Welcome to the Division of Medical Sciences
Division of Medical Sciences faculty and students
About us
The Division of Medical Sciences was established to promote scholarship and innovation in medical education at the University of Victoria and to support the university's ongoing commitment to an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to health research. It is the academic and research structure that underpins the Island Medical Program, part of the UBC MD Undergraduate Program.
Faculty, clinicians and students in the Division are working with other UVic departments and research centres and contributing to breakthroughs in medical sciences that will impact the prevention and treatment of cancer, neurological disorders and diseases, genetic disorders and other medical conditions. Plans are underway to develop the university's first interdisciplinary graduate program in neuroscience based in the Division.
Please explore our site and learn what the Division of Medical Sciences has to offer.
Welcome Message from Dr. Oscar Casiro, Head of the Division of Medical Sciences
What's new
Loon Lake Cell Biology Retreat
Leigh E. Wicki-Stordeur, a Master's student in the Swayne Lab (Neuroscience Graduate Program) won second place amongst trainees for her talk entitled "Pannexin 1 regulates postnatal neural stem and progenitor cell proliferation" at the 2012 annual Loon Lake Cell Biology Retreat (http://athena.bioc.uvic.ca/CellBio2012/).
Leigh recently had this work accepted for publication in the journal Neural Development(Wicki-Stordeur LE, Dzugalo AD, Swansburg RM, Suits JM, Swayne LA (2012) Pannexin 1 regulates postnatal neural stem and progenitor cell proliferation. Neural Development, 7:11 PDMID:22458943).
University of Victoria's 2012 Craigdarroch Research Award
University of Victoria's 2012 Craigdarroch Research Award honours achievement in research at UVic. Dr. E. Paul Zehr was the recipient of the Award for Excellence in Knowledge Mobilization (Knowledge mobilization is the application of research results for societal benefit).
Dr. Zehr is an accomplished neuroscientist but is equally well known for his efforts to engage general audiences in the wonders of scientific research. Both passions inspired his two popular books, Becoming Batman and Inventing Iron Man.
University of Victoria Retirees Association
Dr. Brian Christie's recent public lecture on Healthy Brain Aging is featured in this month's issue of Grey Matters - a newsletter published by the University of Victoria Retirees Association. The article highlights the top 10 recommendations to healthy brain aging.
Cells of Hope
Stem cells hold tremendous promise for treating disease. But first we need to understand how they work.
Virology Symposium at the University of Alberta
The Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology together with the Gairdner Foundation of Canada is holding its inaugural symposium "Meeting the Challenge of Emerging, Acute and Persistent Viral Diseases" at the Universtiy of Alberta in Edmonton on May 31 and June 1, 2012. The symposium will focus on the viral pathogenesis, immune responses and potential of novel antivirals, and vaccines both prophylactic and therapeutic for these viruses.
To register and attend the meeting click here. University of Alberta
Finding the diabetes link
Family that faced this challenge now facinated by research conducted by University of Victoria's Craig Brown. Times Colonist
Virtual Reality Technology - Help for Autism
NeuroTracker (by CogniSens Inc.) is an awareness-boosting virtual reality training system used by NHL, NFL and pro soccer teams to give them a competitive edge. On April 1, as part of the Vancouver Canucks Autism Network (CAN) World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), children with autism and their parents had the opportunity to try out NeuroTracker technology.
UVic's Division of Medical Sciences faculty member, Dr. Brian Christie, along with Neuroscience graduate student Emily White and research assistant Kristin Morch, helped to arrrange the NeuroTracker demonstration at WAAD. Dr. Christie is currently lead researcher on a study investigating the potential benefits of using NeuroTracker technology for those living with autism, as well as other conditions. He was on hand at WAAD in Vancouver to discuss the study and how he thinks that the technology will be an awareness-improving support tool for autistic children, along with Dr. Jocelyn Faubert, Director of the Visual Perception and Psychophysics laboratory at the University of Montreal, and creator of the NeuroTracker technology.
Science Fact or Fiction - Brain Size
If your brain is bigger...are you smarter?
Victoria Brain Bee - Update
The first annual Victoria Brain Bee took place at the University of Victoria's Medical Sciences Building on Saturday, April 28th. It was an exceptional display of Victoria high school student neuroscience acumen.
Fierce comptetion between Lisa Weng (St. Margaret's School), Rio Hong and Eugene Tang (St. Michael's University School) culminated in a close win for Eugene Tang after multiple rounds. Eugene now heads off to the CIHR Canadian National Brain Bee at McMaster University on May 26, 2012 to win a chance to represent Canada at the International Brain Bee in South Africa. Eugene, Lisa and Rio will also get to experience a 'day in the research lab' in the Division of Medical Sciences.
Photo: Dr. Leigh Anne Swayne(left), with first and third place finishers Eugene Tang(centre) and Rio Hong(right) outside the Medical Sciences Building. Lisa Weng(not pictured) finished in second place in a close race.
Division of Medical Sciences 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award
Drs. Willerth & Swayne featured in UVic Academic Women's Caucus Newsletter
News Archive
For past articles take a look at our News Archive
Research grants
- 2011 NSERC RTI Grant (17K) for stereology equipment
- 2010 Opportunities Initiative Award (Principal Investigator) Project title: Using cardiovascular exercise to elevate levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor and enhance cognition in children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)
- 2011 NSERC Discovery Grant (Individual) (5-year, $180K) Project Title: Pannexin signalling in neural progenitor cells
- 2011 NSERC Discovery Grant (Individual) (5-year, $25K) Project Title: Tissue engineered scaffolds for controlling induced pluripotent stem cell behaviour
- 2011 NSERC RTI Grant ($127.6K) for quantitative stem cell analysis facility
Awards
Teaching Award in Medical Sciences
2011-2012 Teaching Award in Medical Sciences - deadline February 1
DMSC 2011-2012 Nomination Form
DMSC 2011-2012 Award Outline and Procedures
2010-2011 Teaching Award in Medical Sciences Recipient
Congratulations to Dr. Stan Bardal PhD, this year's recipient of the 2010-2011 Teaching Award in Medical Sciences. The purpose of the award is to recognize and reward excellence in teaching and education in the Division of Medical Sciences at UVic.
Nominees are full-time faculty who have completed at least three consecutive years of teaching duties at the Island Medical Program or the Division. The committee selected Dr. Bardal as the recipient based on the strongly supported letters from present and former students and colleagues, with specific references to Dr. Bardal's clarity when teaching difficult subjects, respectful and non-interfering approach, encouragement of critical thinking skills and appropriate use of culture and humor to increase understanding. Additionally, the committee was impressed with Dr. Bardal's many innovations in the classroom and outside to improve the student experience, including his interprofessional collaborative work, offering lunch seminars to address gaps in learning, starting the extracurricular Journal Club, and developing a pharmacology reference handbook which has now become a full-fledged textbook.
A Teaching Awards Celebration will be held in February 2012.
Biology Grad Symposium 2011 Awards
Congratulations to the following students!
Best Overall Talk
Matt Grey - $200 cash plus gift certificate from Boston Pizza donated by Greig Cosier
Best PhD - Cells and Gels
Anna Patten - $100 cash plus gift certificate from Luna Aveda Concept Salon
Best MSc - Cells and Gels
Dani Sweetnam-Holmes - $100 cash plus gift certificate from Milestones Restaurant
