November 28, 2003
Ralph Goodale Announces $4.4 Million in Funding for Indirect Costs of Research at the University of Saskatchewan
Posted November 28, 2003
The following News Release was issued today by Industry Canada
RALPH GOODALE ANNOUNCES $4.4 MILLION
IN FUNDING FOR INDIRECT COSTS OF RESEARCH
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, November 28, 2003 -- Ralph Goodale regional
minister of Saskatchewan, on behalf of Allan Rock, Minister of Industry,
today announced that the University of Saskatchewan will receive a total of
$4.4 million this year to help cover indirect costs associated with
federally sponsored research.
"This investment is important for the University of Saskatchewan. As western
Canada continues to evolve as a leader in innovation, this funding will
bolster the city's economic growth and generate additional solutions to
health and environmental challenges," said Minister Goodale. "The Government
of Canada is dedicated to helping our universities, colleges and affiliated
research institutes sustain a research environment in which excellence can
thrive."
"Universities, colleges and affiliated research institutes are the backbone
of the Canadian innovation system, both as generators of knowledge and as
training grounds for highly skilled personnel," said Minister Rock. "This
program follows through on our commitment to work with universities and
colleges to find a permanent solution to the challenge of funding the
indirect costs associated with federally sponsored research."
Launched in Budget 2001 as a one-time program, Indirect Costs was made
permanent in Budget 2003. The program addresses a key need identified by the
university/college and medical research communities, and other stakeholders
in consultations leading up to, and during, the National Summit on
Innovation and Learning. It supports the research efforts of large and small
universities by providing funding for indirect costs such as the operation
and maintenance of equipment and facilities, information management systems,
and technology transfer and commercialization services.
"This critically important program will boost research activity at the U of
S, assisting our talented faculty and students in their pursuit of new
discoveries and innovation," said Peter MacKinnon, President of the
University of Saskatchewan. "By making this program permanent, the federal
government is recognizing the growing indirect costs of research and the
burden that this had imposed on the universities."
Under the Indirect Costs program, the distribution of funds to individual
universities will be based on their past federal research awards from the
federal university-research granting agencies: the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research
Council, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
The Indirect Costs program is a key element of Canada's Innovation Strategy,
which outlines specific actions in areas such as skills development,
knowledge creation and commercialization, smart regulation, and innovative
communities designed to move Canada to the front ranks of innovative
countries.
For additional information on the Indirect Costs program, visit
http://www.indirectcosts.gc.ca.
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For more information, please contact:
Mylène Dupéré
Office of Allan Rock
Minister of Industry
(613) 995-9001
Media Relations
Industry Canada
(613) 943-2502
Physical Activity Complex Officially Opened
Posted November 28, 2003
The following news release was issued by the Government of Saskatchewan.
Physical Activity Complex Officially Opened
In a ceremony this afternoon, Premier Lorne Calvert and University of Saskatchewan President Peter MacKinnon officially opened the Physical Activity Complex (PAC) on campus.
"The Government of Saskatchewan made a promise to strengthen our province's learning sector," Premier Calvert said. "The Physical Activity Complex demonstrates our government's commitment to fulfill that promise while building on the College of Kinesiology's reputation of excellence as well as the In-Motion program championed by the college."
The $33 million building was funded primarily by the Government of Saskatchewan and serves as a visible sign of renewal and expansion of campus infrastructure. The building includes a fully equipped 13,500 square foot Campus Fit Centre, the most comprehensive facility of its kind in Saskatchewan and a vast improvement over past facilities.
Together with the running track, triple-gymnasium, and climbing wall, the centre demonstrates the University of Saskatchewan's commitment to meeting the health and fitness needs of the entire campus community. The complex will be home to the College of Kinesiology, Community Service Programs and Huskie Athletics.
"In addition to providing much-needed research and teaching facilities for the College, this facility and its outstanding features will play an important role in enhancing the on-campus experience of our students," Peter MacKinnon said.
"Like all universities today, we face considerable competition for students and faculty. In this environment, the ability to offer ample opportunities for recreation and physical fitness as part of the university experience becomes increasingly important."
"The lecture theatre, modern classroom space, and state-of-the-art labs will provide Kinesiology students with the most current technologies and learning experiences in our field," Acting Dean of Kinesiology Bob Faulkner said. "And because we know that healthy and active students do better in all areas of their study, the PAC will also benefit all U of S students."
After only one month of operation, more than 17,000 people have already used the fitness centre. Peak days see more than 800 users access the facility and in October, there were more than 47,000 visits to the activity area.
For more information, contact:
Jacquie McLean
Learning
Regina, Phone: (306) 787-5609
Peter MacKinnon, President
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, Phone: (306) 966-6612
Laurel Rossnagel
College of Kinesiology
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, Phone: (306) 966-1105
November 27, 2003
Funding Partnership Launches $1-M Schizophrenia Research Program
Posted November 27, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 27, 2003 2003-11-18-OTHER
Funding Partnership Launches $1-M Schizophrenia Research Program
Today the University of Saskatchewan and its partners announced a
$1-million, five-year schizophrenia research program that could lead to
earlier diagnosis and improved treatment for people with the serious brain
disorder.
In addition to basic research, the goal of the new program at the U of S
Neuropsychiatry Research Unit (NRU) is to develop, apply and evaluate a
range of interventions, services and products for people with schizophrenia.
Funding comes from pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca Canada Inc. ($700,000);
the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction of the Canadian
Institutes of Health Research ($115,000); Royal University Hospital
Foundation ($75,000); the Schizophrenia Research Foundation Saskatchewan
Inc. ($35,000); and the Saskatoon chapter of the Schizophrenia Society of
Saskatchewan ($30,000). The College of Medicine will provide $45,000 through
10 summer studentships, each worth $4,500.
