Health e-News

September 23 Faculty Council meeting wrap-up

At the first Faculty Council meeting of the academic year, held September 23, several innovative initiatives were shared, among them: MedComm, a student-led, patient-centred interpretation support service that promotes cultural sensitivity; an update on Win4Science, which aims to help close the gender gap for women in science through awareness, advocacy and other activities. A detailed review of the Faculty’s budget process and status was also presented.
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Dr. Marion Dove appointed Chair, Department of Family Medicine

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Marion Dove to the position of Chair of the Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, effective November 1, 2019. As Chair, Dr. Dove will oversee the running of the Department, which currently includes approximately 950 family physicians and a rapidly growing research and graduate education presence. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Dove and wishing her every success in her new role.
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Apply Now: Rossy Cancer Network Research Grants

The Rossy Cancer Network (RCN) wants to support your research initiatives in improving cancer care quality with grants of up to $100,000. The annual RCN Cancer Quality & Innovation Research Grants are open to all health professionals who provide care to cancer patients in the RCN’s partner hospitals: the McGill University Health Centre, the Jewish General Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital Center. The deadline for applications is December 6, 2019.
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Highlights from the Oct. 3, 2019, Board of Governors meeting

It is once again our pleasure to provide you with an update on the recent activities of McGill’s Board of Governors. The full minutes of the meeting’s open session will be available following approval at the Board’s next meeting, on December 5, 2019. In the meantime, we would like to share with you the meeting’s important discussions, decisions and developments.
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Inaugural Science and Research Day at the McGill Research Centre for Cannabis

The inaugural science and research day for the McGill Research Centre for Cannabis will be held on October 17, 2019 at the RI-MUHC Atrium and Auditorium.
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The 2019 RI-MUHC Annual Report is now online!

It is our pleasure to present the online version of the 2019 Annual Report of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) with the theme “Across the Lifespan.”
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LFME Learning Program: Teaching physicians ‘how to teach’ the next generation of doctors

The Department of Family Medicine has been working to deliver excellence in teaching and learning not only for student and residents, but also to academic staff through continuing medical education and faculty development. To this end, for the first time this fall, physicians enrolled as preceptors in the Longitudinal Family Medicine Experience course will benefit from an online distanced-blended program of their own, the Preceptor Learning Program, to help them become better clinical educators.
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New book from McGill professors offers glimpse into innovative course

Looking for a way to make their course content accessible to others, Drs. Stephen Liben and Tom Hutchinson joined forces to write MD Aware: A Mindfulness-Based Whole Person Care Course Guide for Physicians, available through Springer Press.  The book provides a unique, step-by-step guide for instructors, offering a comprehensive approach to teaching pre-clerkship medical students, residents and even experienced physicians, about the transformational impact of mindful medical practice or mindful whole person care.
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Lessons Learned from Two Program Directors who Launched CBME this Past July

In 2013, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada began developing Competency by Design (CBD), Canada’s version of competency-based medical education (CBME).  In 2017, McGill and Canada’s 16 other postgraduate medical education (PGME) offices started introducing this new approach. McGill Program Directors Dr. Elizabeth Hazel (Rheumatology Residency Program), and Dr. Catherine Weber (Nephrology residency program), offer ideas and advice while discussing how each has prepared for their program’s transition to CBME. 
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New direction for treatment of aggressive type of breast cancer

Approximately 15 to 20% of breast cancers are caused by changes in a gene known as HER2, which cause the protein produced by the gene to become constantly active, leading to uncontrolled cell growth. Cancers with these genetic changes are called “HER2-positive” or “HER2+” breast cancers. While therapies that interfere with the HER2 protein can be very effective in many of these cases they don’t work for everyone. When they fail, the prognosis for those with the disease is extremely poor. For these people, there is a dire need to understand why they are resistant to the treatment and to develop new strategies to attack the cancer cells. Now, researchers at McGill University’s Goodman Cancer Research Centre (GCRC) believe they have identified a way to do this, increasing the vulnerability of cancer cells to an approved therapy. Their results were recently published in Cell Reports.
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How much do obesity and addictions overlap?

Obesity rates have tripled since 1975, according to the World Health Organization. While the loss of control some people experience due to food leads some researchers to blame obesity on food addiction, others point out that food is a basic need and does not have addictive molecules, like nicotine or caffeine. This debate inspired a research team led by Dr. Alain Dagher at The Neuro to look for ways to measure the behavioural similarities and differences that obesity has with addictive behaviours, as well as psychiatric disorders.
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Tonight’s homework is getting enough sleep

An associate professor of psychiatry at McGill, Gruber says there are now plenty of studies that point to sleep deficits among children and adolescents. In fact, she has been at the forefront of research in this area. Gruber’s work has highlighted the importance of good sleep for young people.
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Dr. Jean Bourbeau named distinguished CHEST Educator

Dr. Jean Bourbeau, Professor in the Department of Medicine at McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine, was honoured as a 2019 Distinguished CHEST Educator by the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) during the opening session of the organization’s Annual Meeting on October 21 in New Orleans. The designation provides recognition of excellence in continuing medical education, placing Dr. Bourbeau within the top 4% of CHEST faculty worldwide. Congratulations Dr. Bourbeau!
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Dr. I. George Fantus receives Lifetime Achievement Award from Diabetes Canada

Dr. I. George Fantus, Professor in the Department of Medicine at McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine and Director of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), was honoured as the 2019 recipient of Diabetes Canada’s Lifetime Achievement Award, during their recent conference held in Winnipeg in early October. Congratulations Dr. Fantus!
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McGill medical students unveil the Wellness Break and Nap Room

This semester, two third-year medical students Gabriel Bouhadana and Adel Arezki decided to create the Wellness Break & Nap Room (WBNR), the first of its kind for McGill Medical and Dental students.
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