Search

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)

Congratulations to Dr. Ting-Yim Lee who was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross from the Governor General of Canada. He was recognized for his development of CT Perfusion to measure blood flow in the body which has transformed the way stroke is assessed and treated around the globe.

The Civil Division Cross recognizes a deed or an activity that has been performed in an outstandingly professional manner, or with uncommonly high standards; the activity is often innovative, sets an example for others to follow, improves the quality of life of a community and brings considerable benefit or honour to Canada.

Dr. Lee, a scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute and Medical Physicist at St. Joseph’s Health Care London, as well as professor at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and scientist at Robarts Research Institute, fits the bill perfectly. Through his research program, Dr. Lee pioneered the development of CT Perfusion technology which is compatible with existing CT scanners and uses X-ray dye to assist doctors in assessing blood flow in the event of stroke.

The technology is now in use in more than 8,000 hospital imaging departments worldwide and has drastically improved patient care.

“I am humbled by this award. The work I’ve accomplished would not have been possible without the support of the institutions and collaboration of colleagues too many to name and the tireless effort of all members of my lab: graduate students, fellows, technicians and assistants,” said Dr. Lee. “I am really happy that this work has been found to help patient care. It gives me impetus to continue to search for new innovations that would benefit patients.”

The Meritorious Service Decorations recognize Canadians for exceptional deeds that bring honour to the country. The cross was originally created in 1984 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, for members of the military. In 1991, both the cross and medal were introduced for civilians to recognize remarkable contributions in many different fields including advocacy initiatives and health care services, to research and humanitarian efforts.

The recipients of the awards were announced by Governor General of Canada, David Johnston, and will be presented at an official ceremony later this year.

Chronic wounds represent a significant burden in Canada. Between four and 30 per cent of patients develop a chronic wound, depending on the health care setting. Over 85 per cent of all Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) survivors will experience health complications related to pressure ulcers, injuries to the skin and underlying tissue resulting from prolonged pressure. These types of wounds can significantly reduce participation in meaningful activities and overall quality of life. 

Research from around the world shows that electrical stimulation can help speed the healing of pressure ulcers. This therapy is currently done by a trained health care provider and is not readily available for people across Canada.Electrical stimulation therapy (E-Stim) is a wound treatment that involves applying low levels of electrical current to the wound bed and surrounding tissues. It stimulates several healing processes, promotes local circulation and prevents infections. 

The E-Stim Collaboration: A Best Practice Implementation Project for Better Pressure Ulcer Care aims to improve the coordination of pressure ulcer care and promote the use of evidence-informed wound treatments for people living with SCI. In particular, the research project is studying how to best provide E-Stim to people with pressure ulcers, in their own communities.

“Over the years I’ve seen the serious impact pressure ulcers have on the lives of people with spinal cord injury and other health challenges. This is what drives my commitment to not only develop best practice guidelines, but also to ensure they are put into action,” says Dr. Pamela Houghton, Associate Scientist, Lawson and Professor, School of Physical Therapy at Western University. “Advances in technology make it possible for more people with care needs to live at home.”

The pilot project in the South West LHIN has a unique model that builds capacity in the community and taps into the lived experience of people with pressure ulcers and SCI. It brings together the expertise of researchers, clinicians and managers from academia, hospital centres and community care.

Partners include the Parkwood Institute Research program at Lawson Health Research Institute, Western University, Saint Elizabeth’s Health Care Research Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the South West Community Care Access Centre. An interdisciplinary specialized team, called SCIPUT, has been established within the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation program provided at Parkwood Institute, St. Joseph’s Health Care London.

“Our collaborative team is using the PLAN-DO-STUDY-ACT quality improvement model. This allows us to learn from each cycle and make adjustments as we go,” says Dr. Houghton. “We have just completed the first cycle and are reporting on lessons learned.” Funded by the Rick Hansen Foundation, the team hopes this will set the stage for a larger cross-country initiative.

Those interested in participating can contact phoughto@uwo.ca. The study is open to:

• Individuals with an open pressure ulcer and with a condition that causes limited mobility and/or requires a wheelchair;
• Those who are able and willing to participate in treatment plan, and communicate feedback; and,
• People who are eligible to receive services from South West CCAC.

Image Electrical stimulation (E-Stim) directly stimulates several wound healing processes, promotes local circulation and prevents wound infections. It produces faster healing and wound closure. A trained health care provider applies low levels of electrical current to the pressure ulcer using specialized equipment.