"This partnership will build on U of S strengths in neuroscience research,
contributing to new understanding of this devastating illness which exacts a
huge toll in direct and indirect health care costs annually in Canada," said
Steven Franklin, U of S Vice-President Research. "With this new funding, the
unit will be able to add at least 20 post-doctoral fellows, research
associates and graduate students over the next five years, providing a
superb training ground and advancing the NRU as a national centre of
excellence for schizophrenia research."
"The Schizophrenia Research Program Partnership is our single largest
investment in Saskatchewan, and we look forward to the innovations in the
management and treatment of schizophrenia that will result from it," said
Kazi Borkowski, Vice President of Medical Affairs for AstraZeneca Canada
Inc. "It's exciting for us to be involved in a project which allows us to
both strengthen our commitment to health care, and support the world-class
research being conducted at the University of Saskatchewan."
"One of our priorities is encouraging and supporting innovative research
that looks at causes as well as potential treatments in schizophrenia," said
Remi Quirion, Scientific Director of CIHR's Institute of Neurosciences,
Mental Health and Addiction. "We hope the partnership that led to the
creation of this program will inspire other organizations to follow. It
works."
"Good patient care depends on good medical research," said Adrienne Nolan,
Executive Director of the Royal University Hospital Foundation. "The
Foundation is actively committed to supporting the kind of research that
improves the health of our community."
Schizophrenia has a devastating effect on both persons affected and their
families, said Art Gondziola, Executive Director of the Schizophrenia
Research Foundation Saskatchewan Inc. "There is a stigma associated with any
mental illness, but schizophrenia in particular is often misunderstood," he
said. "Our membership's ardent hope is that the precise cause of this
illness can be found, paving the way to earlier intervention, improved
treatments, and even a cure."
During the project, a multidisciplinary team of 13 U of S researchers will
collaborate to study the underlying molecular and neurochemical mechanisms
of the disease, as well as drug interactions, clinical studies,
identification of early risk indicators, and treatment outcome studies. In
particular, the program will look at the potential of some antipsychotic
drugs to protect individuals from central nervous system disorders such as
depression, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.
Dr. Xin-Min Li, NRU director and principal researcher, said the research
will extend from genes examined in the laboratory to clinical research to
the community. "This funding will be the catalyst for establishing a
first-rate multidisciplinary group in schizophrenia research and ensuring
that Saskatchewan patients with schizophrenia will be the beneficiaries of
leading-edge discoveries and improved services," Li said.
AstraZeneca (www.astrazeneca.ca) is one of the leading global pharmaceutical
companies with a formidable product portfolio spanning six major therapeutic
areas: gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, oncology, respiratory,
neuroscience, and infection.
The CIHR (www.cihr.ca) is Canada's premier federal funding agency for health
research. The CIHR Institute of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addiction
supports research into causes, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment,
support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions associated
with the central nervous system.
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For more information, contact:
Dr. Xin-Min Li
Director, Neuropsychiatry Research Unit
College of Medicine
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-8573/4438
Kathryn Warden
U of S Research Communications
Office of the Vice-President Research
(306) 966-2506
kathryn.warden@usask.ca
http://www.usask.ca/research/
Stephanie Engel
Manager, Therapeutic Area Public Relations
AstraZeneca Canada Inc.
(905) 804-5817
Art Gondziola
Executive Director
Schizophrenia Society of Saskatchewan
(306) 584-2620
Janet Weichel McKenzie
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
(613) 941-4563
Adrienne Nolan
Executive Director
Royal University Hospital Foundation
(306) 655-1050
____________________________________
BACKGROUNDER: Schizophrenia Research Partnership Program
University of Saskatchewan Neuropsychiatry Research Unit
- The unit has a strong research reputation along with excellent facilities
and infra-structure for probing mental health and psychiatric disorders such
as schizophrenia, depression, Alzheimer's disease and substance abuse.
- The unit has been supported by the Government of Saskatchewan for 50
years, and has received, on average, $1 million for salaries and core
operating support each year over the past two decades. It has also attracted
$4 million in external funding over the past two years.
- The unit consists of six research scientists, 13 post-doctoral fellows,
six graduate students, one undergraduate, one visiting scientist and eight
support staff.
Participating Researchers:
- Xin-Min Li, Principal Investigator, Professor of Psychiatry and Director,
Neuropsychiatry Research Unit.
- David Keegan, Professor Psychiatry, Director, Early Psychosis Program
- Peter Yu, Professor of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Research Unit
- Lillian Dyck, Professor of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Research Unit.
- Xia Zhang, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry Research
Unit.
- Darrell Mousseau, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry
Research Unit.
- Fred Remillard, Professor and Assistant Dean of Research, College of
Pharmacy.
- Jim Fang, Assistant Professor, College of Pharmacy.
- Vern Bennett, Associate Professor of Psychiatry.
- Rudy Bowen, Professor of Psychiatry.
- Steven Richardson, Professor of Pharmacology.
- Satish Shrikhande, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry; Chief Psychiatrist,
Saskatchewan District Health and Director, Clozaril Clinic of Saskatoon.
- Carl D'Arcy, Professor and Director of Applied Research, Department of
Psychiatry
The Partners:
AstraZeneca Canada Inc. is a leading global pharmaceutical company with a
product portfolio spanning six major therapeutic areas: gastrointestinal,
cardiovascular, oncology, respiratory, neuroscience, and infection.
- AstraZeneca's registered brands include Crestor, Nexium, Losec, Atacand,
Casodex, Arimedix, Symbicort, Zomig and Seroquel.
- Recently ranked as one of the top 50 employers in Canada by The Globe
and Mail's Report on Business Magazine, AztraZeneca's Canadian headquarters
and manufacturing facilities are located in Mississauga, Ontario, with a
state-of-the-art basic pain research centre based in Montreal, Quebec.
(www.astrazeneca.ca)
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is Canada's premier federal
funding agency for health research. The CIHR Institute of Neurosciences,
Mental Health and Addiction supports research into causes, prevention,
screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide
range of conditions associated with the central nervous system.
(www.cihr.ca)
Royal University Hospital Foundation is dedicated to improving the health of
children and adults living in Saskatchewan. It raises funds to invest in
patient care, research, and education at Royal University Hospital for the
well-being of the community. (www.ruf.org)
The mission of the Schizophrenia Research Foundation Saskatchewan Inc. is to
raise funds and provide grants and/or bursaries for students into the causes
of mental disorders and dysfunction, especially in relation to the
biochemical, physiological and/or genetic causes of brain or nervous system
dysfunction and particularly those disorders included under the rubric of
schizophrenia.
The Schizophrenia Society of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon chapter is a non-profit
organization whose mission is to alleviate the suffering caused by
schizophrenia. Its goal is to help those who have the disease, along with
their families, have a better quality of life. http://clik.to/Schizophrenia
What is schizophrenia?*
* Schizophrenia, a disease of the brain, affects one in 100 persons. Thus,
300,000
Canadians will be diagnosed with this illness at some point in their
lives.
* Symptoms of schizophrenia include disordered thinking, delusions,
paranoia,
hallucinations, changes in emotions and changes in behaviour. It
generally strikes
people in their late teens or 20s.
* Forty per cent of people with schizophrenia attempt suicide. Ten percent
do end their
lives.
* With treatment, some people diagnosed with schizophrenia may return to a
fairly
normal way of life. Many, however, require life-long support.
* Eight per cent of hospital beds are occupied by persons with
schizophrenia--more
than by sufferers of any other medical condition.
* The cost to Canada for treatment and social support of individuals with
schizophrenia
is estimated at $4.3 billion per year. Yet research expenditures are
lower than for any
other major disease.
* Source: Schizophrenia Society of Saskatchewan website: www.t2.net/schsask
For further information, contact the Schizophrenia Society of Saskatchewan
at 374-2224 (Saskatoon) or 584-2620 (Regina). E-mail: sssprov@sasktel.net
November 26, 2003
Bio-diesel Fuel Additive Made from Vegetable Oil and Deep-Fat Fryer Grease May Reduce Engine Wear
Posted November 26, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Wednesday, November 26, 2003 2003-11-16-ENG
Bio-diesel Fuel Additive Made from Vegetable Oil and Deep-Fat Fryer Grease
May Reduce Engine Wear
University of Saskatchewan chemical engineer Ajay Dalai has received
$240,000 over three years to create a biodegradable lubricating additive for
diesel engines that may reduce engine wear by up to 50 per cent and improve
fuel economy by up to 10 per cent.
Made from low-grade canola and soy oils as well as waste restaurant grease,
the bio-diesel additive will also drastically lower environmentally harmful
sulfur levels in diesel fuel.
The study is funded through a joint venture between the BIOCAP Canada
Foundation and the federal Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
(NSERC).
"Professor Dalai's innovative work is a fine example of U of S research
excellence," said Steven Franklin, U of S Vice-President of Research. "Not
only will his research help reduce harmful environmental emissions, it could
boost the Canadian economy by lengthening engine life and paving the way for
the domestic production of a new fuel product."
"It is exactly this kind of cutting-edge research that is generating
technologies to support a sustainable future for the next generation of
Canadians," said David Layzell, CEO and Research Director for the BIOCAP
Canada Foundation. "BIOCAP is proud to have been one of the factors making
Dr. Dalai's research a reality."
Every year, Canadians use about 40 billion litres of diesel fuel, which
contribute to air pollution and health problems by releasing high levels of
sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere.
In 2001, Environment Canada announced a plan to significantly reduce sulphur
dioxide emissions by 97 per cent within five years. But the technology that
reduces sulfur from diesel during production also removes lubricating agents
from the fuel, which can cause damage to fuel pumps, injector pumps, shaft
bearings, and other moving engine parts.
Dalai has found that adding just one per cent of the bio-diesel additive to
sulphur-reduced diesel fuel can improve the fuel's lubricity, increasing
engine efficiency and extending engine life.
"The additive is a biodegradable fuel with low emissions that requires no
engine modifications to use," says Dalai, a Canada Research Chair in
Bio-Energy and Environmentally Friendly Chemical Processing.
"The product will also decrease the undesirable waste of canola and green
soy seeds, as well as deep-fat fryer grease."
Dalai hopes to see domestic production of the additive within three years.
The BIOCAP Canada Foundation (www.biocap.ca), a not-for-profit research
foundation, brings together the nation's leading researchers and
decision-makers to understand how Canada's biological systems, including
forests and farmlands, can help in the fight against climate change while
improving the environment and the economy.
NSERC (www.nserc.ca) is a key federal agency that supports basic university
research, project research through partnerships among universities,
governments and the private sector, as well as the advanced training of
highly qualified people.
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For more information, contact:
Professor Ajay Dalai
U of S Department of Chemical Engineering
(Currently on sabbatical at the University of Kentucky
Centre for Applied Energy Research
Lexington, KY, USA)
(859) 257-0216
dalai@engr.usask.ca
Kathryn Warden
Research Communications Officer
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-2506
kathryn.warden@usask.ca
www.usask.ca/research
Wendy McFarlane
Scientific Liaison
BIOCAP Canada Foundation
(613) 533-2315 Ext. 25
mcfarlanew@biocap.ca
November 19, 2003
November 21 Research Day at U of S Focuses on Solutions to Violence and Abuse
Posted November 19, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Wednesday, November 19, 2003 2003-11-14-OTHER
November 21 Research Day at U of S Focuses on Solutions to Violence and
Abuse
Prairie researchers studying issues of violence will gather at the
University of Saskatchewan November 21 for a research day sponsored by
RESOLVE Saskatchewan, a U of S research centre focusing on violence and
abuse.
The keynote speaker is Saskatchewan Provincial Court Judge Mary Ellen
Turpel-Lafond who will discuss the challenges she sees every day in the
courts around issues of fetal alcohol syndrome, violence and trauma.
The RESOLVE Saskatchewan Research Day takes place
Friday, November 21st from 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
at the Atrium Building of Innovation Place, 111 Research Drive.
The event, organized with financial assistance from many U of S colleges and
departments, has attracted more than 150 delegates from Saskatchewan,
Alberta and Manitoba. Included are academics and students from various
disciplines such as sociology, social work, law and women's studies, as well
as representatives of government and community service agencies.
RESOLVE (Research and Education for Solutions to Violence and Abuse) is part
of a tri-provincial network that holds annual research events, alternating
between Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba. The RESOLVE network has seven
Prairie universities as partners (the U of S, the University of Regina, the
University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, Brandon University, the
University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba) and receives its
funding in part from a $5-million Legacy Fund created by the Calgary-based
Prairieaction Foundation (PAF).
Judge Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond said, "I wanted to participate in this event
because it's important to connect the academic research with the front-line
community workers and to share information."
Multidisciplinary work such as that undertaken by RESOLVE is very important
"in educating those of us in the justice system about the problems that
exist, for example in the areas of gender, youth issues and trauma," she
said.
In her address, she will speak from her experience as a judge about "how
people react when they find themselves in situations as victims and
offenders, and the importance of getting help and rehabilitation for both."
Noted Saskatchewan writer Sharon Butala, designated as a Special Ambassador
for the Prairieaction Foundation, will help open the research day by reading
her short story, "Gravity." The story explores how the members of a
community may choose to ignore domestic violence rather than confronting it.
Among numerous sessions at the research day are those dealing with
initiatives for men involved in an Aboriginal family violence program,
protection for victims of stalking, and programs for girls exploited through
prostitution.
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For more information, visit www.prairieactionfoundation.ca or
www.umanitoba.ca/resolve
or contact:
Kristina Bergen
Research Communications
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-2427
www.usask.ca/research
Lee Tunstall,
Executive Director,
Prairieaction Foundation
(403) 220-8078 or cell (403) 808-7391
tunstall@ucalgary.ca
Stephanie Martin
Academic Research Coordinator
RESOLVE Saskatchewan
(306) 966-2255
resolve@arts.usask.ca
November 17, 2003
U of S-led Teams Awarded $1.1 M to Study Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Posted November 17, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 17, 2003 2003-11-12-AG
U of S-led Teams Awarded $1.1 M to Study Agricultural Greenhouse Gas
Emissions
Two University of Saskatchewan-led national research teams have received a
total of $1.15 million over three years to study agricultural practices that
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Soil science professor Dan Pennock leads a team that has received $720,000
to study nitrous oxide emissions from tilled fields and wetlands (sloughs)
on the Prairies.
The project is funded through a joint venture between the BIOCAP Canada
Foundation and the federal Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
(NSERC), as well as through Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Canadian Wildlife
Service, and the U of S Centre for Studies in Agriculture, Law and the
Environment.
Agricultural economics professor Surendra Kulshreshtha and his team have
received $438,590 to study the economic impact of emission-reducing changes
to agricultural production and management activities. This study is funded
jointly by BIOCAP and the federal Social Sciences and Humanities Research
Council (SSHRC).
"These major grants, along with others recently awarded to researchers in
the College of Agriculture, will advance the U of S as a leading Canadian
centre for the study of greenhouse gas issues," said U of S Vice-President
Research Steven Franklin.
"Funding Canadian greenhouse gas management research in both the natural and
social sciences is critical," said David Layzell, CEO and Research Director
for the BIOCAP Canada Foundation. "By linking these disciplines with a
common goal, we will discover greenhouse gas management strategies that will
inform policy and investment decisions in the fight against climate change."
The major greenhouse gases produced by the agricultural sector are methane
and nitrous oxide. Direct emissions of this gas from soils contribute more
than half of the nitrous oxide emitted from agricultural practices.
Losing nitrous oxide to the atmosphere occurs naturally as a result of the
soil nitrogen cycle. But when additional nitrogen is applied to soil through
mineral fertilizers or manure or by cultivating nitrogen-fixing crops such
as legumes, emission rates can increase.
Pennock's team includes researchers from the University of Manitoba,
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ducks Unlimited, and the U of S. They
will examine the effects of land use changes on nitrous oxide emissions and
emissions of other greenhouse gases such as methane from cultivated fields
and adjacent wetlands.
Pennock says land use changes such as planting permanent grass cover could
make a major contribution to reducing Canada's greenhouse gas emission by
"removing carbon from the atmospheric carbon pool and reducing emissions of
nitrous oxide to the atmosphere."
Kulshreshtha's team includes researchers from the University of British
Columbia, the University of Guelph, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and
the U of S. They will estimate how changes in agricultural practices will
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the socio-economic cost of
implementing such changes.
He says greenhouse gas discharges from animal production and fertilizer use
are responsible for roughly 62 per cent of Canada's total greenhouse gas
emissions from agriculture, amounting to nine per cent of Canada's total
greenhouse gas emissions.
Agricultural initiatives such as planting more trees, better manure handling
and management systems, better animal diets, creating landfill waste
recycling systems, and developing new composting methods could significantly
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, helping Canada meet its Kyoto commitment.
Recently, U of S agricultural economics professor Murray Fulton and his
nine-member national team received $614,030 over three years from BIOCAP and
SSHRC to assess the environmental, legal, and economic impact of potential
greenhouse gas legislation on the lives of Canadians.
The BIOCAP Canada Foundation (www.biocap.ca), a not-for-profit research
foundation, brings together the nation's leading researchers and
decision-makers to understand how Canada's biological systems, including
forests and farmlands, can help in the fight against climate change while
improving the environment and the economy.
SSHRC (www.sshrc.ca) is Canada's federal funding agency for university-based
research and graduate training in the social sciences and humanities.
NSERC (www.nserc.ca) is a key federal agency that supports basic university
research, project research through partnerships among universities,
governments and the private sector, as well as the advanced training of
highly qualified people.
