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Dr. Miho Iijima, Associate Professor at John Hopkins School of Medicine, visited St. Joseph’s Hospital on Friday, November 17 to deliver a talk on the role of a protein called “phosphatase and tensin homolog” (PTEN) in cancer.

The talk was organized by the Department of Ophthalmology. Dr. Sunil Parapuram, scientist at Lawson who invited Dr. Iijima, has been collaborating with her to study the role of PTEN in fibrosis.

Dr. Iijima’s talk focused specifically on controlling PTEN localization and function in cancer. Mutations and deletions in the gene encoding PTEN are associated with many cancers and autism. Dr. Iijima’s laboratory recently discovered a new class of cancer and autism-associated PTEN mutations that specifically interfere with membrane association. During her talk, Dr. Iijima discussed how PTEN is recruited to the plasma membrane and how enhancing the membrane recruitment of PTEN suppresses oncogenic signaling in cancer.

"Dr. Miho Iijima gave a very informative talk about the meticulous work her laboratory is doing about controlling the location and function of PTEN,” said Dr. Parapuram. “Her visit also provided an opportunity to reinvigorate the collaboration between our labs on the role of PTEN in fibrosis.”

To learn more about Dr. Iijima’s research, please visit the John Hopkins School of Medicine’s website.

WORLDiscoveries, the technology transfer and business development office for Western University, Lawson Health Research Institute and Robarts Research Institute, recently announced the recipients of the 2020 Vanguard Awards. 

Vanguard Awards recognize local researchers who, through partnership with WORLDiscoveries, have achieved various market-readiness milestones. 

Lawson’s Dr. Qingping Feng was named as the Innovator of the Year. He is being recognized for his research and intellectual property related to Annexin and its use to treat inflammatory disorders. He holds patents issued in Canada, United States, Europe, China and Japan.

This award is given to individuals who demonstrate excellence in innovation within their field. It highlights the achievements of those who contribute to the culture of commercialization and entrepreneurship by creating a product or service that is beneficial to society. 

Congratulations to Dr. Feng and all of the 2020 Vanguard Award recipients. 

As the research institute of LHSC and St. Joseph’s, our researchers work in the lab and directly with clinicians, patients, families and other partners to enhance diagnostics and treatments. They also address care at a system level by improving delivery of services for people in London and beyond. 

For any pressing health question, our work does not stop once the research is done. Commercialization and business development are vital components in driving innovation and transforming health care, all while supporting Canada’s knowledge economy. 

Learn more about Dr. Feng’s research: 

• Potential sepsis treatment could be ready in 5 years thanks to London, Ont., researcher (Global News)

• Vanguard innovator may have found first-ever sepsis treatment (Western News)

Captain (Navy) Dr. Raymond Kao, a Lawson associate scientist, has been awarded the 2017 John McCrae Memorial Medal by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA).

Dr. Kao has served in various military units as a Medical Officer since 1991 and has been a member of the Canadian Armed Forces since 1977. He has served in Africa and the Middle East. In 2013, Dr. Kao was named Canada’s first Chair in Military Critical Care Research. A major focus of his research has been on improving military trauma care and developing treatments that can be brought to the battle field.

The John McCrae Memorial Medal from the CMA recognizes clinical health services personnel of the Canadian Forces who perform exemplary service and demonstrate compassion, self-sacrifice or innovation beyond the call of duty to benefit the health or welfare of fellow military personnel or civilian populations.

“Receiving this honour is very humbling because one does not achieve anything without the help of others. My work would not be possible without the support of and collaboration with other researchers. This award represents the efforts of all the military physicians and surgeons, nurses, medical technicians, allied health care providers and physicians’ assistants on my deployments who have worked to provide excellent care,” says Dr. Kao, who is also the senior critical care advisor to the Surgeon General, a critical care physician at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), and an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.

In 2014, Dr. Kao was part of a military medical team sent to Sierra Leone to help combat the Ebola epidemic. He provided care to affected health care workers and studied prognostic factors to help improve care in future epidemics.

He is currently studying the use of C-Peptide to improve organ dysfunction after traumatic hemorrhagic shock caused by blunt or penetrating trauma. Hemorrhagic shock is treated with fluid resuscitation, or fluid replacement, which can also put stress on the organs. His recent studies have shown that C-Peptide, an insulin connecting protein, has the potential to reduce gut injury and lung inflammation from hemorrhagic shock and fluid resuscitation.

Dr. Kao is also widely recognized for his research on erythropoietin, a hormone produced by the kidneys that stimulates the production of red blood cells and, in turn, haemoglobin. He found that when combined with saline, erythropoietin can improve blood flow and tissue oxygen usage after an injury. Erythropoietin can easily be administered through a syringe and can be used to help stabilize wounded soldiers in the battlefield.