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
CBC News: Research lacking on medical marijuana, new prescription guideline suggests
A new guideline for medical marijuana, developed by Edmonton researchers and led by Mike Allan, director of Evidence Based Medicine at the University of Alberta's Department of Family Medicine, warns family doctors that the risks may outweigh the benefits for the vast majority of patients. Story also runs in CTV News, Global, the Globe and Mail, National Post, Postmedia newspapers across Canada, Metro News, Daily Mail (UK), Deccan Chronicle, Yahoo News, Gizmodo, MD Magazine and more.
CASA announced funding for the U of A's Department of Psychiatry to develop a new CASA Research Chair for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. CASA is a group that works with kids facing a range of mental health and addiction issues. Coverage also provided by Global News and CTV News.
CBC News: U of A research provides exciting possibilities for stroke victims
An experimental therapy being tested by U of A researchers has "exciting" possibilities for stroke victims, said Ian Winship an associate professor of psychiatry. Anna Wiersma, lead author of the study and a recent PhD graduate at the Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute is also quoted. Coverage also appears on Global News, CTV Edmonton, CTV Calgary, Science Daily and in the St. Albert Gazette.
RESEARCH
CBC Edmonton AM: Life saving surveillance
Matthew Douma, an adjunct associate professor of Critical Care Medicine at the U of A, is leading a resuscitation science working group at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. They target leading causes of death and disability to better understand how to best medically respond to them. The group is now looking to surveillance cameras as potential life-saving medical tools.
St. Albert Gazette: Study examines cannabis use
A new study may help determine how long you should abstain from cannabis before getting behind the wheel. Scot Purdon, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the U of A, is among the Alberta researchers involved in the study.
CTV News: Finding the best ways to manage kid's physical pain
Samina Ali, a professor of pediatrics at the U of A is interviewed about a project for emergency room doctors to help manage pain in child patients.
TimesLIVE: The secret life of fat cells & what shapes them
In an article about fat cells, research from Peter Light, a pharmacology professor at the U of A and director of the Alberta Diabetes Institute, is referenced. In January, a study he published revealed that fat cells just below the skin "shrink when exposed to the blue light emitted by the sun". Related coverage also appears in the Richmond Register.
CapeCod.com: A Familiar Hospital is Key for Heart Failure Patients
For people with heart failure, sticking with the same hospital may result in a shorter length of stay and a higher chance of survival, according to a new Canadian study led by Finlay McAlister, a professor of medicine at the U of A.
Ottawa Citizen: Probing probiotics: What we know - or think we know - about the bacteria in our guts
There have been many claims that gut bacteria are the answer to keeping us healthy, but does science back this up? The article references recent research from the U of A's Dina Kao that showed doctors can successfully implant bacteria from a healthy person's stool into the gut of a sick person through a "poop pill".
UPI: Frailty predicts surgical outcome for older patients, study says
Older patients' successful outcomes from surgery, including repeat hospitalizations, are dependent on identifying their frailty, according to new research published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The work was led by Rachel Khadaroo, an associate professor of surgery at the U of A.
Editorial argues that an experiment by U of A researchers that resurrected a cousin of the smallpox virus was unnecessary. Story also appears in The Frederick News-Post. Related coverage appears in NPR.
EXPERT
Global News: Dental professionals urged to help educate people on link between cancer and oral sex
Rates of HPV-related mouth and throat cancers have skyrocketed since the 1980s and now, University of Alberta experts are urging dental professionals to play a larger role in prevention. Alexandra Sheppard and Seema Ganatra with the U of A's School of Dentistry give expert comment.
The Guardian: The cost of skinny
In the battle to lose weight and regain health, the bank account can take one of the hardest hits. Arya Sharma, a professor of medicine at the U of A and scientific director of the Canadian Obesity Network, comments in the article. Coverage also appears in The Western Star.
Albertan health, citizen and government groups start to lay the groundwork for a new tactic to combat HIV rates, as the province continues to see rates of the disease increase. Ameeta Singh, a clinical professor of medicine at the U of A, comments in the article.
The Guardian: God, minerals and mud: thousands flock to Fiji's 'miracle spring'
The impoverished town of Natadradave, home to just 27 families, has become a site of global interest thanks to 'healing properties' of its natural pool. Professor Emeritus Steve E. Hrudey from the U of A's Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology comments in the article. Related coverage also appears in Christian Today.
PEOPLE, PARTNERSHIPS AND EDUCATION
The Charlatan: U of A program helps low income students apply to medical school
Two U of A MD students, Alexander Wong and Emily Fong, have started a program to help Indigenous and low-income youth prepare for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and to assist in the overall process of applying to medical school.
FortSaskOnline: Local children to star in Adventure Camp TV show
Some local children have been given the opportunity to be featured in a new television series. CHANGE Adventure Camp, an Edmonton day camp for children and families, will be the subject of the upcoming show called "Adventure Camp." Doug Klein, creator of the camp and an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the U of A, is quoted.
The Gateway: U of A cardiologist who gave hope to heart attack patients receives Order of Canada
A profile of Paul Armstrong, a professor of medicine at the U of A and director of the Canadian VIGOUR Centre. Armstrong has been named an officer of the Order of Canada.