Naylor Report / en 缅北强奸 President Emeritus David Naylor calls for continued support of science: University Affairs /news/u-t-president-emeritus-david-naylor-calls-continued-support-science-university-affairs <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">缅北强奸 President Emeritus David Naylor calls for continued support of science: University Affairs</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/naylor-lead_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=BfMNxqfN 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/naylor-lead_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=PRQBeAPq 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/naylor-lead_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=s48UbG-w 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/naylor-lead_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=BfMNxqfN" alt="Photo of David Naylor"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-06-05T11:47:15-04:00" title="Wednesday, June 5, 2019 - 11:47" class="datetime">Wed, 06/05/2019 - 11:47</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">缅北强奸 President Emeritus Dr. David Naylor spoke about the importance of investment in science at a research summit in Ottawa last month (photo by Tim Fraser)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/david-naylor" hreflang="en">David Naylor</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Speaking two years after he and his colleagues warned about flat-lining investments in research, University of Toronto President Emeritus Dr. <strong>David Naylor</strong>&nbsp;recently reiterated the need for continued support of&nbsp;science to ensure the country鈥檚 future prosperity.</p> <p>An article this week in&nbsp;<em><a href="https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/canadas-research-community-needs-to-be-in-permanent-campaign-mode/">University Affairs</a>&nbsp;</em>recounted&nbsp;a keynote speech in which Naylor urged the scientific community to be in&nbsp;鈥減ermanent campaign mode.鈥&nbsp;The summit, held last month in Ottawa, was organized by the Canadian Consortium for Research, an umbrella group representing 50,000 researchers and 650,000 students at universities, government labs and the private sector.</p> <p>鈥淲e have thousands of people dying of measles because ignorance is an epidemic,鈥 said Naylor, who&nbsp;led a blue-ribbon panel&nbsp;that looked at&nbsp;the state of science funding in Canada <a href="/news/bolstering-canadian-research-u-t-welcomes-federal-science-review">and made sweeping recommendations for reform</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淎nti-science, anti-research views are a contagious, malign force in the world. Research is about the entire country鈥檚 future 鈥 public, private sector and civil society. It鈥檚 about talent, not technology. It鈥檚 about people, not patents. It鈥檚 about creating a critical capacity in young people and not about commercialization.鈥</p> <h3><a href="https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/canadas-research-community-needs-to-be-in-permanent-campaign-mode/">Read more about David Naylor鈥檚 remarks in <em>University Affairs</em></a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 05 Jun 2019 15:47:15 +0000 geoff.vendeville 156806 at Basic research 'at the root' of innovation in Canada: 缅北强奸's Molly Shoichet /news/basic-research-root-innovation-canada-u-t-s-molly-shoichet <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Basic research 'at the root' of innovation in Canada: 缅北强奸's Molly Shoichet</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-09-14-Molly-Shoichet-economic-club-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=nG18iNXi 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-09-14-Molly-Shoichet-economic-club-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Uxzm2sEK 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-09-14-Molly-Shoichet-economic-club-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=6Kqc2UPU 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-09-14-Molly-Shoichet-economic-club-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=nG18iNXi" alt="Photo of Molly Shoichet"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-09-14T15:48:19-04:00" title="Friday, September 14, 2018 - 15:48" class="datetime">Fri, 09/14/2018 - 15:48</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">缅北强奸 University Professor Molly Shoichet emphasized the importance of funding basic research at an Economic Club of Canada panel discussion (photo by Chris Sorensen)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-sorensen" hreflang="en">Chris Sorensen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/molly-shoichet" hreflang="en">Molly Shoichet</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/technology" hreflang="en">Technology</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Canada is well on its way to becoming a country where knowledge and ideas, not oil or timber, are its most important resources 鈥 but there鈥檚 more work to be done before we truly become an innovation nation.</p> <p>That was the message delivered by University of Toronto researcher and former Ontario chief scientist&nbsp;<strong>Molly Shoichet</strong> and two other post-secondary heavy hitters 鈥 Martha Crago, McGill University鈥檚 vice-principal of research and innovation, and Paul Davidson, president of Universities Canada 鈥 during an Economic Club of Canada event today.</p> <p>Shoichet, who holds a <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/#section_2">University Professor</a> designation in 缅北强奸鈥檚 Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, noted 鈥渢hings are really happening鈥 in cities like Toronto and Montreal, which have both seen huge investments by Silicon Valley heavyweights and multinationals in recent years.</p> <p>However, she cautioned the current <a href="/news/toronto-added-more-tech-jobs-last-year-silicon-valley-or-anywhere-else-report">tech boom</a> 鈥 much of it focused on artificial intelligence and its myriad applications, from medicine to transportation 鈥 wouldn鈥檛 have happened without strategic government investments in fundamental research&nbsp;decades ago.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to recognize that research is at the root of innovation and commercialization,鈥 Shoichet said during the lunch-time panel discussion.</p> <p>鈥淚f you don鈥檛 invest in that research, we won't have those innovations and there won't be anything to&nbsp;commercialize.鈥</p> <p>All three participants in the event, titled 鈥淩esearch, Innovation &amp; the New Economy,鈥 lauded the federal government for launching a federal panel in 2016, led by 缅北强奸 President Emeritus <strong>Dr. David Naylor</strong>, to review how basic science is funded in this country, and for responding to its findings with<a href="/news/u-t-welcomes-federal-budget-s-boost-fundamental-research"> significant investments in fundamental research in its most recent budget</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Davidson, for his part, said visits to campuses of Universities Canada鈥檚 96 member institutions left him with the impression that serious progress is being made. In particular, he cited growing efforts to foster collaboration&nbsp;between universities and business, as well as between universities themselves, through vehicles like the federal government鈥檚 <a href="/news/u-t-expertise-helps-drive-two-supercluster-bids-success">supercluster initiative</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>He also noted Canada is making progress when it comes to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the country鈥檚 higher education system.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淵ou can鈥檛 have excellence unless you鈥檙e inclusive,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a big shift [in thinking].鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>Yet, despite the changes, the panelists stressed the need for Canada to continue improving the country鈥檚 research and commercialization infrastructure, while simultaneously working to instil&nbsp;a culture of innovation among Canadians.&nbsp;</p> <p>Crago, one of nine members on Canada鈥檚 Fundamental Science Review panel, emphasized the importance of continuing to fund young researchers in future budgets.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淲hat is working in this country is students are learning research and innovation by doing it,鈥 Crago said. 鈥淭hey are the engine.鈥</p> <p>She added Canada could also use more of a risk-taking culture like the one found in Israel, which has built one of the most successful tech sectors outside of Silicon Valley.</p> <p>Shoichet, meantime, suggested there is a need for more research and development jobs in Canada, particularly in key sectors like pharmaceuticals. There was also a lengthy discussion about the best way for universities to work with both giant multinationals&nbsp;and small- and medium-sized businesses and startups.&nbsp;</p> <p>One audience member 鈥 OCAD University President Sara Diamond 鈥 suggested Canada could do a better job at leveraging Canada鈥檚 strengths in fields like design, as well as arts and humanities more generally, to create an innovation sector driven by more than just pure science.&nbsp;</p> <p>Agreeing, Crago pointed to the video game sector in Montreal, which is anchored by firms like France鈥檚 Ubisoft.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭hey鈥檙e hiring all these people out of the humanities,鈥 Crago said, 鈥渂ecause they are among the most creative thinkers.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>Davidson concluded the discussion with a warning about complacency. He cited a 2017 survey by the Pew Research Centre that found nearly 60 per cent of Republican Party supporters believed U.S. colleges and universities were having a negative impact on America.&nbsp;</p> <p>Just think of what these institutions have done for a country like the U.S., in terms of knowledge and innovation,&nbsp;over the past 70 years, Davidson said.