Hospital for Sick Children / en 茄子直播 community members recognized with Order of Canada /news/u-t-community-members-recognized-order-canada-1 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">茄子直播 community members recognized with Order of Canada</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-07/GG05-2016-0448-002-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=jYW8P-by 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-07/GG05-2016-0448-002-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=ZxNzYrl8 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-07/GG05-2016-0448-002-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=Y37ZameF 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-07/GG05-2016-0448-002-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=jYW8P-by" alt="order of canada medals on a black background"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>bresgead</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-07-04T12:49:13-04:00" title="Thursday, July 4, 2024 - 12:49" class="datetime">Thu, 07/04/2024 - 12:49</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>(photo by Sgt Johanie Maheu, Rideau Hall, OSGG-BSGG)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/adina-bresge" hreflang="en">Adina Bresge</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/unity-health" hreflang="en">Unity Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institute-health-policy-management-and-evaluation" hreflang="en">Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemistry" hreflang="en">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/dalla-lana-school-public-health" hreflang="en">Dalla Lana School of Public Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-music" hreflang="en">Faculty of Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hospital-sick-children" hreflang="en">Hospital for Sick Children</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/order-canada" hreflang="en">Order of Canada</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/political-science" hreflang="en">Political Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-michael-s-college" hreflang="en">St. Michael's College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-college" hreflang="en">University College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-health-network" hreflang="en">University Health Network</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/victoria-college" hreflang="en">Victoria College</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">"The Order of Canada recognizes individuals who have made positive and lasting impacts on communities here in Canada or who have brought honour to our country abroad"</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>An innovator in chemical catalyst development. A global leader in cardiac surgery and care. And a public health expert who led the rollout of Canada鈥檚 first colon cancer screening program.</p> <p>These are a few members of the University of Toronto community who were recently honoured with appointments or promotions within the Order of Canada.</p> <p>The Governor General <a href="http://www.gg.ca/en/media/news/2024/order-canada-june">recently announced 83 new appointments</a> to the Order of Canada, including two promotions within the Order.</p> <p>They include <strong>Doug Stephan</strong>, a<a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/"> University Professor</a>&nbsp;of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science; <strong>Lee Errett</strong>, a professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine鈥檚 department of surgery, and&nbsp;<strong>Linda Rabeneck</strong>, a health executive and&nbsp;professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.</p> <p>Established in 1967, the Order of Canada is one of the country鈥檚 highest honours, recognizing extraordinary contributions across all sectors of society.</p> <p>鈥淭he Order of Canada recognizes individuals who have made positive and lasting impacts on communities here in Canada or who have brought honour to our country abroad,鈥 Gov. Gen. <strong>Mary Simon</strong> said in a statement.</p> <p>Here is a list of 茄子直播 faculty, alumni and supporters who were appointed to, or promoted within, the Order of Canada in the latest round of honourees.</p> <hr> <h4>Current and former faculty</h4> <p><strong>Edward Cole</strong>, a staff nephrologist at Toronto General Hospital and professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine鈥檚 department of medicine, was named a Member of the Order for his dedication to advancing and delivering care to people living with kidney disease, his instrumental role in establishing a globally impactful kidney-paired donation program and his leadership as former physician-in-chief at the University Health Network.</p> <p><strong>Lee Errett</strong>, a&nbsp;professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine鈥檚 department of surgery, was appointed a Member of the Order for his transformative leadership in cardiac research and care, including his role in establishing St. Michael鈥檚 Hospital as a world-class centre for cardiac surgery, his dedication to educating future medical leaders and providing care in underserved areas worldwide.</p> <p><strong>Franklyn Griffiths</strong>, a professor emeritus and George Ignatieff Chair Emeritus of Peace and Conflict Studies in the department of political science in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, was appointed a Member of the Order for his scholarship on Russian affairs which has advanced the Western world鈥檚 understanding of Soviet politics. An expert in Arctic international relations, Griffiths helped create the Arctic Council and pushed for Indigenous voices to play a central role in the council鈥檚 workings.</p> <p><strong>Beverley Johnston</strong>, an internationally renowned percussionist who is an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Music, was appointed an Officer of the Order for her work developing and promoting Canadian music to audiences around the world. Working in a male-dominated field, Johnston鈥檚 unconventional performances combine classical transcriptions, contemporary music and an element of theatre.</p> <p><strong>Daphne Maurer</strong>, a professor emeritus of psychology, neuroscience and behaviour at McMaster University who holds a status appointment at 茄子直播鈥檚 Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, was appointed an Officer of the Order for her research on visual and cognitive development in early childhood.</p> <p><strong>Linda Rabeneck</strong>, a gastroenterologist, health executive and&nbsp;professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, was named a Member of the Order for her leadership in colorectal cancer screening and prevention. Formerly the director of the Division of Gastroenterology at 茄子直播, she led the rollout of ColonCancerCheck, Canada鈥檚 first province-wide screening program.</p> <p><strong>Stephen Randall</strong>, who earned his master's degree and doctorate at 茄子直播 and taught at the university from 1971 to 1974, was named a Member of the Order for his academic contributions and advisory role in international relations. A professor emeritus at the University of Calgary, Randall鈥檚 expertise in myriad issues affecting the United States and Latin America, notably Colombia, has informed Canada鈥檚 foreign policy.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Bibudhendra Sarkar</strong>, senior scientist emeritus at the Research Institute of the Hospital for Sick Children and professor emeritus at 茄子直播鈥檚 department of biochemistry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was named a Member of the Order for his achievements in advancing medical research in Canada and abroad. He discovered a novel treatment for patients with Menkes disease, a rare genetic condition, and led international efforts in South and Southeast Asia to address public health crises from contaminated groundwater.</p> <p><strong>Jonathan Scott Rose</strong>, a professor in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, was named a Member of the Order for his pioneering work in architecture and software used in field-programmable gate arrays. Rose served as the chair of the department from 2004 to 2009 and received his PhD degree in electrical engineering from 茄子直播 in 1986.</p> <p><strong>Doug Stephan</strong>, a <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/">University Professor</a> in the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, was named an Officer of the Order in recognition his world-leading research in inorganic and organometallic chemistry. His many achievements include discovering 鈥 and commercializing 鈥 a new class of catalysts that is now used in one of the largest chemical manufacturing facilities in the world. He also achieved global renown for founding the field of 鈥淔rustrated Lewis Pair鈥 chemistry.</p> <h4>茄子直播 and friends</h4> <p>Sleight-of-hand artist <strong>David Ben</strong>, who graduated from University College in 1983, was named a Member of the Order for his four decades of dedication to the exploration, development and preservation of magic, including penning several books on the subject and co-founding the Magicana organization.</p> <p><strong>William Fox</strong>, a research fellow and adjunct professor at Trent University who earned his honours bachelor of arts and master of arts in archeology at 茄子直播, was named a Member of the Order for his distinguished contributions to Canadian archeology, his leadership in the Ontario Archaeological Society, and his steadfast advocacy for the involvement of Indigenous communities in preserving their material heritage.</p> <p><strong>Martha Friendly</strong>, who founded the Childcare Resource and Research Unit at 茄子直播鈥檚 Centre for Urban and Community Studies in the early 1980s, was appointed an Officer of the Order for her work with the now-independent non-profit and her advocacy for accessible, publicly funded early childhood education and care, and women鈥檚 equality.</p> <p><strong>Rosemary Ganley</strong>, a writer, activist, teacher and an alumna of St. Michael鈥檚 College, was named a Member of the Order for her lifelong advocacy for human rights, gender equity, and social justice, including co-founding Jamaican Self Help, an organization of Canadians working to support the development of healthy Jamaican communities.</p> <p><strong>Arnie Gelbart</strong>, a member of the Chancellors鈥 Circle of Benefactors, was named a Member of the Order for his decades-long leadership in independent film and television in his role as founder, executive producer and CEO of Galafilm Productions Inc.</p> <p><strong>Judy Kent</strong> was named a Member of the Order for championing sport as a catalyst for social change, her advocacy for gender equality and inclusion and her leadership in international support. Among her achievements: She was the first woman to serve as both president of Commonwealth Sport Canada and Canada鈥檚 chef de mission for the Commonwealth Games, and her paper on sport for international development laid the foundation for the SportWORKS program.