Bulletin The Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences La Société Canadienne pour les Biosciences Moléculaires 2016 www.csmb-scbm.ca Bulletin The Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences La Société Canadienne pour les Biosciences Moléculaires 2016www.csmb-scbm.ca CSMB | SCBM Bulletin 2016 1 CSMB Board for 2016 President/Président Secretary/Secrétaire Dr. Kristin Baetz Dr. Randal Johnston University of Ottawa University of Calgary Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Immunology Faculty of Medicine 451 Smyth Road, Roger Guidon Hall 3330 Hospital Drive N.W. Ottawa ON K1H 8M5 Calgary AB T2N 4N1 Tel: (613) 562-5800 X8592 Tel: (403) 220-8692 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Past-President/Président Précédent and Chair, Councillor/Conseiller Nominating Committee/Président, Comité de mise en Dr. Logan Donaldson candidature York University Dr. Christian Baron Department of Biology Université de Montréal 4700 Keele St. Département de biochimie 323B Life Sciences Bldg C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Montréal, QC H3C 3J7 Tel: (416) 257-2346 Tel: (514) 343-6372 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Councillor/Conseiller Vice-President/Vice-Président Dr. Logan Donaldson Dr. Philip Hieter York University University of British Columbia Department of Biology Michael Smith Laboratories 4700 Keele St. 2185 East Mall 323B Life Sciences Bldg Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Tel: (604) 822-5115 Tel: (416) 257-2346 Email: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Treasurer/Trésorier Councillor/Conseiller Dr. Jan Rainey Dr. Barbara Karten Dalhousie University Dalhousie University Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology Tupper Medical Building Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building 9G Halifax NS B3H 1X5 5850 College Street, PO Box 15000 Tel: (902) 494-4632 Halifax, NS B3H 4R2 E-mail: [email protected] Tel: (902) 494-2332 Email: [email protected] 2 CSMB | SCBM Bulletin 2016 Councillor/Conseiller Councillor/Conseiller Dr. Tarik Möröy Trainee Representative/Représentante des stagiaires Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal IRCM Dr. Anastassia Voronova Laboratory on Hematopoiesis and Cancer Hospital for Sick Children 110 Avenue des Pins Ouest PGCRL Building Montreal, QC H2W 1R7 686 Bay Street, Room 18.9400E Bay J Tel: (514) 987-5501 Toronto, ON M5G 0A4 E-mail: [email protected] Tel: (416) 813-7654 E-mail: [email protected] Councillor/Conseiller Dr. Justin Nodwell Bulletin Editor/Éditeur du Bulletin University of Toronto Dr. Frances Sharom Department of Biochemistry University of Guelph 1 King’s College Circle Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology Toronto, ON M5S 1A8 Science Complex Rm. 4446 Tel: (416) 978-2696 Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Councillor/Conseiller Dr. Michelle Scott Université de Sherbrooke Department of Biochemistry 3201 Jean Mignault Sherbrooke, QC J1E 4K8 Tel: (819) 821-8000 x72123 Email: [email protected] Councillor/Conseiller Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden University of Lethbridge Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry 4401 University Drive W Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4 Tel: (403) 329-2303 Email: [email protected] Councillor/Conseiller Trainee Representative/Représentante des stagiaires Mr. Mustapha Lhor Université Laval Département de Ophtalmologie Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement, CHU de Québec 1050 Chemin Sainte-Foy Québec, QC G1S 4L8 Tel: (418) 682-7872 E-mail: [email protected] CSMB | SCBM Bulletin 2016 3 President’s Report 2016 CSMB President, Kristin Baetz Dr. Kristin Baetz 2016 was another noteworthy year for the CSMB and including career days and scientific symposia. Given scientists across Canada. Through the continued efforts of the increased demand for funding, CSMB will now societies like CSMB and individuals across Canada, science run two yearly competitions for trainee activity remained on the national agenda. We saw the release of sponsorships. We have also been working with the new Liberal government’s budget which outlined a Canadian Science Publishing to establish a travel strong vision for Canada’s Innovation Agenda. Not only award for a trainee who publishes in Biochemistry did both CIHR and NSERC receive budget increases, but and Cell Biology. Budget 2016 contained the announcement of a Chief Science Advisor of Canada and the Fundamental Science CSMB also believes that in addition to awards, we Review. can help support young scientists through unique workshops. After the success of the one day Young Though there is renewed hope by scientists across Canada, Scientist Program at the 16th IUBMB Conference in funding for fundamental science remains a serious Vancouver (59th Annual CSMB conference), CSMB concern for our members. While I continue to work with will offer a slate of trainee-specific workshops at all the board to fulfill the society’s mandate to advance future CSMB-sponsored meetings. and promote the molecular biosciences