University of Ottawa | News Releases and Announcements

Half of uOttawa's 2012 MD grads choose family medicine as their specialty

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Nearly fifty percent of the 155 students graduating from the MD program of the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine (FoM) will be entering the discipline of family medicine and improving health care in Ottawa, following today's Ceremony of Professional Engagement and Convocation, taking place at the Ottawa Convention Centre.

According to preliminary 2012 results from the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS), through which Canadian medical students enter a highly competitive process for a variety of residency training disciplines across the country, the FoM not only saw a four percent increase in matches to family medicine but is now eight percent higher than the required national average of 40%.

"When people think of family medicine, they think of the traditional office practice, but it is so much more than that, because you can tailor your practice to whatever aspect of medicine you're interested in," says graduate Austin Gagn�.

Austin and his brother Owen are two of the 20 graduates who have chosen family medicine residencies in the Ottawa area. In fact, Ottawa stands to benefit from over one quarter of this year's grads, who are staying in the nation's capital to contribute to improving the health of our community.

"I think it's the most dynamic specialty in medicine, and I think the various group models that have developed here in Ontario have improved practice conditions for family doctors in the province. Personally, I've had a strong interest in global health throughout medical school, and I felt that the family medicine field would allow me to continue to pursue that interest."

This year also marks the celebration of many firsts for the Faculty. The Class of 2012 is the first cohort to graduate having completed the revised MD curriculum, which earned the FoM its highest accreditation results ever, leading to its ranking of as one of Canada's best medical schools. In addition, the Faculty will confer its first honourary doctorate at a Convocation ceremony; the recipient, Dr. Axel Kahn, is a world-renowned cancer researcher.

Dr. Kahn's work is focused on gene control, genetic diseases, cancer and nutrition. He is the current Director of Research at the Institut national de la sant� et de la recherche m�dicale (INSERM) in Paris, and was the head of INSERM's Institut Cochin from 2002 to 2008. He serves on a number of international committees, and has authored several books and nearly 500 original articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals such as Nature, Cell and Genetics.

The University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine's (FoM) Undergraduate Medical Education Program was awarded its highest accreditation results ever in 2010, with 127 out of 131 standards met. It was accredited for a full eight years, the longest period possible.

The Faculty of Medicine is also nationally recognized as a leader in medical research. Through their intense research activities, the FoM and its affiliated research institute partners have contributed significantly to the following uOttawa milestones: second highest growth rate in overall Tri-Council Funding (all programs) since 2003; second in Canada for medical science grants (Maclean's magazine); and the third highest growth rate in Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) funding for universities with medical schools since 2003.

Celebrities partake in first annual gala to celebrate uOttawa alumni

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The University of Ottawa hosted its first annual Destination 2012 gala to honour its alumni. Saturday evening, some of the biggest names in Canadian entertainment joined in the festivities at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.

Important political figures and major media personalities were in attendance. The soir�e featured intimate performances by celebrated singers Jully Black and Roch Voisine and was co-hosted by Erica Ehm, esteemed television personality and university alumna.

"First and foremost, our objective is to highlight the tremendous achievements of our alumni and the impression they've made at home, and around the globe," says Craig Haynes, president of the uOttawa Alumni Association. "To share in the celebration, we've invited a number of esteemed guests, which will undoubtedly make this a night to remember."

Destination 2012 is a part of the uOttawa Spring Alumni Weekend. The glitzy event saw the gala venue morph into a contemporary lounge, complete with live DJs, a signature menu and exciting musical performances.

The awards component featured six recipients of the uOttawa Alumni Association Awards of Excellence. The evening was topped off with a stunning dessert showcase by celebrity chef Christian Faure, one of the world's foremost pastry chefs.

Spring Alumni Weekend 2012 - The program

University of Ottawa Media Calendar for May 11 to May 18, 2012

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Here are some of the events taking place at the University of Ottawa from May 11 to May 18, 2012. For more information, visit the uOttawa Media Room.

