Jamie Fleming Graduate Studentship Award
The Alberta Transplant Institute is pleased to announce the Jamie Fleming Graduate Studentship Award. This studentship award has been made possible by a generous donation from Nancy Fleming in 2024, in memory of her husband, Jamie Fleming and is open to a full-time graduate student registered at the University of Alberta whose research project is relevant to lung transplantation.
In 2015, Jamie was diagnosed with a lung disease that required transplantation. In 2017, he received a double lung transplant at the U of A Hospital. This transplant gave Jamie an additional year of life, time deeply cherished by his family. Sadly, he passed away at the age of 66 in 2018. Thanks to the generosity of the Flemings, the creation of this graduate studentship award will honour Jamie’s life and continue his legacy by supporting innovative research in the field of lung transplantation.
The value of the award is $7,500. The application deadline is June 1st.
To submit your application:
Kindly forward your post-secondary transcripts along with the completed application form (available for download here) to transplant@ualberta.ca with the subject line "Jamie Fleming Graduate Studentship Application." The ATI Research Committee will evaluate the submissions and the ATI team will notify the selected candidate via email. Furthermore, we will showcase the recipient in our Newsletter and across our social media platforms!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email us at tranplant@ualberta.ca.
The 2024 Jamie Fleming Graduate Studentship Award Recipient
Alisha Rullay (Masters student)
Supervisor: Dr. Kieran Halloran
Please provide a short abstract of your project funded by ATI summer studentship.
Lung transplantation is a lifesaving therapy for patients with advanced lung disease, but post-transplant lung dysfunction remains a barrier to long term survival and quality of life. A common condition, baseline lung allograft dysfunction (BLAD), occurs in 40% of patients where baseline lung function fails to reach a normal threshold compared to healthy reference populations. Our project focuses on analyzing lung function, risk factors, and imaging results in lung transplant recipients transplanted in Edmonton. The objective is to establish ways to predict BLAD, define potential causes, and define the quality-of-life implications for patients living with BLAD.
How has the support from the Alberta Transplant Institute helped you succeed in your research?
The support and opportunities provided by the Alberta Transplant Institute have been instrumental in my success conducting research and as a graduate student. I have had the opportunity to explore the field of transplant research, which has allowed me to supplement and expand my knowledge of lung transplantation. Presenting my project at the ATI research day allowed me to discuss my project with a diverse group of researchers, from whom I received valuable guidance and feedback. I am deeply appreciative of the grant provided by Jamie Fleming and the ATI team in support of our work, allowing me to devote my time to this project.
How would you describe your research project in plain language for a public audience?
Lung transplant is a lifesaving therapy for patients with end-stage lung disease, but 40% of patients do not reach normal lung function after transplant. Our group studied this condition previously and called it baseline lung allograft dysfunction (BLAD). Patients who have BLAD suffer from lower quality of life and a higher risk of dying. For this project, we are studying a large group of double lung transplant patients to explore what causes BLAD, how we can predict it, and how patients’ quality of life is affected when this condition occurs. We are also exploring if BLAD is affected by weakness of the diaphragms, which are large muscles that help us breathe, through routine ultrasound testing at 3-months and 1-year after transplant. Our project will help patients through preventing and potentially treating BLAD, with the goal of improving their quality of life and their chances of a long and healthy life after transplant.