TIME to Talk - Science & Medicine

Get to know our special guest Dr. Trevor Pugh! Dr. Pugh is a cancer genomics researcher and board-certified molecular geneticist at the forefront of precision medicine. As holder of the Canada Research Chair in Translational Genomics, he uses genome sequencing to understand causes of cancer, guide treatment of patients, and detect early disease using blood tests. He is appointed as Professor in the University of Toronto Department of Medical Biophysics, Senior Scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and Senior Investigator at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. He directs the OICR Genomics Program and the Princess Margaret Genomics Centre, […]

Get to know our special guest Dr. John Muscedere! Dr. Muscedere is an intensivist at Kingston General Hospital (KGH), and Professor of Critical Care Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University. He also serves as the Research Director of the Critical Care Program at Queen’s and KGH, and Co-Chair of the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group (CCCTG) Knowledge Translation Committee. John is an accomplished critical care researcher whose primary research interests include nosocomial infections, clinical practice guidelines, knowledge translation and critical care outcomes. He has led or participated in the development of many national and international clinical […]

Get to know our special guest Dr. Lisa Tannock – New Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University, Director of the School of Medicine and CEO of the Southeastern Academic Medical Organization (SEAMO)! Dr. Tannock completed her MD and clinical training in internal medicine at the University of Toronto, then completed subspecialty training in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at the University of Washington. Before moving to Queen’s, Dr. Tannock served at the University of Kentucky in several academic leadership roles, including associate provost for faculty advancement; division chief of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism; associate chair of internal […]

Get to know our special guest Dr. Paul Kubes! Dr. Kubes’ research program is at the forefront of real-time imaging of the immune system. As the CERC in Immunophysiology and Immunotherapy, he will provide leadership and build synergies amongst physiologists, cancer biologists, and immunologists, in order to adopt advanced technologies for understanding immune mechanisms of homeostasis and new disease treatments. By leveraging existing institutional strengths in immunology, cancer research, and precision medicine, this work will position Canada as a global hub for translational research on immune-based therapies.

Get to know our special guest Dr. Christopher Booth! Dr. Booth is a Medical Oncologist and Health Services Researcher at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada. He is a Professor of Oncology and Public Health Sciences and Director of the Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology at the Sinclair Cancer Research Institute. During 2014-2024 he held the Canada Research Chair in Population Cancer Care. In his clinical practice he provides care to patients with GI cancer. Dr. Booth’s research program explores access, quality, and value of cancer care. He serves as policy advisor to the World Health Organization and across global health […]

Get to know our special guest Dr. Sanoj Chacko! Dr. Chacko is a highly qualified and accomplished cardiologist with a background which includes an MBBS degree, MRCP (UK), and a Ph.D. in Cardiovascular Medicine from the UK. He holds the coveted CCT in Cardiovascular Medicine and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC), Dr. Chacko has served as the Director of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship at Queens University in Canada. His role extends to shaping the next generation of specialists in the field, and as the Chair of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Competence Committee at Queens […]

Get to know our special guest Dr. Karen Yeates!  Dr. Yeates is a graduate of Queen’s Medical School and received Internal Medicine training in Toronto. She then completed a fellowship in Nephrology at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario combined with a Master in Public Health from Harvard University.  She is co-founder and co-director of the Queen’s University School of Medicine Office of Global Health and is a clinician-researcher with a global health research focus in ‘mHealth’ and how it can improve access to prevention, detection and treatment for non-communicable disease (hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and cancer). Dr. […]

Get to know our special guest Dr. Jane Leopold!  Dr. Jane Leopold is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and a clinical interventional cardiologist, Director of the Women’s Interventional Cardiology Health Initiative and Director of the Cardiovascular Research Cores at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She is an internationally recognized vascular biologist with expertise in cardiopulmonary disease endophenotyping to understand the role of vascular structural and functional changes in the pathobiology of cardiopulmonary vascular disease. Her clinical research involves using precision medicine approaches to characterize the pathobiological mechanisms underlying complex cardiopulmonary vascular diseases. Her work has been funded […]

It seems there is not any post added into Read Later list.

It seems there is not any post added into Read Later list.

It seems there is not any post added into Read Later list.

It seems there is not any post added into Read Later list.

It seems there is not any post added into Read Later list.

It seems there is not any post added into Read Later list.

It seems there is not any post added into Read Later list.

It seems there is not any post added into Read Later list.

It seems there is not any post added into Read Later list.

