Highlights include a Tour of the HSN Simulation Lab,and NOSM’s Response to the TRC’s Calls to Action 

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine’s (NOSM) Board of Directors held its annual face-to-face meeting in Sudbury on November 24 and 25, 2016.

NOSM Board members began their two-day meeting with a tour of Health Sciences North’s Simulation Laboratory. A highly valued partner with the School, the Simulation Laboratory promotes high-quality educational activities across all health professions, including medicine, nursing, respiratory therapy, paramedicine, and other allied health professions.

This year, NOSM’s Board participated in discussions regarding:

• NOSM’s simulation program, which supports patient- and learner-safe education.
• NOSM’s implementation of many of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, and the School’s commitment and leadership on meeting the needs of Indigenous peoples in Canada and Northern Ontario.
• The ways in which NOSM collaborates with its two academic health sciences centres, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre in Thunder Bay and Health Sciences North in Sudbury.
• The governance and leadership model of the School, and the ways in which it supports the School’s strategic goals.
• Sustaining NOSM’s success, and the School’s advancement, revenue generation, advocacy, and ambassadorship initiatives.
• NOSM’s undergraduate medical education program, which oversees and delivers the School’s MD curriculum.
• NOSM’s research portfolio, which conducts and supports health research in Northern Ontario.

At the formal Board meeting at the end of the second day, the Board approved Financial Statements from the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee for the five-month period ending September 30, 2016.

The Board received copies of two reports, the ICEMEN Conference Report and the Indigenous Research Gathering Report. These reports provided summaries, highlights, and reflections of two events NOSM held in Sault Ste. Marie in the summer: ICEMEN 2016, an international conference on health professional education and research; and the Indigenous Research Gathering, a research gathering with Indigenous peoples to guide health research practices with Indigenous peoples.

“It gives me great pride to serve on NOSM’s Board of Directors, and support the School in its continual pursuit of a healthier Northern Ontario—a sentiment that I know is shared by my fellow Board members,” says Dr. Moira McPherson, Chair of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine’s Board of Directors and Vice President, Academic and Provost at Lakehead. “This face-to-face meeting of the Board provided a very valuable opportunity for us to come together and pool our expertise and experience to contribute to the continued success of the School.”

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine’s next Board of Directors meeting is scheduled to occur on ­­­­­March 22, 2017.

For a complete list of Board members, please visit our website at nosm.ca/board.

About NOSM’s Board of Directors
NOSM’s Board of Directors is comprised of 19 members who reflect the geographic and demographic diversity of Northern Ontario, including Indigenous, Francophone, and rural and remote communities. It is responsible for the corporate governance and fiscal management of the School. Membership of the Board of Directors is drawn widely to achieve the balance of skills and expertise required to enable the Board to fulfil its governance responsibilities.

Partnership to focus on aquatic biosystems, environmental health 

Environmental research programs at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) and IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) have taken a leap forward with the establishment of a research collaboration agreement that will see scientists from both organizations working together on new studies related to environmental health.

For decades, scientists at IISD-ELA have maintained a research infrastructure for tracking changes in aquatic biosystems resulting from climate change, nutrient loading, pollutants, invasive species, and many other alterations in the environment. The facility, the only one of its kind in the world, has been researching whole-lake ecosystems since the 1960s.

Researchers at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine are studying similar changes, from the point of view of impact on human health. For example, researchers are studying the impact nutrient loading has on cyanobacteria (also called blue-green algae), and developing better ways to detect cyanobacteria blooms. Cyanobacteria is known to be harmful to humans, and represents a significant health risk to the people of Northern Ontario. Every summer, many beaches and water sources are identified by Public Health Officials as being contaminated, which results in the issuing of water advisories. The problem is increasing every year in part because of global warming.

“The Northern Ontario School of Medicine understands that the health of the people of Northern Ontario in inextricably linked to the health of the environment,” said Dr. Penny Moody-Corbett, NOSM’s Associate Dean of Research. “The work to be performed with IISD-ELA will enable scientists to advance our understanding of health risks associated with environmental change. It is essential we develop new tools to address the continually changing pressures our environment is experiencing, and the likely impacts on human health.”

