January 30, 2012
A young girl's legacy inspires pediatric brain tumour research
Dr. Sandra Dunn and trainee Cathy Lee speak to The Vancouver Sun about how Hannah’s Heroes Foundation has supported their research at CFRI.

[Vancouver Sun story]  

January 26, 2012
Update on CFRI Deputy Director
A message from Dr. Jan Friedman, Acting Executive Director, CFRI

It is my pleasure to congratulate Dr. Geoff Hammond on his new position as Professor and Head of the Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences at the University of British Columbia effective March 1, 2012. Dr. Hammond has served the Child & Family Research Institute since 2003, first as CFRI’s Scientific Director and most recently as the Deputy Director.

While Dr. Hammond’s departure is a loss for CFRI, I am pleased to announce we will continue to benefit from strong scientific leadership through the appointment of Dr. Catherine Pallen as Acting Deputy Director starting February 1, 2012.

[more...]

January 24, 2012
Genetic variation increases risk of metabolic side effects in children on some antipsychotics
Researchers have found a genetic variation predisposing children to six-times greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome when taking second-generation anti-psychotic medications. The research is published today in the medical research journal Translational Psychiatry. Dr. Angela Devlin and Dr. Dina Panagiotopoulos were co-authors of the study.

[more...]   [journal article]   [Vancouver Sun story]

January 11, 2012
Foundation laid for Child & Family Research Imaging Facility
Above ground construction is expected to begin this week on the new Child & Family Research Imaging Facility. Construction crews have completed the foundation and are currently levelling the site.

[more...]

December 15, 2011
Gene discovered for Weaver syndrome
Scientists have found a gene that causes Weaver syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that typically causes large size at birth, tall stature, developmental delay during childhood, and intellectual disability. Published today in the American Journal of Human Genetics, the discovery means that testing the EZH2 gene for mutations could help families who are seeking a diagnosis for their child. The study was led by Dr. William Gibson.

[more...]  [journal article]

December 13, 2011
State-of-the-art methodology highlighted by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Research by Dr. Rajavel Elango was featured in the December 2011 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition’s “Highlights of this Issue.”  The article was one of two that the journal highlighted for its use of a state-of-the-art methodology known as indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO). Dr. Elango used this non-invasive method to evaluate recommended protein requirements for school aged children and concluded that current recommendations underestimate protein needs.

Now a scientist with CFRI, Dr. Elango completed this research while affiliated with the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto. He is currently leading a study employing IAAO methodology to investigate protein requirements in pregnant women with a goal to identify the optimal protein in diet to benefit both the mother and developing fetus.  For more information about the ongoing study, contact Trina Stephens, Study Coordinator.

December 1, 2011
UBC, CFRI and BC Children’s researchers to lead $2.8-million project to reduce deadly infection in Bangladeshi mothers, children
Researchers from UBC, CFRI and BC Children’s Hospital have won a $2.8-million grant from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) to improve the survival rate of Bangladeshi mothers, newborns and young children through the prevention of sepsis, a life-threatening form of infection in which the bloodstream is overwhelmed by bacteria. The Interrupting Pathways to Maternal, Newborn and Early Childhood Sepsis Initiative will be led by Dr. Charles Larson, a senior associate clinician scientist at CFRI.

[more] [UBC CFRI BC Children's news release]
[Government of Canada media release]

November 21, 2011
Parents of hospitalized children provide valuable information about adverse events related to their child's care
New research published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal and led by CFRI clinician scientist Dr. Mark Ansermino showed that families' resports of adverse events related to their child's stay in hospital complements reporting by health care providers.

[Vancouver Sun story]  [journal news release]  [journal article]

[journal commentary]

November 18, 2011
CFRI members featured in special edition of journal
A special issue of The International Journal of Circumpolar Health was recently published with support, in part, by a grant from CFRI. CFRI member Dr. Anne George was Special Editor for the issue, called “Health Research in Northern Canadian Context: Roles and Responsibilities of Academic Institutions.” The journal features numerous CFRI members, including an editorial by Dr. Stuart MacLeod. Articles by CFRI members include a survey of maternal and child health in rural and remote northern populations (Mary H. George and Dr. Robert Armstrong), a depiction of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder diagnosis and prevention in northern Canada (Dr. Sterling Clarren and Dr. Amy Salmon), and a description of the ethics review processes for research involving community members in Canada’s three northern territories (Dr. Anne George). Dr. George also contributed one of the photographs for the journal’s front cover.

The International Journal of Circumpolar Health specializes in Arctic and Antarctic health issues with a focus on the health of indigenous peoples. It is published by the International Association of Circumpolar Health Publishers, which is made up of many northern universities, research networks and scientific societies. A full table of contents from the special issue of the journal can be found here.

