Research

Welcome to the Department of Surgery Research Page! 

As a full time basic scientist, I have a broad interest in neuroscience and my lab is one of few labs in Canada dedicated in finding the novel roles of adenosine signaling in the fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms of normal and pathological brain functioning. As the new Director of Research and Leader of our Neuroscience Research Group in the College of Medicine, I am excited to put into motion the research vision and direction along with the dedicated support of our Surgery Research Committee. As the second largest Department in the College of Medicine, the Department of Surgery has 119  clinical and basic science faculty based in Saskatoon, and ~34% of Surgery Faculty (or 1 out of every 3 faculty) have a major commitment to research (38 surgeon scientists/investigators, and 2 basic scientists). My goal is to leverage my scientific and people leadership skills to guide me to mobilize enhanced research intensiveness in our Department, and to facilitate research enterprise to new levels of national and international success for improved health outcomes of patients.  The Department of Surgery hosts Distinguished Visiting Lectureships and the Annual Resident Research Day and Faculty Research Day to enhance a culture of innovation and collaboration. Also the Department of Surgery Research Committee, under the Leadership of my predecessor Dr. Nael Shoman, has recently launched the Resident Research Incentives Program (RRIP), whereby Surgical residents are awarded small financial incentives for submitting ethics applications, collecting data and writing and publishing manuscripts, which ultimately enhances the integration of research into the education of our future academic surgeons. The future is bright! Under my leadership, I hope to enhance greater research collaborations between basic and clinician scientists to facilitate clinical translation of basic science findings that will ultimately contribute to the best care of our surgical patients and their families.

Francisco S. Cayabyab
Leader, Neuroscience Research Cluster
Director of Research, Department of Surgery
Professor
Department of Surgery, College of Medicine
University of Saskatchewan
Room GD30.4 Health Science Building

Tel: 306-966-8191

Research Coordinator/Navigator

Karen Mosier has a BA in Psychology and a MSc in Pharmacy. She has thirteen years’ experience in research administration. She has worked as a Research Coordinator/Navigator for the Department of Surgery, College of Medicine for almost 4 years, as a Research Facilitator in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine for 5 years, and as a Research Coordinator in the Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine for 4 years.              

Karen Mosier was hired as a Research Coordinator/Navigator by the Department of Surgery on December 1, 2015.  Her position was created to provide mentorship and research support for faculty and residents and to promote a dynamic research culture within the department. Her primary duties include finding funding opportunities for research projects, reviewing grant applications and budgets, providing guidance through the grant writing process, and educating and teaching on CCV development and ethic application submissions. She also acts as a liaison for the Department of Surgery with the Office of the Vice-Dean Research, College of Medicine and Research Services and Ethics Office to promote excellence in research and ensure timely processing of research applications.  Karen also works directly with the Research Director and coordinates the resident research programs and the Research Committee meetings and the annual Faculty Research Day and Resident Research Day.

Getting Started

The purpose of this brief guide is to provide quick assistance for you to read to orientate yourself to what funding opportunities you would like to apply for before you contact your Research Coordinator.

Surgery Research Handbook

 

The Clinician Investigator Program (CIP) is a RCPSC certified program, and is available to residents that have demonstrated interest and potential for a career as a clinical investigator. The program accommodates training in diverse research areas ranging from basic and correlative science studies of disease pathogenesis to epidemiological investigations of social/population determinants of health.

Intranet Link

Please  Note: Access to the surgery research intranet is only available to surgery faculty and residents.

Research Support

The Biostatistical Support (BSS) is a new Biostatistics resource to clinical researchers at the Department of Surgery, University of Saskatchewan. The creation of Biostatistical resource raised the department to a new level effectiveness and relevance in clinical and health research. This support serving an important role in initiating interdisciplinary, collaborative research among divisions in the Department of Surgery.

Our Vision

The Biostatistical Support will provide the highest quality of services and will promote the highest standards in research.

Our Mission

Our mission is to conduct high quality innovative research, to provide research services and stimulate collaboration amongst investigators from all divisions. We will provide methodological support to clinical and biomedical researchers in a collaborative manner to assist researchers in making the best use of their resources in all phases of  clinical research.

To get support

  • Fill out the Clinical Research Support Intake Form

  • Provide a brief description of your project and the type of support needed

  • Be sure to submit the CRS Intake Form early

  • Submit the CRS Intake Form to Alex Cheng via email

Contact Information

Biostatistical Support - Department of Surgery:
Alex Cheng
Room B442, Department of Surgery
Health Sciences Building
107 Wiggins Road
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan   S7N 5E5
Phone: (306) 966-8029  Fax: (306) 966-8026

The Department of Surgery is pleased to announce that the 2018 Surgery, Pathology & Ophthalmology Resident Research Day will be held Thursday, May 10, 2018 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm in the Asher Auditorium in Saskatoon City Hospital.             

