On June 6 – 7, 2014, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) held its ninth annual Northern Health Research Conference (NHRC) at the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre (SLMHC) in Sioux Lookout, Ontario. Hosted in the Josias Fiddler Conference Room, conference participants were welcomed by SLMHC, the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority and Lac Seul First Nation.

“This is the first time the Northern Ontario School of Medicine has hosted the Northern Health Research Conference in Sioux Lookout – one of many communities that provide essential support to the School by welcoming medical students, residents, and dietetic interns into their local hospital, health centres, and family practices,” says NOSM Dean, Dr. Roger Strasser. “We are pleased to be engaging local health-care professionals, researchers, and students in topics relating to the people and communities in Northern Ontario as we work towards the School’s vision of Innovative Education and Research for a Healthier North.”

Conference Highlights

• The first keynote address was delivered by Dr. Michael Schull, the President and CEO of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) in Toronto and Saba Khan, an epidemiologist with ICES. The title of their presentation was New Opportunities for working with Aboriginal Health Data at ICES. The second keynote address was delivered by Dr. Donald Redelmeier, Senior Scientist and Director at ICES. The title of his presentation was Pregnancy and the Risk of a Traffic Crash.
• A special session was organized for high school students from Sioux Lookout. Hosted by NOSM’s Aboriginal Affairs, Admissions and Francophone Affairs units, the session provided youth with an opportunity to learn about health research from a NOSM researcher; health careers from an Aboriginal NOSM alumni and practising physician; about the School’s MD program from a NOSM medical student; and, how to prepare for and apply to medical school at NOSM. Students also had an opportunity to hear conference presentations and view poster presentations. Feedback received from the students was that, by participating in the session, they are now more interested in health-care careers and research. In particular, the youth enjoyed speaking with an Aboriginal NOSM graduate who is now practising in Northern Ontario.
• Conference participants had the opportunity to hear presentations from a wide variety of organizations, including: researchers based at NOSM; universities across the North, including Laurentian University, Lakehead University, and Algoma University; the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research; partner organizations; and, hospitals in Thunder Bay and Sudbury. It was particularly exciting to see a number of presentations from current or former NOSM learners.
• This year, conference delegates participated in a community dinner in Lac Seul First Nation. After a dinner of wild rice, fish, and moose, Chief Clifford Bull welcomed delegates to the community, and presented NOSM’s Dean, Dr. Roger Strasser, with a painting to commemorate the visit. The painting will hang at NOSM’s campus at Lakehead University in the medical school building.

Dr. Marina Ulanova, Researcher and Associate Professor at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) and her colleagues have made important steps towards development of a vaccine for Haemophilus influenzae type A (HIA), an invasive bacterial pathogen capable of causing serious infections that can lead to permanent disability, brain damage, and deafness. This work is carried out in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada in Ottawa and the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.

“Northwestern Ontario has the second largest number of cases of Haemophilus influenzae type A, after the Canadian Arctic,” says NOSM Associate Professor Dr. Marina Ulanova. “In addition, we have discovered that Haemophilus influenzae type A occurs at a much higher rate among First Nations peoples compared to the rest of the population in Northwestern Ontario.”

“Historically, there have been many examples of unethical scientific research conducted on First Nations people,” says Dr. Eli Nix, NOSM Postdoctoral Fellow. “As a result many are hesitant to become involved in research today. We have been working with communities, council members in health portfolios, tribal health authorities, and regional health centers to ensure that our research is inclusive and collaborative, with the goal of building long-term relationships. We’re very invested in making sure that our research is done in a culturally competent and appropriate way.”

“We have found that First Nations people have more potent antibodies than non-First Nations,” says Nix. “Our working hypothesis now is that there is a higher circulation of the bacteria among First Nations. This has the effect of boosting your immune system if you’re healthy, but may also result in higher rates of infection among people with weakened immune system.”

In addition to developing partnerships with many First Nations communities across Northern Ontario, Ulanova and Nix have been working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States. Their interest in the project stems from the high rates of the HIA in Alaska.

