March 30, 2020
Good day everyone,
The staff at Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) would like to take this opportunity to send everyone well wishes during this unprecedented global crisis. We would like to thank you for the sacrifices you have made to help to “flatten the curve” so that everyone can resume their normal activities, including the very important research that happens at McGill, as soon as possible.
This message is sent on behalf of Martha Crago, Vice-Principal (Research and Innovation).
Dear members of the McGill research community,
As part of a pan-Canadian effort to quickly mobilize research in response to COVID-19, McGill’s Office of the Vice-Principal Research and Innovation (OVPRI) is coordinating information about relevant McGill research. This includes, but is not limited to, clinical or medical research, testing, devices, diagnosis, treatment, modeling, and social implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Code Life Ventilator Challenge needs help from compliance and IP experts for expedited review and mentoring of late-stage teams. Expert assistance is needed to ensure that any design can be reviewed and adjusted so as to ensure patient safety, and no IP rights infringement.
Sign up using this simple FORM.
The McGill Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunity (MI4) is pleased to announce the launch of an emergency coronavirus research fund to support nimble and effective interventions and studies in this crisis. This fund will be used to accelerate COVID-19 biomedical and social sciences research across the entire MI4 community through strategic support of key platforms and research projects that can provide solutions for the current pandemic.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has an urgent need for reagents for use in COVID-19 testing. The National Microbiology Lab (NML) is specifically looking for items on the list in the table below, as well as any other RNA extraction reagents.
Please connect directly with Mette Cornelisse, Office of Chief Science Officer (mette.cornelisse [at] canada.ca) and Rita Finley, Office of Chief Science Officer (rita.finley [at] canada.ca).
March 20, 2020
Given the COVID-19 outbreak and in consideration of the importance of preserving the health and safety of the population, including research participants and McGill members, following government directives for social distancing and University directives, all on campus research or any in-person interactions with research participants is to be discontinued or postponed.
The Department of Health and Social Services (MSSS) is looking for personal protective equipment for employees of the health and social services network in connection with COVID-19.
In this sense, the MSSS is collecting information on the following equipment currently available in University and Cégep laboratories:
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security assesses that the COVID-19 pandemic presents an elevated level of risk to the cyber security of the medical research community in Canada. Cyber criminals and other threat actors that utilize malware and ransomware to exploit organizations may leverage the increased pressure placed on these organizations as a method of extracting ransom payments or masking compromises aimed at the theft of intellectual property and/or other sensitive data amidst the existing environment of uncertainty.
Sent on behalf of Martha Crago, Vice-Principal (Research and Innovation)
McGill University’s campuses have effectively closed because of COVID-19, including the offices of Research and Innovation (R+I). However, R+I has moved its functions to online and phone-based formats. All R+I units therefore will continue to provide regular services remotely in support of the University research community.
In light of the developing global situation around COVID-19 and recent instructions issued by the Quebec government, HBHL has decided to cancel the Symposium 2020 and postpone HBHL Research Day 2020 until Fall 2020 (date TBA).
The Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives Research Theme 3 Leader, Dr. Robert Zatorre, is currently away on sabbatical and we have been fortunate to have Dr. Julien Doyon act as Leader in the interim. Dr. Zatorre has now decided to step down and as such, we are opening a call to find a new Leader for Theme 3 (Applied Cognitive Neuroscience of Brain Plasticity). We would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Zatorre for his sterling contributions to HBHL's growth since its inception, and Dr.
Congratulations to all of our HBHL Trainees who took part in Western University's Neuroscience Research Day! Two trainees were recognized with awards for their outstanding work:
Top Platform Talks ($200 prize)
Abdullah Azeem - MSc student, McGill University (pictured)
Collaboration Award ($250 prize)
Stephanie Tullo - PhD student, McGill University, with Hannah MacNeil - MSc student, UWO
NeuroSphere, the McGill platform dedicated to innovation and partnership in neuroscience research funded through Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives (HBHL), is proud to announce the awarding of three scholarships to Sheida Rabipour, Marie-Élyse Lafaille-Magnan and Daneck Lang-Ouellette.
HBHL is proud to announce the teaser launch for the Neural Pathways podcast! This weekly show will feature host and HBHL Trainee Rana Ghafouri talking to a McGill University neuroscience alumn to see where their degree took them. The first full podcast episode will be released on Tuesday, February 25—listen to the teaser trailer on Spotify to learn more about what's coming up!
It is with great sadness that we share the passing of renowned neuroscientist Bruce McEwen, who died earlier this month at the age of 81. McEwen's work in the field of stress had a global impact, and he was best known for his studies on how stress hormones reshape neural circuits and brain structures. McEwen was also known for his contributions to the scientific community as a mentor and was a valued member of HBHL's International Advisory Council since 2017.