Instructions for Abstracts: The Program Committee will only consider abstracts for papers and posters which describe original work that has not been previously published or presented elsewhere.

The abstract should be prepared as follows:

  • Length: Maximum of 350 words excluding the title, authors and affiliations
  • Fonts and size: Ariel, 11; single space
  • Page margin: One inch all around
  • Organization: Title, Authors, Affiliations, Body of the Abstract (Rationale, Methods, Results and Conclusion) and name of the Funding Source

Please adhere to the abstract size limit. Any abstracts exceeding the limit will not be reviewed.

Judging Criteria: The Research Committee judges each submission on merit, originality, study design, and clinical relevance. All members of the Research Committee review all proposals and evaluate them using a global score. The final selection is made by the entire Research Committee to collectively meet the Committee’s goal of producing a balanced program of excellent work.

Session Types:

Oral Presentation - Each oral presentation will be 10 minutes in length followed by 5 minutes for discussion. Accepted oral presentations will be grouped by theme.

Canadian Light Source https://www.flickr.com/photos/97079436@N04/albums/72157644659076065

The Canadian Light Source (CLS) is a world-class, state-of-the-art facility that house’s Canada’s only synchrotron and is one of the largest science projects in Canadian history.  It was opened in 2004 and built in 3 phases with a total investment of approximately 300 million dollars.  Two particularly exciting developments are: 1) The BioMedical Imaging and Therapy (BMIT) beamline designed for the purpose of imaging biological tissue and conducting radiation therapy research; and  2) The Medical Isotope Project (MIP) facility, the first of its kind in the world, relying on powerful X-rays to produce the isotopes, unlike traditional nuclear reactor-based methods. The CLS announced this past November the first shipment of medical isotopes produced in its dedicated linear accelerator.

Members of the Department of Surgery have been collaborating with CLS scientists since the opening of the synchrotron.  Numerous projects have been conducted by our researchers over the years, ranging from the study of biomarkers inside cells associated with Barrett’s esophagus, identifying molecular signatures of brain tumors to visualizing trabecular bone to assess bone quality and understanding the earliest stages of cartilage breakdown using Diffraction Enhanced Imaging.

Use of the BioMedical Imaging and Therapy beamline is currently a key component of two innovative projects aimed at brain repair using stem cell therapies. Drs. Michael Kelly (stroke) and Ivar Mendez (Parkinson’s disease) are investigating cellular and molecular imaging of stem cells implanted in rodent models of Stroke and Parkinson’s disease. Novel labelling compounds are being researched in these experiments that will allow tracking of migration of stem cells after implantation.

The CLS is a unique and superb resource for surgical research from molecular and cellular imaging to novel light source therapies. The recent addition of the Large Animal Positioning System (LAPS) featured in this page, brings the research opportunities to a whole new level.

Faculty Research Interests

If you are a faculty member and you are looking for a collaborator for a research project or you are a resident, medical student, graduate student, or undergraduate student looking for a supervisor with an interesting research project please check out the research interests of our researcher faculty below.

Databases/ACCURO

The following faculty have clinical datasets that could be used for research purposes. Please see the information listed below:

Name

Topic

Details

Dr. Geoffrey Johnston

Distal Radial Fracture

Clinical, radiographic and self-reported outcome data related to patient’s follow up to a maximum of one year post fracture.

Dr. Mike Kelly

Stroke

Database started in 2015; time last seen normal; RUH imaging time; home hospital arrival time; home hospital imaging time; home health region of patient; VAN screen; imaging type; preliminary ICU; repatriation date; NIHSS at discharge: NIHSS at 90 days: MRS at 90 days.

Dr. David Kopriva

Carotid Endarterectomy

~192 patients; Variables: age; sex; ethnicity; lateralization; symptomatic status of carotid plaque; date of most recent symptom; date of surgery; preoperative medications; total cholesterol; LDL; HDL; triglycerides; blood pressure; smoking status; duration of smoking cessation; diabetes; biobank of carotid artery plaques & peripheral blood samples also available

Dr. Jeremy Reed/

Dr. Megan Dash

Sport Related Arthroscopic Surgery

Utilize clinic EMR system, in conjunction with diagnostic and fee codes, to identify patients of interest for post-op follow-up studies on clinical questions related to sport medicine as well as arthroscopic surgery of the knee and shoulder.

Seminars

Date Topic Seminar Documents
March 17, 2016 We were very pleased to have our first Department Research Seminar on the topic of “Successful Grantsmanship” on March 17th, 2016. It was an enjoyable evening of sharing, laughing, learning and vibrant group discussion. For more details regarding the workshop including some suggested resources for grant writing View PDF
September 29, 2016 We were very pleased to have our second Department Research Seminar on the topic of “Promoting Partnership with Industry” on September 29, 2016. We had a fine array of speakers with varying backgrounds and talents and all very knowledgeable in regards to collaborating with industry. View PDF

Events Calendar

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