Message from the Director 2020
Dear Hotchkiss Brain Institute Trainees, Faculty and Staff,
Welcome back to the HBI and the 2020/21 academic year! Following a spring and summer like no other, I know that together, we are all making an extraordinary effort to move our research and education goals forward as much as possible while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. Thank you for your patience and understanding during a difficult year.
There are a few changes to be aware of for those of us coming to campus. If you have any questions about the Return to Campus guidelines, please review them here https://ucalgary.ca/risk/emergency-management/covid-19-response.
Please join me in welcoming new members:
Dr. Abdullah Al Maruf, PhD, adjunct assistant professor, Psychiatry, with a research focus on the roles of genes and the environment and their interactions in mental health disorders and psychiatric drug response in children and youth.
Dr. Camila Aquino, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Clinical Neurosciences, whose research addresses the unmet needs of people living with movement disorders.
Dr. Julie Kromm, MD, clinical assistant professor, Clinical Neurosciences and Critical Care Medicine, whose research focuses on the utility and logistics of neuromonitoring for critically ill patients; and medical education for healthcare personnel to administer neuromonitoring.
Dr. Roberto Medeiros de Souza, PhD, assistant professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, with a research focus on developing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to optimize brain magnetic resonance imaging acquisition and reconstruction resulting in faster and more efficient scans.
Dr. Kristin von Ranson, PhD, professor of psychology and registered clinical psychologist with expertise in eating disorders and body image.
Welcome all, we look forward to working with you!
HBI and Mathison Centre researchers and trainees have not only persevered but have excelled over the past few difficult months in advancing their research. We have some exciting things happening at the HBI that we cannot wait to share with you. Congratulations to our many grant and award recipients! Please read on in the Brainworks e-newsletter for more information about these outstanding achievements by your HBI colleagues and trainees.
While we would normally have many upcoming in-person events to tell you about in September, in following COVID guidelines, we want to let you know about some online events and seminars. Mark your calendars for these:
October 1: Calgary Comprehensive Epilepsy Program/HBI Research Retreat, with keynote speaker Dr. Boris Bernhardt. Abstracts due Sept. 4, contact Cynthia.sanchez@albertahealthservices.ca to submit an abstract and/or attend.
October 2: Think Big online – A Night IN with Your Brain: The Brain-Gut Connection, with speakers Dr. Keith Sharkey and Dr. Marie-Claire Arrieta in partnership with the Calgary Public Library and Jay Ingram. Information/registration here.
October 8: The Mathison Centre and Calgary Public Library present Anxiety in a Time of Crisis with speakers Dr. Paul Arnold and Dr. Scott Patten. Information/registration here.
October 16: HBI Seminar Series with speaker Dr. Jonathan Kipnis, hosted by Dr. Alex Lohman, noon to 12:50 pm via Zoom.
November 18: HBI Town Hall, 1 – 2 pm. Theme: Innovation; more information coming soon.
Our annual Bryan Kolb lecture and Holiday Party will be on hold until we can safely return to in-person events.
The Brain and Mental Health International Review, organized by the Office of the VPR and initially planned for November 3-4, 2020, has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The review is being rescheduled for spring 2021 (dates TBA), to facilitate in-person lab tours, interviews with trainees, faculty, and community members, and to hold meaningful discussions around Brain and Mental Health research.
We will be holding a Town Hall in early 2021 (invitation to follow at a later date) to share the results of the Brain and Mental Health strategy's self-assessment, as well as communicate the proposed direction for Brain and Mental Health research at UCalgary.
I want to personally thank each of you for your cooperation and continued dedication to advancing research and education at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Mathison Centre. You are our priority and we are here to support you and continue helping you advance your work and celebrate your successes. Feel free to contact any one of us to discuss your work, your challenges, and your achievements.
Dr. Richard Frayne, Deputy Director
Dr. Sarah McFarlane, Education Director
Dr. Deborah Kurrasch, Director, International Strategy
Dr. Lawrence Korngut, Director, Innovation and Commercialization
Warm regards,
David
David Park, PhD, FRSC
Director, Hotchkiss Brain Institute
Lead, Brain and Mental Health research strategy
Professor, Depts. of Clinical Neurosciences
and Cell Biology & Anatomy
University of Calgary
(Mobile) 403-680-9632
(Office) 403-220-3994
hbi@ucalgary.ca