Could help more people recover from nerve injuries and illnesses University of Alberta researchers and physicians are aiming to combine their expertise in surgery, electrical stimulation and drug discovery in an effort to help more people recover more quickly from nerve injuries and illnesses. