The role of infectious disease in declining productivity of wild salmon in BC is poorly understood. We will combine novel genomic technologies with traditional fish health methodologies and more broadly identify the microbe exposure of BC salmon. By doing so, we can examine their evolutionary relationships and their epidemiological distribution patterns over time and space […]

Canada is currently experiencing a cat overpopulation crisis, fed in large part by the uncontrolled breeding of domestic animals. While homeless and feral cats may add to the problem, much of the population explosion is being driven by unsterilized cats, whose owners have chosen to leave them intact. A single unaltered female cat and her […]

Obesity and diabetes are a significant global burden and there is an immediate need for novel treatments and management strategies. Our lab has shown that an avocadoderived lipid is a potent inhibitor of fatty acid oxidation (i.e., the cellular breakdown of fat for energy) which reduces mouse weight gain without toxicity. Inhibition of fatty acid […]

Pathologic changes that occur in the cervical spinal cord as a result of injury and disease are not well characterized with current clinical imaging techniques. Synaptive Medical has recently developed a suite of innovative medical imaging products focused on the brain and image-guided neurosurgery. They are interested in investigating the potential application of these technologies […]

Bladder cancer is the fifth most common form of cancer in Canada, however progress in the development of safer and more effective therapies has been slow. The use of antibody drug conjugates (ADC) is a promising therapeutic option that would allow for targeted killing of cancer cells, if the obstacle of getting the drug inside […]

Today 25% of patients listed for liver transplantation die waiting for a liver to become available. The donor organ pool could be expanded by rescuing the 50% of livers donated after cardiac death (DCD) that are discarded due to the injury caused by prolonged periods of warm ischemia during organ retrieval. Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSC) […]

Organ transplants save patients with severe end stage organ failure but the need for subsequent lifelong immunosuppression can lead to a number of undesired consequences including the reactivation of viruses of donor or recipient origin. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is the most common opportunistic infection in transplant patients and can lead to significant morbidity and […]

Adiga Life Sciences Inc. developed a novel immunotherapeutic platform in which small components (peptides) of allergen proteins are identified and administered in a regimen that causes immune cells to become non-responsive towards the allergens. In a phase II clinical trial, the cat allergy treatment developed by Adiga using this platform reduced allergic symptoms in allergic […]

There is a critical need for new therapies for Parkinson’s Disease (PD), a devastating neurodegenerative disease. Current therapies for PD treat disease symptoms, but do not provide a cure. The ability to generate patient brain-derived cells may rapidly advance development of personalized therapies for PD and other incurable neurological disorders. This study will use brain […]

The success of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the infectious agent of tuberculosis (TB), lies in its ability to primarily infect, reside, and multiply in the lungs of patients. Mtb infects white blood cells termed alveolar macrophages and hides from the host immune response as well as from many antibiotics used for treatment, creating additional challenges for […]

The intern will analyze blood samples of patients with high-risk prostate cancer. The cancer cells will be isolated from the blood sample and the genetic material will be stained and then imaged by a high-intensity-high-focus 3D microscope. Next, the telomeres (ends of genes) will be studied and compared. The point is to see the progression […]

The intern will conduct a research study to evaluate whether measuring insulin in saliva can be used to reflect levels of insulin in the blood. The long-term objective is to work with the industry partner to develop a non-invasive personal salivary insulin monitor using a new technology that is in development that can quickly and […]