University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine

08/25/2025

🩺 An enterprising team of student engineers has ventured into the health-care space with an exciting new device designed to help children on life-support.

In doing so, recent graduates Lily Gentile, Shekinah (Yna) Arpon, Fionna Dela Cruz, Tania Rizwan and Christine Dowling are addressing a serious health concern for these children, some of whom could be at risk of stroke.

Their new venture called NeuraSense, developed in consult with pediatric neurologists Drs. Kristine Woodward, MD’16, and Adam Kirton, MD, of and advisors at the Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, provides continuous, non-invasive stroke-monitoring using technology that visualizes and analyzes brain signals.

👇🏼 WATCH as they explain how this exciting project came about!

Hotchkiss Brain Institute - HBI | Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute

08/22/2025

🩺 Are you a health sciences professional or student who is passionate about your work?

Help inspire the next generation of health leaders as a presenter!

Lead a workshop or speak on a career panel at ’s Discovery Days in Health Sciences on Oct. 22, 2025.

➡ Learn more & apply here by Sept. 16: https://ow.ly/78R050PhzL1

Canadian Medical Hall of Fame | Hotchkiss Brain Institute - HBI | Libin Cardiovascular Institute | Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases | Faculty of Nursing - University of Calgary |

08/18/2025

👏🏼 Congratulations to 2025 Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Award recipient Vaneeza Moosa!

As a medical student at , and now in her final year, Vaneeza has been committed to advocacy, mentorship and leadership grounded in service.

She cast a light on the importance of primary care access and housing for better health as the Government Affairs and Advocacy Representative, and supported underrepresented students pursuing surgical careers as an executive member of UpSurge Calgary.

Vaneeza’s research is mindful of equity and patient-centered care with a focus on improving diagnoses for conditions that affect women disproportionately. She says the CMHF award is reminder that her work continues to matter.

“It’s also an encouragement to continue showing up in spaces where I can help drive change,” she says. “And a reflection of those around me who have shaped the work that I do and continue to support me.”

⬇️ WATCH below.

Calgary Medical Students' Association

08/18/2025

📣 We're celebrating all of the Cu***ng School of Medicine recipients of Canadian Institutes of Health Research Spring 2025 Project Grants!

Congratulations to the Libin Cardiovascular Institute winners named below!

⬇️ Read more about them ⬇️

Congratulations to the Libin members who received CIHR Project Spring Grants for 2025! Your innovative research is making a real impact.

Dr. Robert Rose

➡️ Effects of C-type natriuretic peptide and phosphodiesterase 9 on sinoatrial node dysfunction and atrial fibrillation in hypertensive heart disease

➡️ Impacts of caloric restriction on aging and frailty dependent sinoatrial node disease and atrial fibrillation

Dr. Wayne Chen

➡️ A Novel Mechanism of RyR2 Control of Memory Formation in Health and Familial Alzheimer’s Disease

Dr. David Campbell

➡️ Addressing gaps in diabetes care for populations facing structural vulnerability through the diabetes mobile clinic: a randomized controlled trial (Priority Grant)

Dr. Leslie Skeith

➡️ The PARTUM (Postpartum Aspirin to Reduce Thromboembolism Undue Morbidity) Trial

Dr. Sarah Childs

➡️ Connecting developmental transcriptional pathways with cerebral small vessel disease

Dr. Derek Chew

➡️ Population-based Assessment of Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Infections in Canada: The PACED Study

University of Calgary's Cu***ng School of Medicine | Canadian Institutes of Health Research

08/15/2025

Four international medical scholars are bringing global expertise—from cancer care to public health, diabetes research and medical education—to ’s Indigenous, Local and Global Heath Office (ILGHO).

Part of the 2025 Visiting Scholars Program, they spent the winter term at Foothills campus, sharing innovative research projects and supporting growth in their home institutions.

