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February 28, 2019: the "2 down, 10 to go" edition
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The ICORD Seminar Series is pleased to present
 Dr. Monica Perez
Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
Neurophysiology guiding rehabilitation after spinal cord injury
 TODAY
12-1 in the Lecture Hall
A light lunch will be provided.
For more information, please contact Matthew Sahl
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Today is the last day to register for the ARM
We're looking forward to another day and a half of exciting research at our Annual Research Meeting this March 6 and 7. If you're planning to come, please make sure to register, so we know how much food to order, and can make you a proper name tag. Registration is easy: just click on the button below to go to our registration page. The password is ICORDARM2019.
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BIG Research day needs poster judges!
The Bioinformatics Interdisciplinary Oncology Genome Science Research Day, taking place on March 14, is looking for UBC Faculty and Postdocs to judge two trainee poster sessions (10:30am–12pm and 2:30pm–4:00pm). If you're up to the task, please contact Veronique LeBlanc.
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Meet Britta Beaty, event coordinator for DigEM
Where are you from / how did you end up in Vancouver?
I was born and raised in Germany and moved to Canada 8 years ago to learn more about moose, poutine and maple syrup. After travelling all across Canada for a year I settled down in Fernie, BC, before moving to Vancouver 2 years ago.
Describe your job/what you do in the BSCC in three sentences or less.
I work as an Event Coordinator with UBC Digital Emergency Medicine, mainly supporting the iCON Project which is a community-driven health promotion initiative that supports multicultural communities.
What’s your favourite thing about your job / research?
Free chocolate showing up in our office every other day! Also, it’s fantastic working with a passionate team of researchers, project managers and students! We have many different projects within the unit and it’s really great to see everyone working towards a common goal, to connect people to better health.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
Going on adventures, fetching balls, eating food – wait, that's my dog's favorite pastime! Mine looks pretty similar though as I love spending time outdoors – some of my favorite activities include biking on North Shore trails, skiing, climbing or hiking.
What’s your superpower?
I can make my dog close the door behind him, which makes my superpower: Not having to get up from the couch while reading my new favorite book.
What’s the best book you’ve read, or show you’ve seen lately?
I recently read Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell. It's about decision making and the underlying processes that we're not even aware of, focusing on our ability to use limited information to come to a conclusion.
If you could have dinner with any scientist or clinician in history, who would it be and why (and where would you go to eat)?
Noam Chomsky, to talk about modern linguistics, as I love the science of language (and studied Chomsky’s theories in university while doing my BA in Linguistics). We would go for a walk in nature, and bring some snacks, as I believe it’s the most inspiring environment you can be in.
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Volunteer to be profiled! Or nominate someone. You don't even have to know them (that's the whole point of this column!) Send ideas to Cheryl.
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Support Team Austgarden
Long-time PARC and ICORD Research Participant Marney Smithies & her curling team, Team Austgarden, will be representing BC at the 2019 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships, and she is fundraising to support training and competition costs (ice rentals, accommodations, travel, uniform, equipment, etc). There are three ways to support the team
- Donations of $20.00 or more will be issued an official tax receipt.
- 50/50 tickets towards a $2,000 pot (winner receives up to $1,000)
- Join the team on Saturday, March 16 at 6pm for their Burger and Beer Night at the Artful Dodger Pub (2364 200th Street, Langley). Tickets are $20 and may be purchased from Marney. The team is also on the lookout for items for their silent auction.
Your financial support will go a long way in achieving the team’s goal of winning the 2019 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships. For tickets, questions, or sponsorship, please contact: Marney Smithies (604.671.7017)
That's Marney on the left, although you might not recognize her without an adorable canine companion.
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Special talk
Ethical and clinical consequences of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence
Prof. Dr. Christiane Woopen, University of Cologne
3pm, March 8
Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
Prof. Dr. Woopen is Professor for Ethics and Theory of Medicine at the Medical Faculty of the University Cologne where she also serves as the Head of the Ethics Research Unit and Vice Dean for Academic Development and Gender. She is the coordinator and leader of several international and national research projects concerning ethical aspects of reproductive medicine, neuroethics, quality of life, aging, genome editing as well as health and society in the digital age. She is the former chair of the German Ethics Council, President of the 11th Global Summit of National Ethics/Bioethics Committees 2016 and was, amongst others, a member of the International Bioethics Committee of UNESCO. In April 2017 she was appointed elected Chair of the European Group on Ethics of Science and New Technologies (EGE). Since September 2018 she is Co-Chair of the German Data Ethics Commission advising the German government.