</p> <p><strong>James David Meekison</strong>, with a 45-year career spanning investment banking, cable television and private equity, was named a Member of the Order for his extensive philanthropy. The Jim Meekison and Carolyn Keystone Foundation supported 茄子直播鈥檚 Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy鈥檚 efforts to launch the Discovery Pharmacy on the St. George campus.</p> <p><strong>Michael Perley</strong>, a 茄子直播 alumnus who completed a master鈥檚 degree in French language and literature, was named a Member of the Order for his lifelong dedication to tackling environmental and health challenges. He has been an advocate for tighter tobacco control laws, reducing second-hand smoke exposure and has led coalitions on acid rain and air pollution.</p> <p><strong>Dan Poenaru</strong>, a pediatric surgeon and professor at McGill University who earned two degrees at 茄子直播, was named a Member of the Order for his contributions to pediatric surgery in Africa, including establishing a surgical unit and training program in Kenya, co-founding three medical schools and leading initiatives for children's surgery globally.</p> <p><strong>Vaira Vike-Freiberga</strong>, an alumna of Victoria College and the first woman to serve as Latvia鈥檚 president, was named an honorary Officer of the Order for her work enriching Canada-Latvia relations and for reflecting Canadian values abroad.</p> <p><em>鈥 with files from Mariam Matti and Rahul Kalvapalle</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 04 Jul 2024 16:49:13 +0000 bresgead 308380 at Researchers examine impact of psychosocial support program for teens with cancer /news/researchers-examine-impact-psychosocial-support-program-teens-cancer <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Researchers examine impact of psychosocial support program for teens with cancer</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-06/iStock-1220178621-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=-iYhsLT6 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-06/iStock-1220178621-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=jdHIaN2N 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-06/iStock-1220178621-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=HwejCQwR 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-06/iStock-1220178621-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=-iYhsLT6" alt="young woman sitting on sofa using a laptop"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-06-12T10:59:44-04:00" title="Wednesday, June 12, 2024 - 10:59" class="datetime">Wed, 06/12/2024 - 10:59</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>(photo by Vadym Petrochenko/iStock)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/rebecca-biason" hreflang="en">Rebecca Biason</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hospital-sick-children" hreflang="en">Hospital for Sick Children</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/lawrence-s-bloomberg-faculty-nursing" hreflang="en">Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The Teens4Teens virtual peer support group was launched to help strengthen connections between adolescents with cancer and tackle isolation </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A virtual peer support program created at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) shows significant potential in helping immunocompromised teenagers cope with the challenges of social isolation and physical distancing, positively impacting their well-being, a study finds.</p> <p>The study 鈥 carried out by researchers at SickKids and the University of Toronto and published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00520-023-08054-1#Sec1"><em>Supportive Care in Cancer</em></a> 鈥 examined the impact of a program called Teens4Teens on adolescents undergoing cancer treatment.</p> <p>A weekly peer support group and patient education program, Teens4Teens was launched at SickKids in 2020 with the goal of supporting the psychosocial and physical health of adolescents with cancer.</p> <p>According to the study, program participants reported a number of positive impacts that included feeling relatable and understood, conveying their emotions through art, developing coping mechanisms and discussing grief and relationships with family.</p> <p>鈥淥ne of the biggest takeaways for teens in our study group was the peer support component,鈥 says the study鈥檚 first author <strong>Alicia Kilfoy</strong>, a PhD student in the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing. 鈥淭hey wanted a safe space to communicate with other teens with cancer who understood what they were going through.鈥</p> <p>An unexpected finding was that Teens4Teens also acted as a training ground for broader skills development in realms such as peer mentorship, career planning and applying to post-secondary education opportunities.</p> <p>For adolescents who are immunocompromised, physical distancing can be important in managing their risk of serious infection, but it can be an especially negative experience during some of their most formative years.</p> <p>鈥淭he cancer situation for teens is very unique, in that the disease hits at a time when they are trying to develop their own sense of autonomy,鈥 says Kilfoy鈥檚 supervisor and study co-author <strong>Lindsay Jibb</strong>, a scientist in the Child Health Evaluative Services program at SickKids and assistant professor at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing. 鈥淩esources in pediatric oncology are often not tailored to this age group, and so this support program, according to our results, appears to be a step in the right direction.鈥</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2024-06/group-supports.jpg" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>(L-R) Alicia Kilfoy, Lindsay Jibb and Chana Korenblum (supplied images)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Teens4Teens was originally designed by <strong>Chana Korenblum</strong>, a staff physician in SickKids鈥檚 division of adolescent medicine and assistant professor in the department of paediatrics in 茄子直播鈥檚 Temerty Faculty of Medicine.</p> <p>It was implemented for young cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the aim of providing teens with a space to connect through virtual sessions with speakers who engaged them on an array of topics related to cancer and also generally on navigating life as a teen.</p> <p>Sessions were moderated by child life specialists and included guest speakers from various disciplines including nursing and creative art therapy. Each group was involved in addressing coping strategies for grief and navigating difficult feelings using activities such as music and art therapy. &nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭eens told us they valued having a space where all thoughts and feelings about cancer were welcome, where they could share their stories and swap coping strategies without judgment 鈥 and most importantly, where they felt a strong sense of belonging and connectedness,鈥 says Korenblum.</p> <p>One of the big draws for teens to participate in the program was the desire to regain a sense of control. Many participants in the study reported challenges associated with feeling excluded from decision-making in their own lives 鈥 including around their medical treatment 鈥 and the negative impact of cancer on their sense of self and relationships with others.</p> <p>鈥淲e also saw teens reporting that the program normalized their cancer experience in a developmentally appropriate way, and changed the way health providers were engaging with them as patients,鈥 says Jibb, who also holds the Signy Hildur Eaton Chair in Paediatric Nursing Research at SickKids.</p> <p>The study also delved into participants鈥 suggestions for improvement, which included making the program hybrid to provide more opportunities for in-person social connection. The researchers say the teens鈥 feedback will help them fine-tune and augment the program to increase recruitment, engagement and impact.</p> <p>The study comes amid a growing recognition within the oncology field of the need for teen-centred programming, with Teens4Teens showing promise as a low-cost, feasible intervention.</p> <p>鈥淎dolescence can be tricky to navigate, and a cancer diagnosis can add many bumps to the road,鈥 says Jibb. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to see how this program continues to grow in support of teens with cancer.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 12 Jun 2024 14:59:44 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 307959 at 茄子直播, hospitals launch pilot program to boost commercialization of medical innovations /news/u-t-hospitals-launch-pilot-program-boost-commercialization-medical-innovations <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">茄子直播, hospitals launch pilot program to boost commercialization of medical innovations</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-04/UofT84617_u-of-t-engineering-artificial-skin-3d-printer_crop.jpg?h=b5967229&amp;itok=9qImMz4G 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-04/UofT84617_u-of-t-engineering-artificial-skin-3d-printer_crop.jpg?h=b5967229&amp;itok=8_1yH6uj 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-04/UofT84617_u-of-t-engineering-artificial-skin-3d-printer_crop.jpg?h=b5967229&amp;itok=DjeSv2ck 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-04/UofT84617_u-of-t-engineering-artificial-skin-3d-printer_crop.jpg?h=b5967229&amp;itok=9qImMz4G" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-04-24T10:19:19-04:00" title="Wednesday, April 24, 2024 - 10:19" class="datetime">Wed, 04/24/2024 - 10:19</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>(photo by Daria&nbsp;Perevezentsev)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/rahul-kalvapalle" hreflang="en">Rahul Kalvapalle</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/acceleration-consortium" hreflang="en">Acceleration Consortium</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6923" hreflang="en">Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/department-chemistry" hreflang="en">Department of Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/department-computer-science" hreflang="en">Department of Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-art-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Art &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hospital-sick-children" hreflang="en">Hospital for Sick Children</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-health-network" hreflang="en">University Health Network</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Toronto is collaborating with the University Health Network, the Hospital for Sick Children and Sunnybrook Research Institute on a new program that aims to leverage the expertise of entrepreneurs and business leaders to advance commercialization of emerging medical technologies and regenerative medicine research.</p> <p>Funded by the Government of Ontario, the Entrepreneur-In-Residence program will support projects that display high potential for clinical impact and spin-off company formation, spanning areas ranging from regenerative therapies and medical devices to AI-powered clinical tools and apps for patient care.