Recent News
May 14, 2012
Playing sport, being active, staying "brain smart"
Helping teens recover from concussions. Stan Kutcher coached minor sports for years while his kids were growing up. And he recalls some tense moments when he tried to apply his medical knowledge of brain injuries to the field of play.
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May 14, 2012
Awards and Accolades, May 2012
Congratulations to members of our medical school community who have received significant appointments, awards and acknowledgements over the past few months.
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April 27, 2012
Dal study sheds new light on pandemic flu virus
 A Dalhousie Medical School study has shed new light on how the influenza A virus – the virus responsible for flu pandemics – infects the body and makes people sick.
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April 27, 2012
Dalhousie professor works with PAHO to provide adolescent mental health support
 A program developed by Dalhousie's Dr. Stan Kutcher that aims to help primary health care providers identify, diagnose, and treat adolescent depression recently received rave reviews during a three-day workshop in Panama City.
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April 11, 2012
Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick receives half a million dollar donation from PotashCorp
 PotashCorp New Brunswick presents cheque for $500,000 to Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick. In the photo from left to right: Dr. John Steeves, Associate Dean of Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick; Stewart Brown, General Manager of PotashCorp New Brunswick; Kenn Mainville, Executive Campaign Director, Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick; Lynn Irving, Campaign Chair, Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick.
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April 4, 2012 A donation for hope
A donation for hope - Latest in the Dalhousie Difference series
 Mary (Sue) Saunders-Matthey, originally from West LaHave, Nova Scotia, passed away from breast cancer. Her stepdaughter died from the same disease.
Sadly, their story is not unique. But the generosity that's come from their memory is truly something special. more >
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March 29, 2012 - Researcher for April
Dr. Paola Marignani - When good tumour suppressors turn bad
 LKB1 is Dr. Paola Marignani’s kinase of choice. It has been the focus of her research for over a decade. “Interestingly it’s not only a kinase… it’s also a tumour suppressor,” says Marignani. more >
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March 26, 2012
TV Dramas and News Media Miss the Mark on Seizures
 It's a myth that forcing a foreign object into the mouth of a person having a seizure is a helpful action that will save them from 'choking on their tongue.' In fact, doing so can severely damage the person's teeth, mouth and jaw. Yet the myth persists-in large part due to the ways that seizures are portrayed and reported in the mainstream media.
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February 23, 2012
Dal researchers develop new class of antibiotic to fight drug-resistant superbugs
 A Halifax biomedical company lead by Dalhousie Medical School researchers has received $100,000 to further its work fighting drug-resistant bacterial infections commonly known as superbugs. more >
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March 15, 2012 - Educator for March
Dr. Tim Lee – Generating Enthusiasm for Immunology
 Enthusiasm is Dr. Tim Lee’s key to teaching success. “Especially at the second year undergraduate level the main job of a teacher is to generate enthusiasm,” says Lee. “The key is to be enthusiastic yourself and then relate the topic to something that matters to them.” more >
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March 1, 2012 - Researcher for March
Dr. Yukiko Asada – Quantifying Morality and Medicine
 Dr. Yukiko Asada has been walking an undefined path, combining passions, locations and ideas together to study health systems. Originally from Japan she has studied there as well as in the U.S. and in Canada. She is now an associate professor in Dalhousie Medical School’s Department of Community Health and Epidemiology. more >
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February 29, 2012
Medicare's uncertain future
 “Medicare matters to us all – individually and collectively.”
That, says Andre Picard, is why all Canadians should be concerned with the future of medicare in Canada.
