Executive Summary
Following, is the annual report of the academic activities of the Department of Medical Microbiology
academic members from July 1, 2011 through to June 30, 2012. As in previous years, the purpose of this
report is to acquaint both Department members and other interested parties with the details of the
research and other activities and accomplishments of the academic members of the Department. The
goal of the report is to enhance both collaborative research and educational opportunities related to
medical microbiology and infectious diseases at The University of Manitoba.
This report is structured in a similar manner to previous ones and includes summaries of the activities of
the research groups and research centers supported by the Department. After these summaries are the
names of the academic members in the Department, followed by those of the support staff and
individuals with special academic appointments, the staff involved in the International projects in Kenya
and in India, the Graduate students, the Fellows in the Medical Microbiology and the Infectious Diseases
(Pediatric and Internal Medicine) Fellowship Programs, and the Bachelor of Science Medical Students. We
have included information concerning those personal awards received by members of which the
Department has been made aware. The publications of the Department members are grouped by
whether they are original articles, book chapters, editorials, abstracts presented at meetings and invited
presentations. Research projects are then listed. The continuing educational activities of the Department
including the weekly Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology Seminar Series and the number of
intermittent seminars as well as visiting speakers supported through the Visiting Professors program are
listed. Finally, the program of the annual collaborative research conference held in January in Nairobi is
included.
As with the previous reports, the annual departmental report centers on the individual activities of the
academic staff who are involved in the academic mission in the Department of Medical Microbiology. Our
Department has been tremendously enriched by the number and variety of academic associations that
have been made as a result of the academic staff who have cross and adjunct appointments. The
accomplishments of these individuals are found here as well as within the various reports by the other
departments and institutions of which they are also members.
The Department of Medical Microbiology is one of the basic science departments in the Faculty of
Medicine. Thus, the academic roles of department members generally fall under two major categories:
research and education.
There is an expectation among the members of the department that they will take part in collaborations
and a departmental wide environment geared towards encouragement of research initiatives by
colleagues. As in previous years, the quality, variety and volume of the research detailed in this report
from the 2011-2012 Academic Year are outstanding. We are the only Medical Microbiology Department in
Canada with such a breadth of research capability and expertise.
Teaching and educational activities also continue as an important aspect of departmental activities.
This year, the Graduate Studies Program successfully passed its external review. Many thanks to the
reviewing team (Dr Louise Simard, Dr Ken Rosenthal, and Dr David Evans) and to Angela Nelson for the
work she did to prepare for the review along with Dr Keith Fowke, Chair of the Graduate Studies
Committee, the Graduate Studies Committee members and the Department members and students who
met with the reviewing team. There are a few changes to the program which will be implemented in the
near future, specifically there will be a formal oral defense organized for the master’s students, likely
beginning for those students enrolling in the program in the fall of 2013. The Graduate Studies program
offered courses in Microbial Pathogenicity (7050) - Dr Alfa; Molecular Basis of Antibiotic Action (7160) –
Dr Zhanel; Clinical Bacteriology (7040) – Dr VanCaeseele; and Clinical Parasitology (7140) – Dr Plourde.
In all of the courses offered, many academic staff also participated as lecturers or tutorial supervisors. I
would like to join the coordinators of the courses in thanking them for doing so.
Department members continue to teach in the undergraduate medical curriculum providing lectures,
tutorials, mini-hospital sessions, laboratory demonstrations and teaching, participating in the problem
solving sessions, and supervising students enrolled in the BSc Med program. The “Case of the Week”
optional learning experience organized by Dr Sergio Fanella and Dr Jared Bullard for Med I and Med II
has been very successful with the first two winners of the annual contest attending the AMMI meeting
this spring. The undergraduate medical curriculum has not changed appreciably over the past year but
the plans for the medical microbiology and infectious diseases course in the new Undergraduate Medical
Curriculum are well underway under the direction of Dr George Zhanel with the help of Cheryl Reimer
and Dr Fiona Fleming.
The three accredited Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons specialty training programs (medical
microbiology, adult infectious diseases and pediatric infectious diseases) in which the Department is
involved all underwent internal reviews this year. No significant problems were identified and all
programs are in the process of preparing for the external review to be held in 2014. The Department
would like to thank Dr Andrew Walkty, Dr John Embil, Dr Sergio Fanella, Cheryl Reimer and the
members of the three Post Graduate Training Committees for the work that they do to ensure that the
specialty training programs are the best that they can be.
Many department members have other non-departmental related clinical, laboratory, or public health
duties involving infectious diseases and medical microbiology. During the year covered in this report,
many have taken part in local, provincial, national, and international activities related to infectious
diseases or medical microbiology.
There were a number of major events held during the year. All were well attended and very successful.
Dr Embil and his team put on an excellent “Bug Day” in October. The Annual Research Retreat Meeting of
the International Collaborative Group at the University of Nairobi in Nairobi, Kenya was organized by Dr
Gelmon in January. There were four major one day symposia held by the Department: The Viral
Respiratory Infections in Infancy Symposium held with the departments of Pediatrics and Child Health,
Immunology and Continuing Education on October 20, 2011; The Risks and Management of Tuberculosis
Symposium organized by Dr Meenu Sharma and held with the Public Health Agency of Canada on
February 21, 2012; The Emerging Zoonotic Viral Infections of the Nervous System Symposium organized
by Dr Alan Jackson and held with the Department of Internal Medicine on April 18, 2012; and the Models
of Protection from HIV organized by Dr Keith Fowke on April 30, 2012. At this time, I would like to extend
congratulations to all the individuals who have received personal awards for their educational, research,
and community activities.
This will be the last annual report that Robin and I prepare. We will both be leaving our positions by the
end of this next academic year. I would like to take this opportunity to give my thanks to Robin for all of
her work for the Department. As well, thank you to all of the Department of Medical Microbiology
members for all that you do. You are all truly amazing. It has been an honor to work with you.
Joanne Embree, MD, FRCPC
Professor and Head
Department of Medical Microbiology
Faculty of Medicine
University of Manitoba
On behalf of the members of the Department of Medical Microbiology