Usask at the Olympics
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ON CAMPUS NEWS news.usask.ca JULY 9, 2021 Volume 28, Issue 11 USASK AT THE OLYMPICS In this edition of On Campus News, we take a look at current and former University of Saskatchewan students, staff and coaches preparing to represent Canada at this year’s Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo. From defending national champion Huskie women’s basketball coach Lisa Thomaidis, to College of Education student Shelby Newkirk, to College of Kinesiology students Rylan Wiens and Keely Shaw, and alumna Rhonda Shishkin, USask will be well-represented on the world stage this summer. SEE PAGE 5-8 —3-4 — — 9 — — 12 — WATER SECURITY FINDING FOSSILS SLEEP STUDY Publication Mail Agreement #40065156 USask research: Improving On Campus News is published 12 times per year by University of Saskatchewan cardiac surgery recovery Marketing and Communications. It is distributed to all USask faculty, staff, graduate students and members of KRISTEN MCEWEN governing bodies, as well as to others in the university community, related A multidisciplinary University of “With the pandemic, we found Saskatchewan—virtually met to organizations, some Saskatchewan Saskatchewan (USask) research that cardiac surgery numbers discuss how surgical care teams government officials and news media. team is working to improve recovery dropped across the province,” could maintain high quality care SUBMITTED Subscriptions are available for $24 for patients of cardiac surgery when Clunie explained, citing there were while preserving limited resources. per year. Story and photo ideas faced with limited health care nearly 200 fewer surgeries in 2020 Clunie and Pikaluk are based in Dr. Michelle Clunie (MD) of USask's are welcome. Advertising rates are resources during the pandemic. compared to the year before. More Saskatoon and Regina, respectively. College of Medicine. available online or on request. Led by Drs. Michelle Clunie than 800 Saskatchewan patients “Cardiac surgery is a major type - (MD) and Ryan Pikaluk (MD), require heart surgery annually. of surgery,” Pikaluk said. “Everyone assistant clinical professors in the “COVID patients and cardiac involved on a surgical team is based methods, research and On Campus News aims to provide USask College of Medicine Depart- patients share a lot of the same looking at ways to work together to a forum for the sharing of timely audit, to improve surgical care and news, information and feature ment of Anesthesiology, the research resources – including intensive care make the most meaningful change, recovery. stories about people and events of team recently received a Saskatch- unit beds,” she added. “When beds rather than implement (changes) on By following these guidelines, interest to the USask community. ewan Health Research Foundation filled up, surgeries were cancelled their own.” health care teams and patients can (SHRF) Research Connections (or rescheduled).” The research team looked improve outcomes by taking extra - grant for their project, “Introducing A group of health-care profes- to ERAS guidelines for cardiac steps for care before, during and We acknowledge we are on Treaty 6 Cardiac Enhanced Recovery After sionals from across medical disci- surgery. ERAS is a global society of after surgery. Territory and the Homeland of the Surgery (ERAS) Best Practices for plines—including anesthesiologists, health-care professionals that focus Métis. We pay our respect to the First COVID-19 and Beyond.” surgeons and nurses from across on patient-centered, evidence- SEE COLLABORATION, PAGE 15 Nation and Métis ancestors of this place and reaffirm our relationship with one another. - EDITOR James Shewaga IN CASE YOU MISSED IT WRITERS A lot happens at the USask during the weeks when On Campus News isn’t published. Shannon Boklaschuk, Ashleigh Mattern, Here are a few of the top stories from news.usask.ca: Kristen McEwen, Chris Putnam, Erica Schindel, James Shewaga, Rachel Sloane, Alyssa Wiebe. DESIGNER VIDO vaccine Merlis Belsher Place waniska Centre Muir WCVM dean Pierre Wilkinson The Vaccine and Infectious Disease The decommissioning process of the A new regional centre for More than three decades after Organization (VIDO) at USask has potential pandemic field hospital Indigenous research on HIV, graduating from the Western College announced positive interim results at USask’s Merlis Belsher Place is Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), from their Phase 1 clinical trial expected to begin August 1 and take sexually transmitted blood- Dr. Gillian Muir (DVM, PhD) was for COVAC-2, VIDO’s COVID-19 about four weeks. In April of 2020, borne illness (STBBI), based at appointed the college’s dean, effective subunit vaccine candidate. The USask made the state-of-the-art the University of Saskatchewan July 1. Muir, who served as the interim data from the study multipurpose complex available to (USask), was officially launched interim dean for the past 12 months, led by the Canadian Centre for the Saskatchewan Health Authority on June 21. The waniska Centre for was appointed to a five-year term by Vaccinology (CCfV) demonstrates to house coronavirus patients on HIV, Hepatitis C Virus and sexually the University of Saskatchewan. She COVAC-2 is safe and well tolerated. an emergency basis, if necessary. transmitted blood-borne illness, is the first WCVM graduate as well Importantly, even the lowest vaccine Recently, the 120,000-square foot which will serve Saskatchewan and as the first female to be named dean dose tested significantly increased complex was being used as an Manitoba, celebrated its start lived- of the western Canadian veterinary ISSN: 1195-7654 the participants’ antibody levels, immunization clinic. The facility is streamed from the Wanuskewin college. She joined WCVM in 1996, PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40065156 including neutralizing antibodies home to Huskies hockey as well as Heritage Park. The centre is funded and is a professor in the Department Return undeliverable addresses to: against SARS-CoV-2. Participants basketball practice facilities with by the Canadian Institutes of of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences. UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN continue to be recruited for the two full-sized ice rinks and two Health Research and partners with Muir has served as department head MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS clinical trial in Halifax, with a basketball courts, and the Ron and community, academics and others and graduate chair, and WCVM’s G16 THORVALDSON BUILDING new clinical trial site opening in Jane Graham Sport Science and to address the issues of HIV/HCV/ acting associate dean (research) and 110 SCIENCE PLACE SASKATOON, SK S7N 5C9 Saskatoon later this summer. Health Centre. STBBI in Indigenous communities. interim dean. Email: [email protected] FOR MORE UP-TO-THE-MINUTE NEWS, VISIT: news.usask.ca @usask 2 JULY 9, 2021 NSERC CREATE for Water Security leaves lasting impact CHRIS PUTNAM As a unique water security training program wraps up at the Univer- sity of Saskatchewan (USask), the program’s leaders look back on the past six years as an overwhelming success. “The students went beyond even what I and the rest of the team members ha d imagined,” said Dr. Cherie Westbrook (PhD), director of the NSERC CREATE for Water Security. ROBIN HEAVENS SUBMITTED The NSERC CREATE for Water Security is a USask-led initiative Dr. Cherie Westbrook (PhD) is Dr. Bram Noble (PhD) is a professor funded through the Collabora- director of the NSERC CREATE in the Department of Geography tive Research and Training Expe- for Water Security at USask. and Planning at USask. rience (CREATE) program of the federal Natural Sciences and Engi- university in Canada for water they did going into the course.” neering Research Council (NSERC). resources research—was well suited Although the NSERC Launched in 2015 with a $1.65- to lead the unique-in-Canada CREATE is ending, Noble and million NSERC grant, the program program. Faculty members from the Westbrook want to carry some provides career-focused skills College of Arts and Science, Global of its innovations forward into training to graduate students and Institute for Water Security, School future graduate training at USask. post-doctoral fellows studying water of Environment and Sustainability, “I think across campus, and security. College of Engineering, College of within the College of Arts and “What we’re trying to do is train Agriculture and Bioresources, and Science especially, there’s a real people across the broad field of water Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School opportunity to develop courses security—kind of blurring those of Public Policy all assisted with the of this nature that push students lines between research and practice NSERC CREATE. beyond the boundaries of science and helping students develop Westbrook and fellow and scholarship, and expose them Geography and planning PhD candidate Caroline Aubry-Wake ROBIN HEAVENS personal and professional skills geography and planning professor to different career opportunities and is pictured on the Athabasca Glacier in July 2020. so that they’re ready for whatever Dr. Bram Noble (PhD) co-taught the skills,” said Noble. career in whatever sector they’re final course in the program in March For some NSERC CREATE interested in,” said Westbrook, a “I think PhD programs do a have gone on to jobs with govern- 2021. The intense one-week online graduates, the program confirmed professor in the College of Arts and great job at training us to become ments, First Nations, non-profits course featured guest speakers from their love for academia, while others Science’s Department of Geography scientists, but there’s not always an and private companies. Others industry and government. Students “realized there are other pathways and Planning. emphasis on developing the other have accepted faculty positions at were challenged to work as an that they hadn’t explored,” said Originally planned to conclude skills that we need as professionals. universities or founded their own interdisciplinary team to respond Westbrook. in 2021, the NSERC CREATE for The CREATE program allows you consulting firms.