Life Sciences Institute | Issue 1| December 2, 2020 |
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News and Narratives about, by and for the LSI Community
IN THIS ISSUE
- Director's Update
- Community Focus
- In Translation - a new LSI trainee initiative
- Get to know...
- EDI in the LSI
- LSI in the News
- Events
- SAfER BC COVID-19 Study
- Kudos and Laurels
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There is much good news to share with our LSI community with this first edition of the new monthly newsletter, The/Lifeline.
First, it is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of our own Dr. Jim Johnson as the Deputy Director of the LSI, commencing January 2021. Dr. Johnson brings a wealth of knowledge to the LSI leadership team and a passion for collaboration and mentoring.
Renowned for the broad scope of his research into diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, neuroscience, cancer and aging, Jim has enjoyed many fruitful collaborations with colleagues in the LSI.
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He has recent institute leadership experience as Founding Director of the £112M Novo Nordisk Research Centre Oxford. Jim is also Board Chair of the Institute for Personalized Therapeutic Nutrition, a nonprofit he co-founded to support safe application of therapeutic nutrition in diabetes.
His awards include recognition in 2016 as the top diabetes researcher aged < 45y from Diabetes Canada.
In addition to providing direction within the LSI, he will spearhead key strategic initiatives to ensure that we are able to expand upon the accomplishments of the past two years.
I hope that you will all join me in congratulating Dr. Johnson, and I very much look forward to working with him in the New Year to grow and improve the LSI.
I also have an update to share about renovations and a new Core Facility coming to the 2 West Wing in the LSC.
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Don't Miss the LSI Seminar Series Opener
December 11 | 11 a.m.
featuring Dr. Filip Van Petegem
Details and Zoom link for this event will be distributed via email
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National Diabetes Month ends on a crescendo
Dr. James Johnson is part of one of two teams funded through this new initiative, aimed at accelerating development of stem cell-based therapies for the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D).
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LSI spinoff company the source of technology Pfizer’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine ‘can’t work without’
The messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccine, seen as a potential light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, relies on innovations developed by an LSI spinoff, Acuitas Therapeutics.
The potency of the vaccine, manufactured by Pfizer and partner BioNTech, depends entirely on an LNP system to deliver encapsulated mRNA to the interior of target cells. The system stems from research pioneered by former LSI Director Dr. Pieter Cullis since 1978.
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In Translation | Tweaking post-transplant drug cocktail may help prevent diabetes
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Jelena Kolic | Banting Post Doctoral Fellow | Johnson Lab |
Drugs that suppress the immune system are critical for preventing the rejection of transplanted organs. Unfortunately, these drugs can also cause diabetes in some patients. New Onset Diabetes After Transplant (NODAT) occurs in >20% of transplant patients taking immunosuppressive drugs like tacrolimus. |
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One question is whether these drugs damage cells in the pancreas that make insulin, a hormone that helps control blood sugar levels. Voclosporin is a new drug candidate which causes fewer cases of NODAT than tacrolimus, although it is not clear why.
This excerpt is from recent paper out of the Johnson Lab - our first instalment in a new, ongoing project engaging first author trainees and their PIs in summarizing significant findings in an accessible format.
Dr. Jelena Kolic worked with Nina Maeshima to produce a summary we'll be featuring on the LSI website and promoting via the Institute's Twitter account.
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Sasha McDowell, a Master's student in Cell and Developmental Biology at UBC authored a column for AAAS Science's Working Life, describing how COVID-19 has impacted her relationship with her LSI mentor, Dr. Michael Gordon.
Sasha will be a regular contributor to The/Lifeline. Watch for her work in upcoming editions!
Read "The pandemic strengthened my relationship with my supervisor—and prepared us to talk about race"
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Equity, Diversity & Inclusion |
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The LSI, in collaboration with the Djavad Mowfaghian Centre for Brain Health and UBC's Department of Psychology hosted a screening and discussion of "Picture a Scientist," a passionate documentary highlighting the need for science to become more diverse, equitable, and open to all.
Our wonderful panelists Drs. Shernaz Bamji, Liisa Galea, Sheila Teves and Carolina Tropini, and moderator Dr. Hakima Moukhles drew an audience of nearly 100 engaged attendees.
A follow-up round table event is being planned for the New Year.
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Photo by Dr. Julie Grondin, Fellow, UBC Michael Smith Labs
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"Great film and great discussion. Thanks to all the panelists!"
- Dr. Gail Murphy
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LSI Director Dr. Josef Penninger was interviewed by Weiner Zeitung about expecting viable data by January for APN01 a drug developed specifically against SARS coronaviruses. He also appeared on ideacity to talk about getting closer to a viable treatment for COVID-19.
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Acuitas, a company co-developed by Dr. Pieter Cullis, was written up in the Ottawa Citizen for developing the nanotechnology that delivered the messenger RNA in Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to safely to its target. Acuitas also made the headlines in the Vancouver Sun as a key contributor to a coronavirus solution.
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In an effort to support decision-making around managing work environments during the pandemic, UBC faculty of medicine researchers—Dr. Mel Krajden, Dr. Josef Penninger, and Dr. Simon Pimstone—have been collaborating with an inter-sectoral team of industry, academic, and public sector partners in British Columbia in a 15-month, $1.2 million study.
The data from the “SARS‐CoV‐2 Study for Eased Restrictions in British Columbia” (SAfER) project, collected in controlled settings, including the LSI, will be available in real time to help inform public health decisions that lead to positive outcomes.
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Two LSI trainees received recognition at Vancouver Diabetes Research Day 2020 under the Discovery Research, Islet Biology & Cell Therapy Theme. Priye Iworima (Kieffer Lab), won an award for her oral presentation of "Maximizing cell yield during the manufacture of insulin producing islet-like clusters," and George Brownrigg (Rideout Lab) won a poster award for "Sex differences in islets’ ER stress response."
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Are you a first, or senior author publishing soon in a high-impact journal?
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Click the button to the right and tell us about it.
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UBC Life Sciences Institute
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