Med.E.Mail Weekly Information from the Dean’s Offices Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto June 28, 2004 Volume 12, Number 40 IN THIS ISSUE: FAST FACULTY FACT CANADA RESEARCH CHAIRS CIHR OPERATING GRANTS HONOURS AND AWARDS APPOINTMENTS DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY AWARDS CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION GRANTS EVENTS AND LINKS TO EVENT WEBSITES LINKS TO OTHER NEWSLETTERS/WEBSITES FAST FACULTY FACT For the 2004-2005 academic year, over 500 applications were received for postgraduate medical residency and fellowship positions for candidates pre-selected and funded by their foreign sponsoring agencies/governments. Based on previous years' experience, our acceptance rate is estimated at ten percent of total applications. Thus we have assured ourselves of excellent candidates and have fulfilled the University's mission of being "an internationally significant research university, with undergraduate, graduate and professional programs of excellent quality. CANADA RESEARCH CHAIRS The results of the latest Canada Research Chairs (CRC) Program competition were announced in April. The aim of the CRCs Program is to help Canadian universities attract and retain the best researchers and achieve research excellence in health, natural sciences, technology, social sciences and humanities. The following Faculty of Medicine faculty received either Tier I or Tier II Canada Research Chairs in this announcement: Tier I Tier one CRCs are awarded to faculty who hold full Professor appointments or Associate Professor appointments with the expectation that they will be promoted to Professor within one or two years. The term of each CRC is seven years, renewable. James Dennis (Department of Medical Genetics and Microbiology) Daniel Drucker (Department of Medicine) Lori Frappier (Department of Medical Genetics and Microbiology) Mitsuhiko Ikura Department of Medical Biophysics) Amira Klip (Department of Paediatrics) Freda Miller (Department of Medical Genetics and Microbiology) Daniela Rotin (Department of Biochemistry) Michael Salter (Department of Physiology) Tier II Tier 2 CRCs are awarded to faculty holding the academic rank of Assistant or Associate Professor. The terms of their CRCs are five years, renewable once. Tom Chau (Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering) Paul Frankland (Department of Physiology) Sheena Josselyn (Department of Physiology) Pascal van Lieshout (Department of Speech-Language Pathology) CIHR OPERATING GRANTS The results of the March 2004 Canadian Institutes of Health Research operating grants competition were announced on June 25/04. In this competition, grants totaling $187M over five years were awarded. The UofT and the UofT-affiliated research institutes garnered $39.6M of the total or 21.2%. For the UofT, 89 of the 257 grants submitted were approved - an overall 35% success rate. The national success rate was 31%. Comparative market shares are shown below. Percentage of funding received: Toronto 21.2, McGill 12.2, UBC 9.9, Montreal 9.3, Alberta 6.7, Ottawa 5.0, Calgary 4.1, Western 3.7, MacMaster 3.5, Queens 3.4, and Dalhousie 2.1. HONOURS AND AWARDS Mary Jane Ashley (Department of Public Health Sciences) has received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, established by the partners in the Ontario Tobacco Strategy. Prof. Ashley received the Award at the Ontario Tobacco Control Conference held in Toronto in May. The citation for her Award read 'in recognition of outstanding research, exemplary leadership and unflagging commitment to tobacco control'. Henceforth, the award will be known as the Dr. Mary Jane Ashley Lifetime Achievement Award. Also, at the same conference, the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit announced the renaming of its studentship awards. They will be known as the Ashley Studentships for Research in Tobacco Control. The renamed awards were presented at the conference. Karen Cross (Postgraduate Medical Trainee, supervisor - Joel Fish, Department of Surgery) received the Wound Healing Society’s Young Investigator Award for her research project, "Determination of burn depth using Near Infrared Spectroscopy". She received the Award at the Society’s annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia in May. Anthony Lang (Department of Medicine) received the American Academy of Neurology Movement Disorders Research Award at the Academy’s meeting in San Francisco in April. Roderick McInnes (Department of Paediatrics) has been selected as the winner of the 2004 UofT Dales Award in Medical Research. With the support of the Helen A.C. Dales bequest, the UofT Life Sciences Committee created this award to encourage investigators of outstanding calibre to pursue research in the area of general medicine. This cash award will support the direct costs of Dr. McInnes’ research in the evaluation of health interventions and the measurement of patient outcomes. Morris (Mickey) Milner (Department of Occupational Therapy) received an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Queen's University (Kingston, Ontario) in May. In receiving the degree, Dr. Milner