Get to know our special guest Dr. Lynne Postovit.  Dr. Postovit earned her Bachelor of Science (Honours) at Queen’s University in 1999. After receiving her PhD in Anatomy and Cell Biology at Queen’s, Dr. Postovit completed a CIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship at Northwestern University in the Department of Cancer Biology and Epigenomics. Dr. Postovit was an Assistant Professor at Western University from 2007-2013 and has been an Associate Professor at the University of Alberta since 2014, where she co-directed the Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta. As a recognized authority on ovarian cancer, Dr. Postovit has published more than 60 papers in peer-reviewed journals, including the International Journal of Molecular Science, Frontiers in Immunology, and Scientific Reports. Dr. Postovit has been invited to present her work at national and international research institutes and conferences, including the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the Canadian Cancer Research Conference. In 2009, she was the recipient of the Peter Lougheed/CIHR New Investigator Award. Demonstrating excellence as a researcher, Dr. Postovit was elected as a Member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists in 2016. In addition to her prolific research output, Dr. Postovit has made remarkable contributions to the wider community through her service to the profession. She serves on the editorial boards of Oncology Signaling, Scientific Reports, and the Journal of Cell Communication and Signaling. In 2018, Dr. Postovit chaired the Canadian Conference on Ovarian Cancer Research and was an organizing committee member for the Canadian Oxidative Stress Consortium. She has made outreach and public-facing research a priority as part of her career, participating in a number of community events such as Ovarian Cancer Canada Run for Hope and the Royal Alex Foundation.

Get to know our special guest Dr. Bernard Thébaud.  Dr. Thébaud is a clinician-scientist with a focus on the clinical translation of stem cell-based therapies for lung diseases. Dr. Thébaud is a senior scientist with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (CHEO RI), and a neonatologist with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), where he provides care to critically ill newborns. He is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Ottawa and holds the uOttawa Partnership Research Chair in Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Thébaud obtained his MD at the University Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France in 1991 and trained in pediatrics and neonatology at the University Paris V in Paris, France, where he also obtained his MSc and PhD. He then completed a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Alberta. Dr. Thébaud has participated on numerous peer reviews committees and scientific advisory boards at the international, national and provincial level, including NIH and CIHR. He has over 120 peer-reviewed publications, and given over 80 lectures at leading international meetings and institutions in the past 5 years. He was a Canada Research Chair from 2005-2012. He received the “Rising Star in Perinatal Research” award from the CIHR Institute for Human Development, Child and Youth Health in 2008, and the “Best in Current Canadian Child Health Research” Sanofi Pasteur Research Award in 2007.

Get to know Dr. Annette Hay.  Dr. Annette Hay is a Hematologist within the Department of Medicine, Queen’s University, cross-appointed to the Departments of Oncology and Pediatrics, and a Senior Investigator with the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG). She became Chair of the Division of Hematology in January 2021. Commencing at the University of Dundee (Sept 1996 – June 2001, MB ChB received July 2001), Dr. Hay completed her medical and hematology training in Scotland.  In 2012 she undertook a 30-month Fellowship with the NCIC Clinical Trials Group (now CCTG), transitioning to a Senior Investigator role in 2014.  Dr. Hay’s clinical practice includes all areas of Hematology, with special interest in hematological malignancies. Clinics are held at the Cancer Center of Southeastern Ontario.   Dr. Hay’s specific research interests, delivered through collaboration with national and international investigators, include:  Clinical trial design, conduct and analysis: Completion of phase I, II and III trials for patients with lymphoma, leukemia, myeloma and myelodysplasia.  Under-represented populations: Enhancing research opportunities and clinical trial uptake for the elderly, and adolescents and young adults with cancer.  Economic analyses:  Determining the costs and benefits of healthcare interventions, aiding policy makers.  Data linkage:  Piloting means to conduct clinical trials more efficiently, while maintaining patient safety and privacy, though linkage with existing data sources.  Data sharing:  Creating the infrastructure for responsible data sharing in Canada to accelerate health care advances.