Although Ulanova and Nix’s study of HIA has been primarily focused on Northwestern Ontario, they plan to expand their research to other parts of the province to understand why these infections are largely confined to the Northwest.

“Our next big research question is: What is the epidemiology of this infection in other regions of Northern Ontario?” says Ulanova. “We know that in Canada, the infection is much more prevalent in northern areas than in southern areas. We plan to extend our research to gain more specific data about how and why the bacteria are in higher circulation in the North.”

“Development of the Haemophilus influenzae type A vaccine has the potential to significantly improve health outcomes by safeguarding patients against a harmful pathogen,” says Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM Dean. “I commend Drs. Ulanova and Nix and the members of their research team for undertaking important research that impacts the health of their fellow Northern Ontarians.”

Dr. Marina Ulanova will present at NOSM’s ninth annual Northern Health Research Conference (NHRC) regarding this research and the development of the vaccine. The NHRC will take place in Sioux Lookout in collaboration with the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre on June 6-7, 2014.

Members Tour Debajehmujig Creation Centre,
Welcome Manitoulin Island as Comprehensive Community Clerkship Site,
and Participate in Strategic Planning

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) held its annual Board of Directors face-to-face meeting on Manitoulin Island, Ontario from May 8 to May 9, 2014.

On the first morning together, NOSM Board members enjoyed a tour of the Debajehmujig Creation Centre in Manitowaning, where they heard about how Debajehmujig Theatre Group members participate in simulation and standardized patient exercises for medical students on placement in the communities of Manitoulin Island. The Debajehmujig Theatre Group is a professional community-based non-profit organization dedicated to the vitalization of the Anishinaabeg culture, language and heritage, through education and the sharing of original creative expression with Native and Non-Native people.

In the afternoon, Board members helped Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM Dean, and Dr. Roy Jeffery, Physician at Manitoulin Health Centre and NOSM Site Liaison Clinician, to officially welcome Manitoulin Island to the group of now 14 Comprehensive Community Clerkship (CCC) sites across Northern Ontario. Each year, Manitoulin Island will host two third-year medical students, who will undertake clinical placements at the Manitoulin Health Centre; the Manitoulin Central Family Health Team; the Northeastern Manitoulin Family Health Team; the Gore Bay Medical Centre; and, the Municipality of Assiginack Family Health Team, from September to April.

In the evening, NOSM Board members enjoyed a dinner with local community members, including several representatives from the health organizations of Manitoulin Island. Dr. Bill McCready, NOSM’s Senior Associate Dean, West Campus and former Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs, and Dr. Greg Ross, NOSM’s Associate Dean of Research, were thanked for their outstanding leadership and significant contributions to NOSM. Both McCready and Ross will complete their terms as Associate Deans in June 2014.

During the two-day meeting, Board members participated in several presentations and interactive sessions on the topics of governance, advancement, financial sustainability, research, and strategic planning. NOSM has begun a widely consultative process of engaging the people and communities of Northern Ontario in the creation of a new strategic plan for the School for 2015-2020.Seeking the input of NOSM’s many collaborators is key to the development of a plan that continues to support the School’s social accountability mandate to contribute to improving the health of the people and communities across the region. All of NOSM’s collaborators are invited to access the NOSM Strategic Plan 2015-2020 website at  www.nosmsp2020.ca , review the background information, and contribute input online.

At the formal Board meeting on the final day of face-to-face meeting, the Directors received reports from Board committees, including the Finance, Audit and Risk Management, Governance, and Executive Committees. The Directors also received reports from Academic Council and the School’s Aboriginal and Francophone Reference Groups.

The Directors received a Financial Report for the 10-month period ending February 28, 2014. In addition, the Board approved the proposed balanced budget of $43.1 million for the fiscal year May 1, 2014 to April 30, 2015, as presented.

The next meeting of the Board of Directors is scheduled to occur on September 24, 2014.

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