November 16, 2011
CFRI researcher describes a new molecular mechanism in breast cancer development
An international team led by CFRI member Dr. Christopher Maxwell and his colleague Dr. Miguel Àngel Pujana of the Catalan Institute of Oncology describes a fundamental molecular mechanism in the development of breast cell epithelium that is altered in some breast cancer patients. Researchers have found a key in the interplay between two genes which represents a previously unknown molecular pathway. The results were published this week in the journal PLoS Biology.

[news release]    [journal article]

November 10, 2011
Monday, November 14 is World Diabetes Day
It has been almost 90 years since Canadians Sir Frederick Banting and Dr. Charles Best discovered insulin, saving and improving the lives of people with diabetes around the world. Today, the Diabetes Research Program at CFRI is building on this legacy through innovative research aimed at preventing and curing diabetes in children.

[more]

November 3, 2011
CMMT Scientific Symposium: Frontiers of Genetic Medicine
As part of their 15 year anniversary celebrations, the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at CFRI is hosting the first CMMT Scientific Symposium on Monday, November 7, 2011 from 9:00 am - 6:30 pm. The event includes keynote sessions by world-renowned scientists, a networking event and poster presentations.

[event program] [speakers] [event information]

November 1, 2011
New research shows steroid medications may slow brain development in preemies
Premature infants exposed to steroid medications after birth are at increased risk for impaired brain development, shows a new study co-authored by investigators at CFRI at BC Children’s Hospital and the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Steven Miller was the senior author of this study and led the research at BC Children’s.

[more...] [research article] [Globe and Mail story]
[UCSF media release]

October 31, 2011
Pre-eclampsia researchers available for interview
The first international meeting of the PRE-Eclampsia Monitoring, Prevention & Treatment (PRE-EMPT) project will be held in Vancouver from November 1 – 4, 2011. PRE-EMPT is a Vancouver-led international initiative to prevent one of the world’s leading causes of maternal and infant death during pregnancy and child birth.

[more...]

October 31, 2011
Basic research may lead to ideas that can be further developed for innovation
The Globe and Mail Editorial quotes Dr. Michael Hayden about the possibilities of innovation that result from basic research.

[Globe and Mail story]

October 27, 20011
Decreasing specific protein in brain tumours stops growth of cancer cells: new research
Removing an overactive protein from some types of brain tumours actually stops the growth of cancer cells, CFRI’s Dr. Sandra Dunn, Dr. Catherine Pallen and Dr. Abbas Fotovati reported in Cancer Research, the most frequently cited cancer journal worldwide.

[more...] [research abstract]

October 4, 2011
CFRI scientist awarded Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation grant
Dr. Megan Levings, CFRI Scientist and Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of British Columbia, is one of two scientists who received a seed grant from the prestigious Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation for her innovative research on Crohn’s disease.

[UBC news story]

October 3, 2011
Construction begins on new Child & Family Imaging Facility
Workers at BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s & Health Centre broke ground on the construction of the Child & Family Research Imaging Facility last week. The new facility will house a 3-Tesla MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanner and an imaging analysis and neuro-informatics lab.

[more...]

September 14, 2011
30 years of studying bacteria behind lung infections in children with CF
For the past 30 years, clinician-scientist Dr. David Speert has collected and stored samples of two types of bacteria that cause lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Today, Dr. Speert has 14,000 frozen samples of bacteria in his collection. Based on researching these samples, Dr. Speert has published over 100 scientific papers. His team’s discoveries have helped improve care for children with CF and have contributed to national infection control guidelines.

[more...]

September 1, 2011
CFRI scientists appointed to new Canadian Drug Expert Committee
The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health announced the appointment of Dr. Robert Peterson as the chair of the newly established Canadian Drug Expert Committee. Dr. Bruce Carleton was appointed as an expert member.

[Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health News Release]

August 30, 2011
Parents’ stress leaves lasting marks on children’s genes
Researchers at UBC and CFRI have shown that parental stress during their children’s early years can leave an imprint on their sons’ or daughters’ genes – an imprint that lasts into adolescence and may affect how these genes are expressed later in life. The research team included Dr. Michael Kobor.

[more...] [Vancouver Sun story]  [Province story] [research paper] 

August 11, 2011
Pregnant women in Vancouver may not be getting enough vitamin D
Pregnant women taking prenatal supplements may not be getting enough vitamin D, shows a new Vancouver-based study led by Dr. Tim Green that was published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health.