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淎ll of that is at risk if we take it for granted.鈥</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 14 Sep 2018 19:48:19 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 142887 at More funding for 'open' grant competitions needed to realize bold discoveries: 缅北强奸 researcher /news/more-funding-open-grant-competitions-needed-realize-bold-discoveries-u-t-researcher <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">More funding for 'open' grant competitions needed to realize bold discoveries: 缅北强奸 researcher</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-09-19-lautens-resized_1.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=a2BGMR-g 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-09-19-lautens-resized_1.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=CR5YMFpi 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-09-19-lautens-resized_1.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=3eLCBKAg 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-09-19-lautens-resized_1.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=a2BGMR-g" alt="Photo of Mark Lautens"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-05-07T13:35:53-04:00" title="Monday, May 7, 2018 - 13:35" class="datetime">Mon, 05/07/2018 - 13:35</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Mark Lautens is a University Professor in the University of Toronto's department of chemistry (photo courtesy of Mark Lautens)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemistry" hreflang="en">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Further boosting grant funding of basic scientific research, as recommended by <a href="http://www.sciencereview.ca/eic/site/059.nsf/eng/home">Canada鈥檚 Fundamental Science Review</a>, would allow younger scientists to take bigger risks in pursuit of bolder discoveries, University of Toronto researcher <strong>Mark Lautens</strong> tells the <em>Hill Times</em>.</p> <p>Lautens, a <a href="http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/Awards/uprofessors.htm">University Professor</a> in 缅北强奸鈥檚 department of chemistry, told the Ottawa-based publication that 鈥渨ide open鈥 funding competitions are desirable because they allow researchers' applications&nbsp;to be evaluated based purely on scientific merit as opposed to government priorities.</p> <p>鈥淲hen you have a wide-open competition, there鈥檚 not somebody in the background saying, 鈥榯his is what we want you to find,鈥欌 Lautens told the bi-weekly newspaper.</p> <p>Lautens鈥 remarks appeared in a story in which researchers&nbsp;lauded the 2018 federal budget's investment in science&nbsp;and&nbsp;looked at potential next steps when it comes to fulfilling the recommendations put forward last year by the blue-ribbon panel chaired by 缅北强奸 President Emeritus Dr. <strong>David Naylor</strong>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>The panel, which analyzed the way research is funded in Canada, found per capita investment in fundamental science slumped in recent decades and recommended a comprehensive blueprint for making Canada a global research powerhouse.</p> <h3><a href="https://www.hilltimes.com/2018/05/07/impressed-2018-budget-scientists-eye-funding-open-grant-competitions-stronger-oversight-next-steps/143090">Read the full <em>Hill Times</em> article</a>&nbsp;</h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 07 May 2018 17:35:53 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 134880 at David Naylor upbeat about research funding in Canada, gives kudos to students and researchers for #SupportTheReport /news/david-naylor-upbeat-about-research-funding-canada-gives-kudos-students-and-researchers <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">David Naylor upbeat about research funding in Canada, gives kudos to students and researchers for #SupportTheReport</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-04-26-naylor.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=pbOdbw_t 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-04-26-naylor.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=qPNrNXgV 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-04-26-naylor.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=AOC-JHMv 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-04-26-naylor.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=pbOdbw_t" alt="david naylor"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-04-26T14:34:59-04:00" title="Thursday, April 26, 2018 - 14:34" class="datetime">Thu, 04/26/2018 - 14:34</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">缅北强奸 President Emeritus David Naylor led the nine-member Canada's Fundamental Science Review panel (photo by dave via Flickr)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jennifer-robinson" hreflang="en">Jennifer Robinson</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/david-naylor" hreflang="en">David Naylor</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>It has been a remarkable year for Dr. <strong>David Naylor</strong>, president emeritus&nbsp;of&nbsp;the University of Toronto.</p> <p>A year ago, as chair of the nine-member <a href="http://www.sciencereview.ca/eic/site/059.nsf/eng/home">Canada鈥檚 Fundamental Science Review</a> panel, he unveiled a blueprint to strengthen the foundations of Canadian research at the request of federal Science Minister <strong>Kirsty Duncan</strong>. That review 鈥 the first of its kind in over 40 years 鈥&nbsp;helped contribute to a historic bump in research funding contained in the recent federal budget.</p> <p>He was also recently awarded the <a href="http://www.fcihr.ca/prize/prizewinners/dr-david-naylor-2018-friesen-prize">2018 Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research</a> by the Friends of Canadian Institutes of Health Research for 鈥渕ajor scholarly and policy contributions with a&nbsp;profound influence on health service delivery, public health&nbsp;and health research funding.鈥</p> <p><em>缅北强奸 News</em> sat down with Dr. Naylor, who also served as the dean of the Faculty of Medicine before being appointed president in 2005, to discuss what鈥檚 next for him and to get his thoughts on the importance of health experts engaging with the public, the power of grassroots activism and the status of research in Canada.</p> <hr> <p><strong>What does winning the 2018 Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research mean to you? </strong></p> <p>First, it鈥檚 a humbling honour to receive an award named for Dr. Henry Friesen 鈥&nbsp;a great scientist who became a research leader with remarkable vision and persuasive powers.</p> <p>Second, this is also an opportunity for me to thank and acknowledge the extraordinary people with whom I鈥檝e worked on a variety of health-related and broader science policy projects over the last 30 years. In a rational and fair universe, this award would be shared with scores of co-recipients.</p> <p><strong>In the news release announcing this honour, Dr. Aubie Angel mentioned your 鈥渃apacity to analyze and unravel the complexities of the Canadian health-care system, together with the ability to communicate it eloquently and lucidly.鈥&nbsp;How important is it for health experts to explain their work to the general public?&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>It鈥檚 very important, but I鈥檇 say there鈥檚 been a welcome shift over the last 20 years with much better communication by experts&nbsp;and also a dramatic improvement in the quality of health-related and science journalism.</p> <p>What worries me more these days is the extent to which digital media have enabled charlatans to promote bad ideas 鈥&nbsp;ranging from anti-vaccination falsehoods to bogus treatments for a wide range of conditions. We鈥檙e in a very challenging period of widespread populist sentiment and 鈥渢ruthiness.鈥</p> <p>Experts are often viewed skeptically as just another group of vested interests.&nbsp;We don鈥檛 help our cause when our critiques of junk science come off as smug or patronizing.</p> <p>I suspect the long-term solution is a stronger public grounding in critical thinking and scientific methods at every stage of education. But for now, experts need to find ways to set the record straight in a respectful and balanced way that doesn鈥檛 further alienate fellow citizens whose disillusionment with the status quo drove them in the first place to embrace 鈥渁lternative facts鈥&nbsp;about health and illness.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Speaking of digital media, you were active on social media last fall and earlier this winter to encourage people to #SupportTheReport. What did you make of the grassroots campaign? </strong></p> <p>Being part of that grassroots campaign was an exhilarating experience because of the wonderful convergence of researchers from different institutions, career stages&nbsp;and disciplines.</p> <p>Some colleagues have generously suggested the Fundamental Science Review report and recommendations were crafted in a way that made it easy for there to be a consensus in support of its implementation. It鈥檚 actually more the other way around. Our recommendations tracked closely not only to the analyses undertaken by and for the panel, but also to the phenomenal suggestions for improvement that we received from hundreds of research stakeholders. &nbsp;</p> <p>Within weeks of the report鈥檚 release in April 2017, it became clear the major stakeholder organizations were standing down advocacy for specific priorities and instead getting behind the case for broad reinvestment to restore the foundations of Canadian extramural research.</p> <p>That cause got additional momentum with the publication of an excellent report from the Global Youth Academy released in the summer of 2017.&nbsp;Two outstanding mid-career Canadian scientists 鈥 Julia Baum of Victoria and Jeremy Kerr of Ottawa 鈥&nbsp;oversaw that independent analysis, and it yielded findings highly consistent with those of the Fundamental Science Review report.