medicine: How to Explain Anything (Almost!):
  Mastering Analogies for Science Communication 
• ACB: Inclusive Leadership
• DoM Research
  • Recipients of the 2026 Health Quality Fund
  • Research Day: Meet the Clinical Trials Office
  • 2026 GI Research Day
  • ID Research Day
• DoM News
• Happenings in DoM
• Helpful Support and Tips
• FoMD News
• U of A News
• AHS and AMA News

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

We would love to hear your thoughts about Pulse!

What is working for you and what is NOT working?

Complete Pulse survey (5–10 minutes).

AMHSP TIP

Have you visited the AMHSP home page recently?

The Department of Medicine (DoM) has a website devoted to the AMHSP that provides useful information for members. The revised September 2025  Academic Medicine and Health Services Program Policy, Guidelines and Procedures document can be found in the Policy and Procedures section.

You can access the website with your CCID if you are a DoM AMHSP member.

— Dr. Jacques Romney

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Get a practical snapshot of what clinical transition and legacy planning can look like as you move through the later stages of your career. This session will focus on how clinicians can thoughtfully and compliantly transition out of active clinical practice, ensuring continuity of patient care, and supporting divisions through effective succession planning. 

THE SCIENCE OF
EXPLAINING MEDICINE

How to Explain Anything (Almost!):

Mastering Analogies for Science Communication 

Ever found yourself trying to explain a complex topic—gene editing or the mechanism of a new drug—and feeling like you’re speaking a foreign language?

Fear not! One of the most powerful tools in a science communicator’s arsenal is the humble analogy or metaphor. They’re like secret decoder rings for complex ideas, transforming the unfamiliar into something instantly relatable... (see what I did there?)

See the full article for examples and tips on why they are so effective.

DoM ACCESS, COMMUNITY
AND BELONGING

Inclusive Leadership

Managing differences within a team can pose challenges for leaders, but it also provides significant opportunities for success. While a variety of leadership styles can address team differences, inclusive leadership is a proactive approach that leverages diversity into a team’s strength. Inclusive leadership focuses on creating environments where unique perspectives and contributions are respected and encouraged.

First, this type of environment is created through a commitment to identifying and dismantling organizational barriers to allow for equitable opportunities. This requires leaders to reflect on their own biases and examine how the structures within their organization may be limiting the growth of some team members. For example, ensuring the processes by which people are selected for projects, development opportunities, and promotion are transparent and inclusive can help to limit bias. 

Second, inclusive leaders demonstrate curiosity to learn from a variety of perspectives and bring diverse viewpoints into decision-making. Leaders play an important role in developing psychological safety for all team members to feel valued. When leaders clearly model open-mindedness, humility, and a genuine commitment to equity, they communicate that it is a safe place for everyone to contribute. As a leader, you can ask, "What perspectives, or whose perspectives, are not part of the current conversations?" and take steps to empower those people to participate.

Rather than simply acknowledging unique perspectives and skills, an inclusive leader fosters a sense of belonging and community to fuel meaningful engagement.

To learn more, join us at the Department of Medicine Grand Rounds on Friday, April 17 when Dr. Tisha Joy from Western University will be presenting on inclusive leadership. Grab a cup of coffee/tea in Classroom D, 2F1.04 WMC or register for Zoom.

Here is an opportunity to learn about neurodiversity in people:

Introduction to Neurodiversity – Lunch + Learn | Apr. 16

People interact with the world around them in many ways. There is no one “right way” of thinking, learning or behaving. Neurodiversity recognizes that different brains function in different ways, and these variations add to society. With 15–20% of people being neurodivergent, understanding this is key to building inclusive workplaces. Join this 50-minute webinar to learn the basics and how you can embrace neurodiversity in the workplace.

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

DoM RESEARCH

Research News

Recipients of the 2026 Health Quality Fund

The DoM Health Quality Fund is pleased to support six successful teams whose projects demonstrate strong potential to improve care and drive meaningful impact:

• Five interdisciplinary research spaces available | apply by Apr. 20. The College of Health Sciences is accepting applications for five research spaces in their Discovery Mall, located in the Dianne and Irving Kipnes Health Research Academy. This shared resource supports collaborative projects involving researchers from at least two disciplines and CHS faculties. Questions can be directed to Christine Ma.
   
• Changes to Co-Investigator Roles in Peoplesoft. During the proposal phase, teams will select roles based on their level of contribution. This ensures fair sharing of revenue and data across Faculties. Researchers must choose appropriate roles (NPA, CPA, CA, Collaborator) based on responsibility and impact. These updates will improve collaboration tracking, ensure fair revenue distribution, and replace the generic “Co-PI” label with more accurate role definitions.
   
