One Health Summer Institute
Coming May-June 2021! The online One Health Summer Institute aims to provide learners an opportunity to explore the concept of One Health and to build on their disciplinary expertise, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to transdisciplinary teams.
The One Health Summer Institute consists of 6 themes:
- Conducting Culturally Responsive Research (May 24-28)
- One Health (May 31-June 4)
- Water/Wastewater: “A Tale of Two Watersheds” (June 8-10)
- Bioinformatics (June 14-16)
- Biostatistics (June 14-25)
- Entrepreneurial Thinking in One Health (June 21-24)
Courses are available to students from all levels and disciplines, and also to professionals and adult learners interested in One Health from all over the world. Course fees vary. Consortium members will be offered early bird registration for the Entrepreneurial Thinking in One Health course for free! Keep an eye on your inbox for more details. Additional details can be found here.
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NSERC Idea to Innovation (I2I) Grants
The objective of the Idea to Innovation (I2I) Grants is to accelerate the pre-competitive development of promising technology originating from the university and college sector and promote its transfer to a new or established Canadian company. The I2I Grants provide funding to college and university faculty members to support research and development projects with recognized technology transfer potential. This is achieved through four defined phases by providing crucial assistance in the early stages of technology validation and market connection: Market Assessment, Phase I, Phase IIa, Phase IIb. Click here to learn more.
Sponsor application deadlines: Jun 28 & Sep 27, 2021
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Our Researchers in the News
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Should We Keep Wearing Masks Even After the Pandemic Ends?
John Conly
During the pandemic, the need for that policy is clear. But should the masks stay even after COVID-19 is gone? While masks clearly have more benefits than drawbacks during the pandemic, their post-pandemic future is less certain. Dr. John Conly, infectious disease physician at the UofC who has studied masks, says he wouldn’t support masking after the pandemic ends, given downsides like discomfort and difficulty communicating. Click here to read the full article.
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Precision testing in the palm of your hand
Dylan Pillai
Imagine if you could simply spit on a stick and minutes later discover whether or not you had COVID-19. Dr. Dylan Pillai’s lab and its spin-off company, Illucidx, have taken this year to adapt a version of a handheld diagnostic cartridge to be used as a rapid COVID-19 test. The cartridge was originally intended for use in a massive trial to test for malaria amongst pregnant women in Ethiopia, but Pillai and his team recognized the immense potential of pivoting the technology to help in the COVID-19 fight. Click here to read the full article.
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Researchers identify rare fungal lung-infection in central Alberta
Tanis Dingle
A rare fungal disease that affects human lungs and is often spread through bat and bird droppings has been confirmed in central Alberta. Provincial researchers with Alberta Precision Labs have confirmed 45 cases of histoplasmosis in Alberta between 2011 and 2018, 15 of which were determined to be locally acquired. Tanis Dingle, a clinical microbiologist at Alberta Precision Laboratories and assistant professor at the University of Alberta, said the discovery is important as histoplasmosis typically occurs in the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys as well as southern parts of Ontario and Quebec. Click here to read the full article.
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UCalgary microbiologists develop platform for rapid infection diagnostics
Ian Lewis & Thomas Rydzak
Rapid Infection Diagnostics (RID), an investee company founded at UCalgary in 2019, has developed Hopper, a metabolomics-based platform that can be used to identify and test the antibiotic susceptibility of disease-causing microbes. Ian Lewis, founder of RID, and Thomas Rydzak, RID's chief scientific officer, are using funding provided by the UCeed Health Opportunity Fund to grow the life-saving application. Read more here.
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U of A lab reveals how flu drug works in hopes it can be tweaked enough to outsmart resistant variants
Matthias Götte
Virologist Matthias Götte and a team in his lab at the UofA identified how the recently approved anti-flu drug baloxavir marboxil works—and the researchers hope it can be refined to stay a step ahead of drug-resistant variants of influenza. Click here to read the full article.