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For more information, contact:
Professor Dan Pennock
Department of Soil Science
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-6852
Professor Surendra Kulshreshtha
Department of Agricultural Economics
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-4014
Kathryn Warden
U of S Research Communications Officer
(306) 966-2506
kathryn.warden@usask.ca
www.usask.ca/research
Wendy McFarlane
Scientific Liaison
BIOCAP Canada Foundation
(613) 533-2315 Ext. 25
mcfarlanew@biocap.ca
November 14, 2003
U of S Engineering Student Wins Amelia Earhart Fellowship Award
Posted November 14, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 9 a.m. Friday, November 14th, 2003 2003-11-11-ENG
U of S Engineering Student Wins Amelia Earhart Fellowship Award
Today University of Saskatchewan engineering graduate student Jane Cavanagh
will be honored with a prestigious 2003 Amelia Earhart Fellowship Award for
a collaborative project with NASA scientists that will help improve
astronaut safety.
Cavanagh is one of only three Canadian women and 35 around the world to
receive the fellowship this year which is awarded by Zonta International, a
worldwide organization that works to advance the status of women.
The award, worth $6,000 U.S., is presented annually to women pursuing
graduate degrees in aerospace sciences or aerospace engineering. It was
established in 1938 in honor of the famous pilot Amelia Earhart.
"We are very proud of Ms. Cavanagh's success in this international
competition and the high-calibre teaching and research that have contributed
to her achievement," said Steven Franklin, U of S Vice-President Research.
Debbie Arney, district governor of Zonta International who will present
Cavanagh with the award at a special ceremony on campus today, said the
Amelia Earhart awards are very special.
"Not only are they given to incredibly outstanding female scientists, but
the funds are raised by Zontians in 68 countries throughout the world," she
said. "Some of these funds have been raised by people that will never see
the inside of a large research university and by people in Third World
countries. The Amelia Earhart fellows are studying not just for themselves,
but for women all over the world."
Cavanagh, the first U of S student to work on a graduate degree in the
combined fields of fire sciences and microgravity, will be recognized for
her ground-breaking study into the flammability of casual clothing such as
T-shirts worn by astronauts while in orbit, as well as the severity of skin
burns in space.
Still in the initial phases of her research, Cavanagh is collaborating with
scientists at NASA's John Glenn Research Center. This month, fabric
performance in microgravity will be tested through an experiment on NASA's
KC-135 low gravity aircraft.
"We need to know how fast and how badly an astronaut could be burned if
clothing caught fire in space," says Cavanagh. "When we test any kind of
flammability on the ground, we do it with the expectation that it's the
worst case scenario. But it's been discovered through other tests that
microgravity flammability rates are comparable or worse than gravity rates,
which is why this work is so important."
She notes there is only a 20-second window in which to run the experiment,
which will involve using a hot wire to set fabric samples on fire. Two
different kinds of heat-flux gauges will provide readings as to how long it
would take before an astronaut received second- and third-degree burns.
Cavanagh will examine the samples to determine how the intensity of burns
changes in various oxygen mixtures and according to how tight or
loose-fitting the clothing is. She is co-supervised by two U of S professors
-- mechanical engineer professors David Torvi and Kamiel Gabriel.
Cavanagh is the second U of S student to receive this award. Denise Derby
Stilling, also from mechanical engineering, won the award a decade ago.
Since its inception in 1938, more than $4.2 million U.S. has been raised for
the Amelia Earhart Fellowship Awards. These fellowships have assisted the
advancement of 547 women from 51 countries in the aerospace field. The
scholars have manufactured materials now on the moon, made commercial air
flights safer, helped prevent fires in spacecraft, and served as members of
a NASA space shuttle crew. More information is available at: www.zonta.org
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The ceremony will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, November
14 in the Thorvaldson Building Room 271 (the "airplane room"). Media are
welcome.
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Kathryn Warden
Research Communications
Office of the Vice-President Research
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-2506
kathryn.warden@usask.ca
www.usask.ca/research
November 13, 2003
New Jarislowsky Chair Appointee at the University of Saskatchewan Will Use Synchrotron to Monitor Toxins
Posted November 13, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Wednesday, November 12TH, 2003 2003-11-09-OTHER
New Jarislowsky Chair Appointee Will Use Synchrotron to Monitor Toxins
University of Saskatchewan cell biologist Pat Krone, developer of a rapid
way of monitoring toxins that affect embryo development, has been named the
university's second Jarislowsky Chair in Biotechnology.
The Chair was created to promote the research and teaching in the
interdisciplinary Virtual College of Biotechnology and to help attract
students and faculty to the field. Funding is through a $1-million endowment
set up with $500,000 from the Montreal-based Jarislowsky Foundation and
matched by the Saskatchewan government from funds previously provided to the
college. The appointment is for one year.
"Professor Krone is an outstanding researcher who has played a key role in
ground-breaking research that tracks the effects of environmental toxins on
embryo development," said Graham Scoles, Dean of the Virtual College of
Biotechnology. "He brings to this position a reputation for excellence in
biotechnology, toxicology and synchrotron imaging."
Krone is a professor in the anatomy and cell biology department, as well as
a member of the Virtual College of Biotechnology and the Toxicology Research
Group.
Krone and his research team, in collaboration with the University of
Michigan and Penn State University, were the first to use a green
fluorescent protein gene to illuminate toxin-induced cellular stress in
zebrafish, a transparent, inch-long tropical fish.
He now plans to use synchrotron radiation to examine the uptake and
distribution of various chemical forms of mercury and other metals in
transgenic fish embryos.
Krone will also develop hands-on laboratory sessions for students to learn
how to use the transgenic zebrafish strain for toxicity testing.
Human and zebrafish embryos have many similar biological traits and undergo
the same embryonic developmental processes, so studying what toxins (such as
cadmium, arsenic and mercury) can do to fish provides insight as to what
they can do to humans.