• Looking for support with clinical research projects? Learn more about available resources including AbSPORU, EPICORE, and the AI Hub.

Meet the Clinical Trials Office (exhibitor)

During program breaks, learn how the Clinical Trials Office (CTO) support investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored trials at the University of Alberta. The CTO takes a quality-driven, risk-based approach to clinical trial oversight, streamlining processes, reducing guesswork, and helping researchers focus on what matters most: advancing health innovation. 

All DoM graduate students and postdoctoral scholars are required to attend this event.

Join the 2026 Gastroenterology Research Day for cutting-edge gastrointestinal and liver research from U of A trainees and investigators engaged in adult or pediatric GI-related research spanning clinical, translational, and basic sciences. 

Abstract deadline: April 24

Join the Division of Infectious Diseases for their Annual Research Day in conjunction with the Dr. Geoffrey Taylor Lectureship.

Faculty Funding and Awards

J Alan Gilbert Chair Grants in Health Professions Education. Application deadline | May 15. For more information, contact fomdvde@ualberta.ca.

Trainee + Postdoctoral Scholars
Funding and Awards

• GPS Graduate Travel Awards are now available. Awards are granted on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible graduate students as long as funds remain available. Applications will open for travel with departure dates from April 1 to June 30, 2026. 
   
• 2026 FoMD Undergraduate Summer Students' Research Projects Database is open for posting your summer research positions for two, three or four months between May to August. 

Application Deadline: April 30

The Division of Neurology is accepting applications for the Roozen Family Neurology Fellowship positions, to start in July 2027. The max. value is $100,00 per year for up to two years.

Application Deadline: May 8

The Dr. Jutta Preiksaitis Publication Award for Infections in Immunocompromised Hosts will award $1,000 to the top FoMD trainee (undergraduate, graduate, or medical student, resident, transplant ID clinical or postdoctoral fellow) with published papers in the field of Infections in Immunocompromised Hosts. 

Application Deadline: May 8

The Dr. Barbara Romanowski Research Award for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) provides up to two awards of $1,000 to the top FoMD trainee student (undergraduate/graduate/medical student), resident or fellow (clinical or postdoctoral), who published papers in the field of STI.

Application Deadline: June 11

The Department of Medicine Graduate Program is accepting applications for the Doctoral Recruitment Scholarship. This year, the department is pleased to offer one award of $25,000 to an outstanding prospective PhD student.

For more Funding and Award Opportunities, see:

Members' Research Publications

1. McAlister FA (Corresponding Author), Guo Y, Roberts SB, Verma AA. Respiratory syncytial virus infections and myocardial injury: the GEMINI Initiative. European Heart Journal. 2026 Feb 13:ehag048.
    

2. Zhang Y, Bonnet S, Provencher S, Piao J, Haromy A, Liu Y, Zhao YY, Breuils-Bonnet S, Lemay SE, Bowles DE, Mendiola Pla M, Sutendra G, Michelakis ED (Corresponding Author). A critical contribution of cardiac myofibroblasts in right ventricular failure and the role of UCP2 SNPs in the predisposition to RV decompensation in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Circulation. 2025 Jul 29.

DoM NEWS

• Dr. Sofia Ahmed (professor, Division of Nephrology)
  • Narrowing women’s health gap in Canada (Global News)
     
• Dr. Adil Adatia (assistant professor, Division of Pulmonary Medicine)
  • Navenibart at 3- and 6-Month Dosing Reduces HAE Attacks (HCPLive)
     
• Dr. Monty Ghosh (assistant professor, Division of General Internal Medicine)
  • Alberta overdose prevention site closure didn’t result in more deaths, study finds (Global News)
  • Closing drug consumption site will move overdoses onto Calgary streets, health experts fear (CBC)
  • Warning about potent tranquilizer in Alberta’s drug supply that defies overdose treatments (CBC)
  • Province plans to cut Calgary's downtown outreach team as supervised consumption site closes (CBC)
    ​​​​​​​
• Dr. Liam McCoy (resident, Division of Neurology)
  • Behind the curve: Learning to embed AI in the medical curriculum. (University Affairs)
     
• Dr. Jason Plemel (associate professor, Division of Pulmonary Medicine)
  • Edmonton woman helping others with the same autoimmune disease (CityNews)
     
• Dr. Lynora Saxinger (professor, Division of Infectious Diseases)
  • Alberta's flu season deadliest in recent memory as experts call for action (CBC)

HAPPENINGS IN DoM

Get up to 7.75 Mainpro+ Certified credits

What are the hot topics in your practice? See our amazing list of speakers and topics, including Management of the Agitated Elderly Patient, Unusual Cases in the Hospital, and Knee Pain in Primary Care. This Group Learning activity has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Alberta Chapter for up to 7.75 Mainpro+ Certified credits.

