The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) was recently pleased to support NOSM researcher, Dr. Kristen Jacklin, and Dr. Wayne Warry of McMaster University, in their efforts to draw attention to dementia in Aboriginal communities.

On April 15 and 16, 2010, researchers, administrators, and Aboriginal community members from across the country attended the Aboriginal ADRD Research Network Meeting at NOSM’s East Campus in Sudbury where presentations, discussions, and community perspectives focused on the complexity of dementia among Aboriginal groups.

The event was organized in response to a 2007 provincial forum on ADRD, which revealed a scarcity of information on how Aboriginal groups understand and cope with dementia. Participants at the NOSM event shared findings from research currently underway and discussed strategies to address gaps in knowledge using a transdisciplinary approach to research.

As part of discussions on shared priorities, supporters discussed future funding opportunities for a national project that would develop research capacity, contribute to understandings of cultural competency, and bring a critical perspective to the perception and experience of dementia illnesses that will be of use to Aboriginal communities, care providers, and academics.

A principal organizer of the event, NOSM professor, Dr. Kristen Jacklin, noted the importance of this Research Network Meeting as a key step in addressing the needs of this population group. “We believe such research has the potential to inform our understandings of ADRD, which can lead to the improvement in care for Aboriginal peoples suffering from dementia, and to the awareness of dementia-related diseases in Aboriginal communities,” she said.

Drs. Kristen Jacklin and Wayne Warry are both active investigators in the Indigenous Health Research Development Program, one of nine Networks Environment for Aboriginal Health Research in Canada (NEAHRs).

This first gathering among research participants with interests in ADRD is an important step in extending collaborations and working toward securing funding for a national project.

The event was co-funded by the Indigenous Health Research Development Program (www.ihrdp.ca ), the Northern Ontario School of Medicine Faculty Association Research Fund, and through in-kind contributions from NOSM.

Award Recognizes M.D. Graduates’ Commitment to Rural Health Care 

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is pleased to be the recipient of the 2010 Rural Medical Education Award granted by the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada (SRPC). Each year, the SRPC confers the Rural Medical Education Award to an undergraduate medical education program which has excelled in graduating physicians heading toward a career in rural medicine.

This year’s selection process involved choosing the medical school program that matched the most graduates to rural family medicine residency programs in the 2009 Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) results. CaRMS matches medical students, based on both student and medical school preferences, to postgraduate residency programs across Canada. In 2009, fully 40.3 percent of NOSM graduates from the M.D. program were successfully matched to rural family medicine residencies.

On behalf of NOSM, NOSM Dean Dr. Strasser expressed his gratitude for the recognition. “It is an honour for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine to be acknowledged by the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada.” He continued, “This particular award speaks to both the high calibre of NOSM graduates, and the hard work of NOSM’s staff and faculty who are committed to the School’s overall mission of educating skilled physicians and health professionals who are innovative, resourceful, sensitive, and who understand the rigours and rewards of medical practice in Northern, rural, and culturally diverse settings.”

Receipt of the Rural Medical Education Award follows previous successes. All charter class members who graduated from the M.D. program in 2009 were matched to residency programs in the first round. Over ten years have lapsed since a group of graduating students from a Canadian medical school has achieved such results.

The Society of Rural Physicians of Canada provides leadership for rural physicians and promotes equitable care for the nine million Canadians who reside in rural areas of the country.

The Award will be presented to NOSM in Toronto on April 23, 2010.

Last Friday, four Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) medical students received research awards valued at $6,000 each from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario (HSFO). An additional five NOSM medical students received NOSM Dean’s Summer Medical Student Research Awards, also valued at $6,000 each.

This is the fifth year the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario has sponsored Summer Medical Student Research Awards for NOSM medical students. This year brings to a successful conclusion a five-year commitment to NOSM from the Heart and Stroke Foundation valued at nearly $200,000. The HSFO student research projects provide medical students with the opportunity to gain cardiovascular research training while working with an established NOSM researcher. The projects are carried out across Northern Ontario. Similarly, the NOSM Dean’s awards provide medical students with an opportunity to conduct hands-on research on a broad range of biological and social research topics.

“Once again, the Heart and Stroke Foundation is extremely proud to support bright, young minds in Northern Ontario. We hope that, by fuelling their interest in addressing the health issues faced by Northern Ontarians, we are encouraging the next generation of care providers who will create healthier futures for the North,” says Dr. Marco Di Buono, Director of Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario.

This year’s student projects, supported by the HSFO, include projects entitled:
• Multidisciplinary Interventions for a Rural Primary Care Setting: Developing patient-centered strategies for improved management of the co-morbidities associated with type II diabetes
• Attitudinal differences and knowledge gaps in interprofessional collaboration and education between health-care professionals and health-care students
• Effects of Polyphenolic Compounds on Oxidative Stress-Induced Cytotoxicity in Rat Cardiac Myocytes
• Regulation of Adrenaline Biosynthesis by Reactive Oxygen Species

The four 2010 recipients of the HSFO Summer Medical Student Research Awards for NOSM are:
• Kathleen Anderson
• Sheila MacIntosh
• Matthew Piché
• William Yates

Immediately following the HSFO presentation, five NOSM medical students were awarded NOSM Dean’s Summer Medical Student Research Awards valued at $6,000 each.

Dr. Greg Ross, NOSM’s Associate Dean of Research, expressed enthusiasm regarding the value of the opportunities provided by NOSM Dean’s Summer Medical Student Research Award. “Research at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine is reflective of the School’s mandate to be socially accountable to the diverse cultures of Northern Ontario,” said Dr. Greg Ross. “NOSM Dean’s Summer Medical Student Research Awards allow our students to remain in the North for the summer and study topics relevant to the people and communities of Northern Ontario while gaining valuable research experience.”

The 2010 recipients of NOSM Dean’s Summer Medical Student Research Awards are:

• Allison Carroll Coutts
• Jeniva Donaleshen
• Rebecca Matthew
• Justin Poling
• Colleen Valente

This year’s student projects, supported by NOSM Dean’s Summer Medical Student Research Awards, include the following topics:

• Research and Innovation Project “Northern Lights”
• Examining differences in mortality and morbidity rates related to chronic disease among Aboriginal and Euro-Canadian people on Manitoulin Island from 1869-1950
• Effect of Pre-natal Glucocorticoid Exposure on Neurobehavioral Outcomes
• Identifying groups at risk for community acquired pneumonia in Northern Ontario
• End of Life and Palliative Care Needs in Northwestern Ontario Aboriginal Reserve Communities

“The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is fortunate to have had the opportunity to partner with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario for the past five years,” said NOSM Dean Dr. Roger Strasser. “These awards provide medical students, our future physicians, with valuable experience in the field of research. I would like to congratulate the students on their awards and wish them success with their research.”

The Heart and Stroke Foundation, a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living and advocacy.