Welcome to the November edition of the AMR - One Health Consortium newsletter <<First Name>>! Did you know that November 18-24 is World Antimicrobial Awareness Week? WAAW aims to increase awareness of global antimicrobial resistance and to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policy makers to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. Visit the 'Events' section to find out how you can participate! As always, if you have something you would like to see in this newsletter, please email amronehealth@ucalgary.ca, and add us to your address book to prevent this newsletter from going to spam.
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The AMR - One Health Consortium is Hiring!
The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary is seeking applications for a Project Manager to serve a senior role in planning and development of the AMR - One Health Consortium. This position is a full-time fixed term position for approximately 9 months (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension. For more information and to apply click here. Application deadline is November 19.
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Firstline - Clinical Decisions App
We are excited to announce the official launch of the CVMA Veterinary Guidelines for Antimicrobial Use on the Firstline platform. Firstline’s mobile “app” serves as a user-friendly tool, supplying veterinary treatment recommendations and other reference information to providers at the point-of-care. The objectives of the application are to educate users on antimicrobial stewardship and optimal prescribing, improve appropriate antimicrobial utilization for common bacterial infections, and expand the product in scope, location, and media to improve upon existing content.
The ‘Firstline – Clinical Decisions’ app is available as a free download on the App Store (for iPhone) and Google Play (for Android), or by visiting https://firstline.org/cvma/.
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*It is accessible to licensed veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary students in Canada. Users will be required to login using a CVMA registered email address (members or non-members).
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Antimicrobials for Lunch
Mark your calendars! The next Antimicrobials for Lunch session will take on Friday, November 19th, 12-1pm MT. Tune in to hear the following presentations:
- Simon Otto Project 3B: Human exposure to and risk from antimicrobial resistant Campylobacter, Enterococcus and ESBL E. coli: A farm-to-fork assessment
- Laura Sycuro Project 2A: BLOOM-Antimicrobial Resistance: Impacts of antimicrobials on the health of Albertan infants
- Tim McAllister Project 3A: Investigation of AMR spread via MGEs and developing machine learning biotools for quantitative AMR level prediction
Join Zoom meeting: https://ucalgary.zoom.us/j/5702265429
Password: 453525
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Mitacs Globalink Research Award Thematic Call
The pandemic we are living through has shown the importance of international research collaborations to tackle global challenges. To foster future opportunities for researcher mobility, and help plant the seeds for recovery, Mitacs is pleased to launch a special initiative in cooperation with several of our international partners: a competitive call for applications to our Mitacs Globalink Research Award program in areas of strategic importance for the Canadian and international research communities. Under the joint supervision of a home and host professor at a university in Canada and an institution affiliated with one of Mitacs’s international partners, senior undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral fellows included in successful applications will receive a $6,000 research award to conduct a 12- to 24-week research project. For more information please click here.
Application deadline: Dec 1, 2021
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ACA Grants in Biodiversity 2022
Alberta Conservation Association is pleased to announce that the ACA Grants in Biodiversity 2022 competition is now open. This grant is open to Masters and PhD students conducting projects that increase the knowledge of Alberta’s living resources, notably flora, fauna and habitats. The maximum award amount is $20,000 for a two year term. While the program tends to support field studies, the ACA Grants in Biodiversity has also funded genetics, social science, and lab studies. Full particulars of the program and application forms can be found here.
Application deadline: Dec 1, 2021
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CIHR: SPOR Primary Care Network
The aim of this funding opportunity is to support the development of a national SPOR Primary Care Network that will facilitate the reach, adaptation, and accessibility of successful patient-oriented primary and integrated health care innovations to new sites, new settings, and/or new populations. The Network will mobilize knowledge to inform and transform practice, clinical care, policy, and/or decision-making toward more optimal and equitable health outcomes. Through research, training, mentorship, collaborations and partnerships, the Network will build capacity for the ongoing application of patient-oriented primary and integrated health care knowledge. The total amount available from CIHR for this funding opportunity is $10,000,000, enough to fund one grant for a total of five years. Click here for more details.
UofC RSO internal application deadline: Dec 2, 2021
General application deadline: Dec 7, 2021
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IDRC Research Awards 2022-2023
This year IDRC will offer research awards related to these development areas or themes: Climate-Resilient Food Systems, Democratic and Inclusive Governance, Education and Science, Ethics in Development Research, Global Health, Policy and Evaluation, and Sustainable Inclusive Economies. If your research proposal is selected, you will join IDRC as a Research award recipient for a period of 12 months from 1 May 2022 to 30 April 2023 with a salary between $42,033 to $48,659 CAD to undertake research on the topic you have submitted. You will receive hands-on experience in research and program management and support, grant administration, and the creation, dissemination, and use of knowledge from an international perspective. Click here for more details.
