A message from the dean

It’s been an extremely busy and successful year in the Max Rady College of Medicine and I want to sincerely thank all deans, faculty, staff, learners and partners for your hard work and efforts in advancing the strategic priorities of the college and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

A great deal of focus this past year has, for many, been on UGME accreditation. Our successful accreditation results this fall for a full eight years is one of the best results across Canada since new standards were introduced in 2013.

But it doesn’t mean we are sitting on our laurels. In addition to addressing the nine areas identified in the survey by CACMS and LCME (three non-compliant and six compliant with monitoring), we view our positive results as an opportunity to be innovative in our teaching and learning environment in the years ahead.

We are also underway in preparing for PGME Accreditation 2021, led by Dr. Kurt Skakum, director accreditation PGME (chair) and Dr Cliff Yaffe, associate dean, PGME (co-chair). As we begin 2020, let’s think about how we can support one another to achieve further successes and, let’s strive to be leaders on the national stage to create a medical school that supports equity, diversity, inclusion and respect and support for Indigenous achievement.

Wishing everyone a happy new year and happy holidays!

Dr. Brian Postl, dean, Max Rady College of Medicine; dean, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and vice-provost (health sciences) 

UM research project to improve kidney health in remote communities wins funding from TD Bank

University of Manitoba researchers have received $1 million in funding to deliver innovative health care solutions to some of Manitoba’s Indigenous communities. UM is one of the 10 recipients selected from 378 applicants to the 2019 TD Ready Challenge presented by TD Bank Group. This funding will expand the University of Manitoba’s Kidney Check program. Read the full story here. 

The Winnipeg Foundation commits $1 million to support innovation seed funding for UM health sciences researchers

The Winnipeg Foundation announced its commitment of $1 million to support health sciences research at the University of Manitoba. The funding will establish The Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Grants in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. Read the full story here. 

Winnipeg Rh Institute Foundation donates $1-M to support pediatric research at U of M

The Rady Faculty of Health Sciences recently announced the new Dr. John M. Bowman Chair in Pediatrics and Child Health research chair to improve care and treatment for childhood disease and disability. The Winnipeg Rh Institute Foundation is supporting the Dr. John M. Bowman Chair in Pediatrics and Child Health through a gift of $1 million. Read the full story here.

Two researchers named as Canada’s most powerful women

Two UM researchers in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences have been named as Canada’s Most Powerful Women in 2019 by Women’s Executive Network (WXN). Dr. Flordeliz Gigi Osler, an associate professor in the department of Otolaryngology, and PhD student and Vanier Scholar Taylor Morriseau received the honour. Read the full story here.

First-ever resident retreat a success: ‘You can’t pour from an empty glass’

More than 400 residents came together at the Fort Gary Campus for the inaugural Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) Resident Retreat. The day was filled with workshops, a group panel discussion, a wide variety of activities and a social event to end the day. Read the full story here. 

Award for research support in Indigenous health recognizes “unsung heroes”

Ongomiizwin – Research Services is now accepting applications for the Dawn Stewart Award for Research Support in Indigenous Health. This award is named for Dawn Stewart who worked for over 30 years at the University of Manitoba, in varying capacities, in Indigenous health research. Read full story here.

Physician pens book about ‘medical misadventures’

Dr. Arnold Tweed writes in his newly released book that “the practice of medicine, for better or worse, is a curious mix of science, art and divination, and the results are never entirely predictable.” This statement sums up the collection of short stories about his colourful experiences as a physician titled, “Medical Misadventures: What I Didn’t Learn in Medical School.” Read the full story here.

Student research 

The Joe Doupe Undergraduate Medical Research Symposium celebrated the accomplishments of the Max Rady College of Medicine students who participated in one of two research programs – the bachelor of science in medicine program and the single summer research program. Read the full story here.