The public health reporter for the Globe and Mail will be at Dalhousie Wednesday, Feb. 29, to talk about just that in his lecture entitled, Medicare: Can It Survive 25 More Years? The lecture is presented by Canada’s Public Policy Forum (PPF) and kicks off their 25th anniversary celebration. more >
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February 23, 2012
Dal researchers develop new class of antibiotic to fight drug-resistant superbugs
A Halifax biomedical company lead by Dalhousie Medical School researchers has received $100,000 to further its work fighting drug-resistant bacterial infections commonly known as superbugs. more >
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February 23, 2012 - Educator for February
Dr. Geoff Williams – Enthusiasm in education is a winning combination
 If you get the opportunity to meet Dr. Geoff Williams you will, more than likely, be impressed by his enthusiasm and pep. Williams is a gastroenterologist at Dalhousie Medical School. He is also the head of the metabolism and homeostasis curriculum unit for first-year medical students. more >
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February 21, 2012
Hands-on experience abroad brings new perspective to med school experience
 International hands-on experience can be life-altering. Just ask Ellen Boyd, a second-year medical student who recently completed a global health elective in Ifakara, Tanzania. more >
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February 10, 2012
Cannabis use doubles risk of a motor vehicle crash
 Drivers who consume cannabis within three hours of driving are nearly twice as likely to cause a motor vehicle crash (MVC) as those who aren't under the influence of drugs or alcohol. more >
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February 6, 2012 - Medical Student Profile
Naval engineer sets sail for medical career - Brad Pelley
After seven years of service as a marine systems engineer in the Royal Canadian Navy, Lieutenant (Navy) Brad Pelley is embarking on a new and challenging career. He has embarked on a mission to become a medical officer in the Canadian Forces. It's a goal he's had his sights set on for quite some time.
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February 6, 2012 - Medical Student Profile
A high school teacher makes a midlife transition to medicine - Arlene Wiggins
Arlene Wiggins loved her job teaching high school chemistry, math and English in Sydney, NS. Her role as a substitute teacher not only allowed her to share her passion for Shakespeare with teens, it gave her flexibility to spend lots of time with her two children. Yet now, at the age of 44, Arlene is nearly halfway through her first year of medical school-and has left her former career as an educator behind.
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February 6, 2012 - Medical Student Profile
An ambitious young woman pursues her childhood dream - Rachelle Blackman
For almost as long as she can remember, Rachelle Blackman has wanted to be a doctor. She was only eight years old when her grandmother died of Alzheimer's disease-a family tragedy that further fuelled her desire. "I wanted to grow up and cure Alzheimer and be a hero," says Rachelle. "It was only as I got older that I realized this might not happen, but the idea of becoming a doctor stuck."
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February 6, 2012 - Medical Student Profile
A philosophical speed skater sets new sights on medicine - Andrew Dutcher
A competitive speed skater from the age of ten, Andrew Dutcher was training for the Canadian national team and studying philosophy at the University of Calgary when he had his Eureka! moment. His future career path crystallized before him as he listened to a talk by a medical doctor-who happened to hold a masters in philosophy-about his decision to enter medical school.
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February 1, 2012 - Researcher for February
Flexing leg muscles in cardiac research - Dr. Stacy O'Blenes
 Dr. Stacy O’Blenes is a cardiac surgeon, which involves acting in a myriad of different roles. “One day a week is research, one day a week at the adult hospital, and three days a week at the children’s hospital,” says O'Blenes. “Ideally you would work in one place instead of three places but it’s not a big deal. It makes it interesting.”more >
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January 26, 2012 - Educator for January
Dr. John Finley – Teaches from the heart
 After 30 years as a pediatric cardiologist and teacher, Dr. John Finley still loves to teach. “It’s very engaging,” says Finley. “We are all pretty excited about the subject that we teach or we wouldn’t be teaching.” more >
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January 18, 2012
Working to stop Alzheimer's in its tracks
 At the heart of every new disease-fighting drug, there’s a medicinal chemist designing, making, and testing molecules.