Friday, May 11 to Sunday, May 13

Event - Spring Alumni Weekend 2012
Alumni Relations Office

Saturday, May 12

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Recreational activity - Science RendezVous
Office of the Vice-President, Research

10:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.: Lecture - Back in the Lab Engineering Lecture Series
Faculty of Engineering

5 p.m. to 11 p.m.: Arts & culture, Social - CACHA 2012 African Dinner
Health Services

7 p.m.: Gala - Destination 2012
Alumni Relations Office

Monday, May 14

5 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Lecture - D. Allan Bromley Memorial Event 2012
Institute for Science, Society and Policy

Wednesday, May 16

10 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Lecture - Distinguished Speaker Series
Telfer Research Office

Research published in Nature magazine uncovers missing link in Louis Pasteur's Life without Oxygen theory

Sun, 6 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Stephen Lee, a professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Ottawa, has made a breakthrough that answers a question Louis Pasteur and countless others have struggled with for 150 years: "How do bodily cells function when we are at a high altitude where the air contains little oxygen?" In the paper "An Oxygen-Regulated Switch in the Protein Synthesis Machinery," published in Nature, the world's most prestigious scientific journal, Dr. Lee and his team, which includes Dr. James Uniacke, describe a new process that cells use to produce proteins in low-oxygen environments. These findings will fundamentally change our understanding of how mountaineers, Arctic explorers and athletes can adapt and thrive in conditions of reduced oxygen.

"Proteins are the building blocks of life," explains Dr. Lee. "By discovering fermentation, Pasteur introduced the concept of �life without oxygen.' What remained a mystery until now is how our cells make these building blocks in low-oxygen conditions in order to sustain life. This finding constitutes a significant missing piece of the puzzle and highlights how there are still many basic processes of life that remain undiscovered."

Dr. Lee's breakthrough has opened up possibilities in biomedical research for an array of oxygen-related conditions including gestation, stroke and heart disease. In addition, Dr. Lee's team has already observed that cancer cells hijack this newly discovered process to form life-threatening tumors. The team is currently working on developing novel drugs that will be able to cure cancer by blocking this process.

About the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine is nationally recognized as a leader in medical research. Through their intense research activities, the Faculty of Medicine and affiliated research institute partners have contributed significantly to the following uOttawa milestones: the second-highest growth rate in overall Tri-Council Funding (all programs) since 2003, second in Canada by MacLean's magazine for medical science grants and the third-highest growth rate in Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) funding for universities with medical schools since 2003.

University of Ottawa Media Calendar for May 4 to 11, 2012

Fri, 4 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Here are some of the events taking place at the University of Ottawa from May 4 to 11, 2012. For more information, visit the uOttawa Media Room.

Saturday, May 5

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Electronics Recycling Day
Office of Campus Sustainability

Wednesday, May 9 to Sunday, May 13

Noon (all day event): Spring Alumni Weekend 2012
Alumni Relations Office

Friday, May 11 to Saturday, May 12

8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Conference � Legal Preparedness for the Global Green Economy
Civil Law Section, Faculty of Law

MEDIA ADVISORY: 250 students to gather for day-long celebration of bilingualism's enrichment and advantages

Thu, 3 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Friday, May 4, 250 French as a second language students from ten Ottawa-area schools will gather at the University of Ottawa's Jock Turcot University Centre for a day of activities focussing on the enriching advantages of bilingualism, as part of a French for the Future Forum.

The students will take part in a slew of activities on the theme du fran�ais pour mon avenir, including
- a speech by Mathieu Fleury, city councillor, Rideau-Vanier ward
- French-language workshops on various topics, from self-motivation to careers in social work
- a "sugar shack"-style lunch
- a show by the improv group Improt�ine
- a mock version of the television game show La guerre des clans

WHAT: French for the Future Forum, Ottawa region
WHEN: Friday, May 4, 2012 (opening ceremony from 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m)
WHERE: Jock Turcot University Centre, University of Ottawa (85 University)

Every year, over a dozen local French for the Future Forums take place in different Canadian cities. Each Forum is organized by a local committee, in order to highlight the region's particular culture. This year, the Ottawa Forum has been organized along with the University of Ottawa and its French Immersion Studies program.

Participating students come from the following schools:
� All Saints High School
� Bell High School
� Gloucester High School
� Holy Trinity Catholic High School
� Immaculata High School
� Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School
� Mother Theresa High School
� St. Joseph High School
� St. Mark High School
� St. Peter High School

To find out more, visit the French for the Future website: www.french-future.org/en/.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Electronics Recycling Day at the University of Ottawa

Thu, 3 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The University of Ottawa and the City of Ottawa will be hosting an Electronics Recycling Day at the Sandy Hill Arena on Saturday, May 5, 2012, to help divert these potentially hazardous materials from landfills. The items will be recycled by the Centre de formation en entreprise et r�cup�ration de l'Outaouais (CFER), a group that supports at risk youth through environmental programs.

What: Electronics Recycling Day
When: Saturday, May 5, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Sandy Hill Arena, 60 Mann Avenue (map)

Items will be accepted from members of the University community, companies and the general public. Most electronics can be accepted, but not appliances. For a complete list of accepted items, please visit the University of Ottawa Office of Campus Sustainability website.

