Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology

05/10/2023

We're excited to be supporting these amazing six undergrads in their journey of science and discovery! Congrats, Isabelle Bernard, Alisha Duggal, Levi Legaree, Eliana Pyon, Jessica Ramos, and Cole White. Read more about them https://www.ualberta.ca/li-ka-shing-institute-virology/research-training/awardees/undergraduate-summer-studentship-awardees.html Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Women and Children's Health Research Institute University of Alberta Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research

05/10/2023

Check out this recent pub by LKSIoV members Dr Carmen Charlton and Dr Graham Tipples: “A longitudinal seroepidemiology study to evaluate antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 virus infection and vaccination in children in Calgary, Canada from July 2020 to April 2022: Alberta COVID-19 Childhood Cohort (AB3C) Study” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37023007/ Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - University of Alberta

In our population, after the first peak of Omicron variant infections and introduction of COVID-19 vaccines for children, all vaccinated children, but just over one-half of unvaccinated children, had SARS-CoV-2 spike antibodies indicating infection and/or vaccination, highlighting the benefit of vac...

05/08/2023

Kudos to LKSIoV member Dr. Troy Baldwin, co-investigator of the pub “Destined for the intestine - thymic selection of TCRαβ CD8αα intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37137518/ Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - University of Alberta

The immune system is composed of a variety of different T cell lineages distributed through both secondary lymphoid tissue and non-lymphoid tissue. The intestinal epithelium is a critical barrier surface that contains numerous intraepithelial lymphocytes that aid in maintaining homeostasis at that b...

05/04/2023

Congrats to LKSIoV member Dr. Bonita Lee on her pub “Trends in severe outcomes among adult and pediatric patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program, March 2020 to May 2022.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37079304/ Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Women and Children's Health Research Institute

The findings of this cohort study of patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 suggest that COVID-19 vaccination is important to reduce the burden on the Canadian health care system as well as severe outcomes associated with COVID-19.

05/03/2023

Members: the Summer 2023 Competition of the LKSIoV Research Support and Innovation Grants is now open. Apply by June 5th. https://www.ualberta.ca/li-ka-shing-institute-virology/research-training/funding-opportunities.html Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - University of Alberta

05/03/2023

Check out this pub by LKSIoV members Dr. Matthew Croxen and Dr. Gregory Tyrrell, “Genomic characterization of emerging invasive streptococcus agalactiae serotype VIII in Alberta, Canada.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37084119/ Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - University of Alberta

Invasive Group B Streptococcus (GBS) can infect pregnant women, neonates, and older adults. Invasive GBS serotype VIII is infrequent in Alberta; however, cases have increased in recent years. Here, genomic analysis was used to characterize fourteen adult invasive serotype VIII isolates from 2009 to....

05/02/2023

Kudos to LKSIoV member Dr. Michael Woodside on his pub “Mast cell proteases cleave prion proteins and a recombinant Ig against PrP can activate human mast cells.”

IgE Abs, best known for their role in allergic reactions, have only rarely been used in immunotherapies. Nevertheless, they offer a potential alternative to the more commonly used IgGs. The affinity of IgE Ag binding influences the type of response from mast cells, so any immunotherapies using IgEs....

05/02/2023

Check out this pub of LKSIoV members Dr David Evans and Dr Mary Hitt, "Radiation combined with oncolytic vaccinia virus provides pronounced antitumor efficacy and induces immune protection in an aggressive glioblastoma model" https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37061120/ Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - University of Alberta

Glioblastoma (GB) is a malignant and immune-suppressed brain cancer that remains incurable despite the current standard of care. Radiotherapy is a mainstay of GB treatment, however invasive cancer cells outside the irradiated field and radioresistance preclude complete eradication of GB cells. Oncol...

05/01/2023

Congrats to LKSIoV member Dr. Carmen Charlton on her pub “Canadian SARS-CoV-2 serological survey using antenatal serum samples: a retrospective seroprevalence study.”

These results indicate widespread vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2 infection before vaccine availability in Canada. During the time periods sampled, public health tracking systems were under-reporting infections, and seroprevalence results during the Omicron period indicate extensive community spread of....

05/01/2023

Kudos to LKSIoV members Dr. Xavier Clemente-Casares and Dr. Sue Tsai on their pub “Maternal provisions in type 1 diabetes: Evidence for both protective & pathogenic potential.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37033940/ Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - University of Alberta

Maternal influences on the immune health and development of an infant begin in utero and continue well into the postnatal period, shaping and educating the child's maturing immune system. Two maternal provisions include early microbial colonizers to initiate microbiota establishment and the t...

04/28/2023

Check out LKSIoV member Dr. Lisa Willis’s recent pub “The sweet side of s*x as a biological variable.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37021826/ University of Alberta Faculty of Science

Glycobiology as a field holds enormous potential for understanding human health and disease. However, few glycobiology studies adequately address the issue of s*x differences in biology, which severely limits the conclusions that can be drawn. Numerous CAZymes, lectins, and other carbohydrate-associ...

04/27/2023

Congrats to LKSIoV member Dr. Bonita Lee on her pub “Antimicrobial use among paediatric inpatients at hospital sites within the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program, 2017/2018.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37072874/ Women and Children's Health Research Institute

This study represents the largest collection of antimicrobial use data among hospitalized paediatric inpatients in Canada to date. In 2017/2018, overall AMU was 481 DOT/1000pd. National surveillance of AMU among paediatric inpatients is necessary for establishing benchmarks and informing antimicrobi...