The announcement was made as part of a national initiative under NSERC’s Strategic Project Grants program, which supports high impact research that generates benefits to the country’s economy, social fabric and environment.

“These projects enable us to develop key expertise at home as well as the competitive edge we need on the international stage,” declared Mona Nemer, vice-president, research. “They are prime examples of how better health, cleaner air and stronger economy for Canadians are of paramount importance for the University of Ottawa.”

The four researchers being supported are:

Jules Blais – Department of Biology
The Arctic in flux: How has recent climate change affected contaminants in aquatic arctic systems?

Led by Professor Jules Blais, this project will advance environmental science and technologies by developing tools to examine the interactions between different climate change conditions and pollutant cycling in aquatic Arctic systems. The research will combine established, state-of-the-art technologies in reconstructing climate from preserved sedimentary proxies, and concurrent records of contaminant deposition histories.

Karin Hinzer – School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
4CPV: Materials and processes for quad-junction concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar cells with conversion efficiencies in the 45%-50% range, grown by chemical beam epitaxy

Professor Karin Hinzer, who is the Canada Research Chair in Photonic Nanostructures and Integrated Devices, will explore renewable energy sources, and build on existing Canadian capability to develop the world's most efficient photovoltaic cells for solar energy systems. The project has the potential to eliminate up to 60 tons of CO2 emissions per year per average building, and will enable economical power solutions for on-grid and off-grid consumers around the world.

Stan Matwin – School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Novel techniques for data Privacy protection

Data privacy is an important and far-reaching concept of modern information technology. Professor Matwin will lead research set to strengthen and enhance Canada’s leadership position in data privacy, by presenting novel research solutions and training a number of students in data protection techniques. The proposed research will use machine learning techniques and will be anchored in the areas of importance to Canada's health care sector. The solutions will be adopted by Canadian industry to supply better privacy solutions in Canada and globally.

Jianping Yao – School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Optical broadband infrastructures for wired and wireless area networks

Professor Yao, who is the University Research Chair in Microwave Photonics, and his team will focus on the design and development of fiber-fed 60-GHz and ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless access techniques that are integrated into the wired digital coherent fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks. The new knowledge generated from this project and the training of highly qualified personnel associated to the different stages of this work will certainly contribute to enhancing Canada's global competitiveness, especially in high-technology sectors.

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.

Please consult the official press release for more information.

From left to right : Dr Denis Prud’homme, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr Pierre Meulien, president and CEO, Genome Canada, the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), Dr Mona Nemer, vice president Research, University of Ottawa, Dr Alain Beaudet, president CIHR, Dr Jacques Bradwejn, dean of the Faculty of Medicine

“The research community is thrilled to recognize these two very promising young researchers. Their dedication in the lab and the classroom is what makes the University of Ottawa a top research institute in Canada and abroad,” declared Vice-President, Research, Mona Nemer.

Jean-François Bureau is an Associate Professor at the School of Psychology and is rapidly becoming recognized as a leading expert in child and adult relationships. His work looks specifically at attachment patterns in toddlers, school-aged children and teens, along with their influence on social-affective and cognitive development. Professor Bureau has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and has distinguished himself as highly involved and enthusiastic teacher.

An Associate Professor in the Department of Biology, Howard Rundle has established himself as an outstanding researcher in evolutionary biology. Although interested in diverse topics in evolutionary ecology, Professor Rundle mainly dedicates himself to understanding how natural and sexual selections interact during adaptation in the Australian fruit fly. He is well on the way to being recognized as a world leader in this field. His outstanding work in the lab is also reflected in the classroom, where he is an exemplary teacher and is proving to be a shining example to his students.

The Young Researcher of the Year Awards were created in 1995 to recognize excellence and encourage leadership and innovation. Each award is accompanied by a $10,000 research grant.

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.

The funding was announced as part of the CFI’s Leaders Opportunity Fund, which helps prominent researchers and their institutions acquire infrastructure they need to gain a competitive edge.

“The Canada Foundation for Innovation plays a crucial role in retaining these brilliant scientists at the University of Ottawa. Through state-of-the-art infrastructures, their research will continue to generate benefits in the lives of Canadians and abroad,” declared Vice-President, Research, Mona Nemer.

The seven researchers supported are:

Darryl Davis – Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Pre-clinical Development of Cardiovascular Stem Cells for Diagnosis and Treatment
Using cutting-edge technology, Dr. Davis and his team will explore novel techniques to extract and grow cells directly from a patient's own heart biopsy and transplant these cells back into damaged tissue. This research will improve the lives of people suffering from heart disease.

James Harden – Department of Physics
A Transmission Electron Microscopy Facility for Biomaterials and Cell Biophysics Research
Professor Harden is a pioneer in biological physics research, specifically designer protein biomaterials. His research will provide important insights in cell-biomaterial interactions as well as applications in regenerative medicine.

Jeffrey Keillor – Department of Chemistry
Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory
Professor Keillor’s research is at the forefront of a trending research field that brings together chemistry, biology and medicine. Using novel techniques and state-of-the-art technology to study enzyme structures and functions, as well to label, detect and track proteins, Professor Keillor’s research will have major implications in the fields of molecular science and biotechnology.

Kathlyn Kirkwood – Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Solid-State Bioreactor and Environmental Biocatalysis Facility
Applying her background in engineering, biochemistry , chemistry and microbiology, Professor Kirkwood’s work on solid-state biocatalysis focuses on environmental applications, including treatment of crude-oil contaminated soils, waste treatment, and biomass pretreatment. Her research will also enable the development of novel methods to reduce environmental impact and increase long-term sustainability.

Rashmi Kothary – Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Spinal Muscular Atrophy – Pathogenesis and Novel Therapeutics
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is the leading genetic cause of infant deaths. Dr. Rashmi Kothary and his team focus on improving our understanding of SMA disease pathogenesis and developing new therapeutic options – namely in the area of gene, protein and small molecular therapies.

Steve Perry – Department of Biology
Integrated Microscopy and Imaging Infrastructure for the Physiology and Genetics of Zebrafish
Using advanced microscopy and imaging techniques for research on zebrafish as a human model, Professor Perry and his team study how fish regulate the movement of salts between the water and blood (termed “ionic regulation”) and how neuronal precursor cells migrate and adopt their final position in the brain during development or regeneration.

Jean-Marc Renaud – Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Specialized Physiological Laboratory for Testing of Therapies for Neuromuscular Disorders
As a specialist in physiology and pathophysiology of skeletal muscle, Dr. Renaud’s research focuses on the physiological examination of muscle function – specifically muscle electrophysiology and contractility. His research will lead to novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of neuromuscular diseases.

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.

Unfortunately, the arrival of winter is followed by an increase in visits to hospital emergency departments by young people arriving with head injuries resulting from winter activities, including tobogganing. Helmets are known to reduce the risk of head injury; however, with so many helmet options available today, which is the best one? Researchers at the University of Ottawa and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute tried to answer this question. The results are published today in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics.

“In activities such as tobogganing or skiing, children are able to attain very high velocities,” explained Dr. Michael Vassilyadi, associate professor at the University of Ottawa’s Department of Surgery, CHEO neurosurgeon and co-author of this study. “This creates a disproportionate amount of risk considering their underdeveloped skills necessary to protect themselves during unexpected events, such as falling or running into objects or other people.”

Currently, there is no certified winter recreational helmet available, so parents use what is available or no head protection at all. The study compared the protective characteristics of three types of helmets that are currently used by children ages 7 and under. Ice hockey, alpine ski and bicycling helmets were impacted at 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0 metres/second at the front and side impact locations using a monorail drop rig in a lab setting. The impact surface and velocities were chosen to simulate an impact similar to that a child might experience during tobogganing.