🌟 Dr. Ivan Taremwa (Uganda) is researching transfusion safety for cancer patients, focusing on alloantibodies (immune responses in the blood to foreign blood products) that can affect treatment outcomes. His work aims to improve lab infrastructure and inform policy in Uganda.

🌟 Dr. Eva Malindisa (Uganda), a medical doctor and lecturer in physiology, used her time at to gain hands-on experience with animal models. She hopes her experience will serve as a launchpad for future collaboration—one that inspires others and helps build a stronger research culture at home by connecting her peers to a broader global research community.

🌟 Amonelath Som Oulay (Laos), a master’s student in public health, is conducting research on sexual and reproductive health among young migrant workers in the restaurants of Vientiane, Lao’s capital. Her time in Calgary has deepened her understanding of qualitative research methods and broadened her academic horizons, fueling her commitment to contribute to a more equitable public health system in Lao.

🌟 Dr. Jennifer Araneta (Philippines) is working to enhance medical education at her university . She used her time to study bedside assessment techniques in medical education, supporting her university’s goal to strengthen clinical skills among graduates—especially those serving underserved and rural communities.

Through the ILGHO, these scholars are building partnerships, sharing knowledge, and shaping the future of health research—a testament to the power of international collaboration.

⬇️ Read the full story ⬇️

Leaders from Uganda, Laos and Philippines pursue research projects and share their expertise with Cu***ng School of Medicine

08/13/2025

🌟 Join us in celebrating Dr. Ward Flemons, MD, who has been recognized for his leadership and dedication to excellence in medical ethics and professionalism.

Dr. Flemons has received the Dr. William Marsden Award from the Canadian Medical Association, a national prize reserved for medical professionals who demonstrate courage and leadership in challenging times.

The award honours Dr. Flemons’s commitment to building a culture of patient safety in Alberta’s health system through transparency, compassion, prevention, and education.

Dr. Flemons served as medical director of the Health System Improvement portfolio at the Health Quality Council of Alberta, where he led the council’s Just Culture initiative. He is the former head of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services and a national authority on quality improvement and patient safety.

➡ Read more about his influential work: https://bit.ly/4153iaI

O'Brien Institute for Public Health | W21C

Ward Flemons named 2025 Dr. William Marsden Award recipient

08/12/2025

😍 The mood was high and the support was generous at Rock your Locks 2025!

The summer fundraiser is an annual student-led initiative to support a cause close to their hearts. Student volunteers invite their classmates to shave their heads (and eyebrows!) to raise funds for Kids Cancer Care.

Congrats to the Class of 2027 organizers on the success of this community initiative and all funds raised for kids cancer. Donations help to support life-saving research, Camp Kindle summer camps, therapeutic exercise classes, and so much more.

🔗 Check out the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta for more ways to get involved this fall, or visit here and consider donating to the Rock your Locks 2025: https://bit.ly/45M3YEq

Calgary Medical Students' Association | Charbonneau Cancer Institute | Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute

08/11/2025

✨ Meet Dr. Paige Campbell, MD’25, a graduate of 's Undergraduate Medical Education program and a proud member of the Pinaymootang First Nation.

With a background in psychology and a passion for Indigenous health, Paige has led research in virtual care, cancer care, and vision access for underserved communities.

Her grandparents’ legacy of resilience and service in Calgary hospitals, inspired her path into medicine.

“My journey into medicine was influenced by my upbringing and the people who shaped my values. Two of my grandparents worked as custodial staff in Calgary hospitals, and they taught me the importance of hard work, humility, and resilience. Their example instilled in me a desire to serve and contribute to my community in a meaningful way. That drive, coupled with a passion for equity in healthcare, inspired me to pursue medicine.”

Now pursuing a residency in ophthalmology, she’s driven to bring equity to a field with few Indigenous practitioners.

“I’m aiming to increase Indigenous representation in this specialty. I’m motivated to be part of that change and to advocate for more inclusive care within the field.”