Matthew McCandless, IISD-ELA Executive Director, is also excited about the potential of the new collaboration. “IISD-ELA has an international reputation for excellence in environmental research. Working with NOSM will allow us to apply a specific focus on human health to several of the studies we are undertaking.” McCandless is also looking forward to the learning opportunities the agreement will create. “IISD-ELA is dedicated to the training a new generation of scientists with the skills to understand the impact environmental change will have, beyond our current measures. This agreement will enable educational opportunities in new disciplines with tremendous potential impact on the health of Northern Ontarians and beyond.”

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IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) is an exceptional natural laboratory comprised of 58 small lakes and their watersheds set aside for scientific research. Located in a sparsely populated region of Northwestern Ontario, Canada, the lakes in the region are not affected by human impacts. By manipulating these small lakes, scientists are able to examine how all aspects of the ecosystem—from the atmosphere to fish populations—respond. Findings from these real-world experiments are often much more accurate than those from research conducted at smaller scales, such as in laboratories. This unique research approach has influenced billion-dollar decisions of governments and industries. It has generated more cost-effective environmental policies, regulations and management, all to ensure the safety of our freshwater supplies.

Earlier today, Bruce Power announced that it will provide $5 million in funding to the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) to conduct health research in Northern Ontario, specifically in relation to radiation and the environment.

Bruce Power’s contributions to NOSM will consist of:

• A $5 million investment over the next five years to establish the Bruce Power Centre for Health and Environmental Research.
• The renewal of the Bruce Power Chair in Radiation and Health at NOSM, which was established in 2013.
• The provision of a free, clean energy electric car charging station that is open and available to the public, as well as an electric car for conducting research.

The $1 million in annual funding for five years will be used to continue research that has taken place during the first four years of the existence of the Bruce Power Chair in Radiation and Health, specifically:

• The impact of low-dose radiation on health.
• The environmental impacts of radiation and how they impact health.
• The effects of radiation and diagnostic imaging on fetal programming.
• The effect of radiation on specific species of fish.
• The impact of radiation on Indigenous communities.

“Our research looks at what happens to the body when we’re exposed to low doses of radiation,” said Dr. Doug Boreham, Bruce Power Chair in Radiation and Health at NOSM and Manager of Integration at Bruce Power. “We have found that, contrary to popular belief, low-dose radiation has a net positive effect on an organism’s health, leading to less cancer and longer life expectancy. Essentially, low doses of radiation stimulate repair systems and make organisms healthier, stimulating a similar effect on the body as exercise.”

In addition, the Chair will provide scientific oversight and direction for research associated with environmental and human impacts of the nuclear power industry. Having already invested more than $1 million into NOSM to date, the partnership between it and Bruce Power will continue to foster better educational outreach in radiation and health and build a strong network of expertise to support the future scientific and health needs of Bruce Power, NOSM and Ontario. As with all of NOSM’s research, these projects are being conducted in Northern Ontario, with a specific interest in the impact of these items on the people and communities of the North.

The provision of a clean energy vehicle and charging station provides a step toward more environmentally friendly transportation in Northern Ontario. Electric vehicles produce 90 per cent less carbon dioxide emissions than fossil fuel cars, leading to fewer environmental pollutants, which have a negative impact on health. The charging station that will be installed at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine at Laurentian University will allow any member of the public to charge their electric vehicles for free.

Commentary

“On behalf of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, I’d like to extend my thanks to Bruce Power for their generous research funding,” said Dr. David Marsh, Deputy Dean and Associate Dean, Community Engagement at NOSM. “We can accomplish much more together than we can on our own. Collaborating with organizations such as Bruce Power means that we have a greater ability to better the health of the people and communities of Northern Ontario.”

“This announcement demonstrates what can be achieved through innovative partnerships. Health, energy, and our environment are directly linked. This new funding will help to expand research functions at Northern Ontario School of Medicine and ensure they’re able to undertake the cutting edge work we’ve all come to expect from their team,” said Honourable Glenn Thibeault, Minister of Energy and MPP, Sudbury. “I’m also pleased with the announced installation of a new electric vehicle charging station at Laurentian University, allowing the public improved access to free charging.”

About Bruce Power
Bruce Power operates the world’s largest operating nuclear generating facility and is the source of about 30 per cent of Ontario’s electricity. The company’s site in Tiverton, Ontario, is home to eight CANDU reactors. Formed in 2001, Bruce Power is an all-Canadian partnership among Borealis Infrastructure Trust Management (a division of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System), TransCanada, the Power Workers’ Union and the Society of Energy Professionals. A majority of Bruce Power’s employees are also owners in the business. Learn more at www.brucepower.com.