in Canada, my number one priority was to increase the advocacy efforts 2. Scientific meetings. The 59th CSMB conference was of the CSMB. Most importantly we aim to increase held in collaboration with the International Union our presence in Ottawa to promote the concerns and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB) solutions of our members to parliamentarians. Moving and the Pan-American Association for Biochemistry forward, with Canada’s new Innovation Agenda, we have and Molecular Biology (PABMB) in Vancouver on an unprecedented opportunity to work together to build “Signalling Pathways in Development, Disease and a country where science and research plays a critical role. Aging”. Bringing this conference to Canada took years of preparation, and while this landmark event Below I highlight some of the CSMB initiatives that have greatly increased the visibility of Canadian molecular taken place in 2016. biosciences at the international level, it was poorly attended by Canadians. While CSMB was able to 1. Increased trainee engagement. During what has mitigate the financial loss of this meeting, many been challenging budgetary times for scientists in valuable lessons were learned. Canada, the CSMB believes it is extremely important to encourage our next generation of scientists. Moving forward CSMB will be introducing new During 2016 the CSBM provided financial support meeting guidelines, and will strive to offer you to 9 trainee-organized activities from coast to coast, affordable conferences that will be of interest to 4 CSMB | SCBM Bulletin 2016 larger numbers of our members. Our guidelines also asked to comment on the 2016 Budget by Ivan will ensure that our CSMB conferences are not only Semeniuk of the Globe and Mail. high quality scientific meetings in diverse areas of Genetics, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, but they offer 5. Working to reform the CIHR reforms. Many of us affordable registration and accommodations, added- have been directly impacted by the CIHR reforms value events for trainees, and speakers reflecting the that created a funding gap during its tumultuous diversity of our members including visible minorities implementation, but the virtual review process and approximately 50% women. We will also use our eroded our trust in CIHR. Starting in late 2015, CSMB annual meetings to conduct open-forums to discuss started to directly address this issue through our federal science funding issues, to aid in shaping “Time to Demand Change at CIHR” e-mail campaign. CSMB recommendations and policy positions. Later in 2016, CSMB launched a petition for quality face-to-face peer review for federal research funding. For Canada’s Sesquicentennial year, the CSMB 60th Through the efforts of many societies and individuals, annual conference called “Celebrating Canadian CIHR was forced to hold the July 13 2016 meeting in Molecular Biosciences: from organelle to systems Ottawa to find solutions to the flawed peer-review biology” will take place in Ottawa May 16-20 2017. system. Both Christian Baron, CSMB past-President This meeting aims to serve as model for the new and I attended the July meeting, where not only did mandate of CSMB meetings. Given the outstanding we present the concerns of our members, but also scientific program and affordability, we anticipate worked to improve the CIHR system for you. We that CSMB2017 may be one of the most successful also raised the profile of the CSMB through multiple meetings to date. I sincerely hope you were able media interviews (read them all at CSMB in the to attend CSMB2017 to see the revitalized CSMB News) for the Globe and Mail, Ottawa Citizen and conference structure. Science Magazine. It is not an understatement to say that the consolidated efforts of the greater research 3. Advocacy work. In 2016, CSMB remained focussed community on this issue played a significant role in on advocating for the importance of fundamental the change of CIHR leadership that was announced research. While we continue working with both in December 2016. our lobbying partners Research Canada and the Partnership Group for Science and Engineering, 6. CSMB submission to the Fundamental Science CSMB is also increasing its own efforts to ensure that Review. The June 2016 announcement by Science your voice is heard on Parliament Hill. Here I highlight Minister Dr. Duncan of the Fundamental Science some of the activities CSMB has done this past year Review gave the research community of Canada a and I encourage you to check out our advocacy web- unique opportunity to not just voice their concerns pages to stay informed of our efforts https://www. about, but to provide recommendations to build a csmb-scbm.ca/advocacy/Petition.aspx. fundamental research environment that would allow for innovation to be the bed-rock of Canada’s economy. 4. Response to Budget 2016. After launching our first Through consultation with our members and our petition in 2015 to increase support for federal board we submitted three key recommendations funding of fundamental research, CSMB continued to the Fundamental Science Review.