In the case of Alzheimer’s disease, that chemist is Dr. Donald Weaver, Dalhousie professor and Canada Research Chair in Clinical Neuroscience. more >
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January 14, 2012 - Researcher for January
Dr. Darvesh – Understanding Alzheimer’s
 Dr. Sultan Darvesh is a neurologist and an organic chemist, which is not a combination you see everyday. He brings these two areas together to work on finding a way to definitively diagnose Alzheimer's disease and ultimately to find a cure. more >
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December 12, 2011- Researcher for December
Dr. Katrina Hurley – Common sense, Communication and Vision
 Dr. Katrina Hurley is a woman with a plan. When she puts her mind to something it usually comes off without a hitch.
She has wanted to be a doctor since she was 11 years old and her grandmother was dying from lung cancer. “I saw what she was experiencing and what our family was experiencing and I really wanted to do it better, to take care of more than just the medical problem. I wanted to take care of the whole patient,” says Hurley.
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November 23, 2011
Dalhousie lab discovers common blood protein promotes cancer growth
 Researchers at Dalhousie Medical School have identified a key mechanism of cancer metastasis that could lead to blocking tumour growth. The discovery was published in a recent issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
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November 14, 2011 - Researcher for November
Dr. Craig McCormick's getting schooled
by viruses
 Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is a cancer that is caused by a viral infection. This virus, discovered in 1994, is the newest member of the human herpes virus family and the focus of Dr. Craig McCormick’s lab in Dalhousie’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
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November 8, 2011
Limiting the unknowns involved in taking prescription drugs
 Picking up a prescription has never been easier than it is today. Within a few minutes of leaving the doctor’s office, a patient can have their antibiotic, oral contraceptive, or asthma inhaler from the local pharmacy and walk away with the medication they need.
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October 31, 2011
Heart-to-ear: Dal medical professionals contribute to new diagnostic tools
 The stethoscope: a mandatory addition to any Halloween doctor costume, but not the first thing that springs to mind when one thinks of modern medicine.
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October 26, 2011
Dalhousie unveils “Teaching is where it’s AT,” a program for residents and clinicians alike
 Dalhousie Continuing Medical Education (CME), Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME), and Faculty Development are unveiling two new programs this November.
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October 18, 2011
Moncton retreat sets collaborative tone
 Department heads and other senior leaders at Dalhousie Medical School met in Moncton recently to map out future collaborations between the school’s two main campuses in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
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October 17, 2011- Researcher for October
Dr. Louise Parker - Walking the Path of Prevention
 For Dr. Louise Parker, the Canadian Cancer Society (Nova Scotia) Chair in Population Cancer Research, investment in disease prevention is sorely lacking in the health care continuum. more >
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October 14, 2011
Future of Brain Surgery Unfolds in Halifax
 Neurosurgery has been learned on the job for more than 100 years, but that’s about to change. It’s now possible to learn, practise and rehearse neurosurgical skills and neurosurgery without patients, using a one-of-a-kind simulator. more >
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October 12, 2011
New treatment for fibroid tumours wins Bioinnovation Challenge
 Dr. Daniel Boyd and collaborators win $30,000 prize from BioNova
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October 11, 2011
Hope for treating 'orphan diseases'
 It’s an ordeal that no family wishes to go through: watching a young child lose his or her eyesight. more >
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September 27, 2011
Margaret St. George’s vision transforms ophthalmology research
 Thanks to the generosity and foresight of a Nova Scotia woman, vision research at Dalhousie Medical School, Capital Health and the IWK Health Centre looks forward to a bright future. more >
September 16, 2011- Researcher for September
Dr. Roy Duncan and the pursuit
of interesting observations
 Academic research is a path not a destination for Virologist, Dr. Roy Duncan. Duncan is a professor and founded his virology laboratory in Dalhousie’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology. more >
September 2, 2011
Measles virus could help target - and kill - cancer
 Dalhousie Medical School researchers have discovered that a tumour cell marker is a receptor for the measles virus, suggesting the possible use of measles virus to help fight cancer. Their findings appear in a recent issue of PLoS Pathogens. more >
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