Teenagers have one of the highest rates of depression in Canada
Canadian teenagers who attend schools in areas with high-income inequality are more likely to suffer from depression than those in areas with low-income inequality, according to the first study of its kind in Canada. It is already well understood that being poor can negatively affect mental health, said co-author Roman Pabayo, an epidemiologist and associate professor…
Revitalized organization helps entrepreneurs create impact through innovation
The University of Alberta Health Hub and Accelerator has a new name, a new mission and values, and new services to offer innovators and entrepreneurs starting out in the health sector. Located at Enterprise Square in downtown Edmonton, the accelerator is being rebranded the Health Innovation Hub, effective this month. The vision is for the hub…
Half of children with cancer being treated with cisplatin suffer irreversible hearing loss
A University of Alberta research lab has helped identify a genetic variant that increases the risk of hearing loss in children with cancer who are treated with the widely used drug cisplatin. Amit Bhavsar, assistant professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology and Canada Research Chair in Functional Genomic Medicine, led the U…
FDA approves MEDO’s tool offering simpler, more reliable diagnostic scans for thousands of patients
A University of Alberta spinoff company has received FDA approval for an artificial intelligence tool that could revolutionize thyroid ultrasounds, making the procedure faster and easier for thousands of Canadians who undergo it each year. MEDO.ai, with offices in Edmonton and Singapore, received approval last month from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its…
An Edmonton-based company is developing new imaging technology to treat retinal diseases and give hope to the millions of people who suffer from them. PulseMedica has only been operating for about a year, but its preliminary research is so promising that the collaborators hope to have some of their devices to market by 2023. More…
Three University of Alberta projects have received funding from Alberta Innovates to accelerate health innovation in the province. PRECISE, ADEPT and the University of Alberta Health Hub & Accelerator have been awarded support through the Health Innovation Platform Partnerships (HIPP) program. The program seeks to enable a health innovation ecosystem that is robust, co-ordinated and offers a competitive…
Adding RNA sequencing to current genetic methods could help diagnose and treat thousands of patients with mystery diseases
Imagine having a terrible medical condition and not knowing what it was. More than 400,000 Albertans have a rare disease. Many of them face challenges getting the right diagnosis, let alone finding the right specialist and obtaining effective treatment. Some cases are deadly; others can have a major impact on a patient’s day-to-day life. Advances…
A University of Alberta researcher is using nanotechnology to improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments for cancer patients and reduce their side effects. Afsaneh Lavasanifar is a professor in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences and an adjunct professor in the Department of Chemical and Medical Engineering. Her lab develops precision health solutions through nanomedicine,…
DrugBank now used by scientists, pharmaceutical companies and other customers around the world
An Edmonton startup has become the world’s largest pharmaceutical knowledge database through research that began at the University of Alberta. DrugBank offers a one-stop-shop for curated scientific data on thousands of drugs, including molecular details, chemical structures, targets and proteins, as well as clinical information on side-effects, interactions with other drugs, allergies, synonym names, availability…
Project taps into big data to determine the factors involved and develop a screening tool
A new University of Alberta project aims to develop an artificial intelligence-based screening tool to help doctors diagnose depression more precisely. Depression affects millions of Canadians. It can affect quality of life, damage relationships, lower productivity and lead to suicide. A proper diagnosis is key to effective treatment, but making a precise diagnosis can be…
Canadian teenagers who attend schools in areas with high-income inequality are more likely to suffer from depression than those in areas with low-income inequality, according to the first study of its kind in Canada. It is already well understood that being poor can negatively affect mental health, said co-author Roman Pabayo, an epidemiologist and associate professor…