“We defined helmet safety performance by the ability of a helmet to reduce acceleration of the head during impact,” said Blaine Hoshizaki, professor at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Health Sciences, head of the Neurotrauma Impact Laboratory and co-author of this study. “Helmets are designed and tested to mitigate the risk of an injury; they are not designed to eliminate head injuries. Parents must be vigilant and educate their children about ways to be safe and have fun outdoors.”

Depending on impact velocity, different helmet types offered better protection against brain injury. The ice hockey helmet was the most protective at lower-velocity impacts (2-6 metres/second), and the bicycle helmet was the most protective at a high-velocity impact (8 metres/second). Alpine helmets had limited effectiveness at both low and high velocity impacts. This research provides insights regarding the limitations of the helmets, but confirms that all helmets are protective.

This research was funded by ThinkFirst Canada, a national non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of brain and spinal cord injuries.

Among many bits and pieces of automated wheelchairs, vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers in his lab, as well as a notably bright orange robot named Pumpkin, Professor Petriu keeps a classic model of a human skull. A reminder of what it is to be human? Maybe. But it’s definitely the perfect model for developing tactile sensors and perception mechanisms for robots, giving robots a skin with detailed faces and expressions, as well as a sense of touch.

“We are using biology as our source of inspiration. Human beings are most comfortable interacting with devices that move and respond the same way we do,” says Professor Petriu.

His research is developing a novel biology-inspired touch-sensitive artificial skin able to feel not only contact forces, but the profile, temperature and elasticity of object surfaces, ultimately raising the tactile sensitivity of robots to the human level.

Researchers in many top-level research laboratories around the world have sought to develop a multimodal artificial tactile sensing capability that mimics the human hand’s complex tactile process, but have not yet solved the many issues standing in the way.

Professor Petriu’s research will enable the advancement of a new generation of intelligent robots able to perform tasks where the sense of touch is of paramount importance, for example, in high-risk operations such as nuclear plant maintenance, explosive device disposal or telemedicine.

His work will also play a major role in an emerging society in which intelligent machines function autonomously engaging in all kinds of interactions and necessarily creating a “symbiotic” relationship with humans. With state of the art technology, Professor Petriu will attempt to design a mechanical yet highly lifelike face, capable of representing human expressions ranging from surprise to anger, as well as intricate prosthetic limbs and sensors that convey large amounts of information.

For more information on Professor Petriu’s research work with robots, read the article in Research Perspectives Magazine titled Robots and the rest of us and watch the video.

WHAT: Launch of the NSERC / Pratt & Whitney Canada Chair for Women in Science and Engineering for the Ontario Region

WHEN: Tuesday, January 17, 2012, 3 p.m.

WHERE: SITE, Room 5084 (800 King Edward, University of Ottawa)

“The work done through the Chairs for Women in Science and Engineering Program’s (CWSE) helps remove barriers and encourages women to bring their unique perspectives and talents to bear on today’s challenging problems,” noted Suzanne Fortier, President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). “Our selection committee was impressed with Dr. Mavriplis’s experience, passion and commitment to helping retain women who choose careers in science and engineering.” Thanks to the program, professor Mavriplis will be receiving more than $1.3 million in funding over the course of five years from NSERC, uOttawa and Pratt & Whitney Canada.

Over the next five years, Dr. Mavriplis will work with a team of researchers, professionals and program administrators at the University of Ottawa, Pratt & Whitney Canada, University of Toronto and Queen’s University to reach scientifically-minded women students and professionals across the province. An interdisciplinary research group under the Chair program will examine the history and status of women in scientific and engineering sectors, such as aerospace, and the effect of globalization on women’s participation.

Free admission. Free on-campus parking. (See map.)

Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Green technologies for green communities
Professor Riadh Habash, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering
In English: 11 a.m. In French: 9:30 a.m.
School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Room B0138 (800 King Edward Avenue)

Welcome to the world of green technology and engineering! If you’re interested in engineering, this presentation is your chance to see not only what an exciting career this field might have in store for you, but also what a clean-energy future can look like! You’ll explore a field full of discovery, creativity and excitement, in a presentation that will put fun and delight into technology. And on a more practical note, you’ll learn how to save—or even make—money and improve your quality of life and that of your community through sustainable, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions. To guide you, we’ll share examples of innovative green technology practices that come from the Faculty of Engineering and many other sources.

Thursday, December 29, 2011
Jaws, jaws, jaws…and a few skulls to match
Professor François Chapleau, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science
In English: 3 p.m. In French: 1 p.m.
Alumni Auditorium – Unicentre (85 University)

Ever seen a shark jaw? How about a whale jaw or a polar bear jaw or even a dinosaur jaw? Ever seen how they work and how they’ve changed over millions of years? Join our expert in animal anatomy, Professor François Chapleau, for a lively, eye-popping presentation where you’ll learn all sorts of surprising facts about—and get a close look at—the “chops” and even skulls of everything from bony fishes and birds to large reptiles (dinos included!) and mammals like lions, hippos and, yes, whales and polar bears. Jaw-dropping fun for the entire family! (co-presented with the Canadian Museum of Nature)

Published in 2010 by the University of Ottawa Press, My Life is the most extensive primary document about Leo Tolstoy to be published in many years. Acting as literary assistant, translator, transcriber and editor, Sofia Tolstaya played an important role in the development of her husband’s career.

The memoirsarea unique account of late-19th- and early-20th-century Russian society and an intimate portrait of one of the greatest literary minds of all time. The book also highlights Tolstaya’s accomplishments as an author in her own right—as well as a translator, amateur artist, musician, photographer and businesswoman—a rarity in the largely male-dominated world of the time.

Since its publication, the book has garnered top praises from around the world and has been selected among the top 100 non-fiction works of 2010 by the Globe and Mail.

John Woodsworth has more than 45 years of experience in Russian-English translation, from classical poetry to modern short stories. He has been associated with the University of Ottawa since 1982 as a Russian-language teacher, translator, editor and, most recently, as a research associate and administrative assistant with the University’s Slavic Research Group.

Arkadi Klioutchanski is a part-time professor of Russian language and literature at the University of Ottawa and a member of the Slavic Research Group. He received a BA in Russian language and literature, and an MA in Slavic studies at the University of Ottawa. He is in the PhD program of the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Toronto.

Founded in 1936, the University of Ottawa Press is Canada's oldest French-language university press and the only bilingual university press in North America.

Dr. Tsai, whom the magazine calls “Ottawa’s best-kept secret and the most influential woman you’ve yet to meet,” is commended for the contributions she and her team have made in the field of spinal-cord injury, such as the MRI imaging technique they developed, allowing surgeons to view spinal-cord nerve fibers.

Dr. Tsai is also the winner of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons’ Young Clinician Investigator Award, and of Canada’s Top 40 under 40 Award.

For more information, please visit the Faculty of Medicine website.

According to the article Taking casual sex not too casually: Exploring definitions of casual sexual relationships, published in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, the term one-night stand has typically been used to describe these encounters but, in recent years, a number of new terms have emerged that imply specific variations of relationship types under the broader notion of casual sex, including booty call, friends with benefits and f*ck buddy. Little is known about the specific meaning of these terms as they apply to the sexual behaviour of young adults.

The focus-group study of young people aged 18 to 27 examined the phases of various casual-sex relationships:
- Initiation: How do the individuals know each other or meet?
- Maintenance: Do the individuals add each other to Facebook?
- Termination: Do the individuals discuss the ending of the relationship?

The most consistently identified forms of casual-sex relationships among the focus group participants were friends with benefits, booty call, f*ck buddy and one-night stands. Both male and female participants shared knowledge and a common understanding of the explicit and implicit rules of conduct for each of these relationship types. These rules governed dimensions such as:
- frequency of sexual contact
- type of contact (sexual and/or social)
- disclosure of personal information
- discussion of relationship boundaries (e.g. monogamy, secrecy)
- managing emotional attachment
- termination of the relationship.

