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IMS Weekly Digest - March 8, 2021

Highlights

News
- IMS Student and Peers Develop Children's Book on COVID-19 Safety
- Toronto General Hospital ranked one of the world's best hospitals
Events
- MindFest (Mar 8-12)
- The Gender Lady - Documentary Screening & Panel Discussion (Mar 10)
- Global Health: Ethical Challenges - Virtual Book Launch (Mar 11)
- BMC Speaker Series: Carrie Shaw (Mar 12)
- Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic: Heart and Mind (Mar 17)
- IMS Connects: Working in the Public Sector (Mar 19)
- 100 Years of Insulin (April 14)
- Regenerative Medicine Symposium (Apr 14-15)
- Summer School of Molecular Medicine (Apply by Apr 15)
Call for:
- Temerty Medicine Connect - Survey Participants
- Wellness Promoters
- Abstracts - North American Refugee Health Conference (Due by Apr 6)
Raw Talk Podcast Episode Release: #91 Social Determinants of Health
Did you know? Defended thesis submissions
Graduate Coordinators Office Hours
IMS in the News
- Dr. Mark Sinyor on Medical Assistance in Dying & Bell Let's Talk Day

1. News

It has now been a year of living with the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing the need to simplify complex medical information for young children, Institute of Medical Science student Nairy Khodabakhshian and her peers Sabrina Wang and Jenny Zhu came together to create an illustrated children’s book on COVID-19 safety called “Ronnie Bear’s Health Scare”. Learn more here.

Toronto General Hospital (TGH) has been ranked one of the world's best hospitals for the third year in a row in a global ranking in partnership with Newsweek magazine. TGH is ranked number four for the second consecutive year, and is again the only Canadian hospital in the Top 10. Read more here.

2. Events

MindFest 2021
March 8 - 12
Created in 2013, MINDFEST is a mental health fair that raises awareness about mental health and battles stigma by encouraging discussions about mental illness. This year, Mindfest goes online to explore implicit bias and diversity, the impact of the pandemic on student mental health, and tools and resources we can us to practice selfcare during difficult times. Register here.

Documentary Screening & Panel Discussion
March 10, 5:30 - 7:00 pm
Join IMSSA Community and Outreach to watch the incredible documentary: The Gender Lady: The Fabulous Dr. May Cohen. Documentary screening will be from 5:30 - 6:30 pm. Panel Discussion and Q&A with Dr. May Cohen, Dr. Samantha Hill, and Dr. Sheila Dunn will be from 6:30 - 7 pm. Attendees will also have a chance to win one of three $25 gift cards! Register here and learn more about the film here.

Global Health: Ethical Challenges - Virtual Book Launch
March 11, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Join us virtually for the launch of Global Health: Ethical Challenges (2nd edition) with a talk from Eric Meslin followed by a Q & A. This webinar will take place via the Joint Centre for Bioethics YouTube channel live stream. Register here.

BMC's The Road Less Travelled with Carrie Shaw
March 12, 2:00 - 3:00 pm
We are pleased to announce the third guest in BMC's speaker series Carrie Shaw, CEO and Founder of Embodied Labs. In her talk, Carrie will share how Embodied Labs delivers person-centred education to formal and informal caregivers of older adults and her unexpected journey into entrepreneurship as a first-time founder of a tech startup. Register here.

Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic: Heart and Mind
March 17, 3:45 - 5:45 pm
Please join Massey Grand Rounds as we discuss the workings of the COVID19 virus from biomedical to social aspects in our 2021 Symposium, Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Heart and Mind. In the spirit of MGR, lively discussion will be integrated with the event as Questions & Answers will be open and addressed throughout the Symposium! Register here.

IMS Connects - Working in the Public Sector
March 19, 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Are you hoping to work in the public sector after your graduate studies? Join us to connect with UofT alumni who have pursued diverse careers in the public sector:

Anh Tran, PhD | Research Officer/Scientist at the National Research Council Canada
Jason Fine, PhD | Senior Clinical Reviewer at Health Canada
Vanessa Tran, PhD | Clinical Microbiologist at Public Health Ontario

100 Years of Insulin: Celebrating its impact on our lives
April 14, 4:30 - 8:15 pm

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre, Diabetes Action Canada, and the University of Toronto Department of Medicine have brought together a diverse group of speakers to share their diabetes stories. Learn the latest approaches to using insulin, while hearing from people living with diabetes, and discover how we are changing the way research is done. Open to all, this event will educate and inspire. Register here.