</p> <p>The one-year pilot program is being launched with the help of a $300,000 grant from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ontario.ca/page/intellectual-property-ontario" target="_blank">Intellectual Property Ontario</a> (IPON), a provincial agency that was established in 2022 to provide IP resources and supports to researchers and businesses.</p> <p>鈥淭he Entrepreneur-in-Residence program will help take medical innovations developed in academic and hospital environments and translate them into the commercial arena, generating economic opportunity for the region and expanding clinical impact globally,鈥 said&nbsp;<strong>Leah Cowen</strong>, 茄子直播鈥檚 vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives.</p> <p>鈥淭he University of Toronto is grateful to IPON for its support of this initiative, which stands to strengthen existing networks of knowledge exchange and collaboration between the university and its partner hospitals.鈥</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-04/1712597781040-crop.jpg?itok=m5KpLqHM" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>&nbsp;Jill Dunlop, left,Ontario鈥檚 minister of colleges and universities, said post-secondary institutions are critical incubators of innovation and commercialization&nbsp;(photo courtesy of IPON)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The program will see Entrepreneurs-in-Residence 鈥 individuals with a track record of launching science-based ventures and shepherding projects from proof-of-concept to incubation, acceleration and seed funding 鈥 liaise with 茄子直播鈥檚 Innovations &amp; Partnerships Office and IPON to generate and protect IP.&nbsp;It is designed to add capacity and scope to 茄子直播鈥檚 thriving entrepreneurship and commercialization ecosystem, including existing Entrepreneur-in-Residence initiatives such as those offered by the&nbsp;<a href="https://rhse.temertymedicine.utoronto.ca/entrepreneur-residence-eir#:~:text=The%20Temerty%20Faculty%20of%20Medicine,stages%20of%20their%20entrepreneurial%20journey.">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://mbd.utoronto.ca/news/expands-eir-program/">Medicine By Design</a>, an&nbsp;<a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/">institutional strategic initiative</a>&nbsp;(ISI).</p> <p>鈥淚n today鈥檚 global knowledge-based economy, Ontario鈥檚 post-secondary institutions are critical 鈥&nbsp;&nbsp;not just as centres of learning, but as incubators for innovation and commercialization,鈥 said&nbsp;<strong>Jill Dunlop</strong>, minister of colleges and universities, in a recent announcement of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ip-ontario.ca/media/ontario-investing-46-million-to-fuel-made-in-ontario-innovations-at-colleges-and-universities">new IPON-funded initiatives</a>.</p> <p>鈥淭hrough the province鈥檚 support of IPON, our government is ensuring the social and economic benefits of publicly funded research stay in our province, so that Ontarians and the Ontario economy benefit from these new discoveries and innovations.鈥</p> <p>Dunlop also spoke at an April 8 event with&nbsp;<strong>Christine Allen</strong>, a professor in 茄子直播鈥檚 Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy who has an extensive track record of translating and commercializing lab discoveries.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-04/Junction-38---Panel-%281%29-crop.jpg?itok=hsDEv8Tt" width="750" height="434" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Christine Allen, far right, is a professor in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and the founder and CEO of Intrepid Labs (photo courtesy of IPON)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>At the event, Allen highlighted the growth of her startup,&nbsp;<a href="https://intrepidlabs.tech/" target="_blank">Intrepid Labs Inc.</a>, which she co-founded with&nbsp;<strong>Al谩n Aspuru-Guzik</strong>, a professor in the departments of chemistry and computer science in 茄子直播鈥檚 Faculty of Arts &amp; Science and director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/">Acceleration Consortium</a>. The company marries Allen鈥檚 prowess in drug formulation and development with Aspuru-Guzik鈥檚 expertise in AI and advanced computing in order to accelerate the development of next-generation medicines. In the fall, the company closed a pre-seed round of US$4 million.</p> <p>鈥淭he availability of top-notch talent in AI and life sciences made Toronto a great place to launch our company,鈥 says Allen, who is Intrepid鈥檚 CEO, noting all four of the startup鈥檚 co-founders are from 茄子直播.</p> <p>She added that 茄子直播 is a powerhouse for entrepreneurship and intellectual property, ranked second in North America for university-based startups, and that companies with founders or co-founders from 茄子直播 make up a significant percentage of some of the fastest-growing companies in Ontario.</p> <p>鈥淭his is the beauty of being at the University of Toronto and having the MaRS Discovery District across the street and all the hospitals around us. It鈥檚 such a rich environment,鈥 she says.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淲e can do this in Toronto.鈥</p> <p>Allen stressed that a thriving lab-to-market ecosystem is critical to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淪tudents are increasingly seeking out roles in the private sector,鈥 she says. 鈥淔or them to see other students and faculty members [found startups] helps them realize that it鈥檚 possible for them to start companies, too.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:19:19 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 307620 at 茄子直播 receives $10 million from Ontario government for modernization of high containment facility /news/u-t-receives-10-million-ontario-government-modernization-high-containment-facility <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">茄子直播 receives $10 million from Ontario government for modernization of high containment facility</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/3I8A4484-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=0cqwQ7gA 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-03/3I8A4484-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=UO5PKyj3 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-03/3I8A4484-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=UEX2A3VG 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/3I8A4484-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=0cqwQ7gA" alt="man working a Toronto High Containment Facility in a hazmat suit"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-03-18T14:15:01-04:00" title="Monday, March 18, 2024 - 14:15" class="datetime">Mon, 03/18/2024 - 14:15</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>(photo by Julia Soudat)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/betty-zou" hreflang="en">Betty Zou</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/emerging-and-pandemic-infections-consortium" hreflang="en">Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sinai-health" hreflang="en">Sinai Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6923" hreflang="en">Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/unity-health" hreflang="en">Unity Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health" hreflang="en">Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hospital-sick-children" hreflang="en">Hospital for Sick Children</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-health-network" hreflang="en">University Health Network</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Renewal of the 20-year-old facility, which allows researchers to study high-risk pathogens, will provide increased capacity to develop new vaccines and therapeutics</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Canada鈥檚 ability to respond rapidly to emerging infectious diseases is taking a step forward with a&nbsp;<a href="https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1004321/ontario-investing-more-than-270-million-to-support-new-innovations-and-discoveries" target="_blank">$9.9-million investment&nbsp;from the Ontario government</a> to support critical research infrastructure updates to the&nbsp;<a href="https://epic.utoronto.ca/high-containment-laboratory-c-cl3/">Toronto High Containment Facility&nbsp;(THCF</a>), which houses the largest containment level 3 lab in the province.</p> <p>The facility, located at the University of Toronto, is specially equipped to allow researchers to study high-risk pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, HIV, tuberculosis and mpox, in a safe and secure way.</p> <p>Research undertaken at the current facility has advanced our understanding of infectious diseases and strengthened our ability to respond to emerging health threats. &nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭he THCF strengthens Ontario鈥檚 position as a prime location for globally leading companies and top talent to discover and commercialize cutting-edge technologies, while improving our preparedness for future health challenges,鈥 says&nbsp;<strong>Leah Cowen</strong>, 茄子直播鈥檚 vice-president,&nbsp;research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. 鈥淭he updated facility will enhance Canada鈥檚 health infrastructure and health security, and ensure that Canadian researchers are trained and ready to respond to emerging infectious diseases.鈥</p> <p>The provincial funding builds on <a href="/news/u-t-receives-35-million-modernize-high-containment-facility">a previous $35-million investment from the Canada Foundation for Innovation</a> to support efforts to revitalize and expand the THCF and to transform it into the largest academic high-containment research centre in Canada.</p> <p>The renewal of the 20-year-old facility will provide increased capacity to use state-of-the-art approaches supporting academic research projects as well as collaborative industry-led efforts to develop new vaccines and therapeutics for Canadians. The new provincial investment will also allow the facility to meet the growing demand from industry and public sector partners while maintaining ongoing research projects and an agile responsiveness to future outbreaks.</p> <p>鈥淭he new THCF will allow our researchers to work on the most urgent infectious disease threats, provide greater opportunities to engage with government agencies and industry partners, and allow us to provide unique training opportunities for the next generation of infectious disease leaders, building a strong foundation for Canada鈥檚 response to future outbreaks,鈥 says&nbsp;<strong>Scott Gray-Owen</strong>, academic director of the THCF and a professor of&nbsp;molecular genetics&nbsp;in 茄子直播鈥檚&nbsp;Temerty Faculty of Medicine.</p> <p>The provincial support is part of a suite of investments through the Ontario Research Fund and the Early Researcher Awards that also include support for quantum and artificial intelligence projects at 茄子直播. Support has also been extended to advance an infrastructure renewal of the province鈥檚&nbsp;Advanced Research Computing (ARC) systems, including 茄子直播鈥檚 <a href="/news/new-u-t-supercomputer-most-powerful-research-machine-canada">Niagara ARC supercomputer</a>, used by researchers across the country.