Recruiting for BV study

THRIVE is a Winnipeg based cohort which is recruiting women diagnosed with and without bacterial vaginosis (BV) which aims to determine factors contributing to BV recurrence. This study is led by University of Manitoba Investigators, in partnership with the JC Wilt Infectious Disease Research Centre, including Dr. Adam Burgener, Dr. Alicia Berard, and Dr. Vanessa Poliquin, a reproductive infectious diseases clinician. Read the full story here. 

Library services

The Neil John Maclean Health Sciences Library serves the Bannatyne Campus community, including the Max Rady College of Medicine. Librarians teach embedded session in all undergraduate programs at Bannatyne, as well as offering lunchtime workshops for faculty, staff and students on a wide range of topics like research support, systematic searching, citation management tools, data management and GIS in the health sciences. Workshops resume in January for the winter term.

Librarians also meet students and researchers in their offices, to discuss individual research needs. Book an appointment here. And of course, the space is a prime studying spot. Hours are posted to the library's website; remember that swipe access is enabled during "Study Hall" hours. Keep in touch with the library by subscribing to its monthly newsletter, following them on Twitter @healthlibrary or visiting its web page.

Dr. Charles N. Bernstein, distinguished professor, internal medicine, was awarded the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada 2019 Research Leadership Award. He received this recognition for his outstanding contribution to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) research in Canada, in addition to his demonstration of leadership in this field.

The department of emergency medicine is pleased to announce that Dr. Patrick Boreskie, one of its PGY-4 FRCPC-EM residents, has been selected as a chief resident for the International Conference in Residency Education 2020. Boreskie is currently a fellow in the CanadiEM Digital Scholars Program and has a particular interest in #FOAMEd and knowledge translation.

Dr. Sharon Bruce has been appointed as head of the department of community health sciences. She is a graduate of the University of Manitoba, where she received her bachelor of nursing in 1984, her master of arts in 1993, and her PhD in 1999. She joined the Max Rady College of Medicine as an assistant professor in 2001, and currently serves as a professor in the department of community health sciences. Read more here.

Dr. Alexander Singer is the newly appointed director of research and quality improvement in the department of family medicine. He is a family physician, associate professor and the network director of the Manitoba Primary Care Research Network (part of the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network) where he leads and collaborates on several practice based research studies.

The department of family medicine recently announced Dr. Allison Paige as associate director, quality improvement, where she will lead the department’s postgraduate curriculum for quality improvement and continue to advance the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s Practice Improvement Initiative.

Dr. Gayle Halas, Rady chair of Interprofessional Collaborative Practice and co-research lead of the Manitoba Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (SPOR) Primary and Integrated Health Care Innovation Network, is newly appointed as associate director, research in the department of family medicine, where she will focus on research that brings a collaborative lens to questions affecting primary health care. 

The department of emergency medicine is pleased to announce that Dr. Cheryl ffrench has taken on the role of program director of the FRCPC Emergency Medicine Postgraduate Program. ffrench is an award-winning educator with a particular interest in simulation who has continuously demonstrated her dedication to innovation and excellence in medical education. She is joined by Dr. Kyle Burkett, who has assumed the role of associate director for the program, and Dr. Deborah Hill, who continues on as assistant director. All three are University of Manitoba alumni who currently practice emergency medicine at the Health Sciences Centre in addition to their academic roles.

The department of emergency medicine would also like to extend its deepest appreciation to Dr. Wesley Palatnick for his decades of service as director of its postgraduate program. Palatnick built the foundation of medical education in emergency medicine in Manitoba and nearly 30 years of emergency medicine graduates have benefited from his tutelage. He continues to practice as an emergency physician and consulting toxicologist at the Health Sciences Centre.

Ingrid Toews, PhD, retired from Office of Educational and Faculty Development (OEFD) after more than 20 years of service with the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. Most recently, Toews was the post-licensure communication skills facilitator in the Max Rady College of Medicine and IPE liaison. She was also the remediation specialist, working with both practicing health professionals and postgraduate residents.

