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This was originally sent to Western Research Officers, Associated Deans (Research), Chairs,
Western Research staff and HSREB members mailing lists.

Despite lockdowns and new terms, our community's research is pressing forward. Here's January's Western Research news.

Dates and deadlines

Jan. 26

Feb. 1

Feb. 2, 2 p.m.

Feb. 18 & 19

Mar. 8

Mar. 15

Mar. 31

Registration deadline for the virtual viewing of Picture a Scientist

Hellmuth Prizes final call

SSHRC deadline for SSHRC IDG competition

Neuroscience Research Day

Petro-Canada Young Innovators Awards application deadline

Canadian Academy of Health Sciences Fellowships application deadline

Order of Ontario application deadline

Royal Society of Canada awards and medals application deadline

News: rapid COVID-19 antibody test can check immune response

A team of Western researchers has developed a simple test—faster and more accurate than any approved thus far in Canada—to determine who has developed COVID-19 antibodies.

The test could become a pivotal tool to help identify and determine immunity, whether from previous infection or from vaccination.

Developed by professor Shawn Li, Canada Research Chair in Proteomics and Functional Genomics, his colleagues at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and collaborators at the University of Toronto, the antibody agglutination test can be completed in five minutes.

Read the article

Updates from human ethics

What's new?

On January 29, we will release new application forms in WREM. These should provide clarity in questions and better provide the REBs with the information we need. Please ensure that your Project Owner is up to date in WREM and this person is available as they will have to update the form by clicking the red/pink “update” bar (found at the top of the screen within each file) before any action can be taken (e.g., update an application, start a new application, submit an application, etc.).

Reminders

Each WREM user is entirely responsible for the activities within their account. User names and passwords should never be shared. Study staff cannot use PI login credentials to sign on the PI’s behalf.

Tip of the day

Please consult our Quick Guide on submitting amendments to change Principal Investigators—we actually have these short and helpful documents on ALL aspects of WREM functionality!

People on the move at Western Research

With Lisa Cechetto now fully established in her new role as Executive Director of Western Research, Souzan Armstrong will step in as the Acting Executive Director of WORLDiscoveries while an open search for a permanent hire is undertaken. Souzan has assumed various leadership roles within WORLDiscoveries including as a Senior Business Development Manager and more recently as the Director of the highly successful Western Medical Fellowship Program. Souzan’s leadership experience and commercialization expertise will be an excellent asset during this transition period for WORLDiscoveries.

Additionally, while Western Research searches for a new Director of Research Development, Carolyn Paterson will step in as Interim Director. Carolyn has provided exceptional quality and leadership to the CFI and other components of the Research Development Team's responsibilities for several years and has an excellent breadth of knowledge and experience in many aspects of the team's mandate.

Please join us in congratulating Souzan and Carolyn in their new interim roles.

New HSREB Chair

Western Research welcomes Dr. Philip Jones as Western's new Health Sciences Research Ethics Board (HSREB) Chair.

Dr. Jones is an Associate Professor of Anaesthesia and Epidemiology & Biostatistics within the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry as well as a Cardiac Anesthesiologist at University Hospital. We are thankful for Dr. Jones’ continued support and commitment to the REB and welcome him in this new role where he will be providing critical leadership to the HSREB, which is responsible for ensuring our faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars and students conduct high-quality research with the highest possible ethical standards.

WORLDiscoveries ranks 6th in Canada for tech transfer revenues

In the latest AUTM report—which analyzes 2018 data—WORLDiscoveries and its partners (Western, Lawson and Robarts) ranked 6th in Canada in terms of gross revenues, increasing one spot from the previous report, where they ranked 7th.

AUTM invited 70 Canadian institutions—universities and colleges, hospitals and research institutions, national laboratories and third-party technology investment firms—to participate in the AUTM 2018 Canadian Licensing Activity Survey. AUTM received 32 completed surveys, for a response rate of 46%.