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Another unusual and very influential part of the campaign was strong engagement by countless front-line researchers and research leaders.&nbsp;Institutional executives and leaders of umbrella associations are highly credible advocates, of course, but the most authentic spokespeople on these matters are colleagues who dedicate their waking hours to doing research and mentoring research trainees.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>How important were students in galvanizing the research community into action? And how did using your dog for your humorous&nbsp;posts come into being? People loved that dog!</strong></p> <p>The activism of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers may well have been the single most important factor that tipped the balance in favour of action and investment by the government of Canada.</p> <p>The #Students4theReport initiative in its various forms 鈥&nbsp;postcards, letters, visits to decision-makers, social media presence 鈥&nbsp;is what brought home to federal politicians the hard reality that the future of Canadian science and scholarship was being put in jeopardy by gross underfunding, uneven grant-making policies, the proliferation of boutique initiatives, administrative inertia and weak governance.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>As to Oscar the border collie, I have no idea why our family pet kept taking over my Twitter account, digging material out of my computer and posting irreverent commentary.</p> <p>He鈥檚 a stubborn and highly literate canine, so I gave up and just went along with it.&nbsp;That鈥檚 why Oscar鈥檚 photo, not mine, turns up @cdavidnaylor.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">&nbsp; Oscar sniffed out buried slide library of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/supportthereport?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#supportthereport</a>. Online x 48h at <a href="https://t.co/4p9sksml9K">https://t.co/4p9sksml9K</a> Please download &amp; share freely <a href="https://t.co/pQvBIeOSlS">pic.twitter.com/pQvBIeOSlS</a></p> 鈥 David Naylor (@cdavidnaylor) <a href="https://twitter.com/cdavidnaylor/status/927369930084835328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <p><strong>The federal government has said its recent budget contained a historic amount of funding for basic research in Canada. The funding was welcomed, but the government has yet to act on all of the recommendations in the Fundamental Science Review panel鈥檚 report. Are those recommendations now considered dead or is work continuing to ensure a fuller implementation?&nbsp;Is research now really on a better trajectory? </strong></p> <p>Budget 2018 was a giant step forward.&nbsp;It set a new course qualitatively for how the government of Canada intends to approach the extramural research realm,&nbsp;one that I think was widely welcomed by the research community.</p> <p>I would also say the government of Canada responded in some way to the vast majority of our recommendations. Obviously, there were financial shortfalls.</p> <p>The biggest source of concern to me is the pace and endpoint for new investments in funding to open grant competitions.&nbsp;I think the science minister and finance minister have received the same message from the research community at large, and I would be surprised if adjustments were not made on that front over the next couple of years.&nbsp;</p> <p>In the case of&nbsp;personnel support for graduate students and trainees, the relevant Fundamental Science Review panel recommendation ostensibly went unfunded, but on page 89, the budget reads: 鈥淥ver the next year, the government will be doing further work to determine how to better support students, the next generation of researchers, through scholarships and fellowships.鈥&nbsp;That鈥檚 a clear and encouraging signal.&nbsp;</p> <p>Another recommendation that I believe is still alive was for creation of an improved oversight body to keep an eye on federal extramural support for research and innovation.</p> <p>The government has already acted on our recommendation to wind down the Harper-era Science, Technology and Innovation Council and accepted our proposal in principle.</p> <p>However, politicians and public servants are always a bit skittish about setting up high-profile standing committees that might issue reports that embarrass the government of the day.&nbsp;I would not be surprised&nbsp;then, if the new body鈥檚 mandate and authority ends up more limited than would ideally be the case 鈥&nbsp;or if that one got postponed until after the election.&nbsp;</p> <p>One recommendation that may be semi-comatose relates to federal grants to institutions that cover the so-called indirect or institutional costs of hosting research programs. We recommended a significant increase&nbsp;and got zero response. I now doubt there will much movement on that recommendation until the institutions, provincial governments and the government of Canada get together to figure out a&nbsp;fair cost-sharing formula. I hope that happens in the near future as part of renewed federal-provincial collaboration on research strategy 鈥 something we also flagged as necessary to optimize the national research eco-system.&nbsp;</p> <p>Last, I鈥檓 encouraged by the fact that a five-year framework was delineated.&nbsp;Some pessimists have argued the five-year plan means research can鈥檛 get more support until Budget 2024, but I think that鈥檚 way off base.</p> <p>The government has clearly shown a willingness to listen, act and invest.&nbsp;As I see it, the research community now has a multi-year period in which to continue making its case with a view to closing some of the gaps that remain.</p> <p>And even if the government were to change after the next election, the two opposition parties have both signalled a favourable view of the Fundamental Science Review panel report and the direction taken on research in Budget 2018.</p> <p>In short, more needs to be done to improve administration and governance of federal supports for research, and more investment is definitely needed. But extramural science and scholarship in Canada are in a much better place than was the case a year ago.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Are you currently conducting research, and if so what are you working on? </strong></p> <p>I don鈥檛 think what I do could really be called 鈥渃onducting research鈥&nbsp;鈥&nbsp;it鈥檚 more like a random exploration of many areas of interest, all pursued in the company of smarter people who are doing most of the heavy lifting.</p> <p>Among other topics, current meanderings include the Canadian content in the Gairdner prizes for health research, a review of the applications of deep learning in medicine/health care, analysis of the evolution of the federal share in funding provincial and territorial health-care spending&nbsp;and an exploration of the interplay of biological, behavioral and environmental risk factors for cognitive decline among Canadian seniors.</p> <p><strong>In closing, I understand the Friesen award comes with the expectation of the winner giving a talk. Do you have any ideas yet on what you'll talk about, or where your presentation will take place?</strong></p> <p>There are two components.&nbsp;One is a visit to Ottawa in November, with a mix of presentations to the Ottawa health research community and at the Canadian Science Policy Conference. That鈥檚 also an opportunity to meet with senior public officials and ministers. The other involves site visits to several universities across Canada. I鈥檓 still thinking through titles and topics.</p> <p>The timing of the Ottawa visit is also auspicious.&nbsp;November 2018 is just about when Budget 2019 will be firming up.&nbsp;As you can imagine, I will take every opportunity on that visit to make the case for stronger federal support of extramural research 鈥&nbsp;and Oscar will be barking in the background.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 26 Apr 2018 18:34:59 +0000 noreen.rasbach 134166 at Natalie Zemon Davis on the importance of curiosity in humanities research /news/natalie-zemon-davis-importance-curiosity-humanities-research <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Natalie Zemon Davis on the importance of curiosity in humanities research</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Zemon-Davis_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=HBdeE2aR 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Zemon-Davis_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=SForjqMV 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Zemon-Davis_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=RzdeXUBA 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Zemon-Davis_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=HBdeE2aR" alt="Photo of Natalie Zemon Davis"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-12-20T13:06:37-05:00" title="Wednesday, December 20, 2017 - 13:06" class="datetime">Wed, 12/20/2017 - 13:06</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Historian Natalie Zemon Davis at her home in Toronto (photo by Laura Pedersen)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/david-naylor" hreflang="en">David Naylor</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/history" hreflang="en">History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/humanities" hreflang="en">Humanities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Historian&nbsp;<strong>Natalie Zemon Davis</strong>&nbsp;has long been a nonconformist. In the 1950s, when it was fashionable to study the ideas or great figures of periods like the Enlightenment, she focused on the illiterate working classes 鈥 for her dissertation, she wrote about the printers and artisans in 16<sup>th</sup>-century Lyons. Some of her contemporaries might have bristled at her unconventional approach, but she persisted and earned international acclaim.