Six years ago, the team created a transgenic fish strain by inserting a
green fluorescent protein gene into the DNA region of a certain protein (HSP
70) that responds to environmental stress and exposure to pollutants. The
green fluorescence makes the stress in live fish embryos visible within
minutes of toxin exposure. Previously developed tests take two days or
longer.
When viewed under a fluorescence microscope, the green fluorescence shows
where toxins have travelled in the living fish. The technique also allows
Krone's team to monitor the development of a single living organism after
exposure to toxins, rather than having to dissect several fish at various
stages of life.
Together with U of S Canada Research Chair holders Graham George and Ingrid
Pickering, Krone is also developing a synchrotron imaging technique that
will allow researchers to trace various forms of mercury (which have
different levels of toxicity) in fish embryos -- work that has never before
been tried on vertebrates.
With funding from the Saskatchewan Synchrotron Institute, Krone carried out
initial experiments on this new imaging technique at the Stanford,
California synchrotron in January. He will further develop this technique
for use at the U of S-owned Canadian Light Source synchrotron
(www.lightsource.ca) which opens in spring 2004 and apply it to other
metals.
The Jarislowsky Foundation was set up by Stephen Jarislowsky, an engineer,
financier, journalist and philanthropist who has endowed many chairs at
Canadian universities. The first U of S Jarislowsky Chair in Biotechnology
was held by biologist Larry Fowke.
The Virtual U of S College of Biotechnology brings together a wide range of
scientific and social disciplines to deliver undergraduate degree programs,
graduate supervision and contributions to the public debate. In its first
three years, it has produced 45 graduates. For more information, visit:
http://biotechnology.usask.ca/
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For more information, contact:
Professor Pat Krone
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-966-4089
Kathryn Warden
U of S Research Communications
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-2506
kathryn.warden@usask.ca
www.usask.ca/research
November 10, 2003
U of S moves up three places in Maclean's Rankings
Posted November 10, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 10, 2003 2003-11-08-OTHER
U of S moves up three places in Maclean's Rankings
The University of Saskatchewan has moved up three places in the annual
Maclean's rankings of Canadian universities. According to a survey released
today, the U of S outranked Laval, McMaster, Ottawa, Dalhousie, Calgary and
Manitoba finishing 9th among universities in the medical doctoral category.
President Peter MacKinnon responded positively to the news saying, "The
University of Saskatchewan has a clear strategic direction which is
focussing efforts on academic pre-eminence and international standards in
all activities. We will continue to strive for improvement and are
determined to take our place amongst the most distinguished universities in
Canada and in the world."
The medical doctoral category includes universities which have a broad range
of Ph.D. programs and research, as well as medical schools.
The Maclean's survey ranks universities according to specific indicators
such as size of the operating grant, numbers of out-of-province students and
the proportion of alumni who contribute to the university. The differences
between the top and bottom scores in these indicators are very small.
This year the University's rankings improved in several categories including
scholarships and bursaries, student services, the number of international
students, class sizes and reputation. Significant improvements were also
seen in the number of faculty with Ph.Ds and research awards.
"We recognize that we still have some work to do and are continually
striving to improve upon our best efforts," added MacKinnon.
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For more information, please contact:
Peter MacKinnon, President
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-6612
For the latest news about U of S research successes, visit:
www.usask.ca/research
November 07, 2003
Pulse Crop Pioneer at the University of Saskatchewan to be Inducted into Agricultural Hall of Fame
Posted November 07, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Friday, November 7th, 2003 2003-11-06-AG
Pulse Crop Pioneer to be Inducted into Agricultural Hall of Fame
Al Slinkard, professor emeritus at the University of Saskatchewan's Crop
Development Centre, will be one of three Canadians inducted into the
Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in
Toronto on November 9th.
Slinkard helped lay the foundation for much of the Canadian pulse crop
industry, firmly establishing this country as the world's largest exporter
of peas and lentils and a major exporter of chick peas and dry beans. He
joins an august group that includes pioneering Saskatchewan wheat breeder
Seager Wheeler and the "fathers of canola" -- Keith Downey from the U of S
and Baldur Stefansson from the University of Manitoba.
"Professor Slinkard was instrumental in building the pulse crop industry in
Canada," said Graham Scoles, associate dean of research in the College of
Agriculture. "The work of Slinkard and his team lies at the heart of one of
Saskatchewan's best agricultural success stories."
Fewer than a dozen Saskatchewan farmers had tried farming lentils when
Slinkard established a breeding program at the U of S in the early 1970s.
His programs yielded 19 different pulse varieties including Laird, the most
widely recognized lentil variety in the world.
Slinkard was nominated for inclusion in the Hall of Fame by the Saskatchewan
Pulse Growers board, with whom he has had a long and productive
relationship. This award is the latest of many presented to him by
professional and commercial organizations in recognition of his outstanding
dedication to his work and the pulse industry.
"Dr. Slinkard had a vision that Western Canada could not only diversify into
pulse crops, but become a world leader," said Garth Patterson, executive
director of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. "His leadership in research and
his efforts to share his knowledge gave us the tools to build a successful
Canadian pulse crop industry."
Slinkard is a prolific writer, having authored four books and over 300
publications in books, journals, extension materials and conference
presentations. He was one of the editors of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers
Pulse Production Manual, considered one of the best sources of information
on the subject. He has also acted as editor for the Canadian Journal of
Plant Science and served on the editorial board of Legume Research.
Slinkard's education and outreach efforts include guidance and supervision
of nearly 50 U of S graduate students, as well as numerous extension
activities. A much sought-after speaker, he traveled across the Prairies and
abroad, sharing his knowledge of pulse crop breeding and agronomy, as well
as promoting the Canadian industry.
Slinkard began his career with the achievement of a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from
Washington State Unviersity. He completed his Ph.D. in plant breeding at the
University of Minnesota before spending 15 years with the University of
Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, conducting research with pulses and grasses. He
joined the U of S College of Agriculture's Crop Development Centre in 1972.
