This is a round-up of relevant news and media stories involving the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. We appreciate you relaying information which is relevant to faculty members in your respective areas.
TOP STORIES
CTV Edmonton: Protecting cancer patients' hearts
Being diagnosed with breast cancer is devastating but then patients also learn about the toxic side effects that come with treatment. Some chemotherapy drugs have proven to cause heart disease in breast cancer patients. Amy Kirkham, a postdoctoral research fellow in the University of Alberta's Department of Biomedical Engineering, wants to create a program that will help protect a patient's heart through diet and exercise.
New findings show more moms pregnant during the Fort McMurray wildfire, or in the months immediately after, had post-traumatic stress disorder compared to mothers in similar disasters. The fear is these elevated stress levels could have negative health effects on their newborns, leading to developmental or behavioural issues. David Olson, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the U of A, is leading the study.
The Conversation: Seven easy ways to soothe your child's pain in the hospital
Samina Ali, a professor of pediatrics at the U of A, gives expert tips on how to best manage pain in children while at the hospital. Coverage also appears in the National Post.
RESEARCH
Biotechnology Focus: Body's healing mechanism reduces radiotherapy efficiency: U of A team
A team of scientists and researchers led by David Brindley have found that the body's normal process of healing itself may enable cancer cells to survive radiotherapy.
MD Magazine: Azithromycin Not Helpful for Preschool Children with Wheezing
Preschool children presenting to emergency departments for wheezing did not benefit from add-on azithromycin treatment, in a study comparing their course to children receiving placebo addition to symptomatic treatment. Lead author Piushkumar Mandhane of the U of A's Department of Pediatrics is quoted.
CBC Radio: When technology and medicine meet
This ongoing series about researchers who use technology to make medicine better profiles Patrick Pilarski, an assistant professor with the U of A's Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. No link.
Martha Stewart Living: Boost Your Immunity
Cold and flu germs are all around us this time of year. Research-backed strategies include mention of recent findings about pets by Anita Kozyrskyj, U of A pediatric epidemiologist.
MD Magazine: "Real World" Omalizumab Asthma Study Links Response to FeNO
A study of "real world" asthma treatment with Xolair found patient response reflected the rates and levels of symptom reduction reported in clinical trials. Mohit Bhutani with the U of A's Division of Pulmonary Medicine was one of the researchers involved in the study.
Romper: Here's How A Vaginal Delivery Will Affect Your Baby Later In Life, According To Experts
U of A research is referenced in this article about the benefits of vaginal delivery.
Infants who are bottle-fed rather than breastfed, and to a lesser extent those who are delivered by C-section rather than vaginally, develop gut colonization features that have been linked with food allergies. The study was led by Anita Kozyrskyj in the U of A's Department of Pediatrics.
EXPERT
Red Deer Express: Discussion on deadly opioid held
Central Albertans gathered to hear more information on fentanyl. Martin Davies with the U of A's Department of Pharmacology was one of the featured speakers. Story also runs in the Sylvan Lake News.
Good Times Magazine: You and Your Thyroid
Whether it's overactive or underactive, a misbehaving thyroid gland has to be checked out. Thyroid disorders become increasingly prevalent with age, affecting one in five people aged 75 or older. U of A's Todd McMullen (Department of Surgery) and Andrea Opgenorth (Department of Medicine) are quoted in the story. No link.
CBC News: Tattoo pigments transported to lymph nodes, corpses show
A new study published in the journal Scientific Reports shows that tattoo particles can migrate from skin to a person's lymph nodes. Zaki Taher, a dermatologist and assistant clinical professor in the Department of Medicine at the U of A, gives expert comment.
BBC Future: The deadly germ warfare island abandoned by the Soviets
During the Cold War, Vozrozhdeniya Island was a top-secret testing ground for deadly Soviet super-pathogens including smallpox. David Evans, professor and vice-dean research, is quoted in the story.
Radio New Zealand: Untreated water: 'If nothing changes, it will happen again'
Steve Hrudey, a professor emeritus in the U of A's Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, is at a loss to understand why all New Zealand drinking water is not treated to avoid the risk of illness. Related coverage also appears on Stuff.co.nz.
CFRA Radio: New impaired driving law raises concerns
Louis Francescutti with the U of A's School of Public Health and Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry is interviewed about the issue. No link.
PEOPLE, PARTNERSHIPS AND EDUCATION
BC Local News: Red Deer County residents get a fentanyl lesson
Martin Davies, an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the U of A, spent an evening in Red Deer County educating roughly 85 residents about Alberta's ongoing opioid epidemic.
City News: Living with Guillan-Barre Syndrome
Six years after she was paralyzed, Holly Gerlach laced up her running shoes and completed a five-kilometre run on Saturday. She was one of many raising funds for the U of A's Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute. Coverage also appears on Global News.
Flare Magazine: How I made it: Shawna Pandya, Physician-Astronaut
Q and A features Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry MD alumna Shawna Pandya.
CTV Edmonton: U of A students fundraise for Cystic Fibrosis Canada at Shinerama
Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry students at the U of A helped lead efforts to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis Canada at Shinerama on September 9. No link.
The Herald-News: Romeoville dental office welcomes Clarence Tang
Valley View Dental is proud to welcome Clarence Tang to its experienced team. Tang brings more than 10 years of experience to Valley View Dental. He is both a medical doctor and a dentist. He received his degrees from the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry, the University of Alberta General Practice Residency and the University of Michigan Medical School.
St. Paul Journal: Saddle Lake doctor receives U of A Alumni award
Nicole Cardinal has been recognized and looked up to in the local area as a physician working and serving her home community of Saddle Lake, but she recently was recognized by the U of A for her leadership in Indigenous health. Cardinal was also featured in an interview on CFWE.
The Globe and Mail: Glut of dentists causes aches in Canada's big cities
The price of a practice has almost doubled as practitioners and aggressive corporations compete for space and patients. Ben Greff, who graduated from the U of A's School of Dentistry in 2015, is interviewed.
Vancouver Sun: Wilkinson highlights his rural roots as he launches Liberal leadership bid
Former B.C. cabinet minister Andrew Wilkinson has launched a campaign to lead the B.C. Liberal party. Wilkinson is an alumnus of the U of A's MD program.
CBC Edmonton AM: The roots of Alberta Dentistry
Interview with Taylor Lambert, an author who wrote a book for the 100th anniversary of the U of A's School of Dentistry.