[more...]  [Vancouver Sun story]  [research paper]

July 29, 2011
Canadian innovators win global competition to tackle maternal health
A team of Canadian medical researchers who have figured out a way to use cellphones to measure the oxygen content in blood will soon be saving lives in Africa. The brilliance of the research, led by Mark Ansermino and Peter von Dadelszen, was recognized in Washington on Thursday when they were among 19 winners of a competition that began with a field of 600 applicants.

[more...]  [Globe and Mail story]  [CTV Canada AM]

July 5, 2011
Gene therapy stimulates protein that blocks immune attack and prevents type 1 diabetes in mice
Increasing a specific protein in areas of the pancreas that produce insulin blocks the immune attack that causes type 1 diabetes, report CFRI researchers in the August issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, published early online. The research team includes Dr. Bruce Verchere, Dr. Loraine Bischoff, Dr. Joel Montane, and Dr. Rusung Tan.

[news release]   [Journal of Clinical Investigation news release]
[research paper]

July 4, 2011
Depression during pregnancy is a major public health issue

Dr. Tim Oberlander comments to CNN about a new study that examined the relationship between antidepressants and the risk of autism. In spite of this newly reported risk, experts emphasize that it's critical to treat maternal depression during pregnancy because untreated depression carries its own risks while treatment helps many mothers and their babies. As Dr. Oberlander emphasizes, it remains critical to undertake further studies that tell us why some children and not others are at risk following prenatal exposure to antidepressants.

[CNN story]   

June 13, 2011
New study reveals fathers’ practices for preventing childhood injury

Child safety campaigns should reach out to fathers in addition to mothers, says a new study led by Dr. Mariana Brussoni that was published online in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

[more...]   [journal abstract]

June 13, 2011
Trio of studies reveals attitudes of women, obstetricians and family physicians on use of technology in childbirth

Three studies led by University of British Columbia and Child & Family Research Institute researcher Dr. Michael Klein are providing the closest look yet at the attitudes of women and their caregivers around the use of birth technology, and together reveal ongoing misperceptions among caregivers around the safety of vaginal births.

[more...]   [Los Angeles Times story]   [Toronto Sun story]

May 13, 2011
Back from the brink: An obese young man's brush with death and the help he needed

Dr. William Gibson comments in a Times Colonist story on a genetic condition called leptin receptor deficiency.

May 12, 2011
Geneticist's lab ready to aid obese: Specialist hopes more MDs make use of facility

Dr. William Gibson talks to the Times Colonist about research that aims to help people with rare genetic obesity disorders.

May 11, 2011
Brain controls movement differently in Down syndrome

Led by Dr. Naznin Virji-Babul, new neuroscience research is overturning assumptions about how the brain controls movement in people with Down syndrome. The findings could influence physical therapy for children with Down syndrome.

[news release]    [journal abstract]

April 21, 2011
UBC awards the inaugural Margolese National Brain Disorder Prize to Dr. Michael Hayden

The University of British Columbia has awarded Dr. Michael Hayden the inaugural Margolese National Brain Disorder Prize, which includes a $50,000 grant. The prize recognizes a Canadian who has made outstanding contributions to the treatment, amelioration or cure of brain disorders. [more...]

April 19, 2011
Canada Council awards $100,000 Killam Prize to Dr. Michael Hayden

The 2011 Killam Prizes, Canada’s most distinguished annual awards, were revealed today for five outstanding Canadians for their career achievements in health sciences, engineering, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. Internationally known for his genetic research, Dr. Michael Hayden received the Killam Prize for his career achievements in health sciences.

[Canada Council for the Arts news release]

April 12, 2011
Dr. Michael Klein receives lifetime achievement award

Dr. Michael Klein received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Family Medicine Research from the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) for his commitment to education, research, and excellence in the practice of family medicine. CFPC is the professional organization responsible for establishing standards for the training, certification and lifelong education of family physicians and for advocating on behalf of the specialty of family medicine, family physicians and their patients.

April 5, 2011
New research project aims to change the way rare diseases are identified and treated

The new "Funding of Rare Disease Genes in Canada (FORGE Canada)" project will begin by studying 70 different rare diseases in an effort to change the way rare diseases are identified and treated. New sequencing technologies allows for rapid identification of disease-causing genes in small families or a few unrelated individuals with the same rare condition. Dr. Jan Friedman, FORGE Canada co-leader, talked to CTV British Columbia about rare diseases.