was cited for “his lifetime devotion to the services of young people with physical disabilities around the world”. Jim Rutka (Department of Surgery) received the Senior Society’s 2004 Grass Prize Award for lifetime research achievement at their meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana in May. The Senior Society is the oldest neurosurgical society in North America and is, essentially, comprised of North American program directors. At the meeting, Dr. Rutka gave a presentation summarizing his research and participated in a major panel. He is currently the Scientific Chairman for the upcoming meeting of the North American Neurosurgical Academy in Berlin. He is also the Scientific Chair for the meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons - the biggest neurosurgical meeting in the world. Shia Salem (Department of Medical Imaging) is the recipient of the 2004 Ontario Association of Radiologists’ (OAR) Lifetime Achievement Award for his lifetime commitment to the practice of radiology. The OAR’s Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded annually to an Ontario radiologist who has a distinguished record of excellence through outstanding contributions to the practice of radiology in the areas of radiology excellence in teaching, academics, research, radiology professionalism and patient care advocacy. The Award was presented at the OAR Spring Meeting in May. Kunjumon Vadakkan (M.Sc. student, supervisor – Umberto De Boni, Department of Physiology) received the Gerard T. Simon Award in the Biological Science Section for his oral presentation at the Annual Meeting at the Microscopical Society of Canada. APPOINTMENTS Arlene Bierman (Faculty of Nursing and Department of Medicine) will be a Deputy Editor of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, effective for a five-year term starting July 1, 2004. Paul Fraser (Department of Medical Biophysics) has been appointed Academic Director of the Faculty of Medicine’s Microscopy Imaging Laboratory (MIL), effective July 1, 2004. Dr. Fraser succeeds Umberto DeBoni (Department of Physiology) who has served in this role for the past 12 years. The MIL is located in MSB 1239. A description of the equipment, services and rates can be found at http://www.medresearch.utoronto.ca/c_home.html. Walter Kucharczyk (Department of Medical Imagining) became President of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) at the Annual Meeting of the Society in Kyoto, Japan in May. He is the first Canadian to hold this position. He had served the previous two years as Vice-President and President-Elect of the ISMRM. The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine is an international, nonprofit, scientific association whose purpose is to promote communication, research, development, and applications in the field of magnetic resonance in medicine and biology and other related topics and to develop and provide channels and facilities for continuing education in the field. It has a multidisciplinary membership of over 5,000 clinicians, physicists, engineers and biochemists, from over 40 different countries. The ISMRM is the largest scientific association concerned with magnetic resonance in medicine in the world. Peter Selby (Departments of Family and Community Medicine, Psychiatry and Public Health Sciences) was appointed Clinical Director of the Addictions Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health for a five-year term, effective April 1, 2004. DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY AWARDS The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology awarded its 2004 Chair’s Awards and Berlex Undergraduate Teaching Awards in May. Chair’s Awards Adrian Brown – For Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Rory Windrim – For Excellence in Postgraduate Teaching Andrea Jurisicova – For Outstanding Research Potential Allan Covens – For Sustained Excellence in Research Nicholas Leyland – For Research Facilitation Berlex Undergraduate Teaching Awards Jennifer Cram – Toronto East General Hospital Nan Okun – Mount Sinai Hospital Elyse Levinsky – St. Michael’s Hospital Mary Melchior – St. Joseph’s Health Centre Barry Rosen – Princess Margaret Hospital Jeremy Wong – North York General Hospital Grace Liu – Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Sciences Centre CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION GRANTS The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation announced the results of their most recent grants competition in April. The following faculty received grants in this announcement: Christine Bear (Department of Biochemistry) and co-investigators Lori Burrows (Department of Surgery), Charles Deber (Department of Biochemistry), Peter Durie (Department of Paediatrics), Clifford Lingwood (Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology), Daniela Rotin (Department of Biochemistry), Herman Yeger (Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology) – a three-year BREATHE (Basic REsearch and THErapy) grant for their project, “Targeted small molecule therapies for cystic fibrosis”. Christine Bear (Department of Biochemistry) – a