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Fatal Lobby
Re: “Ottawa ‘has gone too far’ on flavoured smokes ban,” Feb. 20.
I was dismayed to read about the federal government being pressured to rescind the ban on flavoured tobacco by congressmen from Indiana, Kentucky and Virginia. Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of heart disease, stroke, emphysema and cancer, the four leading causes of death in Canada and the U.S. I am a specialist in lung diseases and see the devastating effects of the tobacco epidemic daily.
Most people think tobacco-related diseases are primarily diseases of the elderly, but young people are also affected. One of my saddest memories was my last visit to a 38-year-old patient dying from lung cancer who was reading a pamphlet titled, How To Tell Your Young Children That You Are Dying. She had started smoking in junior high with friends and was unable to quit. Flavoured tobacco, not just the candy-flavoured types, but those blended to reduce the harshness of some tobaccos only have one purpose — to hook young people.
Once people are hooked, they will smoke anything to get their nicotine fix. These politicians are beholden to the tobacco industry and its lobby and don’t focus enough on the devastating effect tobacco has on Canadians and their families. Nor do they care about its huge costs to our healthcare system.
Non-smokers are also hurt by tobacco’s health consequences. A doctor’s office or a hospital bed used by a smoker only delays access to, and increases wait times for, non-smokers when they need health care.
Stephen Field, MD, Calgary Stephen Field is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Calgary medical school
H1N1 – Now is not the time to let our guard down
By Glen D. Armstrong, PhD, Thomas Louie, M.D., and John Conly, M.D., Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary and The Calvin, Phoebe, and Joan Snyder Institute of Infection, Immunity, and Inflammation.
Although there appears to be a lull in the number of serious H1N1 cases appearing in our hospitals, now is not the time to let our guard down. The H1N1 virus has resulted in severe infection with respiratory failure and increased numbers of intensive care unit admissions. And this is before the typical influenza season peaks in February or March. There is still plenty of time to get vaccinated. Now would be the perfect time to visit a vaccination clinic because of the significantly reduced wait times.
We want to remind people of one irrefutable fact; the incredible freedom we all now enjoy from once devastating infectious diseases because of safe effective vaccines. A short list includes smallpox, polio, mumps, measles, rubella, meningitis, whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, and hepatitis A and B. We cannot overemphasize that these are all diseases that no longer kill or severely disable millions of youngsters and adults every year in the developed world, thanks to safe and effective immunization programs.
We openly acknowledge that none of these vaccines is 100 per cent safe. We have learned from experience that in any mass vaccination program, a very small proportion, less than one in a million people, will experience a severe adverse reaction to the vaccine. Such rare reactions may lead to lifelong physical or mental disabilities. In this regard, the H1N1 vaccine is no different than any of other.
The anti-H1N1 vaccination proponents are misleading and distorting the facts around the vaccine being distributed. They are making the minimal risks appear much greater than they really are. If you carefully read the articles the anti-vaccine proponents quote in their fear-mongering campaigns, the H1N1 vaccine is no more dangerous or different in formula or action than any of the other vaccines routinely and safely used for decades to prevent deadly infections from spreading in human populations.
With the exception of a minority of older individuals, our population has no natural immunity to the H1N1 virus. Unlike the typical seasonal flu strains, the H1N1 virus affects young and old, healthy, pregnant, or sick individuals in a capricious and unpredictable manner. The H1N1 virus also has more potential to cause societal hardship, and loss of income to families and businesses due to employee absenteeism. So why not get vaccinated to protect ourselves, our family members, friends and society at large?
After all, the H1N1 vaccine is provided free of charge to all Canadians in order to protect themselves and probably more importantly, others around them. The societal benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks. Despite the impression the H1N1 pandemic may be over, we still strongly encourage all Canadians to be vaccinated against H1N1. Now is not the time to let our guard down.
Two UCalgary clinician scientists named Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 2008
By Andrea Di Ubaldo
Dr. Fiona Costello: photo provided
As Albert Einstein once said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.”
Indeed, Dr. Fiona Costello and Dr. Andrew Demchuk seem to have found their perfect balance by constantly moving. Both were recently named to the Caldwell Partners International’s Top 40 Under 40 list.
The award is given to individuals who have shown vision and leadership; innovation and achievement; impact; community involvement and contribution; and growth / development strategy. Out of approximately 1200 nominees, Costello and Demchuk are two out of six physician scientists awarded this honour as chosen by an independent advisory board.