</p> <p>As the only high containment facility of its kind in the Greater Toronto Area, the THCF is a unique asset to the life sciences ecosystem in the region, which is home to 55 per cent of Canada鈥檚 pharmaceutical companies. The modernized facility will be able to support greater engagement with industry partners to advance made-in-Ontario therapeutics such as the experimental drug paridiprubart from Markham-based Edesa Biotech, which is currently being tested in a Phase 3 clinical trial to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome, a common complication from COVID-19 or influenza infections.</p> <p>In addition to industry partners, the THCF has been used by federal and provincial agencies including the Public Health Agency of Canada, Bank of Canada, Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.</p> <p>The THCF renewal will also be undertaken in collaboration with 茄子直播鈥檚 hospital partners: The Hospital for Sick Children, Sinai Health, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Unity Health Toronto and University Health Network. Construction of the facility has begun but the university is seeking additional funding to complete the project.</p> <p>Based at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, the THCF is the cornerstone of the&nbsp;<a href="https://epic.utoronto.ca">Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium</a>, a 茄子直播&nbsp;<a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca">institutional strategic initiative</a>&nbsp;that brings together the university and&nbsp;<a href="https://tahsn.ca">Toronto Academic Health Science Network</a>&nbsp;(TAHSN) hospital partners to drive innovative approaches to infectious diseases and prepare for future pandemics. It is also a key infrastructure resource for the&nbsp;<a href="https://hi3.utoronto.ca">Canadian Hub for Health Intelligence and Innovation in Infectious Diseases</a>&nbsp;(HI3) which was established through the Canada Biomedical Research Fund. The hub brings together over 90 partners across several sectors to bolster Canada鈥檚 biomanufacturing capacity to ensure a fast and co-ordinated response to future pandemics and infectious threats.</p> <p>The revitalized THCF will also have the capacity to train more than 100 new highly qualified professionals over a five-year period with industry-relevant skills, including manufacturing practices and vaccine and therapeutics development.</p> <p>At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the THCF was the first lab in Canada 鈥&nbsp;and one of the first in the world 鈥&nbsp;to isolate the new coronavirus in March 2020. The facility and its highly trained staff played a key role in accelerating research breakthroughs that guided the pandemic response including, for example, methods to allow&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34320409/" target="_blank">safe reuse of personal protective equipment in health-care settings</a>&nbsp;and to ensure&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32646870/" target="_blank">safe human milk banking for premature infants</a>.</p> <p>The THCF was also a core element of EPIC鈥檚&nbsp;mpox rapid research response, housing a biobank of samples from patients with mpox which are being used by researchers to better understand the dynamics of viral shedding and other important questions about the disease.</p> <p>In addition to a larger physical space, the updated facility will include a state-of-the-art high containment insectary to enable research on mosquito-borne viruses like Chikungunya, dengue, Zika and yellow fever. With its modular design and enhanced safety features, the new facility will also be better positioned to respond to emerging pathogens like highly pathogenic avian influenza.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 18 Mar 2024 18:15:01 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 306842 at Do you have questions about children's vaccines? A new phone line has the answers /news/do-you-have-questions-about-children-s-vaccines-new-phone-line-has-answers <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Do you have questions about children's vaccines? A new phone line has the answers</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-01/GettyImages-1186116332-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=w4ogJNpT 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-01/GettyImages-1186116332-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=QPraweJ5 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-01/GettyImages-1186116332-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=wG9PHgG1 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-01/GettyImages-1186116332-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=w4ogJNpT" alt="Mother looking at a cellphone while taking care of infant son"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-02-05T09:18:11-05:00" title="Monday, February 5, 2024 - 09:18" class="datetime">Mon, 02/05/2024 - 09:18</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>(photo by SDI Productions/Getty Images)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/ishani-nath" hreflang="en">Ishani Nath</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/centre-vaccine-preventable-diseases" hreflang="en">Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/pediatrics" hreflang="en">Pediatrics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/dalla-lana-school-public-health" hreflang="en">Dalla Lana School of Public Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hospital-sick-children" hreflang="en">Hospital for Sick Children</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/vaccines" hreflang="en">Vaccines</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The SickKids Vaccine Consult Service (VCS) aims to answer caregivers鈥 questions about all pediatric vaccinations</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Canada is in the midst of respiratory illness season, yet the number of individuals getting the updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines remains low. The number of children receiving routine vaccinations <a href="https://www.dlsph.utoronto.ca/2023/04/21/unicef-routine-childhood-immunization-report-2023-cvpd-shelly-bolotin/">has also&nbsp;dropped since the pandemic</a>.</p> <p>For the past few years, questions about vaccines dominated headlines and internet searches. Is this vaccine safe? Will it work? Who needs to get vaccinated?</p> <p><strong>Shaun Morris,</strong>&nbsp;a clinician scientist&nbsp;at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and an associate professor of pediatrics in the University of Toronto鈥檚 Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and&nbsp;<strong>Pierre-Philippe Pich茅-Renaud</strong>, who is pursuing a clinical and research fellowship at SickKids and graduate studies at 茄子直播鈥檚&nbsp;Dalla Lana School of Public Health,&nbsp;routinely field these types of questions from parents and caregivers.</p> <p>Both are members of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dlsph.utoronto.ca/institutes/centre-for-vaccine-preventable-diseases/">Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases</a> (CVPD)&nbsp;at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2024-01/morris-renaud_0.jpg" width="350" height="175" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Shaun Morris and Pierre-Philippe Pich茅-Renaud (supplied images)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>To help boost confidence in vaccination through easy access to reliable, evidence-based information, Morris and Pich茅-Renaud have launched a new pilot project running until the end of March.&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://www.sickkids.ca/en/care-services/support-services/vaccine-consult-service/">The SickKids Vaccine Consult Service</a> (VCS), part of a larger project funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), is offering a phone service staffed by nurses to answer caregivers鈥 questions about all pediatric vaccinations. The intent is to make vaccine information more accessible and, ultimately, help parents make the best, most informed decision for their child, Pich茅-Renaud says.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Building on previous success</h4> <p>The pilot project builds off the success of a COVID-19-specific VCS phone line that ran from October 2021 to March 2023. The COVID-19 VCS received more than 2,700 calls from caregivers asking about COVID-19 vaccines for children. The phone line was staffed by health-care professionals who provided information tailored to each individual circumstance, including living situation or medical history 鈥 answers that could not typically be found on the internet.</p> <p>The nurses fielding calls were trained to create an open and safe environment, explains&nbsp;<strong>Julia Orkin</strong>, the SickKids COVID-19 VCS medical lead and an associate professor in 茄子直播鈥檚 department of paediatrics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.</p> <p>鈥淚t wasn鈥檛, you know, 鈥榶ou must do this,鈥 it was really a shared supportive conversation,鈥 she says. After calling in, 83 per cent of caregivers surveyed said their questions and concerns were addressed, and more than 60 per cent said they would proceed with vaccination.</p> <p>The new phone service expands beyond the COVID-19 VCS by fielding questions not only about COVID-19 vaccines but all childhood immunizations. The service is open to anyone in Ontario, with a specific focus on patients with existing medical concerns and equity-deserving populations throughout the Greater Toronto Area.</p> <p>Insurance coverage and internet access aren鈥檛 required to book a VCS consultation and translation services are available.</p> <p>Pich茅-Renaud says that the conversations are about 鈥渢aking it one step at a time, meeting parents where they are, and addressing their concerns.鈥</p> <p>Research has shown that COVID-19 vaccine uptake was&nbsp;lower&nbsp;among certain groups 鈥 for instance, certain racialized and lower income populations. To reach these communities, Morris and Pich茅-Renaud are working with organizations like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bcchc.com/">Black Creek Community Health Centre</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.taibuchc.ca/en/">Taibu Community Health Centre</a>&nbsp;and the Paediatric Alliance of Ontario.</p> <p>鈥淭he messaging is going to come through the people that [caregivers in these communities] already know and work with,鈥 says Pich茅-Renaud.</p> <h4>Meeting an urgent need</h4> <p>Providing information on the importance of childhood vaccinations is particularly urgent.</p> <p>鈥淚mmunization coverage for a variety of diseases is lagging behind, leaving kids susceptible to infections and outbreaks that are completely preventable. It鈥檚 essential to provide parents with clear, individually tailored messaging from a trusted source to enable them to make informed decisions for their children,鈥 says&nbsp;<strong>Shelly Bolotin</strong>, director of the Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases and an associate professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.