Stephanie Giberson-Kirby, education specialist, left OEFD to follow her family to Ontario. Giberson-Kirby is now working with Western University as a faculty development specialist. She was the career development lead and pharmacy liaison. She also actively participated in OEFD’s faculty development programming. Kathleen Legris was hired to fill Giberson-Kirby’s position, bringing expertise in program planning, online learning, and curriculum development. 

OEFD added a position to support program evaluation and student assessment within all five colleges, but with a specific focus on undergraduate medicine. Ryan Day brings skills in the area of online learning and knowledge mobilization to the position.

Dr. Pingzhao Hu, assistant professor, department of biochemistry and medical genetics, received a grant ($25,000) from NSERC to develop artificial intelligence algorithms to prioritize small molecule candidates for drug re-positioning.

Jan. 2019 – Dec. 2020: Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Strategic Grant, “Realist Evaluation of Competence By Design in Postgraduate Medical Education”, Principal Investigator C. Rachul. Co-investigators J. Hamilton, H. Mawdsley, I. Toews, M-.K. Chan, G. Srinavasan. Total Amount: $25,400 CAN.

Jan. 2019 – Dec. 2019: Manitoba Centre for Nursing and Health Research, Collaborative Health Research Grant, “Social Justice and Health Equity in the Teaching & Learning Environment: Perspectives of Academic Leaders in Health Profession Programs”, Role: Co-Investigator (with Principal Investigator B. Cohen, Co-Investigator C. Rachul, and 7 other co-investigators), Total Amount: $7,500 CAN.

OEFD sessions

The Office of Educational and Faculty Development (OEFD) has a diverse range of faculty development offerings in the Winter 2020 term in the areas of teaching, career development, curriculum development and research. Events are regularly announced on OEFD’s website and through its Twitter account. 

One-hour noon sessions

January 14: The Art of Facilitating Clinical Simulation Learning Experiences

January 22: Creating Custom Animations with PowToon

February 11: Aligning Assessment with Objectives

February 25: Effective Ward Teaching

Two-hour sessions that explore topics at a deeper level

January 21: Incorporating Active Learning in Your Classroom

February 26: Developing your Small Group Tutorial (Small Group Teaching Series)

Longitudinal Series that provide depth and breadth on targeted topics

January-April: Teaching Online: a teaching online course designed to guide health educators interested in exploring possibilities and converting a face-to-face course into an online format.  

HSGSA Winter Formal

For the first time ever, the Health Sciences Graduate Student Association (HSGSA) presents the HSGSA Winter Formal. Tickets are $15 for HSGSA students, and $30 for guests. Tickets can be purchased from an HSGSA executive during office hours or email vpmarketingevents@hsgsa.org to purchase online. All the proceeds will be donated to the Winnipeg Humane Society.

Friday, January 17

Drinks: 7:30 p.m. - Dinner: 8:30 p.m.

Location: Joe Doupe Concourse, Basic Medical Sciences Building

Ongomiizwin - Health Services 50th Anniversary Gala

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Ongomiizwin - Health Services (formerly J.A. Hildes Northern Medical Unit) at a gala dinner as part of the annual Indigenous Health Research Symposium. Help us honour the many Elders, health professionals, staff and partners who have worked together to enrich the health and well-being of First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities in Northern Manitoba and Nunavut. Tickets can be purchased here. For more information, contact:
Ongomiizwin@umanitoba.ca.

Friday, January 24

Location: The Fairmont Winnipeg, 2 Lombard Pl.

IPE Day Shift

IPE Day Shift is a simulated mini-ward that offers the opportunity for students from all the colleges in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences to have firsthand experience in a hospital ward setting. For more information contact: Rhonda.Usunier@umanitoba.ca. 