Balancing, more like juggling
Dr. Andrew Demchuk: photo provided
For Demchuk, co-leader of the Attacking Stroke program at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute in the Faculty of Medicine, it’s all about the ‘Big 5’: education; administration; research; clinical care; and family. Not necessarily in that order.
“I try to do all things because I like all five,” Demchuk says. “I have a great wife who manages most of the day-to-day raising of our two boys; I’m a quality time kind of guy, so I get to do the fun stuff with the boys at night and on weekends.”
Demchuk is the director of the Calgary Stroke Program, chair of Pillar 2 (Acute Care and Emergency Services) of the Alberta Provincial Stroke Strategy, past-chair of the Board of Directors of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT and Nunavut, and an associate professor with the Departments of Clinical Neurosciences and the Department of Radiology at UCalgary.
In addition to his teaching and clinical practice, Demchuk is also a world-renowned researcher whose primary research interests lie in the area of cerebral vascular imaging and its application in developing new treatments for those who have suffered from stroke. .
He admits to verging on workaholic status, as a director, teacher, researcher, physician, husband and father.
Kids keep things in perspective
“I have four kids aged eight, five, three and six-months. It’s often a gong show,” Costello laughs. “I’m married to a great guy, who has a very demanding career. It’s tough to balance, but we work well together.”
Costello is a clinician scientist and co-director of the NeuroProtection and Repair Evaluation Unit (NPREU) with the Arresting Multiple Sclerosis (MS) program at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the Faculty of Medicine and an associate professor in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences. Her research and clinical expertise are in the areas of neuro-ophthalmology and multiple sclerosis. Together with her collaborators, she has been awarded $2.5 million research grant funding to implement a novel experimental model of MS she has developed in ongoing studies.
“I use the visual system as a means of finding new ways to look at old problems.
The eye can give us many insights into mechanisms of brain injury, and help us better understand diseases like multiple sclerosis,” she says.
“It’s a great honour because this award isn’t restricted to the medical community,” 39-year-old Costello says. “Everyone goes in on an even playing field, all experts in their respective areas.”
Demchuk, also 39, believes it’s an honour for both him and his team. “It’s a bit of validation for all of the hours and days of work we put in. My CV would be miniscule without a team.”
Costello says her kids have made her a better physician and person and much better at time management. “My kids have forced me to be more focused and less self – indulgent with my time.”
“And kids don’t care what awards you’ve won,” she adds.
About the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary
UCalgary’s Faculty of Medicine is a national leader in health research with an international reputation for excellence and innovation in health care research, education and delivery. We train the next generation of health practitioners and move new treatments and diagnostic techniques from the laboratory bench to the hospital bedside, improving patient care. For more information visit http://medicine.ucalgary.ca. or follow us on twitter.com @UofCMedicine.
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Gutsy research: UCalgary GI doctor receives international award
By Laurie Wang
Dr. Martin Storr
Dr. Martin Storr loves your guts. Well, he certainly likes to study them.
Winning the Junior Investigator Research Award from the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD), the Faculty of Medicine clinician-scientist was thrilled when he found out.
“I opened a bottle!” Storr smiles.
The IFFGD recognizes active investigators who have a record of research interest in basic mechanisms or clinical aspects of functional gastrointestinal and motility disorders. The foundation honors young scientists who have done strong translational research, taking the basic science at the lab bench to the patient’s bedside.
“To me, the gut is central to the body. We start with the gut in the morning at the washroom and the breakfast and we end with a gut feeling at night,” he says. “That’s why it’s always attracted me.”
To date, Storr has published 77 peer-reviewed studies in his field.
“I study how the gut functions and how it protects itself. I’m looking specifically at the regulatory role of the endocannabinoid and endoopioid systems,” explains Storr, an associate professor in the Division of Gastroenterology.
Both the endocannabinoid and endoopioid systems are regulatory systems in our bodies that control gastrointestinal function. Storr is interested in developing potential therapeutics that target these systems in hopes of battling functional gastrointestinal disorders.
“Functional gastrointestinal disorders are associated with numerous symptoms like nausea, vomiting, bloating, difficulties swallowing, abdominal discomfort and pain, as well as altered bowel habits,” he says.
Storr thanks the people at UCalgary for supporting his ideas, protecting his time and encouraging his academic endeavours.
“I came here as a full-time member in 2007 because in this position, I have enough protected time to plan and perform sophisticated research and to develop concepts and strategic plans for my translational approaches,” he says. “I used to have to wait until nighttime to think academic thoughts, but now, I get to think about my studies during the day and I have time to do the research I like.”
Martin Storr will receive his award at the 8th International Symposium on Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in mid April.