Regenerative Medicine Symposium
April 14 - 15
The Regenerative Medicine symposium will feature two keynote talks and oral presentations by trainees in the field of regenerative medicine. Keynote speakers include Dr. Juan Carlos Zúñiga-Pflücker (Sunnybrook Research Institute) on Wednesday, April 15 at 8 am and Dr. Sharon Gerecht (John Hopkins University) on Thursday, April 15 at noon. Register here.

Summer School of Molecular Medicine
Apply by April 15

The Summer School of Molecular Medicine will be held in the Jena University Hospital from August 16 till September 16. This program will provide an excellent opportunity for young scientists to get familiar with research topics of molecular medicine and modern laboratory techniques. The program is open to participants from all over the world who hold a Master’s or Diploma degree in biosciences, biochemistry, medicine or related fields. The courses are accompanied by a lecture series. There is no fee for the course. To learn more, click here.

3. Call for:

Call for Temerty Medicine Connect Survey Participants:

Did you know that the Temerty Faculty of Medicine has launched a new networking platform called Temerty Medicine Connect (TMC)?

We're gathering information on what you think of TMC, whether you've used it or not! We'd loved to hear your feedback. Click for the Student Survey and for the Faculty Survey.

Call for Wellness Promoters:
Are you a graduate student in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine? Do you want credit for participating in on-campus wellness workshops and events?

The IMSSA Wellness Subcommittee is partnering with the GLSE initiative Let’s Talk Grad Wellness so you can become a Wellness Promoter! Just track your participation in at least 2 IMSSA wellness-related events or workshops using the online wellness tracker.

Need resources? Find health, wellness & conflict resources for graduate students in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine here! Have any questions or want to get involved with this growing initiative? Let us know or send an email to letstalkgradwellness@gmail.com.

Call for abstracts for North American Refugee Health Conference
Due April 6
The annual North American Refugee Health Conference (NARHC) is the largest interdisciplinary conference in the world. Its primary purpose is to promote the health of refugee populations during the continuum of their flight, migration, and resettlement by assembling multidisciplinary experts in research, education, advocacy and clinical practice. Review the topics and submit your abstract here.

4. Raw Talk Episode Release:

#91 Social Determinants of Health: Care beyond the Clinic
Many factors including income, food security, or housing can have a huge contribution to our health. These are known as the social determinants of health (SDoH). In this episode, we discuss some common SDoH, how they impact our health, and what some leading physicians are doing to tackle the issue. Our incredible featured guests are all actively working to change our health system and the way we provide care to improve the health disparities we see in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and beyond. Listen to the full episode here.

5. Did you know? Defended thesis submissions

In order to avoid fall fees, the final deadline to submit your defended thesis is Sept 15, 2021 for PhD students and Oct 1, 2021 for MSc students.

The IMS recommends scheduling your defense at least a month prior to these deadlines in order to give you sufficient time to complete corrections and submit the electronic thesis to SGS. Click for important SGS sessional dates and more important information on exams.

6. Graduate Coordinators Office Hours

Tuesdays from 9:00 - 10:00 am

The IMS Graduate Coordinators, Dr. Lucy Osborne and Dr. Vasu Venkateswaran, will be holding weekly virtual office hours.

You are invited to join the meeting to ask the Graduate Coordinators your program-related questions (you will be placed in a waiting room until they are ready to see you). If you would like to discuss more personal matters, please contact them directly to set up a meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 878 6328 8088
Password: 900918

7. IMS in the News

IMS Faculty and psychiatrist at Sunnybrook, Dr. Mark Sinyor, provided testimony about medical assistance in dying (MAID) before both the Senate and the Quebec Superior Court. Read his full CBC News op-ed here.

Dr. Mark Sinyor also published a study on Bell Let’s Talk Day. He found that the impact of mental health awareness campaigns in reducing stigma and improving literacy is well-documented, but that this awareness campaign does not reduce suicide rates. Read the full Toronto Star article here.