From 1996 to 2001, pulse acreage in Canada doubled to over 2,700 hectares.
In 2000, the industry's highest point so far, pulses brought in nearly $1.5
billion in farm receipts, or about 4.5 per cent of the total for all crops.
Canadian pulses now account for about 32 per cent of the world's exports in
these crops.
The Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame was created in 1960 to recognize
people who have made an outstanding contribution to this country's
agricultural industries, and to promote interest in the study of
agriculture.
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For more information, contact:
Graham Scoles
Associate Dean (Research), College of Agriculture
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-4050
Kathryn Warden
Research Communications Officer
Office of the Vice-President Research
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-2506
kathryn.warden@usask.ca
http://www.usask.ca/research/
Penny Eaton
Communications Manager
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers
(306) 668-9988
Doug McDonell
Secretary Treasurer
Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame Association
(416) 263-3455
Canadian Light Source Experts to Collaborate with Spanish Synchrotron Team
Posted November 07, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Friday, November 7, 2003 2003-11-07-OTHER
Canadian Light Source Experts to Collaborate with Spanish Synchrotron Team
Experts from Canada and Spain will combine their knowledge and resources to
help advance science and technology at the Canadian Light Source (CLS)
synchrotron and Spain's Sincrotrón del Vallès.
Representatives of the CLS, the University of Saskatchewan and the Spanish
synchrotron project recently signed a five-year memorandum of understanding
to trade technical specifications, as well as scientific and engineering
staff and know-how.
"Our teams complement each other's strengths very well," said CLS executive
director Bill Thomlinson. "Spain's scientists offer valuable expertise in
building and operating beamlines, while our own team offers experience with
actually building and commissioning a synchrotron facility."
Spain, which is about to break ground for its synchrotron project this year,
has developed expertise with synchrotron science and engineering through its
ownership of two beamlines at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
(ESRF) in Grenoble, France.
The CLS, expected to start operations in spring 2004, is particularly
interested in the Spanish advanced detection devices, used to capture
experimental data, as well as their knowledge of insertion devices used to
manipulate and focus the intense synchrotron light beam.
"We have a huge effort ahead of us this year to commission our beamlines and
get them to the point where we can carry out scientific experiments," said
Emil Hallin, CLS experimental facilities manager, who signed on behalf of
the CLS at a ceremony on the Spanish island of Menorca. "We have a lot of
highly skilled and talented people, but we need to augment this."
These extra hands will be provided by Spanish scientists who will provide
their expert talents to the CLS while gaining experience in commissioning a
synchrotron.
The MOU also outlines other potential areas for collaboration, including
research efforts with scientific programs at both facilities; development of
technical and scientific research and development programs; collaborations
with local industry to provide synchrotron services or construction
expertise; and educational opportunities including exchange of scientific
expertise and trainees and applications for mutual access to the beamlines
at both synchrotrons.
The Spanish synchrotron will be built at the University of Barcelona in the
Vallès high technology development area. Coincidentally, the vendor
that built the electromagnets for the CLS chose the University of Barcelona
to test these critical components.
The Spanish facility is scheduled to come online in 2008. It joins other new
synchrotron projects under way in Europe, including Synchrotron Soleil in
France and Diamond Light Source in the United Kingdom.
The U of S-owned CLS is one of the largest science projects in the country
and one of the most advanced synchrotrons in the world. The $173.4-million
project is nearing the final stages of construction.
Synchrotron light -- millions of times brighter than sunlight -- is used to
view chemical reactions and the micro-structure of materials, paving the way
for new drugs, more powerful computer chips, better engine lubricants, more
effective medical imaging and a host of other applications for science and
industry.
CLS funding partners include the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the
Canadian government (including Western Economic Diversification, Natural
Resources Canada, the National Research Council, NSERC, and the Canadian
Institutes of Health Research), Saskatchewan Industry and Resources, Ontario
Innovation Trust, Alberta Innovation and Science, Alberta Heritage
Foundation for Medical Research, U of S, the City of Saskatoon, SaskPower,
Boehringer Ingelheim, University of Western Ontario, and the University of
Alberta. GlaxoSmithKline has also provided funding for a U of S chair in an
area of synchrotron science.
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For more Canadian Light Source information, pictures and graphics, visit
www.cls.usask.ca.
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Emil Hallin
Canadian Light Source
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 657-3539
emil.hallin@lightsource.ca
Kathryn Warden
Research Communications Officer
Office of the Vice-President Research
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-2506
kathryn.warden@usask.ca
http://www.usask.ca/research/
November 04, 2003
U of S Ag Professor and Fine Arts Alumnus Receive Prestigious Canada-U.S. Fulbright Awards
Posted November 04, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Tuesday, November 4, 2003 2003-11-03-AG
U of S Ag Professor and Fine Arts Alumnus Receive Prestigious
Canada-U.S. Fulbright Awards
University of Saskatchewan agricultural economist Hartley Furtan and fine
arts alumnus Garnet Hertz have won prestigious Canada-U.S. Fulbright awards
to conduct research at American universities.
Starting in January 2004, Furtan will spend four months at the University of
Maryland studying Canada-U.S. agricultural trade disputes.
Hertz, who graduated from the U of S in 1997 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts
degree, will pursue a Master's degree at the University of California,
Irvine.
"The success of these outstanding scholars brings tremendous credit to the
University of Saskatchewan," said Steven Franklin, U of S Vice-President of
Research. "Professor Furtan's work has the potential to promote greater
collaboration between Canada and the U.S. in developing better strategies
for agricultural trade relations, as well as furthering our reputation for
excellence in agricultural economics."
Furtan, a former deputy minister of agriculture and food in Saskatchewan and
past-president of the Canadian Agricultural Economics Association, will
examine the possibility of harmonizing domestic agricultural policy between
Canada and America, with a view to minimizing trade disputes between the two
countries. He is widely consulted by governments and business across Canada
for his expertise in Canadian agricultural policy.
