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Welcome to Pathology's Bi-Weekly Bulletin | Nov 1, 2024

Share your experience in the UBC Workplace Experiences Survey next week

On November 4th, UBC will send an individual link to the UBC Workplace Experiences Survey to academic faculty and UBC staff. This survey allows faculty and staff to share their experiences working at UBC. Your input helps shape university-wide, Faculty, and unit-level priorities and initiatives in areas that matter most to you and your colleagues.

In the Faculty of Medicine, insights from the last WES in 2021 played an important role in informing programs and initiatives, such as the Staff Mentorship Program and the expansion of our Faculty-wide recognition program for both faculty and staff.

You can expect to receive an email on Monday, November 4, with your unique link to access the survey. Please do not forward this link, as each person receives a unique link to complete.

To ensure the survey is confidential, UBC has partnered with Canadian-based survey provider TalentMap. Details on how your feedback is kept confidential—including where data is stored, what’s collected, and who has access—are available online at https://hr.ubc.ca/WES.

Weekly Province-wide Pathology Rounds

Date & Time: November 1, 12:00PM | Presenter: Dr. Inna Sekirov & Dr. Agatha Jassem | Title: "Serosurveillance: A Vital Part of a Public Health Lab Toolkit" | Objectives:1. Describe serosurveillance techniques; 2. Define the benefits and limitations of serosurveillance and how it is complementary to other surveillance tools; 3. Provide examples of serosurveys, including for respiratory viruses and emerging pathogens

Inna Sekirov Bio
Agatha Jassem Bio

You can also view previous rounds here. Rounds.

We welcome your participation and suggestions for topics or speakers. Please email your ideas to pathassist@pathology.ubc.ca.

The same Zoom link will be used for all rounds: Join Zoom Meeting
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/61199076992?pwd=3Ix1R2FwPB9rwimuOEfPmfhaO6onAa.1

Welcome to Our Department!

We are pleased to welcome Donald Kinloch as our new Executive Assistant, joining the department on November 4th. Donald brings valuable experience from his previous role with the Faculty of Medicine's medical undergraduate program. Contact Information: pathassist@pathology.ubc.ca or donald.kinloch@ubc.ca.

Students in class listening to a lecturer

Awards & Recognition

Dr. Mehwish Anwer (Postdoctoral Fellow): Congratulations to Dr. Anwer on receiving the Michael Smith Health Research BC (MSHRBC) Postdoctoral Fellowship! This award supports her ongoing research at the Wellington Lab. Short Bio

Recent Publications

This month, UBC is spotlighting critical cybersecurity challenges affecting the university community. Learn about the latest threats and how we can all stay protected by following best practices. Please view the presentation for more details.

  • Dr. David Granville: Lead author Dr. Alex Aubert and team identified novel mechanisms of granzyme B in autoimmune conditions and inflammation. Read in JCI Insights [JCI Insight. 2024 Oct 17:e181935.doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.181935]
  • Dr. Guangze Zhao (Postdoctoral Fellow), Dr. Honglin Luo, Dr. Bruce McManus and Dr. Decheng Yang: Their study reveals how epigenetic regulation influences antiviral responses, providing crucial insights into host defense mechanisms against viral infections. Read in Microorganisms [ Journals Microorganisms Volume 12 Issue 11 10.3390/microorganisms12112152]
  • Dr. Wenna Shi, Dr. Hui Xue, Dr. Tianwei Du, Dr. Jun-Li Liu, Dr. Victor Ling, Dr. Yuzhuo Wang, Dr. Zhenwei Ma and Dr. Zu-hua Gao: "Penetration enhancers strengthen tough hydrogel bioadhesion and modulate locoregional drug delivery." Read in Biomaterials Science
  • Dr. Muhammad Morshed, Dr. Mel Krajden, Dr. Chris Fjell and colleagues: Their study presents insights into optimizing culture conditions for Borrelia burgdorferi (the Lyme disease pathogen), demonstrating how varying oxygen levels can significantly impact bacterial growth and detection methods. Read in ASM Spectrum [ Open Peer Review Bacteriology Research Article 27 September 2024]
  • Dr. Mehwish Anwer (Postdoctoral Fellow), Wellington Lab: Contributed a significant book chapter examining brain injuries across different age groups in the new volume "Traumatic Brain Injuries - Navigating the Unique Terrain of the Injured Young and Aged Brains," published in Advances in Neurobiology. Read the Chapter [Chapter First Online: 22 October 2024 pp 263–283]

Students in class listening to a lecturer

📅 Date: Friday, January 17, 2025
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
📍 Location: MSAC - 2750 Heather Street
✉️ Please RSVP by January 10th so we can make proper arrangements 🔗 Registration
❓ Questions? Contact Donald Kinloch at pathassist@pathology.ubc.ca

**Important Update: Department Awards **

This year, we're bringing our Department Awards celebration to our January Seasonal Celebration on January 17, 2025. Moving from its traditional PathDay timing, we'll now recognize excellence and outstanding contributions within our department during our festive winter gathering. The nomination period is now open, and we encourage all faculty, staff, and students to submit nominations across our various award categories. Your nominations help us celebrate the remarkable achievements and dedication of our department members. Please submit your nominations through our department website at Nomination page .

Seed Grant Workshop Announcement

We are excited to announce the PGAP - Pathology Grant Application Practicum, led by Dr. Cheryl Wellington, Professor and Vice Chair of Research, starting in January 2024. This workshop is open to clinical and academic faculty, as well as graduate students, research assistants, and postdocs. The workshop will cover key aspects of grant writing, culminating in the awarding of two $15,000 seed grants.

  • Workshop Dates: Jan 10, Jan 24, Feb 7, Feb 14, Feb 28, Mar 14, Mar 28, Apr 11, Apr 25 and May 9
  • Time: Fridays, 9-11 am
  • Location: UBC Hospital G226 Vassar Seminar Room (hybrid format available)

Please visit this link to register. For more details, refer to the workshop outline.

Feel free to reach out to Dr. Cheryl Wellington or Genevieve Macmillan for any questions. We look forward to your participation!

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