Saturday, February 1

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Location: Rooms 460-470, Helen Glass Centre, Fort Garry Campus

Town Hall: Responsible Conduct of Research

Join us for a presentation by Dr. Digvir Jayas, vice-president, research and international, on responsible research conduct for members of the university community. Faculty, staff and students of Rady Faculty of Health Sciences are encouraged to attend. This event will be hosted by Dr. Peter Nickerson, vice-dean research, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

Friday, February 21

2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Location: Frederic Gaspard Theatre, Basic Medical Sciences Building

Wintemute K, Greiver M, McIsaac W, Del Giudice EM, Sullivan F, Aliarzadeh B, Kalia S, Meaney C, Moineddin R, Singer A. Choosing Wisely Canada campaign associated with less overuse of thyroid testing. Canadian Family Physician 2019; 65: 487-496.

Abrams EM, Singer A, Chan ES. Food allergy prevention with early food introduction; New recommendations on introducing allergenic solids. Canadian Family Physician 2019; 65: 637-638.

Diffey, L., Fontaine, L. & Schultz, A.H.S. (2019). Understanding First Nations women’s heart health. Prince George, BC: National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health.

Goldberg AM, Bobrowski A, Wightman A. Crowdsourcing in pediatric transplant
studies - An opportunity for reflection on research ethics. Pediatr Transplant.
2019 Dec;23(8):e13603. doi: 10.1111/petr.13603. PubMed PMID: 31769169.

Goldberg AM, Foster BJ. Should Lack of Family Social Support Be a Contraindication to Pediatric Transplant? Am J Bioeth. 2019 Nov;19(11):37-39. doi: 10.1080/15265161.2019.1665751. PubMed PMID: 31661418.

Dart A, Chartier M, Komenda P, Walld R, Koseva I, Burchill C, Tangri N. Evaluation of administrative case definitions for chronic kidney disease in children. Pediatr Res. 2019 Oct 2. doi: 10.1038/s41390-019-0595-1. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31578037.

Sanchez-Ramirez D, Singer A, Kosowan L, Polimeni C. Exploring Clinical Care Among Adults with Diabetes Mellitus: Alignment with Recommended Statin and Sulfonylureas Treatment. Canadian Journal of Diabetes. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1499267118309377#

Albensi, B was co-author on Perspectives on ethnic and racial disparities in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias: Update and areas of immediate need. Alzheimer’s & Dementia. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1552526018335568

Wawrykow T, McColl T, Veljii A, Chan M-K. Emergency Medicine Oral Case Presentations: Evaluation of a novel curriculum. Academic Emergency Medicine Education and Training, 2019 Nov1  https://doi.org/10.1002/aet2.10408

Saxena A, Meschino D, Hazelton L, Chan M-K, Benrimoh D, Matlow A, Dath D, Busari J. Power and Physician Leadership. BMJ Leader, 2019 July 15: 1-7 doi.org/10.1136/leader-2019-000139

Rachul, C., Collins, B., Ahmed, M., Cai, G. (submitted for peer review). Twelve tips for designing assignments that foster independence in learning. Medical Teacher.

Caulfield, T., Marcon, A.R., Murdoch, B., Brown, J.M., Tinker Perrault, S., Jarry, J, Snyder, J., Anthony, S.J., Brooks, S., Master, Z., Rachul, C., Ogbogu, U., Greenberg, J., Zarzeczny, A., Hyde-Lay, R. (2019). Health misinformation and the power of narrative messaging in the public sphere. Canadian Journal of Bioethics, 2(2), 52-60

Rachul, C. (2019). Digesting data: Tracing the chromosomal imprint of scientific evidence through the development and use of Canadian dietary guidelines. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 33(1), 26-59.