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Meet some new people, make some connections
The next D.R.I.N.K.S. (Discussions Relevant to Inspiring New Knowledge & Science) social will happen March 28 from 4 to 7pm at Mahoney's Stamps Landing. The purpose (if you need an excuse to stay a little later!) is to bring together faculty, clinicians, scientists, residents, trainees, staff, entrepreneurs, bio/pharm staff/execs/veterans, lawyers, VCs, journalists/editors, sabbaticals, and others with common interests in biomedical/translational research & discovery/commercialization once a month to casually interact and meet new people over a beverage of their choice and/or appie. It's also becoming a great way for people who have just moved to or are visiting Vancouver, or looking for collaborations, jobs, networking/socializing, to meet others in research/biomedical field/industry.
Future dates: Mar 28 + Apr 18, 4-7pm
All are welcome to sign up for the LinkedIn page
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GF Strong Research Day: May 8, 2019
Plenary speaker: Dr. Eva Widerstrom-Noga, a pain researcher with the Miami Project.
Preliminary schedule:
0930 - Registration
0945 - Podium Presentations: Session 1
1145 - Lunch
1215 - Lunchtime Session – Medical Marijuana in Rehabilitation: What do clinicians need to know? Dr. Zeid Mohamedali MD, PhD, FRCS(C)
1300 - Poster Session
1445 - Podium Presentations: Session 2
1630 - Plenary Session – Pain after spinal cord injury – a multidimensional problem Dr. Eva Widerstrom-Noga, Professor Neurological Surgery University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
1715 - Closing remarks and award presentations
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Trivia Night TONIGHT
 Come and play trivia with your fellow trainees tonight at 5pm in the lecture hall. There will be pizza and prizes. Hope to see you all there!
There will be a post-ARM Social at a venue in Stamps Landing for trainees (including the elusive out-of-town crew) and anyone else who wants to participate, after the meeting winds up on March 7. Details will be announced at the meeting: stay tuned!
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Valentines Day candy grams raised $260 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and made a lot of people feel happy! Nice work, Trainee Committee (esp. Katelyn and Mary)!
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2019 Trainee Symposium: save the date!
The ICORD Trainee Committee is excited to announce that this year's Trainee Symposium will happen on Monday May 13.
Invited speakers will be Dr. Kristian Franze from Cambridge University, and Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis from UBC-O. Registration will open mid-March. Stay tuned for more details!
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 Applying for funding?
Assistance is available with ICORD boilerplate, infographics and illustrations. Contact Cheryl Niamath by email or call 604-675-8844.
Need signatures?
Unfortunately ICORD no longer has a grant facilitator. Lowell McPhail can help you get the Centre Director's signature on your application. Please request this at least 7 working days before the deadline.
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 UBC VPRI Equipment Grants
The Vice-President Research & Innovation has established the Research Facility Support Grants (RFSG) competition to provide funding for the operation, maintenance, repairs or upgrades of equipment used in UBC facilities to support research. The RFSGs are one-year grants of up to $50,000 intended to enhance the research that can be conducted at UBC. Eligible expenses include:
- Materials, supplies, and minor upgrades essential to the operation and maintenance of the equipment.
- Bridge funding for salaries of technical and professional research support staff employed to operate and maintain the facility and provide assistance to users. The need and justification for any bridge funding should be clearly described, including the nature and timing of currently held and potential future funding.
Researchers located on the UBC Vancouver campus and affiliated hospital sites are invited to submit a proposal (up to a maximum of two pages free-form) along with the lead applicant’s CV. RFSGs are intended to support research groups (minimum of 3) funded primarily by NSERC, CIHR, and/or SSHRC. More information here.
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CNF psychosocial research grants
Letter of intent due March 25 via proposalCENTRAL.
The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of this year’s Psychosocial Research (PSR) grants cycle, opening February 8, 2019. Eligible organizations conducting research to address psychological and social factors that affect health, functioning and quality of life for people living with SCI are encouraged to apply. Award amounts in this competitive grants process range from $150,000 to $400,000. PSR funding categories range from postdoctoral fellowships and pilot studies to demonstration projects. A goal of the funding is to identify and prioritize critical gaps in the psychosocial field and develop more effective interventions to improve health and participation in individuals with SCI across the lifespan.
To learn more about the funding categories, eligibility criteria and deadlines, visit chnfoundation.org/how-to-apply/. The 2020 PSR Application Guide is available using the link above. Interested applicants must submit a required Letter of Intent, by March 25, 2019, via proposalCENTRAL.
For more information, contact Joy Guihama, PSR Program Officer.