Hertz will conduct interdisciplinary research in art, computing and
electrical engineering at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts. As part of
his studies, he will use computing and biorobotics to create several
cybernetic organisms to act as a metaphor for the post-human condition.
"I am pleased to welcome Professor Furtan and Mr. Hertz to the distinguished
group of Fulbright scholars," says Michael Hawes, executive director of the
Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program.
The U of S's record of success in the competition for Canada-U.S. Fulbright
awards now spans more than a decade, during which time it has attracted
three American Fulbright award recipients to its campus and seen five of its
scholars and graduates selected to participate in the prestigious program.
Furtan is the second U of S professor to receive a Fulbright award. Law
professor Daniel Ish received a Fulbright award in 1995 to conduct research
at Stanford University on the taxation power of First Nations and tribes in
Canada and the United States.
In addition to Hertz, U of S graduate students Verna St. Denis (Stanford,
1994) and Kate Sutherland (Harvard, 1995) have also received the prestigious
awards.
With the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International
Trade Canada and the U.S. Department of State, the Canada-U.S. Fulbright
Program strives to enhance mutual understanding by engaging Canadian and
American scholars in reciprocal educational exchanges. Since its creation in
1990, the Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program has supported nearly 500 Canadian
and American scholars.
The Program, named after Senator William J. Fulbright, oversees Canada's
relationship with the worldwide Fulbright Program, which has established a
global system of bi-national partnerships for the exchange of scholars
between the United States and more than 140 countries, including Canada.
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For more information, contact:
Professor Hartley Furtan
Agricultural Economics
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-4032
Garnet Hertz
garnet@conceptlab.com
(949) 854-4476
Kathryn Warden
Research Communications Officer
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-2506
kathryn.warden@usask.ca
www.usask.ca/research
Amy J. Harvey
Program Officer
The Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program
(613) 688-5517
www.fulbright.ca
U of S Researchers Awarded $500,000 for Food Research
Posted November 04, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Tuesday, November 4, 2003 2003-11-04-AG
U of S Researchers Awarded $500,000 for Food Research
Six University of Saskatchewan researchers will receive a total of $500,000
over three years for food research that will help reduce health care costs
through the prevention of diet-related diseases, as well as improve public
confidence in the food supply through better regulations and laws.
U of S researchers will lead two studies and collaborate on three others as
part of a $22.2-million Canada-wide project called AFMNet (Advanced Foods
and Materials Network), a Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) research
network announced today in Guelph by Brenda Chamberlain, MP for
Guelph-Wellington, on behalf of Industry Minister Allan Rock.
The project goal is to ensure Canada's pre-eminence in foods and
bio-materials research by developing commercially viable, socially
acceptable value-added products and processes. More than 80 scientists from
23 Canadian universities will participate in the project.
"This project will allow U of S researchers to pool their creative talents
with those of other internationally renowned scientists to tackle major food
science issues, providing great opportunities for student training in
laboratories across the country focused on a common research goal," said
Steven Franklin, U of S Vice-President Research.
"The U of S is taking a leading role in this unique network that brings
together multidisciplinary research teams of scientists from the natural and
social sciences, engineering, humanities and law, many of whom have not
traditionally interacted."
Headquartered at the University of Guelph under scientific director and
professor Rickey Yada, the new network will address three strategic themes:
the structure, dynamics and function of foods and bio-materials; functional
foods and nutraceuticals; and genetics, ethics, economics, environment, law
and society issues (such as consumer attitudes and perceptions, and
regulations).
Nicholas Low, a U of S food chemist, will lead two projects. The first will
use plant-derived enzymes to produce complex carbohydrates that are a
nutrient source for colon bacteria. Low says a diet rich in these compounds
may decrease the risk of colon cancer, reduce cholesterol, and prevent
gastrointestinal tract infections.
The second project will investigate new methods for detecting adulterated
foods. Low says an estimated 10 per cent of food is not what it claims to
be, containing ingredients that make it cheaper to produce, for instance.
Low has previously used chromatography (a technique for the chemical
separation of mixtures) to identify trace carbohydrates synthesized by
enzymes present in foods. This technique provides unique 'fingerprints' for
identifying specific types of food. His latest research will use DNA
testing to identify the enzyme fingerprints that authenticate foods.
U of S agricultural economists Jill Hobbs and Peter Phillips, microbiologist
Darren Korber, environmental microbiologist John Lawrence, and sociologist
Michael Mehta are collaborating on other AFMNet projects. These studies
will examine microbial biofilms on foods and food processing equipment,
understanding consumer acceptability of functional foods (foods with
physiological benefits that prevent disease), and the ethics of labeling
genetically modified foods.
Current world consumption of natural health products, functional foods and
nutraceuticals is estimated at $70 billion annually.
"The establishment of this network reinforces the Government of Canada's
commitment to invest in the kind of research and development that is going
to yield real economic benefits in the years to come," said Brenda
Chamberlain. "Research and development in advanced foods and materials has
huge potential for developing novel ideas in food safety, nutritional
quality and human health."
Funding for NCE is provided by Industry Canada and three Canadian federal
granting agencies - NSERC, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and
the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Tom Brzustowski, NSERC President and Chair of the NCE Steering Committee,
said, "AFMNet is building a unique university, government and industry
partnership that will lead to the advancement of science-based information
in areas such as food safety where the public needs a credible source of
information."
The NCE Program mobilizes Canada's best researchers in the university,
private and public sectors to develop new knowledge leading to economic
development and a better quality of life for Canadians. For more
information, go to: www.nce.gc.ca
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For more information, contact:
Professor Nicholas Low
Microbiology and Food Science
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-5037
*Please note: Professor Low may be contacted in Toronto on November 4th at
1-800-387-0287 or 866-667-9330.
Kathryn Warden
Research Communications Officer
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-2506
kathryn.warden@usask.ca
www.usask.ca/research