</p> <p><a href="http://magazine.utoronto.ca/life-on-campus/natalie-zemon-davis-holberg-prize/">In 2010, she won the Holberg prize</a>, worth more than $760,000, awarded by the Norwegian parliament. She is 鈥渙ne of the most creative historians writing today,鈥 the award citation says. Three years later, <a href="/news/natalie-zemon-davis-receives-national-humanities-medal">she received the National Humanities Medal from U.S. President Barack Obama</a>.</p> <p>How did she come to look at aspects of the past that were overlooked by other historians? &nbsp;Daring, a sense of wonder, passion 鈥 all these traits are essential to any kind of research, Zemon Davis says in an interview at her Toronto home. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 really something quite important: the unexpected, the surprise that satisfies or nourishes one鈥檚 curiosity,鈥 she told&nbsp;<em>缅北强奸 News</em>. &nbsp;</p> <p><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e0lvz_FvR-I" width="750"></iframe></p> <p>But researchers in any discipline would have trouble innovating or addressing gaps in their field without support. Zemon Davis has joined a chorus of experts, <a href="/news/nobel-prize-winning-chemist-john-polanyi-calls-more-government-investment-science">including Nobel Prize-winning chemist&nbsp;<strong>John Polanyi</strong></a>, urging the Canadian government to move on the recommendations of <a href="http://www.sciencereview.ca/eic/site/059.nsf/eng/home">Canada's Fundamental Science Review</a>. A panel, chaired by 缅北强奸 President Emeritus&nbsp;<strong>Dr. David Naylor,&nbsp;</strong>calls for a $1.3-billion boost in funding for university-based research over four years 鈥 an increase they say amounts to only 0.4 per cent of the government鈥檚 annual budget.</p> <p>"The panel recommends the support of work that is not necessarily able to be commercialized right away or right away translated into something practical," Zemon Davis says.&nbsp;"It recommends the support of the work of young people who might be overlooked in the quest for number of publications. It supports the work of Indigenous people and especially the life and past of Indigenous people in Canada. These are marvelous ideas."</p> <h3><a href="http://gicr.utoronto.ca/support-the-report/" style="color: rgb(51, 122, 183); box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; transition: 0.1s ease-in-out;">Interested in publicly funded research in Canada? Learn more at 缅北强奸鈥檚 #supportthereport advocacy campaign</a></h3> <p>Academic research often has benefits that go far beyond a circle of experts. In addition to writing books, Zemon Davis has brought her work to a wide audience through film and theatre. In 1982, she consulted on the French movie,&nbsp;<em>The Return of Martin Guerre</em>, starring G茅rard Depardieu. She wrote a book on the subject, the tale of a 16<sup>th</sup>-century French peasant who abandoned his wife and lands 鈥 and returns later to discover an imposter has taken his place. 鈥淚t鈥檚 such a dramatic, surprising story, so full of visual possibilities,鈥 she told&nbsp;<em>The New York Times</em>&nbsp;in 1983. 鈥淚 just thought, 鈥榃hat a marvelous way to bring this story to millions of people.鈥欌</p> <p>This year, she advised the Lebanese-Canadian playwright Wajdi Mouawad on his latest production,&nbsp;<em>Tous des oiseaux</em>, which opened in Paris鈥檚 Th茅芒tre national de la Colline to glowing reviews. The play was inspired by Zemon Davis鈥檚 book&nbsp;<em>Trickster Travels</em>, a biography of al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Wazzan al-Fasi, a 16<sup>th</sup>-century Muslim diplomat captured by Christian pirates, imprisoned by the pope, baptized and allowed to pursue a life of scholarship as a Christian.</p> <p>Her research career may have taken a vastly different turn had she and her husband, math professor&nbsp;<strong>Chandler Davis</strong>, not received a surprise visit from the U.S. State Department long ago. During the Red Scare of the 1950s, the FBI traced a pamphlet criticizing the House Committee on Un-American Activities to the Davises.</p> <p><img alt="Operation Mind pamphlet" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7192 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Zemon-Davis-pamphlet.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Zemon Davis holds a copy of&nbsp;鈥淥peration Mind,鈥 the pamphlet criticizing the House Un-American Activities Committee, which got her in trouble with the FBI in the 1950s (photo by Laura Pedersen)</em></p> <p>Agents came to their door and seized their passports. 鈥淎ll I remember is that it was frightening and crushing because I was three months pregnant with our first child, and I didn鈥檛 need this,鈥 she recalls. Without her travel papers, she couldn鈥檛 return to the archives of Lyon to continue her research. Her husband was jailed for six months and, after his sentence, no American university would hire him. They were offered jobs at 缅北强奸 in the 1960s. Zemon Davis&nbsp;taught at University of California Berkeley and Princeton before returning to 缅北强奸. &nbsp;</p> <p>She didn鈥檛 let these events derail her career. Although the FBI could prevent her from going to France, they couldn鈥檛 stop her from completing her dissertation using materials in American rare book libraries.</p> <h3><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2013/07/30/fbi-turned-me-on-to-rare-books/">鈥淗ow the FBI Turned Me on to Rare Books鈥 Read Zemon Davis's article in <em>The New York Review of Books</em>&nbsp;</a></h3> <p>Decades later, when she was f锚ted at the White House, the irony wasn鈥檛 lost on her. 鈥淭he justice department building wasn鈥檛 that far away,鈥 she says.</p> <p>Whatever obstacles were thrown in her path, she says the love of her topic kept her going. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the work, the theme, the people you鈥檙e writing about which are important,鈥 she says. 鈥淚f you keep working on it, and finding you鈥檙e getting results, then you just go for it.鈥&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 20 Dec 2017 18:06:37 +0000 geoff.vendeville 125336 at Public funding is needed to support the next generation of scientists: 缅北强奸's Mark Lautens /news/public-funding-needed-support-next-generation-scientists-u-t-s-mark-lautens <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Public funding is needed to support the next generation of scientists: 缅北强奸's Mark Lautens</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-09-19-lautens-resized_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=F_JJPFNJ 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-09-19-lautens-resized_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=oGdkk9o4 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-09-19-lautens-resized_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fZXQDaax 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-09-19-lautens-resized_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=F_JJPFNJ" alt="Photo of Mark Lautens"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Romi Levine</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-12-19T13:53:30-05:00" title="Tuesday, December 19, 2017 - 13:53" class="datetime">Tue, 12/19/2017 - 13:53</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">鈥淭he most important outcome of scientific research isn't patents or products," writes Mark Lautens. "It's people who can think and solve our toughest problems.鈥</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemistry" hreflang="en">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Young scientists in Canada are facing serious obstacles when it comes to funding, writes&nbsp;<strong>Mark Lautens,</strong>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards/uprofessors.htm">University Professor</a>&nbsp;in 缅北强奸's department of chemistry,<strong>&nbsp;</strong>in a <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/young-scientists-face-too-many-funding-obstacles/article37372543/"><em>Globe and Mail</em> op-ed</a>. &nbsp;</p> <p>When Lautens was starting out, research funding supported him through his PhD and postdoctoral work in the United States, and funding from Canada's Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) is what ultimately brought him back to Canada.</p> <p>The funding boost from NSERC allowed Lautens to develop a thriving research program in Toronto, he says.</p> <p>Now&nbsp;researchers are struggling to get large enough grants while supplies and equipment have increased in cost, writes Lautens, who teaches in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science. &nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭his is an enormous waste of talent and potential,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t is also likely to do multigenerational damage to innovation in all parts of the Canadian economy.鈥</p> <p>Lautens' op-ed comes as 缅北强奸 advocates for the federal government to adopt <a href="http://www.sciencereview.ca/eic/site/059.nsf/eng/home">Canada鈥檚 Fundamental Science Review</a>, the report by a&nbsp;panel led by 缅北强奸 President Emeritus <strong>David Naylor. </strong>The report calls&nbsp;for a $1.3-billion increase in federal research funding over four years, as well as sweeping changes to how it is administered.<span style="color: rgb(72, 86, 103); font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <h3><a href="http://gicr.utoronto.ca/support-the-report/">Learn how 缅北强奸 is advocating for publicly funded research</a></h3> <p>Lautens writes that Canada is falling behind countries like Switzerland and Germany, and more recently China and Singapore,&nbsp;which have some of the best-funded researchers whose contributions are growing their country's GDPs. Here in Canada, on the other hand, funding is failing to keep up with inflation&nbsp;and applied research is given preferential treatment, he says.