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Craig H. Neilsen Foundation announces funding opportunity for improving bowel and bladder function after SCI
The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation is preparing a Request for Applications (RFA) on SCI Bowel and/or Bladder research. Cross-disciplinary, collaborative teams will have an opportunity to submit applications for funding consideration. Further information on this opportunity will be forthcoming, interested parties should note the following key dates:
February 1, 2019 – How to request application materials
March 1, 2019 – Application guide release
May 1, 2019 – Application deadline
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MSFHR 
Health System Impact Fellowship
MSFHR is partnering with CIHR on their 2019 Health System Impact Fellowship program to help develop BC’s health policy research talent and build capacity for the integration of policy into decision-making. For health system organizations this is an opportunity to have a policy fellow contribute their research and analytic talents to a specific health policy challenge. For researchers, it is an opportunity to apply their research expertise and develop their policy skills.
BC had great success in the 2018 competition with 13 CIHR Fellows placed in BC health organizations to address pressing policy issues in our province. You can see the list of 2018 BC institutions and projects here.
The 2019 Health System Impact Fellowship competition is now open for applications. If you have any health researchers with an interest in applying their skills to a local health policy issue at either the PhD or post-doctoral fellow level, they can find more information on the MSFHR website and ResearchNet. On both sites you will find a list of health system organizations that are interested in hosting an embedded scholar. Applicants are also welcome to apply with a host organization that is not listed.
Innovation to Commercialization 2019 competition
The MSFHR Innovation to Commercialization (I2C) Program provides funding support to help BC health researchers advance their products or technologies towards practical application to improve health outcomes, benefit society, and enrich the health innovation ecosystem in BC through contributing to talent development and a strong, sustainable knowledge economy. Details here.
Letter of intent deadline: March 14, 4:30pm
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Working on a grant application?
SPARC can help!
UBC's Support Programs to Advance Research Capacity (SPARC) offers comprehensive reviews for competitive funding applications, as well as workshops and tutorials to streamline the application process. Learn about the different services they offer, get to know their team, or contact them with any questions that you have about research support at UBC.
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Let's learn about vection!
At ICORD, researchers in the Lam Lab are studying proprioception, which is basically your brain's ability to know where your body parts are in space. If you are actually in Space, you also need to worry about your brain thinking that your body is moving when you're immobile. This is called vection. You've probably experienced it yourself when you're stopped at a traffic light and the car next to you starts rolling forwards, making you think you're rolling backwards. For astronauts in space, vection can be a serious issue, and researchers at York University are teaming up with the Canadian Space Agency to use VR to test crewmembers' preception. Read more about this study here.
Bonus (delicious) thing
Do you have four very ripe bananas lying around? Check out this recipe (seriously, it's so good).
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 Bonus #2: Martina = Nina!
That's right, it turns out that Martina Franz from the Krassioukov Lab prefers to go by Nina (and always has!). So here's a good lesson: when someone new starts in your lab, ask them what name they prefer to be called, even if you think you know!
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What is the BICP?
You've likely seen the badge in our newsletter and the posters around the atrium, telling people about the Blusson Integrated Cures Partnership, but do you know about all of the different kinds of research and activities being supported by the BICP? ICORD and the Rick Hansen Institute have created a webpage to inform you about the work that we're doing together with the Rick Hansen Foundation through this unique collaboration.
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A microscopic announcement from VWR!
Please contact Clare or Nadia for more information and promotional offers.
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Do you recruit participants for research studies?
If you do, and you want your studies to be posted on the ICORD website, you can submit your study information online.
Just log into the members section of the site (scroll down to the bottom of any page and click on ICORD user: login (contact Matt if you need a reminder of the login ID and password). Complete the form, and the ICORD communications team will create a new study page using the information you've provided. We will also forward your study to the SCI-BC recruitment coordinator if you request this.
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Need logos?
Click the images to download full-size .png versions. Other logos and other file types are also available by contacting Cheryl at the ICORD Admin Office.
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Useful BSCC contacts
BSCC Access: contact Matt or Nadia in the Admin Office
Bookings (meeting rooms, AV, temporary parking requests): bookings@icord.org
Maintenance work requests + reports: bscc-maintenance@icord.org
MedIT: 1-877-266-0666 or medit.servicedesk@ubc.ca.
Lost+found: Paladin Security 604-677-3734
After-Hours emergency maintenance: 604-875-4111 x62601
After-Hours emergency cleaning: 1-844-372-1959
Paladin Security Urgent: 604-677-3672 (from an inside line: 88)
**To subscribe to the Buzz send an email to sahl@icord.org
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The Blusson Buzz welcomes your submissions
Do you have something you would like to share with the Buzz readership? The Blusson Buzz welcomes submissions from everyone. If you have any announcements, congratulations, paper recommendations or interesting things you think belong in the Buzz, please submit a short blurb to niamath@icord.org. Submissions received by 12 PM on Wednesdays will make it into the current week's issue.
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