Application deadline: Feb 1, 2022
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Knowledge Gaps in the Understanding of Antimicrobial Resistance in Canada
Kayley McCubbin, Michele Anholt, Ellen de Jong, Jennifer Ida, Diego Nobrega, John Kastelic, John Conly, Matthias Gotte, Tim McAllister, Karin Orsel, Ian Lewis, Leland Jackson, Graham Plastow, Hans-Joachim Wieden, Kathy McCoy, Myles Leslie, Joan Robinson, Lorian Hardcastle, Aidan Hollis, Nicholas Ashbolt, Sylvia Checkley, Gregory Tyrrell, Andre Buret, Elissa Rennert-May, Ellen Goddard, Simon Otto and Herman Barkema
Current limitations in the understanding and control of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Canada are described through a comprehensive review focusing on: (1) treatment optimization; (2) surveillance of antimicrobial use and AMR; and (3) prevention of transmission of AMR. Without addressing gaps in identified areas, sustained progress in AMR mitigation is unlikely. Expert opinions and perspectives contributed to prioritizing identified gaps. Using Canada as an example, this review emphasizes the importance and necessity of a One Health approach for understanding and mitigating AMR. Read the full publication in Frontiers in Public Health here.
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One Health Antimicrobial Stewardship Conference Report 2021
The One Health Antimicrobial Stewardship Conference, held virtually March 10-12, 2021, brought together over 400 experts across sectors in animal health, human health and environmental science, as well as undergraduate and graduate students. The conference aimed to serve as a platform to share leading practices in antimicrobial stewardship and provide evidence-informed information for participants across One Health sectors. The conference summary report summarizes the key concepts of each presentation and discussion panel and can be found here.
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Our Researchers in the News
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Fertility must come first in cow herd
Eduardo Cobo
Fertility is the most important trait in a cow herd. All other traits are negated if the female doesn’t get pregnant or fails to carry a pregnancy to term. If the latter occurs, it’s important to find out why. Inherent fertility is important but there are other factors, such as reproductive diseases that can cause infertility. Dr. Eduardo Cobo at the UofC said trichomoniasis and campylobacteriosis (vibriosis) are two of the main reproductive diseases that reduce pregnancy rates. These sexually transmitted diseases are often under-diagnosed. “If a herd has fertility problems and uses natural service for breeding, producers should not ignore the possibility that they have one or both of these diseases.” Read more here.
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Alberta doctors accused of spreading COVID-19 misinformation face unannounced inspections
Lorian Hardcastle
The regulator of Alberta's physicians is performing unannounced inspections at medical clinics in a bid to crack down on doctors who spread COVID-19 misinformation or prescribe unproven remedies for the disease. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) said it has conducted five inspections related to COVID-19 complaints since targeted enforcement began three weeks ago. Lorian Hardcastle, an associate professor in the faculty of law at the UofC, says a small minority of defiant doctors has an oversized impact on public health by eroding trust in proven science and the government response to the pandemic. The threat of inspections will likely dissuade some doctors "on the fence" from breaking the rules, but Hardcastle said she suspects some may hold firm. Read the full article here.
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COVID-19 vaccine safe for pregnant, nursing mothers: experts
Eliana Castillo
Albertans got the opportunity to ask doctors questions about COVID-19 and maternal health issues last week. On Oct. 27 Dr. Deena Hinshaw held a town hall about vaccines, pregnancy, and fertility, where Drs. Eliana Castillo and Verena Kuret answered questions submitted online or over the phone. Questions included whether there is evidence to support a breastfeeding mother getting the vaccine, how long the antibody protection lasts for babies, and the preterm birth rate for unvaccinated women in their third trimester. The full recording can be found by clicking here.
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Many Albertans are frustrated and angry with the unvaccinated, but what to do with those feelings?