&nbsp;</p> <p>Lautens cites discoveries like stem cells and artificial intelligence as innovations that have been studied for decades but are only now seeing practical applications. They鈥檙e proof, he says, of the need to fund basic science and research for the long term.</p> <p>鈥淭he most important outcome of scientific research isn't patents or products,鈥 writes Lautens. 鈥淚t's people who can think and solve our toughest problems.鈥 &nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/young-scientists-face-too-many-funding-obstacles/article37372543/">Read the <em>Globe and Mail </em>op-ed</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 19 Dec 2017 18:53:30 +0000 Romi Levine 125229 at 缅北强奸鈥檚 Ron Buliung helps make kids' trips to school more active and accessible with help from public funding /news/u-t-s-ron-buliung-helps-make-kids-trips-school-more-active-and-accessible-help-public-funding <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">缅北强奸鈥檚 Ron Buliung helps make kids' trips to school more active and accessible with help from public funding</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Buliung-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=YOG9PK9O 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Buliung-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=nnar0TDg 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Buliung-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=r-oBcqYo 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Buliung-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=YOG9PK9O" alt="Ron Buliung"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Romi Levine</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-12-18T14:28:01-05:00" title="Monday, December 18, 2017 - 14:28" class="datetime">Mon, 12/18/2017 - 14:28</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">缅北强奸 Professor Ron Buliung studies kids' school transportation habits (photo by Romi Levine)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/david-naylor" hreflang="en">David Naylor</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-kinesiology-physical-education" hreflang="en">Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/geography-and-planning" hreflang="en">Geography and Planning</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">缅北强奸 Mississauga</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Ever since he was a child and first learned how to ride a bike, it鈥檚 been hard to slow down<strong> Ron Buliung.</strong></p> <p>Now a professor of geography and planning at 缅北强奸 Mississauga, Buliung is an avid cyclist. He&nbsp;is also committed to finding ways to help kids become more active.</p> <p>For almost a decade, with the help of public funding, Buliung has been looking at how children get to and from school.</p> <p>鈥淚 wanted to hear the voices of kids and help to bring their voices into the conversation about city-building in Toronto, but also across the region,鈥 he says.</p> <p>Backed by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Heart and&nbsp;Stroke Foundation, Buliung and two 缅北强奸 researchers from the&nbsp;Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education, Associate Professor <strong>Caroline Fusco </strong>and Professor <strong>Guy Faulkner</strong>, talked to kids and their families across the Greater Toronto Area about the <a href="http://www.saferoutestoschool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Project-BEAT-Summary-Report.pdf">social and environmental factors that affect school travel</a>. (Faulkner is now at the University of British Columbia.)</p> <p>鈥淲e think about childhood as the time in your life when you learn foundational skills,鈥 says Buliung. 鈥淭here's an opportunity there for children to engage with their environment in different ways and acquire the skills that allow them to incorporate, if it's physically possible, walking, cycling and other things into the set of alternatives that are available to them for moving around.鈥</p> <p>His research into kids鈥 commutes continued with funding from Metrolinx, Southern Ontario鈥檚 transportation planning agency. The study showed that more than twice the number of students are now driven to and from school compared with&nbsp;25 years ago.</p> <h3><a href="/news/fewer-kids-walk-or-bike-school-u-t-research-finds">Read about the Metrolinx study</a></h3> <p>Metrolinx is aiming to get 60 per cent of kids to walk or bike to school by 2031 鈥 a goal Buliung鈥檚 research will help to achieve.</p> <p>鈥淭his research increased our understanding of children鈥檚 mobility needs and barriers, helping Metrolinx and its partners to knowledgeably focus programs in the right areas,鈥 says Leslie Woo, chief planning officer at Metrolinx.</p> <p>Buliung鈥檚 research also provides evidence that assists the Toronto District School Board鈥檚 promotion of safe, active and sustainable school travel, says Ryan Bird, TDSB鈥檚 manager of corporate and social media relations.</p> <p>鈥淲e know that those who use active and sustainable modes of transportation experience benefits to mental and physical health and well-being, are better prepared to learn and work and are more connected to their communities,鈥 he says.</p> <p>Buliung says he wants his research to continue to inspire change in cities.</p> <p>鈥淭o the extent possible, I'm trying to produce knowledge that can be the foundation for constructing interventions and policies to make our cities better for people.鈥</p> <p>But in order to build that foundation, researchers like Buliung need public funding to support their work, as outlined in <a href="http://www.sciencereview.ca/eic/site/059.nsf/eng/home">Canada鈥檚 Fundamental Science Review </a>report by a panel led by 缅北强奸 President Emeritus <strong>David Naylor</strong>.</p> <p>The panel of experts provided the Canadian government with a list of recommendations on how to support the country鈥檚 academic researchers, which includes a $1.3-billion increase in federal research funding over four years.</p> <h3><a href="http://gicr.utoronto.ca/support-the-report/">Interested in publicly funded research in Canada? Learn more at 缅北强奸鈥檚 #supportthereport advocacy campaign</a></h3> <p>While public funding can lead to amazing discoveries, Buliung says it is also crucial for launching the careers of graduate students.</p> <p>鈥淭he bulk of the funding is going towards supporting our future generation of scholars or the next generation of city planners or people working for transportation consulting firms,鈥 he says.</p> <p><strong>Timothy Ross</strong>, a PhD student working alongside Buliung, says federal funding was a definitive factor for whether or not he would study at 缅北强奸.</p> <p>鈥淚f I didn't have it, I likely wouldn't be here 鈥 plain and simple,鈥 says Ross, who received a graduate scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). 鈥淚t's a serious issue that needs a lot of attention, and I certainly don't want to see public funding go away.鈥</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7161 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Ron-Tim-750-x-500.jpg" style="margin: 10px; width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Buliung and Ross attach a camera to Buliung's daughter's wheelchair (photo courtesy of Ron Buliung)</em></p> <p>Supported by the SSHRC Insight Development grant, funding from the Norman Saunders Complex Care Initiative at Toronto鈥檚 Hospital for Sick Children, and funds from 缅北强奸 Mississauga鈥檚 Research and Scholarly Activity Fund (RSAF), Buliung's and Ross鈥檚<a href="https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/main-news/barriers-landscape-examining-school-transportation-challenges-children-disabilities"> latest research</a> looks at the school travel experiences of kids with disabilities and their families.</p> <p>For Buliung, it hits close to home. When his daughter Asha was 11 months old, she was diagnosed with a genetic neuromuscular disease called spinal muscular atrophy.</p> <p>Now six years old and in first grade, Asha rides the school bus in her powered wheelchair.</p> <p>鈥淪he has a lot more autonomy than many 12-year-olds 鈥 out of necessity but wow, that's just amazing,鈥 says Buliung.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7162 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/asha-750-x-500.jpg" style="margin: 10px; width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Asha uses the camera attached to her wheelchair. Research participants were encouraged to document their day in pictures (photo courtesy of Ron Buliung)</em></p> <p>Ultimately, Buliung wants his research to help make the lives of families like his more manageable.</p> <p>鈥淭hese are families that are doing all kinds of additional work to do very simple things, and they are time-pressed, they are stressed out,鈥 he says. 鈥淟et's try to streamline things so families can spend time doing other things.鈥</p> <p>This can be as simple as providing schools with a checklist of the equipment and school supplies a child with physical challenges&nbsp;needs to bring home with them so parents don鈥檛 have to drive back and pick up missed items, says Buliung.</p> <p>鈥淚t doesn't have to be about building bridges, it can be about something as basic as that,鈥 he says.</p> <p>Any small changes that come as a result of research today&nbsp;can make a big difference in the long run, he says.</p> <p>鈥淎 piece of basic research may become part of everyday life 25 years from now."