A rare lung disease that is linked to bats has made Alberta home, according to new research led by scientists at Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL) and the University of Alberta. The team of infectious disease experts confirmed that histoplasmosis – a fungal infection transmitted through bat and bird droppings – is now found in Alberta. Their…
University of Alberta researchers are recruiting COVID-19 patients for a study to learn how the SARS-CoV-2 virus affects some of the body’s most vital organs. The team, led by Ian Paterson, a cardiologist and professor of medicine in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, is using new MRI techniques it developed to detect injury to the lungs,…
An innovative approach to livestock grazing could help eliminate climate change-causing greenhouse gases, according to a new study. The research shows that a strategy called adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) grazing extracts methane gas from the atmosphere, locking it inside the soil through microbial activity. Methane gas has a climate warming effect that is 28 times more potent…
Innovative, low-cost features that make it easier for homeowners to maintain their independence over the long term
What does a home look like for someone who wants to stay there as they grow older? It’s a question that a University of Alberta researcher and an Edmonton-based homebuilder are tackling through innovative design. Collaborating with Effect Home Builders and using evidence-based research, doctoral candidate Lara Pinchbeck is helping identify meaningful features that can help design forever…
Raylene Whitford will advise the government on how to provide equitable economic recovery for women
Métis Ph.D. student and businesswoman has been appointed to the new federal Task Force on Women in the Economy. She is working alongside 17 other women from across the country to advise the government on a pathway to a national feminist economic recovery from the effects of the pandemic. The task force was announced on March…
Their emergence of nine new strains points to the importance of broader strategies to protect crops in Western Canada
Nine new strains of clubroot – a disease that can kill canola crops – have been discovered in Western Canadian fields. While that’s not good news for producers, the discovery shows how important it is to build a multi-pronged strategy for protecting their crops, not relying solely on canola plants bred to resist the disease,…
Up until now, Canada has been highly dependent on foreign suppliers
University of Alberta spinoff company Applied Quantum Materials Inc. (AQM) is using its chemical production expertise to partner with Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Alberta Precision Labs to provide critical reagents needed for COVID-19 testing. “These reagents – or ‘magnetic beads’ – used in standard nucleic acid testing are the gold standard for molecular tests,” said Stacey Hume, associate professor in…
Doing their final work placements before graduation
On the first day COVID-19 vaccines were given at the southeast Edmonton pharmacy where Mina Nagib works, the atmosphere was electric. “People came dressed up to get their vaccine, wearing suits or traditional dress,” he said. “It was a celebrated event – a major milestone for the patients and for the pharmacists.” The student in…
Project to develop culturally appropriate program is among 19 projects to receive funding from Canadian Institutes of Health Research
A University of Alberta researcher will consult with two Indigenous communities in the Northwest Territories to co-create a culturally appropriate promotion program for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection and the main cause of cervical cancer worldwide, but it is preventable with a vaccine for females aged nine to…
New approach controls viruses indoors to hopefully avoid future pandemic shutdowns
An engineering researcher is building smarter controls for building ventilation systems to maximize fresh air intake and minimize the spread of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. Yousef Alipouri’s project is one of six to receive new funding from the Alberta Innovates Graduate Fellowship in Health Innovation. “With our approach we can control viruses indoors…