About the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary
The U of C’s Faculty of Medicine is a national leader in health research with an international reputation for excellence and innovation in health care research, education and delivery. Through its educational programs, the Faculty of Medicine trains the physicians and scientists who will lead the next generation of health practitioners. Through its clinical work, continuing medical education programs, and close relationship with the Calgary Health Region, the Faculty of Medicine moves new treatments and diagnostic techniques from the laboratory bench to the hospital bedside efficiently and effectively, improving patient care.
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Faculty of Medicine professor awarded national research chair
Dr. Lynn McIntyre (front row, third from left) with five other researchers awarded chair in New Perspectives in Gender, Sex and Health from CIHR.
A UCalgary Faculty of Medicine professor and researcher–whose passion for eradicating global food insecurity has taken her as far away as Bangladesh to study the issue–has been awarded a research chair in New Perspectives in Gender, Sex and Health by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
As part of research chair program created by the CIHR’s Institute of Gender Health (IGH), Dr. Lynn McIntyre, professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, was awarded the chair along with five other leading health researchers from across Canada.
“The chairs are producing cutting-edge research with enormous potential to improve the health of Canadians, such as Dr. McIntyre’s research on hunger and food insecurity domestically and internationally,” says Dr. Joy Johnson, Scientific Director of the Institute of Gender and Health. “Her work focuses on women and children, the most frequent victims of food insecurity both in Canada and in other countries.”
McIntyre’s work–which is in line with the first Development Millennium Goal of halving world hunger by 2015–took her to Bangladesh where she studied hunger amongst both urban and rural populations.
During the in-depth study, McIntyre spoke to groups of highly vulnerable woman, living on less than one dollar a day and responsible for providing for their families. The intense field work included door-to-door recruitment and speaking to these women about food insecurity and hunger in various remote locations and in the slums of Dhaka.
In Bangladesh to present findings
Her principal finding was a need for a whole person development approach–a readjustment of available health care services to ensure they meet the needs of these women and others like them. McIntyre is currently in Bangladesh sharing her findings with government officials and non-profit agencies.
“The women have told me, ‘We knew when we met you that you were going to do something for us,’ and I am doing my best to bring improved understanding to those who really can do something for millions of women like them,” says McIntyre.
Closer to home, McIntyre is part of a study looking at social policies in Canada created between 1996 and 2006, focusing on their impact on national food insecurity. She’s also working with Alberta Health Services as they begin investigating the impacts of food insecurity on their patient population, the first clinical site in Canada to do this.
The IGH created the research chair program to expand and strengthen research capacity relevant to gender (socio-cultural experiences), sex (biological factors) and health in Canada. It is intended for health researchers who have developed a reputation for excellence in research, and to support outstanding research programs that enhance the health of Canadians.
Lack of strategies to manage MRI wait lists a key reason for excessive wait times
By Jordanna Heller
A new study headed by Dr. Tom Feasby, Dean of UCalgary’s Faculty of Medicine, shows that while Canada lags behind other countries in the number of diagnostic imaging devices, more machines are not the only solution to long wait times. The study’s authors say it is critical to prioritize MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) requests effectively.
“This study shows there are important deficiencies in the current system. We hope this research will help health system decision-makers and managers improve the provision of this important service,” says Feasby, the senior author of “Management of MRI Wait Lists in Canada,” published in Healthcare Policy.
A MRI provides detailed images of the body, and is technology that is being used more frequently, especially in the areas of abdominal, pelvic, cardiac and breast imaging. The technology can be used to evaluate tumours, show abnormalities in the heart, brain and joints.
To determine how requests for MRI studies are managed the study’s authors surveyed public MRI facilities in Canada. Although almost all of the facilities have some methods to triage MRI requests, less than half documented their guidelines for prioritization, and none used quality assurance methods to ensure guidelines were followed. The report determined that despite wait times of up to several years in some facilities, strategies to reduce wait times are diverse, uncoordinated and largely ineffective.
Dr. Derek Emery, one of the report’s authors, says, “most MRI facilities in Canada have a substantial wait list problem. Improvement in wait list management will be necessary for better access, fairness and quality in the provision of MRI services in Canada. We do not currently know the extent of inappropriate overuse of MRI, nor do we know the extent of inappropriate underuse.” Emery is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging at the University of Alberta.