Classroom D - 2F1.04 WMC, University Hospital

Join us in person for coffee and good conversation, or click on links below to register on Zoom.

• Apr. 10 - New Professor Series: The Role of Endoscopy in the Evaluation and Management of Small Bowel Diseases. Dr. Sergio Zepeda-Gomez, professor, Division of Gastroenterology, DoM
• Apr. 17 - Topic: Inclusive Leadership. Dr. Tisha Joy, associate professor, Department of Medicine, University of Western Ontario
• Apr. 24 - Compassion Fatigue or Empathetic Distress: Dealing with Death and Grief in Medicine. Dr. Janis Miyasaki, professor, Division of Neurology, DoM
• May 1 - Job stress and burnout. Dr. Quentin Durand-Moreau, associate professor, Division of Preventive Medicine, DoM
• May 8 - Percy Russell Lectureship - Obesity and Psoriatic Disease: A causal link? Dr. Lihi Eder, Canada Research Chair in Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases (Tier 2), University of Toronto

In case you missed it:

• Dr. Philip Halloran: High Dimensionality Approach to Disease Investigation: The Molecular Microscope ® (MMDx) in Organ Transplant
• Dr. Ameeta Singh: Syphilis and HIV Rapid/Point of Care Test: A Game Changer in the Response to the Syphilis Resurgence in Canada
• Dr. Anna Rogers and Dr. Sofia Ahmed: Gender Affirming Care in Internal Medicine - Creating Safe and Inclusive Encounters

See more previous recordings on the MGR Library web page.

HELPFUL SUPPORT and TIPS

• Free naloxone training session | Apr. 9. Learn about the opioid crisis and the Community-based Naloxone Program in this free, one-hour session with the University Health Centre Pharmacy. All participants will receive a free naloxone kit and training on how to use it.
   
• Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) is now open for support staff to take a course, workshop or training program between Apr. 1 and Jun. 30.

Make Someone's Day—send an e-card!

FACULTY OF MEDICINE & DENTISTRY

• The Canadian VIGOUR Centre (CVC) published its 2025 Annual Report, titled “The Arteries of Innovation." 
   
• FoMD Faculty Development Workshops

  • Selecting Research Methodologies | Apr. 10 @ 10:30 a.m., online

  • Deciding How to Decide | Apr. 15 @ 9 a.m., online

  • Clinical Teaching Workshop series | Apr. 16 and 30 @ 9 a.m., online

  • Allyship: What is it and why is it important? | Apr. 29 @ 9:30 a.m., online

  • Time Management Workshop | May 1 or May 11 @ 9 a.m., online

  • Practicing Difficult Conversations | May 7 @ 9 a.m., online

UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA NEWS

• Awards for Faculty Excellence | Apr. 13. Applications are open for awards that recognize and celebrate a sustained commitment to excellence in the areas of teaching, research and service to the university and community.
   

• U of A ranks second in SSHRC funding across Canada. Strong 2025 results and cross-faculty collaboration reinforce U of A’s national standing.
   

• U of A ranked 49th worldwide, fourth in Canada among most international universities. University maintains Top 50 standing in Times Higher Education ranking based on international students, staff, research collaborations and reputation.
   

• Latest QS subject rankings highlight U of A’s growing strength on the global stage. Engineering, sports-related subjects and nursing rank among Top 10 in the prominent rankings of the world’s best programs.
   

• New university calendar now online. The 2026-2027 university calendar is now available online. Please reference this calendar for fall 2026/winter 2027 program information, dates, deadlines and regulations.

AHS and AMA NEWS

Does Compassion Still Matter in Contemporary Healthcare?: The Evidence, Challenges, and Implications for Enhancing Compassion at a Patient, Provider, and Organizational Level  | Apr. 15. Speaker Shane Sinclair, PhD. Hosted by the AHS Provincial Medical Leadership Educational Series.

Free AMA webinar that support PPIP requirements. The Alberta Medical Association Accelerating Change Transformation Team (AMA-ACTT) is offering free, interactive webinars to help physicians meet the Physician Practice Improvement Program (PPIP) requirements by the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta.

• Quality Improvement Basics: Keeping it (Small +) Simple | Apr. 13
• Caregiver-Centered Care: Caregivers as Essential Care Team Partners | Apr. 28
• PPIP-Stop: Drop in Q&A | May 6