This is a round-up of relevant news and media stories involving the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. We appreciate you relaying information which is relevant to faculty members in your respective areas.
TOP STORY
The holy grail of gene-editing tech that can provide effective treatment for people suffering from diseases-including cancers-has moved a step closer. The breakthrough by researchers at the 黑料不打烊 relates to a molecule that can enhance the accuracy of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, a system that can reprogramme genes which are defective. The research was led by Basil Hubbard, an assistant professor of pharmacology at the U of A. Coverage also appears on , , , and .
RESEARCH
Eleven U of A scientists are sharing nearly $1.5 million in federal government funding. Glen Jickling, an assistant professor with the Department of Medicine, is highlighted in the story as receiving $160,000 in funding for his research on genomics and genetics of stroke and neurological disease. Coverage also appears on CTV and .
In a story about vaginal seeding and the infant microbiome, the work of U of A professor of pediatrics Anita Kozyrskyj is referenced. She is analysing data on about 3,500 families in the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study. One of its findings is that the microbiomes of three-month-olds is far richer and more diverse if there is a pet in the house. Related coverage also appears on .
Early clinical trial findings of a 'molecular microscope' system, developed by U of A transplant physician Philip Halloran and his colleagues for heart and lung transplant biopsies, indicate it is more precise and more accurate than conventional methods.
EXPERT
Hakique Virani, a specialist in public health and clinical addiction medicine at the U of A, gives expert comment in a story about how Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin, intends to appeal a Saskatchewan judge's recent decision not to approve a $20-million class-action settlement with Canadians who became addicted to the prescription drug and their families.
Story about the pros and cons of using fitness apps includes comment from U of A professor of pulmonary medicine Michael Stickland.
Thomas Jeerakathil, a professor of neurology at the U of A, gives expert comment about what transient ischemic stroke is and how it is treated.
In an accompanying commentary Fan Shen with the U of A's Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology observed that quantification of serum cccDNA and HBV-DNA "is an important finding and could lead to earlier diagnosis of HCC and more accurate prediction of chronic HBV progress in a noninvasive manner."
PEOPLE, PARTNERSHIPS AND EDUCATION
The Physician of the Year award for the Edmonton area this year belongs to Melanie Currie of Spruce Grove, who can tell you a great deal about life, death and making a career as a family doctor. She trained at the U of A, then practised in Lac La Biche for three years before moving to Spruce Grove, where she's been an owner-operator of the Westgrove Clinic, which has 14 doctors.
In an opinion piece about the need to provide support to caregivers, the work of Wendy Duggleby, professor of nursing and oncology at the U of A, is cited. Duggleby and her team developed My Tools 4 Care, a resource which provides web-based support to caregivers.
The Gender Program housed at the U of A Hospital is the first of its kind in 黑料不打烊. It aims to create a single hub where transgender individuals can access health-care services including mental health support, hormone-replacement therapy and surgery. The program is led by the Department of Psychiatry's Michael Marshall, who is working to bring more medical professionals into the field by creating fellowships and postgraduate education opportunities for health-care providers interested in transgender health.