IAW 2024: Putting community first

Each year, the University of Saskatchewan (USask) recognizes the achievements of Métis, First Nations and Inuit students, staff, faculty and alumni during Indigenous Achievement Week (IAW). The College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (CGPS) is proud to celebrate two exceptional graduate students receiving Indigenous Student Achievement Awards this week: Nathan Oakes (Department of Community Health and Epidemiology) and Doris Wesaquate (College of Kinesiology).

USask researchers seek to develop new breast cancer treatments

Improving patient’s cancer treatments and minimizing side effects is the focus of new research at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) which aims to explore an innovative and potentially life-changing treatment targeting the most aggressive form of breast cancer.

Dr. Haissam Haddad: At the Heart of Patient Care

Dr. Haissam Haddad (MD) inadvertently horrified his family when he signed up for engineering courses in his first year of university. The teenager returned the next day to change his major to medicine – a move he's glad he made.

Giving back is an act of inspiration and celebration

For Dr. Gord Cuddington (MD) and Cathy Cuddington, giving back to their community has never been a question. Now, they’re hoping to inspire others to step up and support vital projects that will benefit everyone in Saskatchewan.

Inhale, Exhale, Repair: Dr. Valerie Verge

Dr. Valerie Verge (PhD) was in her early twenties when she landed her first job, doing neuroscience research and she loved it. But 43 years ago, her research journey began to take a twist.

Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation Proud to Support Vital MS Research in Saskatchewan  

Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation (SCHF) recently announced a gift of $750,000 to support the ongoing and crucial work of Dr. Michael Levin and his team in the area of multiple sclerosis research. It’s one of many acts of generosity and leadership that the foundation has shown in their decades-long history of supporting MS research in Saskatchewan.

USask shoulder motion study nets NSERC support

The same tools used for creating special effects in film and video games are being harnessed by a University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher determined to better understand shoulder function.

Funding boosts USask team developing test to determine preeclampsia risk

Dr. Ernesto Figueiro (MD, PhD) and his team are conducting clinical research on the use of placental growth factor (PlGF) test as a tool to manage high-risk pregnancies, aiming to improve outcomes for Saskatchewan mothers and babies. A $150,000 grant will help expand the team as they develop the test for clinical use.

Renewed support for Cameco Chair in Indigenous Health and Wellness at USask

Since 2017, the Cameco Chair in Indigenous Health and Wellness at the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) College of Medicine has carried out extensive and innovative research to improve the health outcomes of Indigenous people in Canada. A new commitment of $1.25 million from the Royal University Hospital Foundation (RUHF) will ensure that work continues for an additional five years.

USask experts sound warning over wildfire smoke, drought conditions

A record year of wildfires is threatening communities and leaving trails of devastation through forests in British Columbia and Alberta and across the country as far as Nova Scotia, while also creating dangerous air quality conditions from smoke drifting across the Prairie provinces.

USask honours teaching excellence

Three College of Medicine faculty are being recognized for outstanding contributions to teaching at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

Be Like Bruce is Back: Chris Gordon Tackles Pancreatic Cancer

When Bruce Gordon's relatives descend on Saskatoon this month, his wife will put them to work. Bruce Gordon was a police officer and a lawyer, who competed as a triathlete and in the Crossfit Games. He was a fierce competitor until he was diagnosed with Stage Four pancreatic cancer at age 54.

Turning Back the Neurotoxin Clock: Dr. Jeff Dong

Midway through his undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia, a laboratory 'help wanted' poster caught Jeff Dong's eye. He applied, gaining invaluable practical experience that summer in Stephanie Borgland's lab.

Antibodies and Aging Gracefully: Dr. Peter Pioli

Before we’re even born, our bodies begin to grow and train an army of spies and assassins, creating a crew of immune system fighters in the upper chest's thymus gland. While this production is dominated by T cells, other immune cells such as B cells and plasma cells can be generated within the thymus, albeit at a very low level.

USask researchers: COVID-19 will continue to impact health care

Increasingly, attention paid to health care in Saskatchewan and across Canada has shifted to broader concerns, like physician and other health-care worker shortages. But the pandemic is still a significant part of the challenges being faced in health care here, and worldwide.

Scratching That Itch: Dr. Rachel Asiniwasis Targets Atopic Dermatitis

When Dr. Rachel Asiniwasis (MD) returned to the prairies after her dermatology residency in Toronto, she noticed a pattern among many of her pediatric patients. Hundreds of them were coming to her with itchy, raw patches of skin, the result of atopic dermatitis — eczema. 

New USask research hits cancer with a “one-two punch”

After attacking a tumour with a targeted therapy, the cancer might stagger but often comes back fighting — usually even harder to defeat. University of Saskatchewan (USask)-led research has revealed a promising strategy to strike tumour cells and land a knockout blow by choosing the right combination of cellular mechanisms to target together.

College of Medicine alumnus finds joy in giving back

Dr. Carl Zylak’s (MD’62) accomplished career in radiology began at the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan (USask). Now, on top of numerous other professional achievements, he's looking forward to helping other students on their journey through the Dr. Carl J Zylak Bursary. 

Meet the College of Medicine’s newest team

The Office of the Vice-Dean Indigenous Health (OVDIH) has been established at the USask College of Medicine, and its team of four are busy moving forward with the creation of a new Department of Indigenous Health and Wellness, and advancing Indigenous health strategies.

USask’s College of Medicine Regina campus cuts the ribbon on MD program expansion and new anatomy lab

REGINA – The College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) is celebrating the expansion of its Regina-based undergraduate medical doctor (MD) program with the grand opening of its new campus facilities. The ribbon cutting ceremony officially marks the expansion of the MD program in Regina to the full four years and celebrates the MD program being based in two Saskatchewan cities.

When Can ICU Patients Be Discharged Home

Patients in intensive care units often move to a regular ward before they're discharged and sent home. Increasingly, hospitals are skipping that step, sending a handful of ICU patients directly home.

From Scratch: Rural Dementia Care with Dr. Debra Morgan

Dr. Debra Morgan (PhD) grew up on a farm and continued farming with her husband, initially working in nursing in the winter. Nursing shifts took her from neurosurgery to pediatrics, to orthopedics, then to Saskatoon's geriatric units at City Hospital and Royal University Hospital.

Creating programs that make a difference motivates Thunderchild

Harvey Thunderchild’s life path has been a fascinating journey. It has taken him across Canada and into the United States, and most recently has led him to his new position as the cultural coordinator in the Office of the Vice-Dean Indigenous Health and Wellness at the USask College of Medicine.