CARDIOVASCULAR SCIENCES COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 1992/1993
The Cardiovascular Sciences Collaborative Program completed its first academic year in operation. The goal of this
exciting new program is to develop co-operative and joint graduate teaching and research across departmental
boundaries, within the Faculty of Medicine. With the support of The Centre for Cardiovascular Research, the
Program builds on the strengths of the collaborating graduate departments, enhancing the visibility of
cardiovascuular studies and facilitating interdisciplinary training and research. The Program offers diverse areas of
training including 2 major streams of study: Cardiac and Vascular.
The Program was originally located in temporary office space at the Medical Sciences Building and since has
relocated to the FitzGerald Building. The Program's Director is Dr. Carin Wittnich with Victoria Simpson,
Administrative Assistant, handling the day-to-day functions. The Executive Committee consists of a representative
from each collaborating department including Drs. A.I. Gotlieb (Pathology), M. Plyley (Exercise Science), C.
Forster (Pharmacology), D.H. Osmond (Physiology), R.D. Weisel (IMS).
COLLABORATING DEPARTMENTS
Clinical:
Department of Medicine
Department of Surgery
Graduate:
Cellular and Molecular Pathology
Department of Community Health (Exercise Science Program)
Department of Pharmacology
Department of Physiology
Institute of Medical Science
COURSES OFFERED
CHL4607H
PAT1015H
PSL1038H
CHL3608H
PCL1006Y
MSC3060H*
PSL1029H
MSC3061H*
PSL1060H
*Core Courses
For a Doctoral Degree, the student is required to take the full credit course MSC 3060/3061 as well as fulfill the
requirements of the home department
For a Master's Degree, the student is required to take a one-half credit course selected from the cardiovascular
curriculum in addition to any specific requirements from the home department
PROGRAM SPONSORED ACTIVITIES
Annual Cardiovascular Scientific Day - June 4, 1993
The Annual Scientific Day is organized to bring together faculty from across the University of Toronto. It was run
jointly with the CCR Retreat. The aim is to provide an update in the frontiers of cardiovascular science and each
symposium focuses on either clinical or basic science research. All attendees were encouraged to actively
participate to promote cross-fertilization of ideas and research direction.
There were over 200 registrants for the meeting which featured Dr. Alan M. Fogelman, William S. Adams Professor
of Medicine and Senior Chair, Dept. of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, as the keynote speaker. Guest faculty
included Dr. Eric A. Rose, Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Director, Cardiac Transplantation Service,
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and Mr. Donald B. Brown, President, Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.
Simultaneous sessions included Fundamentals of heart failure and myocardial hypertrophy, Vascular response to
injury as well as topics in Nursing and Perfusion. A variety of our senior faclty shared their expertise on subjects
ranging from Biological mechanisms of heart failure, Clinical approaches to atherosclerosis, Therapies in
animal/human heart failure and Basic Mechanisms in restenosis and remodelling. A poster session allowed
students to present their research work (textbook awards) and a complimentary lunch facilitated faculty/student
exchange. The meeting was evaluated at 7 CME credits.
Heartline
Heartline is the Program's newsletter which runs 8-12 pages in length. It contains sections entitled University
Update, Hospital Update, Industry Update, where the latest in information of interest to the cardiovascular
community is presented; feature articles on current state-of-the-art research in clinical interventions; historical
vignettes; news from the collaborating departments; meeting dates; grant and abstract deadlines; and a listing of the
program faculty.
Industry Sponsored Seminars
In addition to the weekly Cardiovascular Seminars, industry is invited to sponsor a seminar. A feature topic is
discussed where national and international guest speakers are invited.
ADVERTISING MATERIAL
The Program has created a poster that has been circulated across campus. Other material that gives the Program
exposure is the Annual Scientific Day brochure and Industry sponsored seminars.
PROGRAM FACULTY
In its first year of operations, university faculty showed great interest in participating. The faculty are divided into 3
categories (Full, Associate, and Affiliate) depending on their SGS status. Affiliate members participate in graduate
training but do not, as yet, have SGS status. Drs. S. Lichtenstein and R. Reeves resigned from the Program due to
new job commitments.
FULL:
ASSOCIATE:
AFFILIATE:
U. Ackermann, P. Armstrong, C.E. Bayliss, D. Bradley, J.S. Floras, C. Forster,
A.I. Gotlieb, K.W. Johnston, P.G. Kalman, B.L. Langille, P. Liu, P. McLaughlin, D.A.G.
Mickle, R.I. Ogilvie, D.Osmond, M. Plyley, M. Rabinovitch, T.A. Salerno, N.A. Shaikh,
I. Sherman, K. Skorecki, A.S. Slutsky, M. Sole, H. Sonnenberg, G. Steiner, P. Walker,
R.D. Weisel, G. Wilson, C. Wittnich, T-W. Wu,
J. Coles, E. Conway,
A.G. Adelman, R.J. Burns, J. Butany, J. Edelson, C.M. Feindel, P. Hanly, J. Irvine, G.F.
Lewis, T. Lindsay, I. Rebeyka, L. Schwartz, E.L. Yeo.
PROGRAM STUDENTS
Dr. Nadine Clausell*
Dr. Ricardo Fontani
Dr. John Ikonomidis
Dr. Silvana Molossi
Ms. Shona Torrance
Supervisor: Dr. M. Rabinovitch
Supervisor: Dr. G. Steiner MSc
Supervisor: Dr. R. Weisel
Supervisor: Dr. M. Rabinovitch
Supervisor: Dr. C. Wittnich
PhD
Pathology
IMS
MSc
PhD
PhD
IMS
Pathology
IMS
* Dr. Clausell successfully defended her thesis in June, 1993 and will be convocating in the fall. Her thesis is
entitled "Increased fibronectin regulated by cytokines is associated with development of a coronary arteriopathy post
cardiac transplantation"
DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS
Were the goals for the past year satisfactorily met?
The goals for the past year, which included getting the Program up and running, establishing administrative offices,
recruiting appropriate faculty and students, organizing and hosting the Annual Workshop and publishing the
newsletter "Heartline", were all successfully met. In addition, the Program Executive worked hard and dealt with
numerous issues including admission criteria/standards, student/faculty recruitment, student performance, and
faculty membership levels, to name a few. We also welcomed an additional participating department (Community
Health - Exercise Science).
Links were forged with The Centre for Cardiovascular Research (CCR) and with the comitted support of Dr. M.
Sole, Director, making the Program an integral part of the CCR and a mutually beneficial relationship for both.
Plans and priorities for 1993-94?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Encourage more graduate departments to join to allow students a more specialized educational experience
in cardiovascular.
Promotion of cardiovascular sciences as a specialty area of graduate training: expand circulation of posters
to interest more students.
Within existing faculty, encourage more student participation.
Expand participating departments to include newest interested faculty.
Student funding (travel, awards, studentships).
Permanent location for administrative offices and establish a more fixed program income.