</p> <p>During the pandemic, routine childhood immunizations for preventable diseases like meningitis, measles and polio were set back to&nbsp;levels not seen since 2008. The proportion of Canadians who view vaccines as important for children also dropped from 91 to 82 per cent, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicef.org/reports/state-worlds-children-2023" target="_blank">UNICEF鈥檚 2023 State of the World鈥檚 Children</a> report. Canada has since seen cases of&nbsp;pertussis (whooping cough)&nbsp;and&nbsp;other vaccine preventable diseases.</p> <p>鈥淲e鈥檙e still seeing kids who show up at SickKids and other paediatric hospitals with vaccine preventable illnesses, like certain types of meningitis,鈥 says Pich茅-Renaud.</p> <p>The physicians hope that through the VCS phone line and a related project working with SickKids pediatricians and patients, they will be able to better understand why some children are not getting vaccinated. With this information, they can then develop resources such as educational websites, or improve access to vaccination sites.</p> <h4>Making trusted vaccine information more accessible</h4> <p>Morris and Pich茅-Renaud encourage Ontario parents wondering about childhood vaccines to <a href="https://www.sickkids.ca/en/care-services/support-services/vaccine-consult-service/">book a consultation appointment at SickKids VCS</a>.</p> <p>For Morris, empowering patients and families to make the best health decisions for themselves is one of the most important aspects of his job. Services like the VCS phone line help achieve that goal by 鈥渆nabling people to connect to trusted sources of information and navigate through the quagmire of not good information, which is probably more common in the realm of immunization than in most areas.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 05 Feb 2024 14:18:11 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 305803 at Lisa Robinson appointed dean of 茄子直播鈥檚 Temerty Faculty of Medicine /news/lisa-robinson-appointed-dean-u-t-s-temerty-faculty-medicine <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Lisa Robinson appointed dean of 茄子直播鈥檚 Temerty Faculty of Medicine</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-12/UofT11563_20151216_LisaRobinson_9173-crop.jpg?h=b1099e65&amp;itok=3Zj_5z-M 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-12/UofT11563_20151216_LisaRobinson_9173-crop.jpg?h=b1099e65&amp;itok=Tf00e_NV 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-12/UofT11563_20151216_LisaRobinson_9173-crop.jpg?h=b1099e65&amp;itok=UhIP3BRk 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-12/UofT11563_20151216_LisaRobinson_9173-crop.jpg?h=b1099e65&amp;itok=3Zj_5z-M" alt="Lisa Robinson stands in front of a brick wall"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-12-13T09:58:25-05:00" title="Wednesday, December 13, 2023 - 09:58" class="datetime">Wed, 12/13/2023 - 09:58</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>(supplied image)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/rahul-kalvapalle" hreflang="en">Rahul Kalvapalle</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/toronto-academic-health-science-network" hreflang="en">Toronto Academic Health Science Network</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/pediatrics" hreflang="en">Pediatrics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cheryl-regehr" hreflang="en">Cheryl Regehr</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hospital-sick-children" hreflang="en">Hospital for Sick Children</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institute-medical-science" hreflang="en">Institute of Medical Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">A clinician-scientist and paediatric nephrologist, Robinson has also been appointed vice-provost, relations with health-care institutions</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Lisa Robinson</strong>, a clinician-scientist and paediatric nephrologist who seeks to understand the molecular mechanisms behind kidney disease and transform care for children living with complex illnesses, <a href="https://memos.provost.utoronto.ca/appointment-of-professor-lisa-robinson-as-dean-temerty-faculty-of-medicine-and-vice-provost-relations-with-health-care-institutions-pdadc-20/">has been appointed dean of the University of Toronto鈥檚 Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a>.</p> <p>Currently Temerty Medicine鈥檚 vice-dean, strategy and operations and co-chair of its finance committee, Robinson will assume her new role on July 1, 2024 for a five-year term.</p> <p>She was also appointed vice-provost, relations with health-care institutions for the same term.</p> <p>鈥淚鈥檓 very biased, but the faculty, the university and the <a href="https://tahsn.ca/">Toronto Academic Health Science Network</a> (TAHSN) structure are incredible 鈥 so I鈥檓 very excited,鈥 said Robinson, a professor in Temerty Medicine鈥檚 <a href="https://paeds.utoronto.ca/">department of paediatrics</a> and the <a href="https://ims.utoronto.ca/">Institute of Medical Science</a>.</p> <p>Robinson, who earned her MD at the university, is a staff physician and former head of the division of nephrology at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), where she specializes in caring for children with kidney disease, including a focus on renal transplantation.</p> <p>A senior scientist in the cell biology program at the SickKids Research Institute, Robinson has led a research program 鈥 both fundamental and translational 鈥 over more than two decades that has encouraged collaboration between scientists, clinicians and learners at all levels. Her work draws on biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, advanced microscopy and disease models to explore immune responses in the context of kidney injury and progression of kidney disease. She is also investigating ways to expand the pool of viable donor kidneys available to patients who need kidney transplants.</p> <p>鈥淲hat I really want to do is use the new knowledge we generate from this research to transform the way we care for children and adults with kidney disease,鈥 said Robinson, who holds a tier-one Canada Research Chair in vascular inflammation and kidney injury.</p> <p>Robinson is a dedicated mentor and educator who has supervised many undergraduate and graduate students as well as post-doctoral fellows. She founded the SickKids Research Institute鈥檚 Kids Science program, which gives middle and high school students from under-served communities the opportunity to learn about careers in science and technology.</p> <p>鈥淧rofessor Robinson鈥檚 commitment to inclusive excellence, her advocacy for the sector and her vision for the future will be key to the success of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine in the years ahead,鈥 said <strong>Cheryl Regehr</strong>, 茄子直播鈥檚 vice-president and provost.</p> <p>Robinson will succeed Professor <strong>Trevor Young</strong> in the roles after <a href="/news/trevor-young-appointed-u-t-s-vice-president-and-provost">he was appointed 茄子直播鈥檚 next vice-president and provost earlier this year</a>, with his term beginning Jan. 1, 2024. Professor <strong>Patricia Houston</strong> will serve as interim dean of Temerty Medicine until Robinson assumes the role in July.</p> <p>Robinson said Young made 鈥渆normous鈥 contributions to the faculty.</p> <p>鈥淒ean Young was the catalyst behind our <a href="https://temertymedicine.utoronto.ca/asp">Academic Strategic Plan</a>, in which so many members of our community see themselves reflected,鈥 Robinson said. 鈥淗is approach, vision and relational leadership also helped set the stage for the <a href="/news/university-toronto-receives-single-largest-gift-canadian-history-james-and-louise-temerty">Temerty family鈥檚 historic gift to the faculty</a>, which has been transformational.鈥</p> <p>As dean, Robinson said she is keen to explore ways to further grow supports and opportunities for Temerty Medicine students.</p> <p>鈥淚 want to renew our emphasis on a student-centric approach that addresses financial challenges, wellness, mental health and mentorship 鈥 and use the collective expertise we have across TAHSN to give our students a competitive advantage,鈥 she said, adding that her priorities also include strengthening the recruitment, development and support of faculty and staff.</p> <p>鈥淲e have to renew our focus and make sure that we create an environment in which every member of the community feels valued because that鈥檚 the only way in which every person can flourish.鈥</p> <p>Robinson also wants to leverage TAHSN 鈥 which comprises 茄子直播 and partner hospitals 鈥 to maximize research potential, accelerate translation of research and foster a renewed emphasis on commercialization and industry collaboration. 鈥淥ur people flow back and forth across 茄子直播 and partner health-care institutions, so we鈥檙e uniquely positioned to take advantage of this unique ecosystem,鈥 she said.</p> <p>To advance inter-disciplinary research, Robinson intends to strengthen Temerty Medicine鈥檚 ties with partners across 茄子直播鈥檚 three campuses, including the <a href="https://md.utoronto.ca/mississauga-academy-medicine">Mississauga Academy of Medicine</a>, <a href="/news/u-t-scarborough-launches-new-academy-medicine-eastern-gta">Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health</a> (SAMIH), the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering and the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science.</p> <p>鈥淚t鈥檚 a matter of thinking broadly about the broader environment and making sure we have opportunities to bring together people who wouldn鈥檛 normally work with one another.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 13 Dec 2023 14:58:25 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 304924 at Infants are vulnerable to chickenpox earlier than previously thought: Study /news/infants-are-vulnerable-chickenpox-earlier-previously-assumed-study <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Infants are vulnerable to chickenpox earlier than previously thought: Study</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-11/GettyImages-1183048880-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=gntaNLmS 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-11/GettyImages-1183048880-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=hQoNaxt3 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-11/GettyImages-1183048880-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=L1s6ZQGA 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-11/GettyImages-1183048880-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=gntaNLmS" alt="infant with chickenpox receives some ointment from their mother"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-24T11:57:43-05:00" title="Friday, November 24, 2023 - 11:57" class="datetime">Fri, 11/24/2023 - 11:57</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>(photo by&nbsp;Mixmike/Getty Images)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/ishani-nath" hreflang="en">Ishani Nath</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/dalla-lana-school-public-health" hreflang="en">Dalla Lana School of Public Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hospital-sick-children" hreflang="en">Hospital for Sick Children</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The findings are in line with previous&nbsp;research&nbsp;indicating that the level of antibodies babies receive from their mothers at birth wear off quickly</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Infants are not protected against the varicella-zoster virus, the virus that causes chickenpox, for several months before they are eligible for vaccination, a new study has found.