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COVID-19 vaccine youth trial results are ‘very encouraging,’ according to Calgary pediatrician
Jim Kellner
Dr. Jim Kellner, a pediatrician and infectious disease expert at the University of Calgary, joins Global’s Joel Senick to discuss the significance of Pfizer-BioNTech’s Phase 3 trial results in children between the ages of 12 and 15.
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The ABVMA proudly releases a new documentary: Raised With Care: Stewards of the Land
Simon Otto
Check out the new documentary, Raised With Care: Stewards of the Land, just released by the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association. This documentary focuses on the importance of stewardship when it comes to antimicrobial resistance including the role that producers, farmers, government and veterinarians play in raising healthy animals in Alberta. The documentary showcases best practices in raising healthy livestock while acknowledging the challenges producers, and veterinarians face.
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Antimicrobial Use Surveillance Indicators for Finfish Aquaculture Production: A Review
Jacob A. Narbonne, Brian R. Radke, Derek Price, Patrick C. Hanington, Amreen Babujee, and Simon J. G. Otto
Quantification and tracking of antimicrobial use (AMU) are key factors for the development of responsible antimicrobial stewardship programs and comparison between countries. Global finfish aquaculture growth and increased AMU creates the potential for exchange of antimicrobial resistance between aquatic and terrestrial environments, making AMU surveillance imperative for this industry. The objective of this review is to collate current literature on AMU surveillance indicators and their application to commercial finfish aquaculture production. Read the full publication in Frontiers in Veterinary Science here.
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Whole-Blood Transcriptome Analysis of Feedlot Cattle With and Without Bovine Respiratory Disease
Janelle Jiminez, Edouard Timsit, Karin Orsel, Frank van der Meer, Le Luo Guan and Graham Plastow
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is one of the main factors leading to morbidity and mortality in feedlot operations in North America. A complex of viral and bacterial pathogens can individually or collectively establish BRD in cattle, and to date, most disease characterization studies using transcriptomic techniques examine bronchoalveolar and transtracheal fluids, lymph node, and lung tissue, with limited studies investigating the whole-blood transcriptome. This study aims to identify differentially expressed (DE) genes involved in the host immune response to BRD using whole blood and RNA sequencing. Click here to read the full publication in Frontiers in Genetics.
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Market concentration of new antibiotic sales
Sakib Rahman, Olof Lindahl, Chantal M. Morel, Aidan Hollis
The commercial challenges of new antibiotics are well known and numerous solutions have been proposed, including the grant model applied by CARB-X and BARDA, market entry rewards, and reimbursement models. This paper points out that there is not only a money problem but also a lack of geographic diversity in markets, which are likely connected. Read the full publication in the Journal of Antibiotics here.
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The active form of the influenza cap-snatching endonuclease inhibitor baloxavir marboxil is a tight binding inhibitor
Brendan Todd, Egor P. Tchesnokov and Matthias Götte
Baloxavir marboxil (BXM) is an FDA-approved antiviral prodrug for the treatment of influenza A and B infection and post-exposure prophylaxis. The active form, baloxavir acid (BXA), targets the cap-snatching endonuclease (PA) of the influenza virus polymerase complex. The nuclease activity delivers the primer for transcription and previous reports have shown that BXA blocks the nuclease activity with high potency. However, biochemical studies on the mechanism of action are lacking. Read the full publication in the Journal of Biological Chemistry here.
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VPHI-Webinars
From One Health Science to One Health Policies
Apr 21, 2021 @ 9-10am CET
The Veterinary Public Health Institute (Vetsuisse, University of Bern) offers a webinar twice a month on topics within the sphere of epidemiology, animal health, zoonoses, animal welfare and biostatistics. The next webinar will take place on April 21 from 9-10am CET and will feature Prof. Dirk Pfeiffer, Centre for Applied One Health Research and Policy Advice (OHRP). Registration is not required.
Zoom link: https://unibe-ch.zoom.us/j/97772568447
Recordings of previous webinars can be found here.
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One Health Circle
Protecting urban wildlife: A pathway to conservation and sustainable biodiversity
Apr 21, 2021 @ 7-8pm
Urbanization is a major driver of environmental change and is closely linked to loss of biodiversity. Developing biodiversity-friendly cities and protecting urban wildlife promotes sustainable urban development and the well being of many populations, including people. Learn how enhancing biodiversity can lead to a more liveable Calgary. To register click here.