University of Ottawa's MDI2 leading way in medical device R&D worldwide

Tue, 1 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Medical device technologies developed by world-renowned scientist and inventor Dr. Tofy Mussivand and his team at the University of Ottawa Medical Devices Innovation Institute (MDI²) have positioned Canada at the leading edge of scientific breakthroughs in the field.

MDI²is working on 24 innovative medical device technologies. Projects such as the patent-pending, Portable DNA Extraction Device, a microchip that can identify a person's DNA from a single fingerprint in less than 15 seconds and the Electronic Nose Device (Enose) that will provide non-invasive diagnoses of diseases like heart failure through breath and saliva tests using custom algorithms.

Combining his scientific, management and business expertise, Dr. Mussivand, director of the Cardiovascular Devices Division of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and uOttawa professor (Faculties of Medicine and Engineering), is determined to turn the powerful tide of Canada's current dependence on imported medical devices. "Medical devices are essential in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases and help provide quality health care to Canadians," says Dr. Mussivand. MDI²offers a number of inter-connected medical device-related programs to its students and fellows in the hopes of building the next generation of Canadian medical device professionals. The programs are grouped into four key focus areas: training and research; technology commercialization; service activities and sector awareness; and consulting.

"Having the opportunity to work on important medical device projects such as the Portable DNA Sequencing Device that can both contribute to the advancement of science and engineering and to the enhanced understanding of the human body is what led me to work with Prof. Mussivand," says Leah Labib, a biomedical engineering student who's completing her master's at MDI².

The wide-ranging collaborations of MDI² with over 55 partners in an extensive research network of hospitals, universities, industry partners, government agencies and other related organizations in Ottawa, across Canada and around the world have placed Dr. Mussivand and MDI²at the forefront of these significant advances in the medical device sector.

For more insight into Professor Mussivand's research read the article "Leading Canada towards breakthroughs in the medical device sector" in the June 2011 issue of Research Perspectives.

About the University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is committed to research excellence and encourages an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge creation, which attracts the best academic talent from across Canada and around the world. It is an important stakeholder in the National Capital Region's economic development.

University of Ottawa Media Calendar for April 27 to May 4, 2012

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Here are some of the events taking place at the University of Ottawa from April 27 to May 4, 2012. For more information, visit the uOttawa Media Room.

Tuesday, May 1 and Wednesday, May 2

2:40 p.m.: Conference -Building on Rio+20: Canada's Role and Priorities in a Global Green Economy
Office of the Vice-President, Research

Thursday, May 3

Noon to 2 p.m.: Talk -Using Evidence in Bullying Prevention: Challenges and Opportunities
Centre for Research on Educational and Community Services, Faculty of Social Sciences

La Cit� coll�giale and University of Ottawa announce a new partnership in leisure studies

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

La Cit� coll�giale and the University of Ottawa, two leaders in French-language postsecondary education in Ontario, signed a memorandum of understanding this morning that will be of great benefit to students interested in a career in the recreation and leisure services industry.

According to the terms of the articulation agreement between the two institutions, the University of Ottawa will grant equivalencies of eight university courses (24 credits) to graduates of the Techniques des services en loisirs at La Cit� coll�giale towards a minor in leisure studies at the University of Ottawa. To be awarded a minor, a student would be required to complete two third- or fourth-year (3000- or 4000-level) courses at the University of Ottawa.

"This agreement is excellent news for our students in the Techniques des services en loisirs program because it offers them even more education opportunities. This relationship with the University of Ottawa, together with the ones we have forged with other universities across the country, opens up greater possibilities for our graduates," says Lise Bourgeois, president of La Cit� coll�giale.

"The University of Ottawa is pleased to work with La Cit� coll�giale to provide greater postsecondary education opportunities for our French-speaking students. This partnership is one of many agreements designed to improve student mobility between our two institutions," notes Christian Detellier, interim vice-president of academics at the University of Ottawa.

This initiative is in response to the Ontario government's priority to improve student mobility. The two institutions currently have 19 articulation agreements in a variety of fields and disciplines.

The new memorandum of understanding runs for four years and comes into effect this morning.

La Cit� coll�giale is the largest French-language applied arts and technology college in Ontario. In 2011-2012, it offered more than 90 postsecondary programs, including 60 programs not offered in French elsewhere in Ontario. La Cit� coll�giale has signed 60 transfer agreements with 13 Canadian postsecondary institutions.

The University of Ottawa is a cosmopolitan community of over 45,000 students, faculty and staff who live, work and study in both English and French. The University of Ottawa supports leading-edge research and encourages an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge creation. Our university reflects our country, its history and its diversity. Since 1848, this unique institution has grown with Canada, right in the heart of our nation's capital.