</p> <p>In some cases, infants may be at risk of infection as early as one month after they are born.</p> <p>鈥淎ntibodies transferred through the placenta during pregnancy protect babies against many infectious diseases when they are born, including the varicella virus,鈥 says Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>Shelly Bolotin</strong>, director of the University of Toronto鈥檚 <a href="https://www.dlsph.utoronto.ca/institutes/centre-for-vaccine-preventable-diseases/">Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases</a>&nbsp;(CVPD)&nbsp;at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and the study鈥檚 first author.</p> <p>鈥淗owever, our research found that that protection fades quickly, leaving infants vulnerable to infection for many months before they are eligible for chickenpox vaccine, which in Ontario is given at age 15 months.鈥</p> <p>Using samples collected at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, researchers looked at the antibody levels in blood samples from 187 infants up to one year of age. They found that antibodies protecting against varicella wore off quickly, and that almost 80 per cent of infants were susceptible to infection by the time they were three months old. At six months, all the infants studied were susceptible to chickenpox infection.</p> <p>The findings, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0287765">published in the journal PLOS One</a>, are in line with previous&nbsp;research&nbsp;indicating that the level of antibodies babies receive from their mothers at birth wear off quickly.</p> <p>鈥淎lthough many people think of chickenpox as a mild childhood infection, and it generally is, it can cause complications like skin infections, pneumonia or inflammation of the brain, particularly in young children,鈥 says senior study author and CVPD member&nbsp;<strong>Michelle Science</strong>, an infectious disease consultant and medical adviser for infection prevention and control at SickKids.</p> <p>Science, who is also an assistant professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, notes that infants are at a higher risk of complications than older children, and are the most likely age group to be hospitalized. Prior to the vaccine鈥檚 availability, Canada saw&nbsp;approximately&nbsp;350,000 varicella cases per year with 1,500 people hospitalized annually.</p> <p>The chickenpox vaccine helps protect individuals from infection as well as the serious complications that can occur. Getting vaccinated also helps lower the number of cases of chickenpox in all age-groups in a community&nbsp;鈥 even in those too young or too old to be vaccinated.</p> <p>The chickenpox vaccine is already part of routine childhood vaccination in several countries, including Canada, Australia, Germany and the United States. In the U.K., <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childhood-varicella-vaccination-programme-jcvi-advice-14-november-2023/jcvi-statement-on-a-childhood-varicella-chickenpox-vaccination-programme">the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization recently&nbsp;recommended</a>&nbsp;that a chickenpox vaccine program should be introduced into the routine childhood immunization schedule, and that a catch-up program for older children should also be implemented in the future.</p> <p>鈥淭he results of our study confirm that everyone around an infant should be protected from chickenpox, either because they were previously infected or through vaccination,鈥 says Science.</p> <p>She adds that these results may be helpful for both parents and health-care providers, who should be thinking about varicella whenever they see a rash, even in a young baby, and in the assessment of an infant鈥檚 risk of infection if they are exposed to a case.</p> <p>Bolotin and her co-authors noted that more research is needed on varying demographics and whether factors like breastfeeding or a mother鈥檚 age influence their baby鈥檚 antibody levels.</p> <p>In the meantime, this study is a reminder of the importance of immunizations.</p> <p>鈥淰accination is not only about protecting yourself, it鈥檚 also about protecting your family, friends, and neighbours,鈥 says Bolotin. 鈥淥ur study further affirms how getting vaccinated can protect some of the most vulnerable 鈥 and in this case, the newest&nbsp;鈥 members of our society.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 24 Nov 2023 16:57:43 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 304642 at Researchers use powerful AI tool to gain new insights into protein structures /news/researchers-use-powerful-ai-tool-yield-new-insights-protein-structures <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Researchers use powerful AI tool to gain new insights into protein structures </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-11/AlphaFold-protein---large.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=nOT2JBtS 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-11/AlphaFold-protein---large.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=csL6tV01 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-11/AlphaFold-protein---large.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=doA4XBQe 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-11/AlphaFold-protein---large.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=nOT2JBtS" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-03T12:35:45-04:00" title="Friday, November 3, 2023 - 12:35" class="datetime">Fri, 11/03/2023 - 12:35</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>A protein containing amino acids with fixed spiral and ribbon structures, in blue and light blue, as well as thread-like disordered regions in orange (photo by&nbsp;<a href="https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AlphaFold Protein Structure Database (CC BY 4.0).</a></em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-sasaki" hreflang="en">Chris Sasaki</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cell-and-systems-biology" hreflang="en">Cell and Systems Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hospital-sick-children" hreflang="en">Hospital for Sick Children</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The findings could lead to a better understanding of the role played by proteins in disease and the development of new treatments</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>An international team of researchers has revealed new insights about the three-dimensional structure of certain types of proteins by&nbsp;using the powerful artificial intelligence tool AlphaFold2.</p> <p>Long molecules comprising strings of amino acids, proteins are folded into three-dimensional structures according to a strict set of rules. The myriad of different structures enable proteins to perform their functions. Within organisms, from bacteria to humans, they transport molecules, act as catalysts for chemical processes, operate as valves and pumps&nbsp;鈥 and much more.</p> <p>While AlphaFold2 has predicted the three-dimensional structure of some 200 million proteins, it has until now been unable to determine whether sections within certain proteins, known as intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), have any structure at all&nbsp;鈥 much less predict the shape of that structure.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-11/UofT13600_20150921_AlanMoses_9249-crop.jpg" width="300" height="300" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Alan Moses (supplied image)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>鈥淭his has been a long-standing debate amongst biochemists and molecular biologists 鈥 whether IDRs have fixed structure or whether they鈥檙e just 鈥榝loppy鈥 parts of proteins,鈥 says&nbsp;<strong>Alan Moses</strong>, a computational biologist and professor in the&nbsp;<a href="https://csb.utoronto.ca/">department of cell and systems biology</a>&nbsp;in the University of Toronto鈥檚 Faculty of Arts &amp; Science.</p> <p>鈥淲e confirmed that, [while] AlphaFold2 still can't predict the structure of IDRs very well ... what it can do is tell us which IDRs are likely to have some structure&nbsp;鈥 something that was previously impossible.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>Moses is a co-author of a new paper,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2304302120">published in the journal </a><em><a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2304302120">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>,</em>&nbsp;that details the research team鈥檚 findings and could lead to a better understanding of the role played by these proteins in disease and to the development of new drug treatments.</p> <p>His co-authors include&nbsp;Reid Alderson, a post-doctoral researcher with the Medizinische Universit盲t Graz (MUG) who formerly did post-doctoral work at 茄子直播;&nbsp;<strong>Julie Forman-Kay</strong>, a senior scientist and program head of molecular medicine at the Hospital for Sick Children and a professor of biochemistry in 茄子直播鈥檚 Temerty Faculty of Medicine; Desika Kolaric, a research assistant at MUG; and&nbsp;Iva Priti拧anac, an assistant professor at MUG and former post-doctoral researcher in Moses鈥檚 lab.</p> <p>The team鈥檚 findings&nbsp;are significant because AlphaFold2 wasn't trained to predict structures in IDRs and IDRs were not included in its training data. 鈥淚t's like AI being trained to drive a car, and then trying to see if it can also drive a bus,鈥 says Moses. 鈥淚t can't drive the bus all that well, but it can recognize that someone should be driving.鈥</p> <p>The team is also the first to do it systematically for all the proteins in humans and other organisms. 鈥淪o, for the first time we believe we know how often it is happening,鈥 says Moses. 鈥淭his is important because biology is full of exceptions. We need to know what鈥檚 common and what鈥檚 exceptional.鈥</p> <p>The development of this powerful and unexpected application of AlphaFold2 demonstrates the power of using AI to solve the protein folding problem and will improve researchers鈥 understanding of IDRs and their role in disease.</p> <p>鈥淚n the IDRs that AlphaFold2 predicts to have some structure, we鈥檝e shown that mutations are far more likely to cause disease than mutations in other structureless IDRs,鈥 says Moses. 鈥淭his is an important advance in understanding how mutations in IDRs can cause disease, which is generally not well understood. We now believe that many of the mutations are disrupting the structure somehow.</p> <p>鈥淲hat鈥檚 more, because AlphaFold2 predictions are already available for all proteins, now we can say for the first time how many IDRs across the tree of life have structure. Our paper shows that bacterial IDRs are much more likely to have structure than human and animal IDRs. As far as we know, this is the first time this has been noticed and it may settle the ongoing debate about whether most IDRs have structures or not.