“This paper shows that many MRI centres do not employ effective and standardized processes to track and manage the appropriateness of the scans they perform. Such processes are crucial to ensure that patients in different regions of Canada have equitable access to MRIs, and that patients who really do need an MRI get one rapidly. This is a challenging problem, and needs the focused attention not only of radiologists, but particularly the physicians who are ordering the scans,“ says Dr. Andreas Laupacis, a general internist, the Executive Director of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, and a professor in the Departments of Medicine and Health Policy Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto.
This study was supported by the CIHR (Canadian Institutes of Health Research).
Full text of the study available here.
About the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary
UCalgary’s Faculty of Medicine is a national leader in health research with an international reputation for excellence and innovation in health care research, education and delivery. We train the next generation of health practitioners and move new treatments and diagnostic techniques from the laboratory bench to the hospital bedside, improving patient care. For more information visit http://medicine.ucalgary.ca. or follow us on twitter.com @UofCMedicine.
MacQueen appointed Head, Department of Psychiatry
Dr. Glenda MacQueen
I am pleased to announce that Glenda MacQueen, MD, FRCPC, PhD has been appointed to the position of Head of the Department of Psychiatry for the Faculty of Medicine and Regional Clinical Department Head, Psychiatry for the Calgary Health Region, as of September 1, 2008.
Dr. MacQueen joins us from McMaster University where she is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences and the Academic Director of the Mood Disorders Program at St. Joseph’s Health Care Centre in Hamilton, Ontario. She is a founding member of the Brain Body Institute and an associate member of the Intestinal Diseases Research Program.
Dr. MacQueen is the Coordinator for Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences Clinical Investigator’s Program for the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University. She is very involved in graduate and postgraduate training programs and she recently received the 2008 award for Excellence in Research Mentoring from the Dept of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at McMaster.
Dr. MacQueen’s research interests are on structural and functional brain changes associated with mood disorders and the factors that predict outcome in mood disorders. Her work has been funded by national and international funding agencies including the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation, the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders, the Stanley Medical Research Foundation, the Ontario Mental Health Foundation, the Scottish Rite Foundation and the National Centre of Excellence AllerGen Inc. Dr MacQueen received the Innovations in Neuropsychopharmacology Research Award for 2008 from the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
She is currently serving as the Scientific Officer for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Behavioral Sciences B committee. She is also a member of the Canada Research Chairs College of Reviewers and sits on the Editorial Board of the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry and the Chronicles of Neurology and Psychiatry. She is a clinical editor of the Current Medical Literature Psychiatry series.
Glenda MacQueen is an outstanding addition to our Faculty and will take the lead in positioning UCalgary’s Faculty of Medicine as a leader in mental health education, management and research. Please join me in welcoming her to Calgary and to her new role.
Tom Feasby, MD
Dean, Faculty of Medicine
2008 University of Calgary – Faculty of Medicine. All rights reserved.
Kellner appointed Head, Department of Paediatrics
Dr. Jim Kellner
I am pleased to announce that James Kellner, MD, M.Sc, FRCPC has been appointed to the position of Head of the Department of Paediatrics for the Faculty of Medicine and Regional Clinical Department Head, Pediatrics, Calgary Health Region, as of October 1, 2008.
Dr. Kellner is currently Head, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Deputy Head (Research and Administration), Department of Paediatrics and Associate Director of the Institute of Maternal and Child Health. He is a professor in the departments of Paediatrics; Microbiology and Infectious Diseases; and Community Health Sciences.
He received his MD degree from the University of Calgary (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) and his M.Sc (Clinical Epidemiology) from the University of Toronto (Toronto, Ontario, Canada). He trained in pediatrics in Calgary and Toronto, where he was Chief Resident at the Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, Ontario, Canada). After a fellowship and practice in Emergency Pediatrics for five years, he received training in Infectious Diseases in Toronto.
Dr. Kellner’s main research interest is in the the epidemiology and prevention of Streptococcus pneumoniae infections. He has authored close to 60 peer-reviewed papers in and his research has been funded by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Canadian Infectious Diseases Society.
“I am very honoured and excited to be given the opportunity to lead the Department of Pediatrics. The Department has grown tremendously over the last several years to provide increased specialty and sub-specialized clinical services to children and families throughout Calgary and southern Alberta,” says Dr. Kellner.
“In addition, we are training more undergraduate and postgraduate health care workers and researchers, and our researchers are tackling an increasing array of health issues to increase knowledge and develop solutions that will promote, restore and retain the health of children.”
“I look forward to working with colleagues and staff in the Department and with our partners to meet this challenge!”
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Kellner to his new leadership role.
Tom Feasby, MD
Dean, Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine celebrates excellence
By Laurie Wang
Posted February 5, 2009
Recognition, excitement and pride. These are some of the things more than 300 people felt at the inaugural Celebration of Excellence on Wednesday.