The results suggest that these forms of casual sexual relationships not only are popular among young adults, but can also be clearly delineated from one another.

Jocelyn Wentland is a fourth-year doctoral student in the experimental psychology program at the University of Ottawa. She works under the supervision of Professor Elke Reissing, and her dissertation research focuses on casual sexual relationships, including how these relationships are initiated, maintained and terminated. Her other research areas include highly sexual women, erotic photography, and how technology is changing modern dating scripts for young adults.

The program was established by the International Research Office, led by François Carrier, and it aims to foster close collaborations between researchers at the University of Ottawa and prominent international researchers to tackle major projects at the University – all in step with its Destination 20/20 strategic plan, which focuses on internationalization, the student experience, bilingualism and research excellence. As international leaders in their field, the visiting scientists will also enrich the academic experience of students by sharing insights and expertise with them firsthand.

The program for 2011-12 includes the following distinguished scientists:

Professor Hermenegildo Garcia
Technical University of Valencia –Institute of Chemical Technology
Professor Garcia has extensive knowledge in catalysis and photocatalysis (use of solar energy) and focuses his work primarily on how these processes can be used in the quest for global sustainable development. He has published many articles in areas such as novel energy sources, catalytic photooxidations and photocatalytic water decontamination. During his tenure, Professor Garcia will be collaborating with uOttawa’s Department of Chemistry and its Centre for Catalysis Research and Innovation (CCRI).

Professor Mark Lawson
Heriot-Watt University – Department of Mathematics
A world leader in his field, Professor Mark Lawson has expertise that covers a wide scope of areas in mathematics and its applications. His research at the University of Ottawa will integrate several areas, including logic and category theory, algebra, as well as automata theory – a subject of significant interest to computer scientists. Also known as an outstanding public lecturer, Professor Lawson will be involved in speaking events for the University of Ottawa student community.

Hans-Jürgen Lüsebrink
University of Saarbrücken – Germany
Professor Hans-Jürgen Lüsebrink is an internationally recognized scholar in the field of cultural history, particularly in the francophone literatures of Africa, Quebec and the Caribbean, in Franco-German relations, in French civilization and in conceptual history. Professor Lüsebrink, along with the Institute of Canadian Studies, the Centre for Research on French Canadian Culture and several other departments in the Faculty of Arts, will apply his extensive research on international Francophonie to the Canadian case.

Fethi Mansouri
Deakin University, Melbourne Australia
Researcher Fethi Mansouri is a leading expert in multiculturalism and intercultural relations whose body of work has provided benchmark accounts of the complexities of the migrant experience on the local, national and transnational fronts. As a visiting researcher, Professor Mansouri will collaborate with researchers from the Audiovisual Media Lab for the Study of Cultures and Societies, as well as the African Studies Research Laboratory. Students and the public will also have the opportunity to attend seminars on the issue of local governance and the management of multicultural spaces.

Peter Stuart Swain
Centre for Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, UK
Professsor Peter Swain has distinguished himself on a global scale in the system biology of biomechanical networks. His visit at the University of Ottawa will not only establish collaboration with the Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology and the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, but also include both a host of courses for graduate students and public lectures on leading-edge topics.

Linda Worrall
University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Linda Worall is renowned the world over as an expert researcher in aphasia, a communication disability arising from brain disorders caused by strokes or traumatic brain injuries. She leads the Australia-wide Centre for Clinical Research Excellence (CCRE) in Aphasia Rehabilitation. Her research activities at the University of Ottawa will include helping to prototype a research collaboration centre like the CCRE in Canada as well as piloting the development of a joint research program on communications-enhanced environments for aphasia patients.

