By Alison Roach
U of A Med students on top
According to the 2012 Canadian national medical licensing exams, medical students from the University of Alberta are the top class in Canada, receiving the higher marks than any of Canada’s other 16 medical schools. In addition to that, U of A medical students were also ranked first in the 2011 Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination. One graduate of the class of 2012, Dr. Naheed Rajabali, accredits the top ranking to the support given by administrators and teachers.
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TWU bird watches
Trinity Western University researchers are collaborating with Michigan State University and Cornell University in a new study that looks at bird damage to fruit crops in three major temperate zones across North America. The study will specifically follow cherry, blueberry, Honeycrisp apple, and wine grape crops for three years. The study has received a $2 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture as part of their Specialty Crop Research Initiative. The goal is to find ways for farmers to encourage beneficial birds and discourage pest birds.
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Queen’s researcher helps patients swallow
Queen’s University researcher Lawrence Hookey successfully performed the first endoscopic procedure in North America using a biodegradable esophageal stent. Stents are essentially tubes inserted in the throat, and are used to improve quality of life for patients with difficulty swallowing. The biodegradable stent is a mesh tube that holds the narrow of the esophagus open so patients can swallow goods and liquids more easily. Unlike conventional metal stents, the biodegradable stent does not slip out of place, and breaks down naturally so it doesn’t need to be removed.
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University of Ottawa launches nursing research centre
The University of Ottawa, along with the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO), has launched the new Nursing Best Practice Research Centre. The new centre’s goals include promoting research, fostering collaboration and facilitating knowledge transfer among researchers and
practitioners, policymakers, educators, and administrators in Canada and around the world. The research centre will become a site for documenting the impact of RNAO guidelines for improving patient care patient outcomes.
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U of T researches evolutionary difference
University of Toronto researchers have discovered a genetic basis for fundamental differences between humans and other vertebrates, one that may explain why humans are vulnerable to diseases not found in other species. The process of alternative splicing, by which a single gene can give rise to multiple proteins, was found to have played a large role in the characteristics of species. One major finding by the team was that the alternative splicing process is more complex in humans and primates than in other vertebrates. This provides insight into the genetic basis for the complexity of human organs such as the brain.
