The Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation presented its annual Santé! Awards Evening on December 1st, 2011 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Saskatoon. Over 200 attendees representing all aspects of the research community enjoyed over 20 research posters and a wide array of hors d’oeuvres, desserts and music.
As part of our toast to health research successes, SHRF was pleased to announce the winner of the SHRF Acievement Award, which honours those individuals in the health research community who inspire us with their drive, leadership, ingenuity, and achievement as well as the Top Researcher Awards, awarded to the top-ranked recipients in the funding competitions.
Nominated by his peers and recognized for his exemplary career achievements, this year’s recipient is Dr. Dennis Johnson.
Dr. Dennis Johnson has dedicated his entire career to the health research landscape in Saskatchewan. He is noted for his role in establishing some of the province’s primary research facilities, such as the Cameco MS Neuroscience Research Centre, the Saskatchewan Drug Research Institute and the Canadian Light Source. In 2004, Dr. Johnson became the Director of the Saskatchewan Synchrotron Institute, an organization that provided a million dollars in funding to train Saskatchewan researchers. Synchrotron-based health research has now become one of the province's key research funding priorities. Dr. Johnson’s vision, leadership and unwavering dedication make him the ideal recipient for this year’s SHRF Achievement Award.
The award in the Biomedical category went to Dr. Yuliang Wu, from the Department of Biochemistry in the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan.
Using biochemical and cellular approaches, Dr. Yuliang Wu aims to understand how particular protein changes can lead to breast cancer and Fanconi anemia. The protein in question, the Fanconi anemia group J protein, typically contributes to the repair of the DNA. In cases of breast cancer or Fanconi anemia, Dr. Wu has identified changes, or mutations, in the protein. He and his team of researchers are conducting further research into the changes to determine the potential structural defects. This work constitutes an important step toward understanding the development of these diseases and will potentially lead to a therapeutic strategy for targeting the mutated protein.
The Award in the Socio-Health, Clinical and Systems category went to Dr. Sandra Webber, from the Department of Physical Therapy in the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan.
Dr. Sandra Webber is establishing the cardiovascular safety and musculoskeletal benefits of using a lower body positive pressure treadmill in older patients with arthritis after total knee replacement. Recently, these specially designed treadmills have aided in the rehabilitation of young athletes, but no controlled studies have been conducted to measure responses in older individuals. She hopes her research will improve recovery rates and lead to the development of new protocols to promote physical activity earlier after joint replacement and stimulate other rehabilitation applications relevant to older adults.
The award in the Biomedical category went to Dr. Sandra Schulz from the Department Microbiology and Immunology in the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. Schulz’s supervisor is Dr. Sylvia van Drunen Little-van den Hurk.
Hepatitis C virus, a major cause of chronic liver disease, is widespread among Canadian First Nations people, particularly in Saskatchewan. As the current treatment is often ineffective, Dr. Sandra Schulz is looking for new, more reliable treatments. Her research objective is to determine if a particular enzyme, known to inhibit the development of an immune response, is modified in the dendritic cells of hepatitis C virus patients. Such a discovery has the potential to identify inhibitors that, when used in conjunction with drug therapy or vaccination, will be of significant value in treating patients with hepatitis C virus.
The Award in the Socio-Health, Clinical and Systems category went to Dr. Rami Al-Nazer from the College of Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. Al-Nazer's supervisor is Dr. Joel Lanovaz.
The knee is the most common joint affected by osteoarthritis and is considered to be one of the leading causes of disability and discomfort among seniors. Dr. Rami Al-Nazer is building a knee joint model that will provide insight into strain distribution during physical activity. This knowledge will contribute to the development of treatments and prevention strategies that preserve normal joint mechanics. The model can further be used to investigate factors that increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis and may assist in the clinical success of knee joint replacement design.