Andrew Kam-Tuck Yip
Nottingham University, UK
Professor Yip is known across the globe for his broad expertise in the areas of religion, human rights, citizenship and diversity. During his fellowship at the University of Ottawa, he will participate in the Major Collaborative Research Initiative on Religion and Diversity led by Professor Lori Beaman and will provide mentorship opportunities to graduate students through exclusive research seminars and workshops, as well as public lectures.

More information on this program is available on the Office of International Research website.

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.

The award was presented to Professor Backhouse for her major body of work on feminist research, including the examination of gender discrimination and the legal history of gender and race in Canada. She has published numerous books and articles that profile the fascinating ways in which women and racialized communities have struggled to obtain justice within the legal system.

“There is no one else in the country who knows as much about legal history and women in law,” says Vice-President, Research Mona Nemer. “Her expertise in exposing the inequality systemically embedded in the legal process and decision-making is unmatched. We are proud this exceptional scholar has chosen the University of Ottawa as her home.”

The SSHRC Gold Medal is awarded to an individual whose leadership, dedication and originality of thought have significantly advanced understanding in his or her field of research, enriched Canadian society and contributed to the country's cultural and intellectual life. Backhouse is the ninth winner of the Medal since its inception in 2003.

Professor Backhouse is currently focussing her research on a biography of former Supreme Court of Canada justice Claire L’Heureux-Dubé, the second woman appointed to our highest court and the first from Quebec. The research will help contextualize legal biography, to focus on what one individual’s life can teach us about the history of her place and time.

The University of Ottawa has acknowledged Professor Backhouse’s contributions to research by naming her Distinguished University Professor and University Research Chair on the Sexual Assault Legislation in Canada in the Faculty of Law (Common Law Section). In 2004, she was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and in 2008, she was named to the Order of Canada. In 2009, she co-founded the Feminist History Society (www.feministhistories.ca). This organization is dedicated to compiling and publishing books about the history of Second Wave Canadian feminism.

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.

View SSHRC wesite: http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx

According to the study The financial cost of doctors emigrating from sub-Saharan Africa: human capital analysis published on British Medical Journal’s website, South Africa and Zimbabwe have the greatest economic losses in doctors due to emigration, while Australia, Canada, the UK and the US benefit the most from the recruitment of physicians educated in other countries.

“These findings are concerning,” says principal investigator Edward Mills, professor in the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa and Canada Research Chair in Global Health. “Wealthy countries are trying to strengthen the health systems of Africa and are providing essential medicines, but they are benefitting from Africa’s financial loss in training health workers that emigrate to the wealthier settings.”

The authors are now calling for destination countries to invest in training and health systems in the source countries.

“No one is saying that people should not be permitted to make decisions about where they live or want to succeed in their careers,” says Dr. Nathan Ford, a study author from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. “But how can we make progress in building health systems when local university budgets and school places are depleted by physicians who then go and work in a wealthy nation?”

The migration of health workers from poor countries contributes to weak health systems in low-income countries and is considered a primary threat to achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals, says the study.

“While wealthy countries are benefitting from the doctors who choose to move, there is a responsibility to ensure we are not damaging local health systems in Africa,” adds study author Ivy Bourgeault, professor in the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa and CIHR Health Canada Research Chair in Human Resources for Health Policy. “Some countries, such as the USA, have recognized this and pledged to train 130,000 new health staff in Africa; other countries, such as Canada, are providing much less.”

There is a critical shortage of doctors in sub-Saharan Africa, which has a high prevalence of diseases like HIV/AIDS. Mills and colleagues estimated the monetary cost of educating a doctor through primary, secondary and medical school in nine sub-Saharan countries with significant HIV-prevalence. The research team added the figures together to estimate how much the origin countries paid to train doctors and how much the destination countries saved in employing them.

The results show that governments spend between $21,000 (Uganda) to $59,000 (South Africa) to train doctors. The countries included in the study paid around $2 billion US dollars (USD) to train their doctors only to see them migrate to richer countries, say the authors. They add that the benefit to the UK was around $2.7 billion USD and about $846 million USD for the United States.