Get to know Dr. Jennifer Flemming – Dr. Flemming is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Public Health Sciences at Queen’s University with clinical training in gastroenterology, hepatology and liver transplantation. After completing her Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology training at Queen’s University, she completed two years of advanced hepatology and a Master’s in Clinical Research at the University of California San Francisco. In her clinical practice she manages a wide variety of patients with chronic liver disease from early disease stages to decompensated cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and liver transplant. She is a clinician scientist who leads a research program which leverages Ontario administrative data housed at ICES to evaluate the epidemiology and outcomes of patients with cirrhosis and recently appointed as the ICES-Queen’s Site Director. Her research has been supported by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) and the Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program. In addition, Dr. Flemming is an Associate Editor of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, serves as the Chair for the Guidelines Committee of the Canadian Association for the Study of Liver Disease (CASL), and is a member of the CASL Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee, AASLD Women’s Initiatives Committee, and the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care.

Get to know Dr. Amer Johri – a professor and clinician in the department of medicine at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario.  Dr. Johri is an expert on 3D echocardiography, interventional echocardiography, and Handheld Cardiac Ultrasound. His research focus involves patient-oriented research projects and the innovation of non-invasive techniques to predict and diagnose atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This includes: carotid intimal medial thickening, 3D strain and 3D stress testing, cardiopulmonary point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), screening of special populations such as competitive athletes and women, analysis of vulnerable atherosclerotic carotid plaque through 3D, composition, and novel ultrasound contrast applications. He is chair of the ASE guideline for the Assessment of Carotid Arterial Plaque by Ultrasound, and also chaired the ASE Statement on Point-of-Care Ultrasound during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Pandemic.   

The TIME podcast is getting a bit of an update!  We would like to introduce: ‘TIME to Talk Science & Medicine’ with hosts Dr. Stephen Archer and Dr. Charlie Hindmarch. This new podcast is designed to highlight translational researchers at Queen’s University. Our goal is to focus on a translational researcher, to learn about where they’ve come from, what motivates them, what are their ‘dangerous ideas’ and how their research will change the world! In our first podcast, get to know our guest Dr. Paula James, a Professor in the Department of Medicine, with cross-appointments to Pathology & Molecular Medicine and Pediatrics. She is also the Principal Investigator in the Clinical and Molecular Hemostasis Research Group at Queen’s University with an active basic and clinical research program investigating the genetic basis of inherited bleeding disorders as well as the quantitation of bleeding symptoms. Her groups research includes validating and publishing bleeding assessment tools (BATs), which have gained international recognition for optimizing a protocol for culturing ECFCs (Endothelial Colony Forming Cells) from patients with both inherited and acquired diseases. In 2015 she launched the Let’s Talk Period website and aligned social media accounts were launched to increase knowledge about abnormal bleeding.

In medicine, we often use reviews and guidelines to inform best practices that are safe, and effective and are updated regularly based on new forthcoming evidence. The treatment of malignant superior vena cava syndrome, a rare condition where cancer causes obstruction to the blood flow to the heart, is less well studied and has not been reviewed in over a decade. We found that there was very little evidence on common practices like use of steroids or diuretics to treat this condition. The evidence on using conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy, were from many decades ago and does not account for new treatments like immunotherapy and biologic therapy. When looking at studies examining endovascular stenting (mechanically opening the blood vessels), these studies demonstrate high success rates and are safe. This paper advocates for incorporation of new and effective treatment including stenting in treating this rare but important condition. Guests: Dr. Don Thiwanka Wijeratne (Queen’s University) & Dr. Kristin Wright (Queen’s University) Host: Dr. Charlie Hindmarch (Queen’s University) Link to the article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtho.2023.04.019

Synopsys: Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a common disorder characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits. While there may be multiple mechanisms that lead to development of IBS, the bacteria in our gut appear to play an important role in a number of IBS patients. We discuss novel research by scientists at Queen’s University and McMaster university where they found that a proportion of IBS patients have a specific bacteria in their intestine that produces large amounts of histamine, a mediator that can increase pain signaling in the gut. In mice that were colonized with patient stool containing this high histamine producing bacteria there was markedly increased pain signaling. This increased pain may be occurring, at least in part, due to the bacterial histamine signaling to immune cells in the gut, that also release histamine as well as other pain mediators. Additionally, the study showed that production of bacterial histamine could be triggered by specific foods in our diet. Thus, identifying key pathways involved in this diet-microbiota-host interaction that causes abdominal pain may ultimately lead to development of more efficacious targeted therapy in a number of IBS patients. Guests: Dr. David Reed (Queen’s University), Dr. Stephen Vanner (Queen’s University), Dr. Premysl Bercik (McMaster University), Dr. Giada De Palma (McMaster University) Host: Dr. Charlie Hindmarch (Queen’s University) Link to the article: https://www.science.org/doi/epdf/10.1126/scitranslmed.abj1895