[CTV British Columbia story]  
[news release from Genome BC]   
[news release from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research]

March 23, 2011
Dr. Michael Hayden receives premier award for leadership in medicine

Dr. Michael Hayden has received the Canada Gairdner Wightman Award, the premier honour for leadership in medical science in Canada. With more than 600 publications, Hayden is the most cited author on Huntington disease in the world.He is best known for developing a predictive genetic test for Huntington disease – the first ever predictive test for any genetic disorder. His discoveries have since informed research in other common diseases such as type 1 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and chronic pain.

[news release]    [Globe and Mail story]   

March 15, 2011
For Huntington's researcher, the work is personal

The Globe and Mail interviews Dr. Michael Hayden on Huntington's disease research for a story about molecular biologist Dr. John Roder.

[Gobe and Mail story]

March 15, 2011
A weighty issue: How much sugar is too much?
Dr. Daniel Metzger talks to the Vancouver Sun about sugar in beverages.

[Vancouver Sun story]

March 14, 2011

Canucks for Kids Fund donates $5 million to BC Children's Hospital

The Canucks for Kids Fund announced a gift of $3-million to support BC Children's Hospital Foundation's Campaign for BC Children and $2-million to the Diabetes Research Laboratory at CFRI. Headed by Dr. Bruce Verchere, the diabetes research team includes scientists studying the causes of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in children and working to develop new treatments to prevent or cure the disease.

March 11, 2011
Sugar: The new pariah
The Vancouver Sun interviews Dr. Sheila Innis for a special series on dietary sugar.

[Vancouver Sun story]

March 8, 2011

LifeSciences BC announces recipients of the 2011 LifeSciences British Columbia Awards

Dr. Judith Hall received the Dr. Don Rix Award for Lifetime Achievement and Dr. Michael Hayden received the Genome British Columbia Award for Scientific Excellence.

[LifeSciences BC Announcement]

March 6, 2011

Avoid risks to children's health during renovations and energy retrofits, experts urge

A new report says that energy retrofits can fight climate change and create healthier homes but that training and caution are essential to avoid release of brain-damaging lead and other toxic substances. Dr. Bruce Lanphear served advisor to the report by the Canadian Environmental Law Association.

[news release from the Canadian Environmental Law Association]  [Canadian Press/CTV story]  [Reuters story]

February 22, 2011

Arthritis affects all ages

The National Post interviewed Dr. Lori Tucker about juvenile arthritis, one of the most common chronic childhood diseases.

February 20, 2011

You win, you choose with BC Children's Hospital Lottery

Dr. Jan Friedman commented on the impact that funding from BC Children's Hospital Choices Lottery has on groundbreaking research, which is vital to provide first-rate care for the hospital's little and most vulnerable patients.

February 16, 2011
Scientists explore link between genes, antisocial behavior and cholesterol
Could a person’s ability to make cholesterol be linked to antisocial behaviour? Genome BC is funding research by Dr. Cornelius Boerkoel to explore the genetics behind behavioural reactions to cholesterol-lowering medications. [more...]

February 14, 2011
Medical-engineering collaboration wins Brockhouse Canada Prize
Dr. Mark Ansermino and Dr. Guy Dumont received The Brockhouse Canada Prize for Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Engineering today at a ceremony in Ottawa. A $250,000 research grant accompanies the prize. Dr. Ansermino, an anesthesiologist and associate clinician scientist, and Dr. Dumont, a process control engineer, marry their research to help protect people in a most vulnerable state — unconsciousness in the operating room. [more...]

[University of British Columbia news release]
[Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
news release]

February 8, 2011
Concussion Q & A
Global TV speaks with Dr. Cheryl Wellington about concussions.  

February 1, 2011
Women waiting longer to have children
In British Columbia, half of the babies born each year are to moms over the age of 30. CFRI scientist Dr. Wendy Robinson spoke with Global BC to comment.

January 26, 2011
"Natural killer" immune cells are deficient in children with type 1 diabetes
New research by investigators at the Child & Family Research Institute shows that "natural killer" immune cells are both defective and fewer in number in children with type 1 diabetes.  [more...]

[journal abstract]

January 24, 2011
New BC Leadership Chair in Proactive Approaches to Reducing Risk for Violence Among Children and Youth
Dr. Robert McMahon has been appointed chair of a new program that will investigate ways to reduce and prevent violent and aggressive behaviour in children and youth.

[British Columbia news release]
[Simon Fraser University news release]  [Langley Advance story]

January 7, 2011
Researcher appointed to Order of Canada for contributions to Huntington disease and other genetic disorders
Dr. Michael Hayden has been named to the Order of Canada for his outstanding contributions as a physician-scientist to the understanding of Huntington disease and other genetic disorders. The Order of Canada is the highest honour that Canada can give its citizens for exceptional achievement, merit or service.

[news release]  [Governor General announcement]

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Last Updated: 02/01/2012