WEEKLY NEWSLETTER March 9, 2020
ADVANCING CHILDREN'S HEALTH THROUGH PARTNERSHIP
$6.2 million Genome Canada Grant (GAPP) for Translational Implementation of
Genomics for Rare diseases (TIGeR)
Dr. Francois Bernier, head of Medical Genetics at the Cumming School of Medicine
and professor in Paediatrics, Dr. Dennis Bulman, Medical and Scientific Director,
Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL) and Dr. Carolyn O’Hara, Chief Medical
Laboratory Officer, APL, are leading a team of researchers to develop, evaluate and
implement a large-scale clinical genome-wide sequencing service and a governance
framework to address more rapid diagnosis for Alberta patients with rare genetic
diseases.
"There are so many families waiting for answers to serious medical conditions,” says
Bernier. “Access to gene sequencing early in the medical journey can pinpoint the
best treatment approaches and therapies to target the illness. This access can save
families years of frustration and dead ends.”
This grant builds on years of support by the community investing in transformative
health care and research in precision health.
ACHRI members on the research team are: Dr. Jillian Parboosingh, PhD, Program
Medical Lead South Sector, Genetics and Genomics, APL; Dr. Deborah Marshall,
PhD, Arthur J. E. Child Chair of Rheumatology Outcomes Research; Dr. Micheil Innes,
MD, Clinical Geneticist, AHS; Dr. Ryan Lamont, PhD, Molecular Geneticist and
Cytogeneticist, South Sector APL; Dr. Richard Pon, PhD, Facility Director at Centre
for Health Genomics and Informatics (CHGI); Dr. Paul Gordon, PhD, Bioinformatics
Manager, CHGI; Dr. Bob Argiropoulos, PhD, Cytogeneticist and Molecular Geneticist,
APL; Dr. Julie Lauzon, MD, Clinical Genetics and Ethics, AHS.
PUBLICATION
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) commentary onprobiotics
Dr. Stephen Freedman, MD, published a commentary on probiotics and its
widespread use in the recent edition of JAMA. His commentary clarifies for the
medical community how to navigate and better understand the regulatory confusion,
conflicting studies and safety concerns. "While “can’t hurt” assumptions probably
hold true for most probiotics, recent evidence is a good reminder that probiotics are
not harmless," he writes. "Unless and until new data emerge, the promotion and tacit
endorsement of probiotic use is not in the interests of patients, the general public,
health care professionals, or the reputations of ethical probiotic manufacturers."
Dr. Freedman is a professor in Paediatrics and holds the ACHF Professorship in Child
Health and Wellness. He is a member of the Sections of Pediatric Emergency
Medicine and Gastroenterology at the Alberta Children's Hospital.
PROGRAM NOTES
Research Ethics Board Services
March 10, 1 - 4 pm Conference room #5, ACH 4th floor
Ashley Krecsy, Research Ethics Analyst, Research Ethics Board, will answer
questions about your Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board (CHREB)
applications, IRISS, or general queries.
The 2020 CCHCSP Certificate Eligible Session
Partnered with ACHRI, CCHCSP is excited to offer a series of 2020 CCHCSP
Certificate eligible sessions in Calgary. Trainees of any level, discipline and
faculty are welcome.
ACH Room 3, 12 - 1:30 pm
March 10 Navigating Budget - Jenna Slobozian, Manager, Grant Development
April 14 Negotiating Your First Faculty Position - Dr. Jim Kellner, MD
April 28 Paper Writing Qualitative - Dr. Gina Dimitropoulis, PhD
May 26 Translational Research - Dr. Graham Thompson, MD Room 8
June 23 Regression Methods - Dr. Alberto Nettel-Aguierre, PhD
For more information or to register please contact Janet Wu
SAVE THE DATE - ACH Quality Forum May 14, 8 am - 3:00 pm, 4th floor ACH
This is an opportunity to share and learn about the exciting work being done at
the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
Abstract submissions now open!
All submissions relevant to quality improvement or patient safety will be
considered for either oral or poster presentation.
Submission deadline: March 31
Abstract submission form and further details here. Please email questions to
COMMUNITY IMPACT
IN THE NEWS
Dr. Derrick E. Rancourt, PhD
Research suggests graduating scientists lack communication and project
management skills. CTV News
Dr. Catherine Lebel, PhD
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and MRI research. Buzzsprout
RESEARCH, TEACHING AND EXCELLENCE
Alberta Children's Hospital initiatesfirst ever national workshop ofneuro-critical care nurses
The Calgary Neonatal Neuro-Critical
Care (NNCC) Program at the Alberta
Children's Hospital held an inaugural
workshop on Feb. 29 led by NNCC
nurses. It was the first workshop of its
kind in Canada. “Neonatal nurses are in
a unique position as frontline
caregivers to play a vital role in the
outcomes of neonates,” says Norma
Oliver, RN (photo right). “Nurses
provide early initiation of brain
monitoring, and implement
neuroprotective management
strategies in neonates,” says Jan Lind,
RN (photo left).
(Photo) Interactive teaching session on
EEG simulation with a hospital
volunteer.
42 nurses from 10 centres across
Canada participated. The workshop
was a collaboration between the
Neuro-Critical Care Program and EEG
technologists. “We hope this workshop
will be the first of many collaborations
in our goal to better treat babies in
NCCs across Canada,” says Dr. Korshid
Mohammad, MD, NICU lead of the
Neuro-Critical Care Program and
clinical associate professor in
Pediatrics.