<br> &nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 18 Dec 2017 19:28:01 +0000 Romi Levine 125126 at James Till on how 'serendipity' and public funding made possible the discovery of stem cells /news/james-till-how-serendipity-and-public-funding-made-possible-discovery-stem-cells <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">James Till on how 'serendipity' and public funding made possible the discovery of stem cells</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/James-Till-%28lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=gTJCM0Tm 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/James-Till-%28lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8aFYURVc 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/James-Till-%28lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=2u-oKhhR 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/James-Till-%28lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=gTJCM0Tm" alt="James Till "> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-12-15T16:38:26-05:00" title="Friday, December 15, 2017 - 16:38" class="datetime">Fri, 12/15/2017 - 16:38</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">The public should support basic science because 鈥渋t鈥檚 the beginning of everything else," says James Till, co-discoverer of stem cells. 鈥淲hat you do with a discovery is create potential for further development." (photo by Laura Pedersen) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/david-naylor" hreflang="en">David Naylor</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Till, who identified stem cells with Ernest McCulloch in the 1960s, calls for greater government investment in basic science</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>James Till</strong> and his colleague <strong>Ernest McCulloch</strong> were researching the effects of radiation on bone marrow tissue in lab mice when they made an astonishing discovery.</p> <p>One Sunday when McCulloch went to the lab to take a routine sample, he noticed bumps on the spleen of a mouse, clumps of cells that emerged after it had been injected with marrow. He counted the bumps and found that the number was directly related to the number of marrow cells that had been transplanted.</p> <p>鈥淲hen I came in Monday morning,鈥 Till recalls in an interview with <em>缅北强奸 News</em>, 鈥渉e came down the hall to my office waving this piece of graph paper saying, 鈥榊ou鈥檝e got to see this!鈥欌</p> <p>Till and McCulloch, scientists at the Ontario Cancer Institute, were wary of jumping to conclusions, so they described their findings in 1961 as 鈥渟pleen colony-forming units.鈥 In later years, they and their collaborators were able to establish that what they had observed were stem cells, and to explain their properties. Their work opened the door to new research with the potential to reshape health care and cure ailments ranging from blindness to cancer.</p> <p><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZFEZZkeqLEQ" width="750"></iframe></p> <p>鈥淔or a long time, Till and McCulloch鈥檚 discovery didn鈥檛 get the attention it deserved,鈥 James Price, president and CEO of the Canadian Stem Cell Foundation, <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canada-150/how-the-discovery-of-stem-cells-revolutionized-medicine/article33627636/">told <em>The</em>&nbsp;<em>Globe and Mail</em></a> this year. 鈥淏ut they set the stage for all the current stem-cell research, and helped make Canada a magnet for talent and investment in biotech.鈥</p> <p>Their research has already paved the way for life-saving treatments, such as bone-marrow transplants to treat cancer.</p> <p>And their discovery has helped build up regenerative medicine into a global multibillion-dollar industry. By 2021, the market is <a href="https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/regenerative-medicine-market-65442579.html">expected to grow to US$38.7 billion worldwide</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nm1005-1026">Writing in the journal <em>Nature Medicine</em> in 2005</a>, the research duo said their pioneering work on stem cells shows the value of basic science. 鈥淲e weren鈥檛 deliberately seeking such cells, but, thanks to a felicitous observation originally made by McCulloch, we did stumble upon them,鈥 they write. 鈥淥ur experience provides yet another case study of both the value of fundamental research and the importance of serendipity in scientific research.鈥</p> <p>Without public funding from the likes of the Defence Research Board and&nbsp;Medical Research Council, Till says his research with McCulloch 鈥 who died in 2011 鈥 would have been impossible. 鈥淲e needed a lot of mice, and they were expensive,鈥 he recalls.</p> <h3><a href="http://gicr.utoronto.ca/support-the-report/">Interested in publicly funded research in Canada? Learn more at UofT鈥檚 #supportthereport advocacy campaign</a></h3> <p>His comments come as the government weighs the recommendations of Canada鈥檚 <a href="http://www.sciencereview.ca/eic/site/059.nsf/eng/home">Fundamental Science Review </a>panel, which was led by 缅北强奸 President Emeritus <strong>David Naylor</strong>. The panel of experts called for a $1.3-billion boost in federal research funding over four years and changes to how it is administered.</p> <p>In the interview, Till says the federal government and the public should support basic science because 鈥渋t鈥檚 the beginning of everything else."</p> <p>鈥淲hat you do with a discovery is create potential for further development,鈥 Till says. 鈥淏ut you have to do the steps in between.鈥 &nbsp;</p> <p>In 2005, their work was honoured with the Lasker Award, sometimes called the American Nobel.&nbsp;They were both named Officers of the Order of Canada and inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.</p> <p>But if it wasn鈥檛 for the support of the federal government, things might have turned out differently, Till says. 鈥淲ithout the support of that first bursary from the National Research Council, I probably wouldn鈥檛 have gone on to have a career in research at all.鈥</p> <p>Till was born on a farm in Saskatchewan, near the Alberta border. He studied physics at the University of Saskatchewan before obtaining a PhD from Yale. As memories of the atomic bombs dropping&nbsp; on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were still fresh, Till says he gravitated toward biophysics. 鈥淚t鈥檚 challenging from an intellectual point of view, but it also has the potential to be helpful, which was the kind of motivation I wanted,鈥 he says.</p> <p>He came to University of Toronto as a post-doctoral researcher. He was reunited with his former master鈥檚 supervisor <strong>Harold Johns</strong>, who recruited him to the research staff at the Ontario Cancer Institute at Princess Margaret Hospital. McCulloch was part of the biology group.</p> <p>Till and McCulloch are sometimes described as a scientific odd couple because of the differences in their expertise and temperament 鈥 Till, the physicist from the Prairies, and McCulloch, a hematologist from Toronto.</p> <p>鈥淲e became friends quite quickly,鈥 Till says.</p> <p>From their lab benches in the 1960s, they could not have anticipated the vast implications of their discovery. And the full impact of their work may not be known for some time still.</p> <p>鈥淚 believe stem cell research will continue to achieve unexpected things, and that鈥檚 the only prediction I鈥檓 willing to make,鈥 <a href="http://www.macleans.ca/society/science/qa-james-till-on-the-discovery-of-stem-cells/">Till told <em>Maclean鈥檚</em> in 2012</a>. 鈥淚t will be unexpected because that鈥檚 how science functions.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 15 Dec 2017 21:38:26 +0000 geoff.vendeville 124879 at No more tears: Publicly funded research by 缅北强奸's Anna Taddio is taking the pain out of vaccinations in Canada and around the world /news/no-more-tears-publicly-funded-research-u-t-s-anna-taddio-taking-pain-out-vaccinations-canada <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">No more tears: Publicly funded research by 缅北强奸's Anna Taddio is taking the pain out of vaccinations in Canada and around the world</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-12-12-Taddio-atrium-%28web-lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=CZ7UrF5Y 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-12-12-Taddio-atrium-%28web-lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=JAvJ4AH4 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-12-12-Taddio-atrium-%28web-lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=eFpH7k5r 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-12-12-Taddio-atrium-%28web-lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=CZ7UrF5Y" alt="Photo of Anna Taddio"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-12-15T10:46:46-05:00" title="Friday, December 15, 2017 - 10:46" class="datetime">Fri, 12/15/2017 - 10:46</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Anna Taddio, a professor at 缅北强奸's Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and a senior associate scientist at SickKids, researches childhood pain. Her vaccination recommendations have been adopted in WHO guidelines (photo by Chris Sorensen)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-sorensen" hreflang="en">Chris Sorensen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/child-health" hreflang="en">Child Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/david-naylor" hreflang="en">David Naylor</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health" hreflang="en">Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-and-innovation" hreflang="en">Research and Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>It was in the neonatal intensive care unit at Toronto鈥檚 SickKids Hospital in the late 1990s that <strong>Anna Taddio</strong> witnessed the consequences of infant pain first-hand.&nbsp;</p> <p>The University of Toronto childhood pain researcher says newborns would frequently start crying as soon as nurses approached their incubators 鈥 particularly those who had been in the unit for an extended period.</p> <p>鈥淚t鈥檚 almost like they anticipated something bad was going to happen,鈥 says Taddio, a senior associate scientist at SickKids and a professor at the University of Toronto鈥檚 Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.</p> <p>鈥淎nd that鈥檚 probably because you were about to do something unpleasant 鈥 you didn鈥檛 go in there just to cuddle them.