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Navigating Partnered Research
Webinar Series
Navigating Partnered Research is a digital series hosted by UofC Research Services to provide support and guidance for faculty members interested in pursuing partnered research projects in the social sciences and humanities. This multi-part series will cover a variety of support topics and supports ranging from engaging with community, building partnerships for research, mobilizing partnered research knowledge and workshopping your concept and research plans with experts from across campus
Upcoming sessions:
Knowledge Engagement Impact Evaluation - May 20
Introduction to Research Ethics - TBD
Test Your Concept - TBD
Papering Partnerships - TBD
Mobilizing Partnered Research Knowledge - TBD
Click here to register and for more information.
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5th International Conference on Responsible Use of Antibiotics in Animals
Jun 7 - 9, 2021
This year's conference will be held as a virtual meeting, and will focus on the following key themes:
- Integration of animal, human and environmental health
- Present and future approaches at global and national levels
- Engagement of stakeholders
- Innovations in disease prevention and detection, including gut health, alternatives to antibiotics, rapid diagnostics, etc.
- New areas to explore towards sustainable solutions
Interested participants from research institutes and industry are strongly encouraged to submit abstracts for oral presentations and/or e-posters.
Poster presentation submission deadline: May 7, 2021
For more information please click here.
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IC2AR 2021
Caparica, Portugal
Jun 14 - 17, 2021
Call for abstracts! The 4th International Caparica Conference in Antibiotic Resistance 2021 will bring together researchers involved in antibiotic resistance prevention and control, and will present an universal vision of the importance of antimicrobial resistance in different ecosystems and what can be done about it. Abstract submission deadline is April 15. For more information please click here.
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Virtual One Health International
PhD and Postdoc Summer School
Aug 9 - 13, 2021
This virtual course is organized by the University of Bern and will explore the fate, transport and health effects of contaminants in the environment. The week consists of 10 keynote lectures given by leading national and international scientists and will provide participants with detailed overviews of the key issues concerning environmental pollutions and their connections to global health. Open to PhD students and Postdocs with backgrounds from the following fields: biology, environmental sciences, medicine, veterinary medicine, chemistry, geography and bioinformatics. First application deadline is May 4. For more information click here.
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Virtual One Health International Bachelor and Master Summer School
Aug 16 - 20, 2021
This virtual course is organized by the University of Bern and offers a unique opportunity to explore the methods and current knowledge on the health of terrestrial food chains, from soils to plants, animals and humans. Open to third year Bachelor students and first year Masters’ students with a background in life sciences. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the program is full. For more information click here.
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World Anti-Microbial Resistance Congress 2021
Washington, DC
Nov 8 - 9, 2021
The World Anti-Microbial Resistance Congress focusses on one of the most important parts of the AMR challenge: tackling the supply problem. The world's largest AMR conference will bring together all the stakeholders involved in developing new antibiotic drugs. For more information and to download the prospectus please click here.
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AACTING Conference
POSTPONED
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the hopes yet uncertainties about the evolution and effect of the mass vaccination programs currently being rolled out worldwide, the Conference has been postponed until further notice. Visit the AACTING website for more information.
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Recruitment Opportunities
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Postdoctoral Research Position in Data-analytics of the clinical and economic impact of antimicrobial resistance in patients with bacteremia.
The Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary in Conjunction with the AMR - One Health Consortium has an immediate opening for a postdoctoral research scientist with experience in the analysis of complex databases to analyze the effects of antimicrobial resistance on the economic and clinical consequences of anti-microbial resistance in patients with bacteremia.
The successful candidate will be working on a database already established to answer these important questions. Opportunities to collaborate with other members of the one health group will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Experience with statistical analysis using integrated databases is required and an interest of experience in health care economics is desirable. The position is a one year contract.
Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest and CV to Dr. Daniel Gregson at dgregson@ucalgary.ca.
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Check out our website for more trainee opportunities.
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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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