Faculty, staff and students gathered in the Health Research Innovation Centre (HRIC) atrium at noon to celebrate the 23 faculty who won prestigious external prizes and awards in 2008—from the Gairdner International Award, to the Globe and Mail’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, the Family Physician of the Year award and more.
“We have more people here than we expected,” says Wee Yong, PhD, with a grin. “It is great to see so many people here celebrating the success of our faculty.” Yong was the emcee for the event. He is chair of the Awards and Recognition Committee, whose function is to facilitate the process in which appropriate nominees are put forth for various awards.
The committee was created by Dr. Tom Feasby, dean, Faculty of Medicine. “I knew that leading universities take a systematic approach to nominating their faculty members for awards and I knew we were missing opportunities. So, I approached Wee with the idea of forming a committee and asked him—the most ‘can-do’ person I know—to lead it,” says Feasby. Yong was also a winner in 2008, named one of the 20 Compelling Calgarians by the Calgary Herald.
Dr. Rosie Goldstein, Vice President, Research, UCalgary, was also in attendance. “Today we recognize your innovations and drive for scientific achievement, your mentoring, dedication and talent in education, educating the next generation of health care providers and researchers, and your service to community.”
She couldn’t help but mention 2008 Gairdner Laureate Samuel Weiss, PhD, in her speech, poking a bit of fun at him. “Over the past year, many people have mentioned to Sam Weiss that roughly a quarter of Gairdner award recipients also go on to receive a Nobel Prize, but I won’t mention it. I won’t add to the pressure,” Goldstein smiles.
Besides a faculty member winning a Gairdner in 2008, the Faculty of Medicine boasts a member who had an award named after him: Dr. John D. Reynolds. Reynolds received the first John D. Reynolds Award from the Canadian Society for Immunology.
“It’s very rare for an award to be named after a living individual. Congratulations John!” says Yong as the crowd chuckles.
The Celebration of Excellence will be an annual event at the Faculty of Medicine, and each year, the Faculty hopes to add even more people to the list of individuals to celebrate.
“Our members are some of the best and brightest in their fields. I look forward to celebrating even more successes with everyone next year,” says Feasby.
2008 Faculty of Medicine external award recipients
Dr. Jenn Brenner
One of the Top 5 Canadians to Watch by World Vision
Dr. Norm Campbell
Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada’s Leadership Award in Heart Healthy Policy
Dr. Linda Carlson
William E. Rawls Prize in Oncology
Dr. Rod Crutcher
Award for Improvement of Social Infrastructure/Condition (for the Sudanese Physician Reintegration Program) by the Canadian International Development Agency
Dr. Tyrone Donnon
Certificate of Merit Award from the Canadian Association for Medical Education
Dr. Kathryn J. Hannah
Canadian Nurses’ Association Centennial Award
Dr. David Hart
Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
Dr. Jennifer Hatfield
One of the Globe and Mail’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women
Dr. Robert Herman
2008 Osler Award from the Canadian Society of Internal Medicine
Dr. Deirdre Jenkins
Certificate of Merit Award from the Canadian Association for Medical Education
Dr. Renee Martin
Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Dr. John Parboosingh
Duncan Graham Award from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons
Dr. Man-Chiu Poon
World Federation of Hemophilia 2008 International Healthcare Volunteer Award
Dr. John Reynolds
John D. Reynolds Award created in his name by the Canadian Society for Immunology
Dr. Robert Sheldon
Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
Dr. Mark Sosnowski
Family Physician of the Year by the College of Family Physicians of Canada
Dr. Garnette Sutherland
Calgary Awards Signature Award
Dr. Roger Thompson
Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada’s Henry J.M. Barnett Scholarship
Dr. John Wallace
Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada &
BioAlberta’s Award in Scientific Achievement and Innovation
Dr. Sam Weiss
2008 Gairdner International Award
Dr. George Wyse
Canadian Cardiovascular Congress Annual Achievement Award
Dr. Voon Wee Yong
20 Compelling Calgarians Award from the Calgary Herald
Dr. Gerald Zamponi
Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada/
About the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary
UCalgary’s Faculty of Medicine is a national leader in health research with an international reputation for excellence and innovation in health care research, education and delivery. We train the next generation of health practitioners and move new treatments and diagnostic techniques from the laboratory bench to the hospital bedside, improving patient care.
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2008 University of Calgary – Faculty of Medicine. All rights reserved.
UCalgary Medicine 