鈥</p> <p>The observation was later affirmed by a 2002 paper, one of nearly 200 Taddio has authored over two decades, that showed babies pricked with multiple needles within the first several hours of being born reacted much more strongly to a standard screening test that involved drawing blood. Other research showed that negative health care experiences early in a child's life&nbsp;鈥 involving needles or other painful procedures 鈥 could haunt them as they grew older.</p> <p>Making needles and vaccinations more tolerable became a focus of&nbsp;Taddio鈥檚 ground-breaking pain research, the vast majority of which was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, or CIHR. Both are critical preventative medicine tools and represent most people鈥檚 first interaction with the health-care system, helping to shape long-term attitudes about it in the process.</p> <p>Taddio's work is already having a big impact. In 2015, vaccine-administering recommendations developed by her team were written into Canadian clinical practice guidelines. Several were also adopted the same year by the World Health Organization.</p> <p>It's yet another example how investing in fundamental research&nbsp;can dramatically improve the lives of Canadians and others around the world. Moreover, Taddio's research underscores the importance of adopting&nbsp;the recommendations of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sciencereview.ca/eic/site/059.nsf/eng/home">Canada鈥檚 Fundamental Science Review</a>, which was led by 缅北强奸 President Emeritus <strong>David Naylor</strong>, and&nbsp;calls for a $1.3-billion increase in federal research funding over four years, as well as sweeping changes to how it is administered.</p> <p>Why? If CIHR's public funding didn't exist, Taddio may never have had the opportunity to conduct research into a problem many in the medical community previously believed was a non-issue&nbsp;鈥 to the extent they thought about it at all.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7135 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2017-12-15-child-vaccination-Darfur-flickr-UNAMID--%28web-embed%29.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>A child is vaccinated in North Darfur in 2012.&nbsp;Recommendations by Taddio's team were adopted by the WHO three years later (photo by UNAMID via Flickr)&nbsp;</em></p> <p>Statistics show that roughly one out of every four people is&nbsp;scared of needles, albeit to differing degrees. And Taddio estimates that as many as 10 per cent of people avoid getting vaccinations because of a fear of needles or concern about injection pain, a situation that poses an obvious personal and community health risk.</p> <p>What's more, those same fears can prevent people from going to doctors for other routine procedures and tests until it's too late.</p> <p>Taddio explains that we have a medical culture that has historically viewed needles and vaccinations, and the pain associated with them, as a necessary evil&nbsp;鈥 something that patients must simply grin and bear.</p> <p>鈥淢ost needle fears develop between the ages of four and eight, and it鈥檚 usually in the context of a bad procedure where somebody held you down and you were struggling,鈥 she says, noting that about half of all people who are scared of needles and vaccinations had a negative childhood experience.</p> <p>The rest is due to simple apprehension. 鈥淪omebody scares you 鈥 or you see somebody else, say you see your brother get a needle 鈥 and it鈥檚 very traumatic,鈥 says Taddio. 鈥淭hen you become very afraid.鈥</p> <p>Taddio speaks from both professional and personal experience. She recalls taking her eldest son to a Toronto clinic for a blood test when he was four. The nurse jabbed his arm, missed the vein, and jabbed again as he struggled and screamed.&nbsp;</p> <p>He understandably left the clinic with a fear of needles, Taddio says.</p> <p>But&nbsp;it doesn't have to be this way.&nbsp;</p> <p>Taddio's work has shown a number of relatively simple measures that can be taken to reduce the pain and fear associated with vaccinations. They include: injecting the most painful vaccine last during a series of injections; ensuring older children and adults are sitting upright; breastfeeding infants before or after the injection; and using topical anesthetics.</p> <p>Taking steps to acknowledge children's pain and distracting them during injections can also be effective.</p> <p>鈥淢any people are afraid of needles and so avoid getting vaccinated, which is such an important preventative intervention,鈥 says Professor <strong>Heather Boon</strong>, the dean of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淒r. Taddio鈥檚 work helps us understand why that fear develops so we can take simple steps to prevent it.鈥</p> <p>Taddio began looking at childhood and infant pain back in the 1990s and was immediately struck at how little research existed on the subject. 鈥淧eople laughed at me,鈥 she recalls. 鈥淭hey thought it was much ado about nothing.鈥</p> <p>When it came to infants, she recounts the prevailing thinking at the time as follows: It鈥檚 too difficult to assess pain in babies because they鈥檙e incapable of communicating; even if their nervous systems are developed enough to feel pain, they鈥檙e too small to be administered drugs without side-effects; and, regardless of how much pain they feel, it doesn鈥檛 really matter because there are no long-term consequences.</p> <p>Needless to say, Taddio found such justifications wanting, particularly when it came to 鈥渋nvasive鈥 procedures like circumcision.</p> <p>鈥淚f you were doing something like that in an adult, there鈥檚 just no way you would just strap someone down and proceed,鈥 she says.&nbsp; 鈥淪o I would watch these procedures and these babies were just crying 鈥 they had so much pain they would actually stop breathing.</p> <p>鈥淚 thought, 鈥楾his is ridiculous.'鈥欌</p> <p>So Taddio, who did her PhD in pain management at 缅北强奸, began researching ways to reduce the suffering of babies undergoing circumcision and the safety of associated drugs. Then something unexpected happened while she was working on a study that looked at topical anesthetics and children receiving vaccines. She found, to her surprise, boys often had a higher pain score than girls, which, initially, made little sense.</p> <p>鈥淲e later had this a-ha moment which was: Their experience with pain is different because boys are more likely to have been circumcised than girls,鈥 she says.</p> <p>The finding was bolstered by looking at the differences in pain scores between circumcised and uncircumcised boys in the same study, and another longer-term study that tracked boys who had been given an anesthetic during circumcision and those who hadn鈥檛.</p> <h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3; color: rgb(72, 86, 103); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 26px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><a href="http://gicr.utoronto.ca/support-the-report/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(51, 122, 183); text-decoration-line: none; transition: 0.1s ease-in-out;">Interested in publicly funded research in Canada? Learn more at 缅北强奸鈥檚 #supportthereport advocacy campaign</a></h3> <p>Taddio continued her research in a similar vein until 2007, when she decided to do a survey on vaccinations in Greater Toronto to see how her work and that of fellow pain researchers had influenced clinical practice.</p> <p>It hadn鈥檛.</p> <p>That鈥檚 when Taddio decided to add translational research to her fundamental research. She assembled an interdisciplinary team of clinicians, scientists and policy-makers from across Canada to promote better pain care during vaccine injections. They called the initiative Help ELiminate Pain in Kids, or HELPinKids for short. 鈥淚 thought it would be a good gateway to talking about pain,鈥 she says.</p> <p>The HELPinKids team published its first clinical practice guideline on reducing vaccine injection pain in 2010 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. In 2015, they published an updated and expanded guideline in the same journal.&nbsp;Taddio was also invited to Geneva the same year to present at the WHO, which later adopted about half of the recommendations (some, like the use of topical anesthetics, aren鈥檛 applicable in developing countries because of the high costs).</p> <p>Taddio stresses that her research, and the global vaccine guidelines that ultimately sprung from it, were heavily reliant on public funding.&nbsp; 鈥淚 primarily depended on CIHR because I couldn鈥檛 have the work associated with any conflicts of interest,鈥 she says. 鈥淭hat was really important for the guideline panel, who are all working with governments.鈥</p> <p>Even so, she says it remains difficult to get funding as a pain researcher, a field that she describes as relatively un-sexy.</p> <p>鈥淲hat I achieved with the money I received is actually amazing,鈥 she says, adding that the full adoption of the Naylor report鈥檚 35 recommendations would likely make it easier to attain funding.</p> <p>The problem of pain and vaccinations is hardly fixed. Despite her research, Taddio says health-care delivery has been slow to change and pain management is still not optimally incorporated into medical procedures 鈥 a point that was hammered home when staff at a local hospital politely refused to give her needle-wary son a topical anesthetic before administering an injection.</p> <p>鈥淧eople were telling me not to use it because it didn鈥檛 work and I was like, 鈥楿h, no. I will show you the paper.鈥欌</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7137 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2017-12-12-Anna-Taddio-card-%28web-embed%29_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>Anna Taddio is&nbsp;creating tools that can be used to help children deal more effectively with pain during vaccination campaigns in schools (photo by Chris Sorensen)</em></p> <p>With the guidelines now in place, Taddio intends to continue with her pain research and find ways to generate further awareness. She鈥檚 now focusing on vaccination programs in schools, which represent many children鈥檚 first interaction with the health-care system without the assistance of their parents.