WHAT: SSHRC Gold Medal awarded to Professor Constance Backhouse

WHEN: Friday, November 25, 2011, 10.am.

WHERE: University of Ottawa, Desmarais Building, Room 12120 (55 Laurier Ave. East)

Constance Backhouse holds a University Research Chair on the Sexual Assault Legislation in Canada and is a Distinguished University Professor in the Faculty of Law (Common Law Section). In 2004, she was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and in 2008, she was named to the Order of Canada.

Although it is well documented that males of different species, including humans, aggressively compete with one another for sexual access to females (intrasexual competition), far less is known about how females compete with one another for the attention of males. University of Ottawa professor Tracy Vaillancourt’s research supports the idea that women do engage in intrasexual competition through the use of aggression.

The Bachelor provides insight into the cut-throat tactics women use to “compete” and demonstrates that vying for the affections of an eligible bachelor tends to bring out the worst in women. It often leads them to gossip about a rival’s level of promiscuity or disparage her appearance, so as to reduce her “mate value.” Professor Vaillancourt’s study demonstrates that this type of behaviour is not only a TV phenomenon, but also a reality in our schools, workplaces, etc.

Researchers conducted two experiments to examine this phenomenon. In the first, women were paired with a friend or stranger and randomly placed in one of two situations: in the first, participants were exposed to an attractive female peer who was dressed in a sexy outfit (Figure 1); in the second, women were exposed to the same peer, with the difference that she was dressed conservatively (Figure 2). In both situations, participants were secretly videotaped to capture their reactions to the peer. Independent female raters blind to the experimental condition were asked to rate each participant’s reaction in terms of aggression. “We asked women who knew nothing about the context or reason for the person’s reaction to rate how “bitchy” (or not) they thought she was being,” says Vaillancourt.

Results showed that almost all women were aggressive toward the attractive female whose only indiscretion was to dress in a sexually provocative manner. The women in this situation were more likely to roll their eyes at their peer, stare her up and down and show anger while she was in the room. When she left the room, many of them laughed at her, ridiculed her appearance, and/or suggested that she was sexually available. By contrast, when the same attractive peer was dressed conservatively, the group of women assigned to this second scenario barely noticed her, and none of them discussed her when she left the room.

A second experiment confirmed that the sexy colleague was indeed seen as a sexual rival by women. Results indicated that women did not want to introduce her to their boyfriend, allow him to spend time alone with her, or be friends with her.

Collectively, these results provide support for the idea that women do engage in intrasexual competition by aggressing towards sexy female counterparts.

View full article: Vaillancourt, T.& Sharma, A. (2011). Intolerance of sexy peers: Intrasexual competition among women. Aggressive Behavior, 37, 569-577. doi: 10.1002/ab.20413

A graduate of Université Laval, the University of Ottawa, the Université de Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne) and the Université Aix-Marseille III, Benoît Pelletier was a regular faculty member in the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law from 1990 to 1998 and assistant dean from 1996 to 1998.

Elected a Liberal member of the Quebec National Assembly for Chapleau in 1998, Benoît Pelletier served as minister responsible for portfolios such as Canadian intergovernmental affairs, francophones within Canada and aboriginal affairs. He returned to teaching in 2008 with the Civil Law Section of the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law.

The Ordre des Palmes académiques honours staff under the French ministries of National Education and Higher Education who have “distinguished themselves at the university level and have provided outstanding service to the teaching profession, or have made a genuine contribution to the development of extracurricular, postschool and vocational training related material.”

WHEN: Thursday, November 17, 2011, 2 p.m.

WHERE:Tabaret Hall, Room 112, 550 Cumberland Street, Ottawa

For more information and to register, please visit the New Horizons Lecture website. Registration is free of charge.

