A Brief History of Neglected Tropical Diseases
In a discussion of tropical diseases, we would be remiss if we did not discuss the colonial origins of medical research in this field. Tropical medicine was born out of...
Clinical Trials in Canada
As an Immunology alumna, I was exposed to incredibly innovative science during my PhD. I have no doubt that much of the science here has the potential to be translated...
Level Up: Gaming in Science and Education
Science is not a subject. It is a methodology by which we tackle the problems of the world. Like any methodology, one must learn by actively engaging. Every scientist has at...
TCRS: These are not the adaptive receptors you are looking for
In the modern framework of immunology, immune receptors are typically classified as either adaptive or innate, the key difference between the two being that innate immune receptors are germline encoded and...
Revolutions in Immunology
As scientists, we love to answer questions. It’s part and parcel of the job description. Conveniently, nature offers up plenty of complex questions, just waiting for us to validate, demonstrate,...
The Placebo Effect
Whether one takes an ibuprofen to relieve a headache or an antidepressant to boost serotonin levels, the body is responding to more than just the active drug. The mere act...
Big Pharma 2.0: Open Source Drug Discovery
In the age of “Big Data”, hypothetical coding sequences and poorly characterized proteins are common. Transcriptomic and proteomic datasets regularly result in disappointment, as the top hit is often some...
Lost in Translation: Recognizing the Value of MD/PhD Training
EARLIER THIS YEAR, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) abruptly terminated funding for students entering the MD/PhD programs in Canada. No justifications for this decision or guidelines as to...
Mom’s Microbes Know Best
More than 100 years ago, French pediatrician Henry Tissier declared that babies were bacteria-free in the womb. Colonization, he claimed, began during the birthing process, not before. While bacterial transmission...
Pushing the Boundaries of the Art-Science Interface
[caption id="attachment_1855" align="aligncenter" width="539"] The Action Potential Lab. Image credit: Justin Easton Media.[/caption] A CENTURY AGO, the red-brick house on the corner of Christie and Davenport was a pharmacy. Now,...