The NCC program is supported by
community donations through the
Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.
TRAINEE EXCELLENCE
Alberta Innovates FellowshipDr. Gillian England-Mason, PhD, is the
recipient of an Alberta Innovates
Postgraduate Fellowship in Health
Innovation. She is supervised by Dr.
Deborah Dewey, PhD.
Using data from families participating in
the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and
Nutrition (APrON) study, Dr. England-
Mason will examine how early
environmental factors, such as
exposure to neurotoxicants and
parental mental health problems,
impact neurodevelopment in young
children.
"This funding will support my research
goal of better understanding the
biological pathways through which
early environmental factors impact the
healthy development of families."
APrON is supported by community
donations.
ACHRI TRAINEESVisit the ACHRI Weekly Training Post on the ACHRI website to learn about the
educational and funding opportunities available for trainees.
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
CIHR AWARDS
Sick Kids Foundation & CIHR-HDCYH New Investigator Research Grants
Deadline for application: April 17
Contact Jonathan Jucker
CIHR Early Career Investigator Grant in Maternal, Reproductive, Child & Youth
Health
Deadline for registration: April 7
Contact Anna LeMarquand
For information on grant opportunities in child health and wellness, view.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
CRESCENDO is coming back! May 23
It's a musical experience like no other. Produced by John Cameron Changing
Lives Foundation, Crescendo brings together top musicians and inspiring
stories of strength shared by young people and their families. Tickets go on
sale March 24! All proceeds will help develop the world-leading research
program at the new Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental health. Read more.
ACHRI CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Open to all investigators, clinicians, trainees and research staff, these events are
supported by generous community donations through the Alberta Children's
Hospital Foundation.
For additional details, please visit our website.
GRAND ROUNDS & LECTURES
Mar. 9 | Dr. Hilary Critchley, MD, FRCOG, FRSE
External Speaker - University of Edinburgh
Precision Medicine & Disease Mechanisms Program
11 am - 12 pm, Theatre 4, Health Sciences Centre
Unmet clinical need: Menstrual bleeding, role of the endometrium and potential as a
therapeutic target
Mar. 12 | Dr. Dr. Anna Funk, PhD
Child Health Research Rounds
8:30 - 9:30 am, ACH Conference Room 3
Reconciling initial epidemiological findings on the risk of birth defects following
Zikavirus infection during pregnancy
Mar. 16 | Dr. Suzanne Curtin, PhD
Developmental Neurosciences Grand Rounds
8:30 - 9:30 am, ACH Auditorium
Do early preferences predict later outcomes for infants at elevated risk for Autism
Spectrum Disorders?
Mar. 16 | Christa Diot, Therapy assistant ACH
Robyn Thomas, Undergraduate Honours Student
Liliane Raess, Zurich Children's Hospital
Neuromotor Impairment Rounds
9:30 - 10:30 am, ACH Conference Room 2
Is There a Role for Exoskeleton Use in Pediatric Rehab?
Robotic Therapy and Brain Stimulation in children with Bilateral CP
Mar. 19 | Dr. Charlene Elliott, PhD
Child Health Research Rounds
8:30 - 9:30 am, ACH Conference Room 4
Tracking kids’ food: On trends, transformations, policy and probing the ‘grey zones’
of children’s packaged foods
Mar. 23 | Dr. Meredith O’Connor, DEdPsych
External Speaker - Murdoch Children's Research Institute
Developmental Neurosciences Grand Rounds
8:30 - 9:30 am, ACH Auditorium
Intergenerational effects on social-emotional development: Findings from the
Australian Temperament Project
Mar. 26 | Dr. Signe Bray, PhD
Child Health Research Rounds
8:30 - 9:30 am, ACH Conference Room 3
The brain in early childhood
Mar. 30 | Dr. Jillian Vinall Miller, PhD
Developmental Neurosciences Grand Rounds
8:30 - 9:30 am, ACH AuditoriumMechanisms underlying the chronification of pain in youth
CONFERENCES
Mar. 15-18 | International Conference Behavioural Science
Mindfulness for Families, Schools and Communities: From Promotion to Intervention
Mar. 19-22 | Canadian Developmental Biology Meeting
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
Mar. 23 | APrON 10th Anniversary Research Day
NEW Registration is now free! Alberta Children's Hospital Auditorium
Apr. 21 | Friesen International Prize Lecture
3:30 - 4:30 pm, Libin Theatre, Foothills Campus
Dr. Bartha Knoppers, PhD, Ad.E., O.C., O.Q.
Apr. 22 | All in Creating Synergy in Pediatric Complex Care
The Hotel Arts
May 5 | Doug Lockhart Memorial Oncology Research Day
Alberta Children's Hospital Auditorium
May 14 | ACH Quality Forum
Alberta Children's Hospital Auditorium
May 6-7 | Improving Youth Transitions to Adulthood Conference
MacEwan Hall
June 4 | 28th Annual Cumming School of Medicine Symposium
Drs. Deborah Sloboda, Barbel Rohrer, Ami Bhatt, Jie Shen & Jenn Haverfield
Foothills Campus
June 10 | Owerko Centre Conference
Drs. Joanne Weinberg, PhD and Michael Kobor, PhD
Theatre Four, Health Sciences Centre
Nov. 30 & Dec. 1 | ACHRI All Member Retreat
Banff Centre of the Arts
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