New Horizons Lecture
In 2007, the University of Ottawa launched the New Horizons Lecture to honour one of its key researchers and a highly respected leader, Dr. Howard Alper, who served as uOttawa’s vice-president, research (1997–2006), while maintaining an intensive research program in catalysis.

Over the past decade, human perfection and even immortality have become topics of renewed interest, due to ground–breaking scientific advancements. More than ever, they are now becoming tangible and potentially achievable goals. In the developed world, the quest for human improvement through biomedical means appears to be unstoppable. But what are the implications?

Frontiers in Research: Our Post-Human Future will explore these thought-provoking themes and their social, political, economic, ethical and religious implications, in light of developments in the fields of genetics, neuroscience and prosthetics.

WHAT: Frontiers in Research 2011: Our Post-Human Future

WHEN: Tuesday, November 15, 2011, 9 a.m.

WHERE: Desmarais Building, Room 12102

For more information and to register (free), please visit the Frontiers in Research website.

This event has been developed in partnership with the University of Ottawa’s Institute for Science, Society and Policy (ISSP).

A leader in innovation and research, the University of Ottawa has invited distinguished speakers to present their work and exchange ideas with its students and professors, along with the Ottawa community. This interdisciplinary event will involve both supporters and critics of radical human improvement, and will enable participants to reflect more critically on our post-human future.

A UOHI clinical trial known as RAPID GENE studied 200 patients undergoing coronary stent implantation for acute coronary syndrome or stable angina. Use of a simple, saliva swab test performed by nurses at the bedside on half of the patients allowed doctors to almost instantly identify those with the genetic variant, known as CYP2C19*2, which puts them at risk of reacting poorly to standard anti-platelet drug therapy, and administer an alternative drug.

The study demonstrated that tailored drug treatment therapy made possible by the genetic testing successfully protected all of the patients with the at-risk genetic variant from subsequent adverse events, while 30 per cent of patients treated with standard therapy did not receive adequate protection.

“These results are extremely promising, not only in the field of cardiology but for all areas of medicine. If you can administer a simple, rapid genetic test at the bedside, doctors can prescribe the right drug to the right patient at the right time. We then have a much greater chance of improving health outcomes and provide cost savings for the health care system,” said Dr. Derek So, lead researcher for the study, Staff Interventional Cardiologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa.

About 25 per cent of Caucasians and up to 40 per cent of Asians have the genetic variant CYP2C19*2, which puts a patient at risk of not responding well to clopidogrel (Plavix), the standard anti-platelet drug given following stent procedures. Those tested who were found to carry the at-risk genetic variant were administered an alternative drug, prasugrel (Effient).

About half of the patients were randomly selected to undergo the bedside genetic testing. This was compared to a group receiving conventional treatment without genetic testing.

“The RAPID GENE trial shows that point-of-care genetic testing is clinically feasible and accurate, and facilitates rapid personalization of anti-platelet therapy. A pharmacogenetic approach to treatment carries the potential to maximize treatment efficacy, while simultaneously minimizing harm to patients,” stated Dr. Jason Roberts, the co-Principal Investigator of RAPID GENE and Resident Physician at UOHI.

The clinical trial findings were presented today by Dr. So as a late-breaking clinical trial at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics 2011 conference – the world’s largest forum for interventional cardiovascular medicine, which showcases the latest advances in current therapies and clinical research.

Traditionally, genetic testing to gain this kind of patient knowledge takes anywhere between five to seven days. The rapid nature of this first bedside test allows doctors to react much more quickly to make effective decisions about treatment.

The point-of-care genetic test used in the study is a first in medicine and overcame many of the previous obstacles that had prevented routine clinical genetic testing. The test featured:

• A saliva swab performed by clinical nurses at the bedside with no prior training in genetic laboratory techniques.
• A one-step insertion of the swab into a testing machine.
• Sixty minutes to identify whether individuals carried the at-risk genetic variant.

For more information, visit www.ottawaheart.ca