</p> <p>One strategy involves creating an easy-to-remember acronym to remind children their options when it comes to vaccination. For example, they might request being vaccinated in private rather than in front of peers, or they might bring a video game or smartphone into the vaccination room to serve as a distraction.</p> <p>鈥淚n the past, we鈥檝e burdened the health-care provider with everything,鈥 says Taddio. 鈥淏ut I think it鈥檚 better to show the kids and then they can choose how to best cope.鈥</p> <p>In the end, Taddio says it鈥檚 all about medical community acknowledging the existence of pain and working with patients to reduce its impact during injections and other procedures.</p> <p>鈥淭reating pain has many benefits,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t not only prevents unnecessary suffering, it ensures we are delivering the best care possible, improves everyone鈥檚 satisfaction with the experience, and improves health because people are more likely to participate in positive health behaviours like getting vaccinated and going to a&nbsp;doctor to get a blood test to look for high cholesterol and these sorts of things.鈥</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:46:46 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 124874 at 缅北强奸 wraps up successful #SupportTheReport postcard campaign /news/u-t-wraps-successful-supportthereport-postcard-campaign <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"> 缅北强奸 wraps up successful #SupportTheReport postcard campaign</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-12-14-support-the-report-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fQy2MMKx 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-12-14-support-the-report-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=cPJ-VK8A 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-12-14-support-the-report-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ptfIzuFq 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-12-14-support-the-report-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fQy2MMKx" alt="Photo of group with postcards"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rasbachn</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-12-14T00:00:00-05:00" title="Thursday, December 14, 2017 - 00:00" class="datetime">Thu, 12/14/2017 - 00:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Professor Walid Houry and his group in the Faculty of Medicine show their signed #SupportTheReport postcards (photo by Angelika Duffy)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jennifer-robinson" hreflang="en">Jennifer Robinson</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/biochemistry" hreflang="en">Biochemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/jackman-humanities-institute" hreflang="en">Jackman Humanities Institute</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/molecular-genetics" hreflang="en">Molecular Genetics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Students, faculty and staff encouraged to drop cards into nearest mailbox before the holidays</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>While you鈥檙e dropping your holiday cards in the mailbox, don鈥檛 forget to slip in a signed #SupportTheReport postcard, organizers of the campaign say.</p> <p>No postage is required to mail the postcards.</p> <p>University of Toronto&nbsp;students, faculty and staff have picked up and signed more than&nbsp;7,500 of the postcards since Nov. 19 to send to federal Science Minister <strong>Kirsty Duncan.</strong></p> <p>Students have even taken time out from studying for exams to sign the cards at exam de-stressor tables set up by the University of Toronto Students鈥 Union in various locations. The signings are continuing until Dec.19 as part of the UTSU鈥檚 Got You events. For more details, see below.</p> <p>Student efforts to raise awareness and support for <a href="http://www.sciencereview.ca/eic/site/059.nsf/eng/home">Canada鈥檚 Fundamental Science Review</a> were captured in a fun way by <a href="/news/u-t-phd-student-fostering-public-trust-science-one-selfie-time"><strong>Samantha Yammine</strong>, a PhD candidate in 缅北强奸鈥檚 department of molecular genetics.</a></p> <p>Known as Science Sam to her more than 12,000 social media followers, Yammine broadcast live via Twitter at the Gerstein Library on Monday and chatted with UTSU鈥檚 President <strong>Mathias Memmel. </strong>Many students attended the event and signed postcards. One of them was an international student from Bangladesh, who spoke about&nbsp;Canada's focus on scientific research and how it impacts the world.</p> <p>鈥淚鈥檓 an international student from Bangladesh and one of the things which attracted me to come to Canada is the fact that they prioritize scientific research over other aspects of development because it will ultimately lead to the knowledge economy we鈥檙e looking forward to,鈥 he told Yammine.</p> <p>鈥淎nother fundamental aspect is while it鈥檚 benefiting Canadians around the world and in Canada, it is also going to help countries which are suffering from the remnants of climate change, which I think is a fundamental philosophy of being a Canadian 鈥 supporting humanitarian and social changes around the world. So, I am really happy to be supporting this venture.鈥</p> <p>Yammine agreed.&nbsp;鈥淲hat we do will help us locally&nbsp;here, but it鈥檚 also supposed to benefit everywhere. We want to be a part of that, and if we don鈥檛 fund Canadian research, we鈥檙e not going to be able to contribute,鈥 she said.</p> <h3><a href="https://twitter.com/UofT/status/940276768258134016">Watch the livestream of Samantha Yammine's broadcast</a></h3> <p>Meanwhile, Professor&nbsp;<strong>Alison Keith</strong> and her colleagues at the Jackman Humanities Institute put pen to postcard to #SupportTheReport, joining groups all over the three campuses, including Professor&nbsp;<strong>Frank Wania鈥檚 </strong>at 缅北强奸 Scarborough, Professor&nbsp;<strong>Cindi Morshead</strong> and Professor&nbsp;<strong>Walid Houry</strong>鈥檚 in downtown Toronto, as well as the research office at 缅北强奸 Mississauga&nbsp;led by Professor&nbsp;<strong>Bryan Stewart</strong>, vice-principal of research.</p> <p>鈥淭he campaign has allowed those directly impacted to make their voices heard in support of the recommendations made by Canada鈥檚 Fundamental Science Review panel,鈥 said <strong>Andrew Thomson</strong>, chief of government relations at 缅北强奸.</p> <p>鈥淭he large number of students, faculty&nbsp;and researchers, who have signed on to the #SupportTheReport postcard campaign have made it a huge success. Our efforts will build on this to ensure the issue remains top of mind for the federal government as they prepare to deliver their next budget early in the new year,鈥 he said.</p> <h3>Check out the 缅北强奸 social media #SupportTheReport feed below:</h3> <p><iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" src="https://visuals.zoomph.com/Visuals/?id=PBNBvYurGeHpE5a3zAylYQ_2_2" style="width: 100%; height: 500px;"></iframe></p> <p style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; text-align: center; font-family: inherit, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 600;">widget powered by <a href="http://www.zoomph.com" style="color: rgb(33, 150, 243); font-size: 15.5px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 900; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; text-shadow: 0px 0px 1px rgb(255,67,54);">zoomph</a></p> <p>The report by Canada鈥檚 Fundamental Science Review, issued in April by a blue ribbon panel led by 缅北强奸 President Emeritus <strong>David Naylor</strong>, found per capita federal investment in fundamental science has slumped in recent decades and recommended a comprehensive blueprint with 35 recommendations for making Canada a global research powerhouse.</p> <p>Last month, Duncan told researchers, academics, funders and policy-makers at the Canadian Science Policy Conference in Ottawa:&nbsp;鈥淚 agree with the majority of the recommendations, and I鈥檓 taking action to implement many of them.鈥</p> <p>One of those changes, announced by the minister, involves revamping the Canada Research Chairs program to increase diversity, equity and inclusiveness, as well as the creation of a Canada Research Coordinating Committee to improve collaboration among the three federal granting councils and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.</p> <p>However, the government has yet to commit to implementing all of the report鈥檚 recommendations, including a $1.3-billion boost in federal research funding over four years.</p> <h3><a href="http://gicr.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Formatted-2018-PBS_final.pdf">Read more on why 缅北强奸 believes the federal government should act on all 35 Naylor report recommendations</a></h3> <p>"One of the most exciting things about the #SupportTheReport campaign is the spotlight it鈥檚 shining on the incredible importance of conducting research in Canada, as well as how it provides training opportunities for the next generation of researchers on cutting-edge methods and technology,鈥 said <strong>Vivek Goel</strong>, 缅北强奸鈥檚 vice-president of research and innovation.</p> <p>鈥淩esearch makes future innovations and societal improvements possible,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t opens up new paths and ignites the curiosity of our young people. This is why we must continue to work towards gaining support for the recommendations of Canada鈥檚 Fundamental Science Review.鈥</p> <h3><strong>UTSU鈥檚 Got You postcard-signing events</strong></h3> <p><strong>Friday, Dec. 15,</strong> 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.</p> <p>Exam Centre</p> <p><strong>Saturday, Dec. 16, </strong>9 a.m. to 2 p.m.</p> <p>Exam Centre</p> <p><strong>Monday, Dec. 18, </strong>9 a.m. to 7 p.m.</p> <p>Exam Centre</p> <p><strong>Tuesday, Dec.&nbsp;19, </strong>9 a.m. to 2 p.m.</p> <p>Exam Centre</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 14 Dec 2017 05:00:00 +0000 rasbachn 124708 at