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 03 Nov 2023 16:35:45 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 304262 at Why is COVID-19 more severe in some people? Researchers use genetics, data science to find out /news/why-covid-19-more-severe-some-people-researchers-use-genetics-data-science-find-out <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Why is COVID-19 more severe in some people? Researchers use genetics, data science to find out</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-10/GettyImages-1232624749-crop.jpg?h=537fbfcc&amp;itok=uJHlW7yx 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-10/GettyImages-1232624749-crop.jpg?h=537fbfcc&amp;itok=wbmIcvoZ 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-10/GettyImages-1232624749-crop.jpg?h=537fbfcc&amp;itok=HnVkaLX7 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-10/GettyImages-1232624749-crop.jpg?h=537fbfcc&amp;itok=uJHlW7yx" alt="Toronto area hospital nurses attend to a COVID-19 patient in 2021"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-10-25T10:08:53-04:00" title="Wednesday, October 25, 2023 - 10:08" class="datetime">Wed, 10/25/2023 - 10:08</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>(Photo by Cole Burston/AFP/Getty Images)&nbsp;</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/tyler-irving" hreflang="en">Tyler Irving</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/covid-19" hreflang="en">COVID-19</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/data-sciences-institute" hreflang="en">Data Sciences Institute</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/princess-margaret-cancer-centre" hreflang="en">Princess Margaret Cancer Centre</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sinai-health" hreflang="en">Sinai Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6923" hreflang="en">Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/unity-health" hreflang="en">Unity Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/dalla-lana-school-public-health" hreflang="en">Dalla Lana School of Public Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hospital-sick-children" hreflang="en">Hospital for Sick Children</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/mount-sinai-hospital" hreflang="en">Mount Sinai Hospital</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-michael-s-hospital" hreflang="en">St. Michael's Hospital</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/statistical-sciences" hreflang="en">Statistical Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-health-network" hreflang="en">University Health Network</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/women-s-college-hospital" hreflang="en">Women's College Hospital</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">With the help of 茄子直播's Data Sciences Institute, researchers from the university and partner hospitals gathered more than 11,000 full genome sequences from across Canada</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Why do some people have a more severe course of COVID-19 disease than others? A genome sequence database created by an international collaboration of researchers, including many from the University of Toronto and partner hospitals,&nbsp;may hold the answers to this question 鈥 and many more.</p> <p>The origins of the Canadian COVID-19 Human Host Genome Sequencing Databank, known as&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cgen.ca/project-overview">CGEn HostSeq</a>, can be traced to the earliest days of the pandemic.</p> <p><strong>Lisa Strug</strong>,<strong>&nbsp;</strong>senior scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and academic director of 茄子直播鈥檚 <a href="https://datasciences.utoronto.ca/">Data Sciences Institute</a>, one of several 茄子直播 <a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/">institutional strategic initiatives</a>, says genetic data was top of mind for her and other researchers in&nbsp;late 2019 and early 2020 as reports of a novel form of coronavirus emerged from China and then other locations across the globe.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-10/Strug%2C-Lisa--9APR2020_TCAG_DSC5851--crop.jpg" width="300" height="300" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Lisa Strug (Photo courtesy The Hospital for Sick Children)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>鈥淚n my research, I use data science techniques to map the genes responsible for complex traits,鈥 says Strug, who is a professor in 茄子直播鈥檚 departments of statistical sciences and computer science in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science and in the biostatistics division of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.</p> <p>鈥淲e knew that genes were a factor in the severity of previous SARS infections, so it made sense that COVID-19, which is caused by a closely related virus, would have a genetic component, too.</p> <p>鈥淰ery early on, I started getting messages from several scientists who wanted to set up different studies that would help us find those genes.鈥</p> <p>Over the next few months, Strug 鈥 who is also the associate director of SickKids鈥 <a href="https://www.tcag.ca/" target="_blank">Centre for Applied Genomics</a>, one of three sites across Canada that form <a href="https://www.cgen.ca/" target="_blank">CGEn</a>, Canada鈥檚 national platform for genome sequencing infrastructure for research 鈥 collaborated with nearly 100 researchers from across 茄子直播 and partner hospitals and institutions, as well as other researchers from across Canada to enrol individuals with COVID-19 and sequence their genomes.</p> <p>Some of the key team members from the Toronto community included:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Stephen Scherer</strong>, chief of research at SickKids Research Institute and a <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/">University Professor</a> in 茄子直播鈥檚 Temerty Faculty of Medicine, as well as director of the 茄子直播 McLaughlin Centre</li> <li><strong>Rayjean Hung</strong>, associate director of population health at the&nbsp;Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health,&nbsp;and a professor in 茄子直播鈥檚 Dalla Lana School of Public Health</li> <li><strong>Angela Cheung</strong>, clinician-scientist at University Health Network, senior scientist at Toronto General Hospital Research Institute&nbsp;and a professor in 茄子直播鈥檚&nbsp;Temerty Faculty of Medicine</li> <li><strong>Upton Allen</strong>, head of the division of infectious diseases at SickKids and a professor in 茄子直播鈥檚&nbsp;Temerty Faculty of Medicine</li> </ul> <p><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The projected was initiated by Scherer and CGEn鈥檚&nbsp;Naveed Aziz, along with Strug, and a $20-million grant was secured from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, administered through Genome Canada.</span></p> <p>鈥淲e had to go right to the top to get this project funded fast and our labs and teams worked seven days a week on the project right through the pandemic,鈥&nbsp;Scherer recalls.</p> <p>Identifying associations between individual genes and complex traits typically requires thousands of genomes&nbsp;鈥 both from those with the trait and those without. Though there was no shortage of cases to choose from, it was critical to gather and sequence DNA&nbsp;鈥 and then organize the data in a way that would be ethical, efficient and useful to researchers now and in the future.</p> <p>鈥淥ne of our key mandates at the Data Sciences Institute is developing techniques and programs that ensure that data remains as open, accessible and as re-producible as it can be,鈥 Strug says.</p> <p>鈥淭hat vision was brought to bear as we assembled the data infrastructure for this project&nbsp;鈥 for example, ensuring that consent forms were as broad as possible so that this data could be linked with other sources, from electronic medical records to other health databases.</p> <p>鈥淲e wanted to be sure that even after the COVID-19 pandemic was over this could be a national whole genome sequencing resource to ask all kinds of questions about health and our genes. The development of the database and its open nature also enabled Canada to collaborate effectively with similar projects in other countries.鈥</p> <div class="story_sidebar_wrapper" style="float: right; background-color: grey; padding: 25px 15px 25px 15px; color: white; margin-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 1.5rem;"><span class="sidebar_content_title" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase;margin-bottom: 15px;">Partner hospitals and institutions:</span> <ul style="line-height: 1.6; padding-left: 25px;"> <li style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem;">The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)</li> <li style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem;">Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health</li> <li style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem">Mount Sinai Hospital, Sinai Health</li> <li style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem">St Michael鈥檚 Hospital, Unity Health Toronto</li> <li style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem">University Health Network (UHN)</li> <li style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem">Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, UHN</li> <li style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem">Ontario Institute for Cancer Research</li> <li style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem">Women鈥檚 College Hospital</li> <li style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem">Toronto General Hospital, UHN</li> <li style="color: white; font-size: 1.5rem">Baycrest Health Sciences</li> </ul> </div> <p>In the end,&nbsp;<a href="https://bmcgenomdata.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12863-023-01128-3" target="_blank">the project gathered more than 11,000 full genome sequences from across Canada</a>, representing patients with a wide range of health outcomes. Those data were then combined with even more sequences from patients in other countries under what came to be called the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative.</p> <p>It didn鈥檛 take long for patterns to start to emerge. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03767-x" target="_blank">A&nbsp;paper published in&nbsp;<em>Nature</em>&nbsp;in 2021</a>&nbsp;identified 13 genome-wide significant loci that are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe manifestations of COVID-19.</p> <p>Since then, even more data have been added, and subsequent analysis has confirmed the significance of existing loci while also identifying new ones. The most recent update to the project,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06355-3" target="_blank">published in&nbsp;<em>Nature</em>&nbsp;earlier this year</a>, brings the total number of distinct, genome-wide significant loci to 51.</p> <p>鈥淚dentification of these loci can help one predict who might be more prone to a severe course of COVID-19 disease,鈥 says Strug.