One of her most meaningful experiences? A rural rotation in Arrowwood, a village southwest of the Siksika Reserve with a population of less than 200.

“Serving a primarily Indigenous population, I learned how to stretch the boundaries of traditional medicine and challenge myself to explore my own identity as both a learner and a future physician.”

Outside the clinic, you’ll find her thrifting, gardening, doing yoga—and hanging out with her Cane Corso, Bane. Congrats to Dr. Campbell on this next step in her career!

UCalgary Indigenous Health Program | Rural Medicine (DLRI) UofC

08/07/2025

👏 We're celebrating all the recipients of Canadian Institutes of Health Research Spring 2025 Project Grants!

Congratulations to the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases winners below!

👇 Read more about them.

Congratulations to the CIHR Spring 2025 Project Grant awardees from the Snyder Institute!
We're incredibly proud to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our researchers, whose innovative work continues to advance science and improve health outcomes. Their funded projects span a wide range of impactful fields — from pain signaling and metabolism to neuroinflammation, trauma, immunotherapy, infectious disease and more.

Please join us in congratulating Drs. Christophe Altier, Simon Hirota, Raynell Lang, Andrew Leidal, Shalina Ousman, Elissa Rennert-May, Bas Surewaard and Christina Thornton.

Your research exemplifies the strength, diversity and impact of the Snyder Institute community. Congratulations again!

University of Calgary University of Calgary's Cu***ng School of Medicine

08/01/2025

📣 More exciting news from the Southern Alberta Medical Program (SAMP)! Planning and design for its new home, a medical education and clinical facility, are now underway.

An innovative partnership between the University of Calgary’s Cu***ng School of Medicine and the University of Lethbridge, SAMP offers students the opportunity to earn a medical degree while completing their training in southern Alberta.

Read more 👇🏼 Rural Medicine (DLRI) UofC

Architecture and design firm DIALOG has been selected to lead the transformation of a familiar space on the University of Lethbridge campus into a purpose-built facility for the Southern Alberta Medical Program (SAMP). An innovative partnership between the University of Calgary's Cu***ng School of Medicine and the University of Lethbridge, SAMP offers students the opportunity to earn a UCalgary medical degree while completing their training in southern Alberta.

Known for major projects like Calgary’s Arthur J.E. Child Cancer Centre and the city’s new event centre, Scotia Place, DIALOG brings experience in designing spaces that serve health, learning and community.

This project marks a major milestone in expanding distributed medical education across the province, with construction expected to begin soon.

Read more: https://buff.ly/BEMYNR2

07/28/2025

Support for an exciting international collaboration to advance brain health research in Canadian and Australian Indigenous communities was announced this weekend at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference!

The major global gathering of the top minds in dementia research is happening in Canada for the first time in a decade—and Dr. Pamela Roach, PhD, associate professor with the departments of Family Medicine & Community Health Sciences, is there!

Thanks to new funding, a research team led by Dr. Roach, deputy director and associate scientific director of the O'Brien Institute for Public Health, will work with Indigenous communities in Canada, in collaboration with Australian partners, to improve health communication resources for Indigenous people living with dementia or supporting others with dementia.

Research teams from the partnering countries are part of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA), with the latest phase of their research supported by the CIHR and the National Health and Medical Research Council. Dr. Roach co-leads the Indigenous Cognitive Health Program within the CCNA.

New funding supports studies to advance dementia research specifically in Indigenous populations, focused on the development, implementation and evaluation of Indigenous-led and Indigenous-grounded approaches for age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

👏🏼 This is a unique opportunity for international collaboration to improve the health of Indigenous people on a global scale through work that is grounded in local communities.

📸 Pictured below, L-R: Howard Chertkow, Jennifer Walker, MP Maggie Chi, Jane Rylett, Pamela Roach, Edith Mercieca

Learn more: https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/46474.html

University of Calgary Canadian Institutes of Health Research