Hepburn CM, Gilpin A, Autmizguine J, Denburg A, Dupuis LL, Finkelstein Y,
Gruenwoldt E, Ito S, Jong G', Lacaze-Masmonteil T, Levy D, Macleod S, P Miller S,
Offringa M, Pinsk M, Power B, Rieder M, Litalien C. Improving paediatric
medications: A prescription for Canadian children and youth. Paediatr Child
Health. 2019 Aug;24(5):333-339. doi: 10.1093/pch/pxz079. Epub 2019 Jul 25.
Review. English, French. PubMed PMID: 31379437; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6656949.

Hanson CS, Gutman T, Craig JC, Bernays S, Raman G, Zhang Y, James LJ, Ralph AF, Ju A, Manera KE, Teixeira-Pinto A, Viecelli AK, Alexander SI, Blydt-Hansen TD, Dionne J, McTaggart S, Michael M, Walker A, Carter S, Wenderfer SE, Winkelmayer WC, Bockenhauer D, Dart A, Eddy AA, Furth SL, Gipson DS, Goldstein SL, Groothoff J, Samuel S, Sinha A, Webb NJA, Yap HK, Zappitelli M, Currier H, Tong A. Identifying Important Outcomes for Young People With CKD and Their Caregivers: A Nominal Group Technique Study. Am J Kidney Dis. 2019 Jul;74(1):82-94. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2018.12.040. Epub 2019 Mar 15. PubMed PMID: 30885704.

Downar J, Shemie SD, Gillrie C, Fortin MC, Appleby A, Buchman DZ, Shoesmith C, Goldberg A, Gruben V, Lalani J, Ysebaert D, Wilson L, Sharpe MD; for Canadian Blood Services, the Canadian Critical Care Society, the Canadian Society of Transplantation and the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses. Deceased organ and tissue donation after medical assistance in dying and other conscious and competent donors: guidance for policy. CMAJ. 2019 Jun 3;191(22):E604-E613. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.181648. Erratum in: CMAJ. 2019 Jul 2;191(26):E745. PubMed PMID: 31160497; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6546574.

Wiebe C, Kosmoliaptsis V, Pochinco D, Gibson IW, Ho J, Birk PE, Goldberg A,
Karpinski M, Shaw J, Rush DN, Nickerson PW. HLA-DR/DQ molecular mismatch: A
prognostic biomarker for primary alloimmunity. Am J Transplant. 2019
Jun;19(6):1708-1719. doi: 10.1111/ajt.15177. Epub 2018 Dec 15. PubMed PMID:
30414349; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6563434.

Samuel SM, Dart A, Filler G, Bitzan M, Pinsk M, Mammen C, Nettel-Aguirre A, Perinpanayagam MA, Takano T, Chanchlani R, Zappitelli M; other members of the Canadian Childhood Nephrotic Syndrome Project Team. The Canadian childhood nephrotic syndrome (CHILDNEPH) study: report on mid-study feasibility, recruitment and main measures. BMC Nephrol. 2019 May 14;20(1):159. doi: 10.1186/s12882-019-1320-3. PubMed PMID: 31088399; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6515641.

Rampersad C, Dart A. Widening the lens to childhood: relevance and lifetime risk of kidney failure. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2019 May;28(3):233-237. doi: 10.1097/MNH.0000000000000494. PubMed PMID: 30844883.

Dart A, Wicklow B, Blydt-Hansen TD, Sellers EAC, Malik S, Chateau D, Sharma A, McGavock JM. A Holistic Approach to Risk for Early Kidney Injury in Indigenous Youth With Type 2 Diabetes: A Proof of Concept Paper From the iCARE Cohort. Can J Kidney Health Dis. 2019 Apr 21;6:2054358119838836. doi: 10.1177/2054358119838836. eCollection 2019. PubMed PMID: 31041107; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6477761. 

Nicholas DB, Kaufman M, Pinsk M, Samuel S, Hamiwka L, Molzahn AE. Examining the Transition from Child to Adult Care in Chronic Kidney Disease: An Open Exploratory Approach. Nephrol Nurs J. 2018 Nov-Dec;45(6):553-559. PubMed PMID: 30585710.