three-year grant for her project, “Structural basis of CFTR activity”. Jim Hu (Department of Paediatrics) – a three-year grant for his project, “Molecular basis of CF airway inflammation”. Gergely Lukacs (Department of Surgery) – a three-year grant for his project, “Structural defects of CF mutations with impaired trafficking”. Lap-Chee Tsui (Department of Medical Genetics and Microbiology) and J. Zielenski – a three-year grant for their project, “Identification and analysis of intragenic and extragenic determinants of clinical severity in CF”. EVENTS AND LINKS TO EVENT WEBSITES Med.E.Mail lists event websites with URL addresses. If you have an event that you would like hyperlinked to Med.E.Mail, send the details to Leslie Bush at leslie.bush@utoronto.ca Week of June 28, 2004 Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute Seminar Series – Global analysis of genomes and proteomes – Michael Snyder (Yale University, New Haven, U.S.A.) – Wednesday, June 30, 2004, noon to 1:00 p.m. - Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Room 968, 600 University Avenue: kramkowski@mshri.on.ca Week of July 5, 2004 Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute Seminar Series – Mesoangioblasts, vessel associated stem cells – Giulio Cossu (Stem Cell Research Institute, Dibit, H. San Raffaele, Milan, Italy) –Monday, July 5, 2004, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. - Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, room 968, 600 University Avenue: kramkowski@mshri.on.ca Faculty of Pharmacy, UofT - First MDTI symposium series on Molecular Design in Drug Discovery and Development - Biomolecular Design and Drug Discovery and Delivery of Macromolecules Into Cells Using Non-Viral Vectorsregistration required - poster competition – July 8 to 10, 2004 - 89 Chestnut Street, Toronto: http://www.phm.utoronto.ca/~iubmb Week of July 12, 2004 Dr. Guo-Jaw Wang, President of Kaohsiung Medical University of Taiwan will lecture on the pathogenesis and treatment of avascular necrosis-Friday July 16, 2004 at 7:30 a.m. in the Ground Floor Lecture Theatre at St. Michael’s Hospital, 30 Bond Street: waddellj@smh.toronto.on.ca September 2004 South East Toronto Regional Stroke Network - Hypertension Guidelines Workshop - interactive workshop on hypertension guidelines developed by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario for Family Physicians - speakers: M. Goldstein / W. Watson - Wednesday September 22, 7:30 to 10:00 a.m., 89 Chestnut Street, Terrace Room – to register: Hollie Mullins at mullinsh@smh.toronto.on.ca or 416-864-6060 x2815 4th Princess Margaret Hospital Conference on New Developments in Cancer Management – Chair: Ronald Feld – September 22 to 24, 2004 – The Marriott Eaton Centre, Toronto: c.chase@imedex.com or www.imedex.com/calendars/oncology.htm Hospital for Sick Children - 1st Annual Conference on Paediatric Emergency Medicine - International panel in paediatric emergency medicine Advanced Paediatric Life Support (APLS) course on Sept 29/30, Emergency Nursing Paediatric Course (ENPC) Sept 29/30, Conference on Oct 1/2, 2004: nicole.winters@sickkids.ca (brochure available May/June). Saturday at the University 2004/2005, Office of Continuing Education, Faculty of Medicine - for general practitioners, family physicians, general internists, and nurse practitioners - September 18, 2004, November 6, 2004, December 4, 2004, January 29, 2005, February 26, 2005, April 2, 2005: 416978-2719/1-888-512-8173 (voice), 416-971-2200 (fax), ce.med@utoronto.ca (email), http://www.cme.utoronto.ca October 2004 Faculty of Medicine Continuing Education course - Current Issues in Child Maltreatment 2004 – Topics: neglect, emotional abuse, medical updates, forensic interviewing, sexualized behaviour, prevention – study credits - October 1 and 2, 2004 - 89 Chestnut Street, Toronto: http://www.cme.utoronto.ca or ce.med@utoronto.ca Hospital for Sick Children - 4th Annual Conference on Children and Youth New to Ontario - October 13, 2004, Hospital for Sick Children - brochure available in July: brenda.rau@sickkids.ca or 416-813-8122 November 2004 Hospital for Sick Children and Bloorview MacMillan Children's Centre Child Development Update - National and International Speakers in the field of Child Development and Brain and Behaviour - November 18 and 19, 2004, Sutton Place Hotel, Toronto - brochure available in July: brenda.rau@sickkids.ca or 416813-8122 LINKS TO OTHER NEWSLETTERS/WEBSITES Links to other newsletters and websites are now posted on the Faculty of Medicine website at: http://www.library.utoronto.ca/medicine/other.html. If you have a newsletter/bulletin/website that you would like hyperlinked at this location, send the details to Leslie Bush at leslie.bush@utoronto.ca Med.E.Mail Med.E.Mail is published weekly from September to June and distributed by e-mail every Monday to any member of the Faculty of Medicine requesting to be on the subscription Med.E.Mail list. To receive Med.E.Mail, send your name and e-mail address to Leslie Bush (voice 416-978-7762, fax 416-978-1774, leslie.bush@utoronto.ca). If you have a news item for Med.E.Mail, please send it to Leslie Bush.