Myles Leslie
According to a new poll conducted for CBC News, anger and frustration top the list of feelings Albertans have when asked about those who choose not to be vaccinated. Almost a quarter of people in Alberta (23%) say they are angry with the unvaccinated, while 43% say they feel frustrated. Myles Leslie, associate director of research at the School of Public Policy at the UofC, sympathizes with the anger and frustration many Albertans have, and says that empathy and compassion is a good starting point in any effort to convince people to get vaccinated. Leslie's own work highlights the importance of discovering "a vaccine-hesitant person's positive motivation," because getting them to say yes to an inoculation requires lengthy empathetic conversations to find out why the person is hesitant. Read more here.
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Beef a bigger challenge than oil and gas when it comes to tackling methane emissions
Guillaume Lhermie & Tim McAllister
Methane accounts for just 13% of Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions, but because it is better than carbon dioxide at trapping heat it is believed to be responsible for at least one-third of global warming recorded to date. That makes it a high priority for governments seeking to live up to their climate change commitments. Earlier this month, Canada confirmed its support for the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to reduce global emissions by 30% below 2020 levels by 2030. The federal government has already put regulations in place to reduce emissions from the oil and gas industry, but when it comes to agriculture, there are no regulations, or even federal targets, in place. That doesn't mean scientists aren't trying. Around the globe, research is being done on everything from optimization of cattle diets to the addition of feed additives -- everything from nitrates to seaweed -- in an effort to reduce methane emissions. Read the full article here.
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One Health Circle: Overcoming the challenge of change in times of unprecedented change
Online
Nov 17, 2021
Change is difficult but not optional. Changing our behaviours to respond to complex challenges such as climate change and antimicrobial resistance will require new goals and strategies. Shifting to truly comprehensive and holistic approaches is mandatory to achieve wellness and resilience for people, animals, and the environment - if we persist in overcoming the challenge of change. Drs. Craig Stephen and Ellen Goddard will speak to how we don't make the necessary changes, even when there is ample scientific evidence that we must, and how change is possible in the context of agriculture and AMR. Click here to register.
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Companies Growing Companies - Learn with Flawless Inbound
Online
Nov 17, 2021
The Companies Growing Companies series, brought to you by Invest Alberta and Health Cities, features interactive conversations and lessons with experts in fields in various stages of company growth: product design, system integration, marketing, and capacity-building. Throughout the series, companies at every stage—from startup to multinational—will learn what it takes to succeed and grow in the health innovation sector, and why Alberta is the best place to build a business. If you are interested in learning about market access and growth, please click here to register for free!
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World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2021
Nov 18 - 24, 2021
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) is celebrated annually on November 18-24 and the slogan for 2021 is “Spread awareness, stop resistance”. To mark this year’s WAAW and to continue to bring awareness and attention to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as an important global public health issue, the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada are co-hosting a series of webinars:
- November 18 – 1:00-2:00 PM EST: The impact of COVID-19 on the rate of infectious disease and antibiotic prescribing in Ontario [Register here]
- November 19 – 12:00-3:00 PM EST: Health Canada Health Products and Food Branch Two-Part Series [Register here]
- Session 1: Exploring the landscape of innovative approaches and products to combat AMR
- Session 2: One Health and AMR: Understanding the foodborne pathway
- November 22 – 2:30-3:30 PM EST: An Evaluation of One Health Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance: Have We Moved the Needle? [Register here]
- November 24 – 1:00-2:00 PM EST: Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (CNISP) Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Trends in Canadian Acute Care Hospitals [Register here]
- November 25 – 12:30 – 3:00 PM EST: Collaborative efforts to address AMR in the agri-food context [Register here]
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2021 John Waters Zoonotic Diseases Workshop
Edmonton, AB
Nov 23, 2021
The John Waters Zoonotic Diseases Workshop is hosted every two to three years, and invites members of the human and animal health sciences community together for a discussion on current issues related to zoonotic diseases. This event will take place virtually and all registration fees have now been waived! Approved by the ABVMA for 6.5 CE hours. To view the program and to register please click here.
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World Vaccine & Immunotherapy Congress West Coast 2021
San Diego, CA
Nov 30 - Dec 2, 2021
The World Vaccine & Immunotherapy Congress is part of an award-winning series of conferences and exhibitions that are continuously growing becoming the largest and most established vaccine meetings of its kind across the globe. With 500+ potential customers in attendance there will be opportunities to meet & network with contacts who are looking for solutions to commercial and scientific challenges in manufacturing, clinical trials, strategy and regulation for immune monitoring, AMR and vaccine development for infectious diseases and cancer immunotherapies. Click here for more information.
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The following documents provide updates on the conduct of research and clinical trails for researchers and research teams. Please visit the following pages to keep up-to-date with institutional specific directives.
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