</p> <p>鈥淲hen you identify a trait-associated locus, you can also unravel the mechanism by which this genetic region contributes to COVID-19 disease. This potentially identifies therapeutic targets and approaches that a future drug could be designed around.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>While it will take many more years to fully untangle the effects of the different loci that have been identified, Strug says that the database is already showing its worth in other ways.</p> <p>鈥淚t can be difficult to find datasets with whole genome sequence and approved for linkage with other health information that are this large, and we want people to know that it is open and available for all kinds of research well beyond COVID through a completely independent data access committee,鈥 she says.</p> <p>鈥淔or example, several investigators from across Canada have been approved to use these data and we鈥檝e even provided funding to trainees to encourage them to develop new data science methodologies or ask novel health questions using the CGen HostSeq data.鈥</p> <p>鈥淭his was a humongous effort, where researchers from across Canada came together during the COVID-19 pandemic to recruit, obtain and sequence DNA from more than 11,000 Canadians in a systematic, co-operative, aligned way to create a made-in-Canada data resource that will hopefully be useful for years to come. I think that was really miraculous.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 25 Oct 2023 14:08:53 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 304033 at Research may explain why men are more likely to experience severe cases of COVID-19 /news/research-may-explain-why-men-are-more-likely-experience-severe-cases-covid-19 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Research may explain why men are more likely to experience severe cases of COVID-19</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-10/3I8A4494-scaled.jpg?h=1ed0b63c&amp;itok=9zN27ajd 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-10/3I8A4494-scaled.jpg?h=1ed0b63c&amp;itok=D6LzRZ56 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-10/3I8A4494-scaled.jpg?h=1ed0b63c&amp;itok=LCCXI-IN 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-10/3I8A4494-scaled.jpg?h=1ed0b63c&amp;itok=9zN27ajd" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-10-03T11:11:29-04:00" title="Tuesday, October 3, 2023 - 11:11" class="datetime">Tue, 10/03/2023 - 11:11</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Haibo Zhang, a researcher at Unity Health Toronto and 茄子直播, led pre-clinical research that suggests why males are more likely to experience worse outcomes from COVID-19, opening the door to potential new treatments (photo by Julia Soudat)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/betty-zou" hreflang="en">Betty Zou</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/emerging-and-pandemic-infections-consortium" hreflang="en">Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sinai-health" hreflang="en">Sinai Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sunnybrook-health-sciences" hreflang="en">Sunnybrook Health Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/unity-health" hreflang="en">Unity Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hospital-sick-children" hreflang="en">Hospital for Sick Children</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-michael-s-hospital" hreflang="en">St. Michael's Hospital</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-health-network" hreflang="en">University Health Network</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Pre-clinical study points to ACE2 protein as a key contributor to the differences in COVID-19 outcomes between males and females</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A new study by a team of researchers at the University of Toronto鈥檚 <a href="https://epic.utoronto.ca/">Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium</a>&nbsp;(EPIC) has uncovered biological reasons underlying sex differences in COVID-19 outcomes, offering a promising new strategy to prevent illness.</p> <p>The pre-clinical research, <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(23)01547-X">published in the journal&nbsp;<em>iScience</em></a>, has yet to be replicated in humans, but points to the ACE2 protein as a key contributor to differences in COVID-19 outcomes between males and females.</p> <p>During the early days of the pandemic, clinicians noticed that males were more likely than females to be hospitalized or admitted to the ICU or to die from COVID-19 despite having similar infection rates.</p> <p>This pattern held true across all age groups and in countries around the world.</p> <p>鈥淐OVID-19 severity and mortality are much higher in males than in females, but the reasons for this remain poorly understood,鈥 says study senior author&nbsp;<strong>Haibo Zhang</strong>, a staff scientist in the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science at St. Michael鈥檚 Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, and a professor of&nbsp;anesthesiology and pain medicine, and&nbsp;physiology&nbsp;in 茄子直播鈥檚&nbsp;Temerty Faculty of Medicine.</p> <p>鈥淭hat was the driving force for our work.鈥</p> <p>The study was a collaborative effort through&nbsp;EPIC, a 茄子直播 <a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/">institutional strategic initiative</a> that involves five hospital research partners 鈥 the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Research Institute, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Sinai Health, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Unity Health Toronto and the University Health Network (UHN) 鈥 to facilitate an integrated and innovative response to high-risk, high-burden infectious diseases.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-10/Jady_Haibo_banner-1024x576.png?itok=-_vsXuPm" width="750" height="422" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>From left: PhD student Jady Liang, co-lead author of the study and Professor Haibo Zhang (photos supplied)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Located on the cell鈥檚 outer surface, ACE2 plays an important role in controlling blood pressure and inflammation and protecting organs from damage caused by excess inflammation. During a SARS-CoV-2 infection, the coronavirus spike protein locks on to ACE2 to enter the cell.</p> <p>The gene encoding the ACE2 protein is located on the X chromosome, which means that females have two copies of the gene and males only have one.</p> <p>In times of health, the extra copy of the gene for ACE2 doesn鈥檛 appear to make a difference 鈥 Zhang and his team found similar levels of ACE2 protein in healthy males and females.</p> <p>Following a SARS-CoV-2 infection, however, they observed a dramatic decrease in ACE2 in males while levels remained consistent in females, suggesting that the additional copy of the ACE2 gene on the X chromosome is helping to compensate and maintain high protein levels in females.</p> <p>The changes in ACE2 levels were also correlated with a drop in estrogen hormone signalling in males, which could also contribute to the sex-specific differences in COVID-19 outcomes.</p> <p>To test whether low levels of ACE2 were responsible for the more severe outcomes seen in males with COVID-19, the researchers devised a therapeutic approach using an inhaler to deliver lab-made ACE2 proteins directly into the lungs. Males who received a daily puff of ACE2 after SARS-CoV-2 infection had less virus in their lungs, less lung injury and higher levels of estrogen signalling.</p> <p>Together, these results paint a clearer picture of how the extra copy of the ACE2 gene and higher estrogen levels in females work together to protect them from experiencing more severe COVID-19.</p> <p>鈥淎 common misconception is that an increased presence of ACE2 receptors would result in a higher infection rate,鈥 says Zhang.</p> <p>鈥淗owever, the enhanced activation of ACE2 in females actually serves as a compensatory mechanism during infection that鈥檚 aimed at safeguarding the lungs and other vital organs from potential damage.鈥</p> <p>In males who lack the second copy of the gene, much of the existing ACE2 gets co-opted by SARS-CoV-2 during an infection. As a result, there is not enough of the protein to fulfil its usual functions of tamping down inflammation and preventing organ damage.</p> <p>The extra dose of ACE2 delivered by inhaler serves as a decoy to glom onto the coronavirus, thereby preventing it from entering cells while also keeping the native ACE2 proteins free to exert protective effects.</p> <p>Beyond the thrill of discovery, Zhang says he is excited by the potential implications of these findings, which are the first to demonstrate the effectiveness of inhaling ACE2, on preventing and treating COVID-19 in humans.</p> <p>He imagines a scenario where people who are entering high-risk situations 鈥 boarding an airplane or attending a large in-person conference, for example 鈥 might take a puff of ACE2 to protect their lungs from the virus. Similarly, the treatment could also be given to people after infection to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death.</p> <p>鈥淏y using the inhaler, ACE2 remains in the lungs at a sustained, low concentration over an extended period, where it can neutralize the virus even before it enters into our cells. We anticipate that our research will motivate individuals to contemplate this faster and more efficacious strategy for both prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in humans,鈥 says Zhang.</p> <p>Zhang worked with fellow researchers&nbsp;<strong>Samira Mubareka </strong>(Sunnybrook, Temerty Faculty of Medicine)<strong>,</strong>&nbsp;<strong>Theo Moraes </strong>(SickKids, Temerty Faculty of Medicine)&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Mingyao Liu</strong> (UHN, Temerty Faculty of Medicine).&nbsp;Much of their work took place in the&nbsp;Toronto High Containment Facility&nbsp;(THCF), which is the only containment level 3 research lab in the Greater Toronto Area and the largest in the province.</p> <p>Having access to the THCF allowed Zhang and his team to pivot quickly during the early months of the pandemic and apply their expertise in lung physiology and disease to answering rapidly emerging questions about COVID-19.</p> <p><strong>Jady Liang</strong>, the co-lead author of the new study, had just started her PhD with Zhang when the pandemic started. She recalls the stress and intensity of training and working in the THCF during that time but credits EPIC staff and other THCF users with helping her become comfortable with the processes and protocols.</p> <p>鈥淚t was a lot of hard work from everyone on the team during the pandemic, especially during the first wave,鈥 says Liang, who is now a fourth-year PhD student in the department of physiology.</p> <p>鈥淲e need a lot of people with expertise in different fields to work together so that we can advance and be prepared for the next pandemic.鈥</p> <p>The study received support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(23)01547-X">among others</a>.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 03 Oct 2023 15:11:29 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 303431 at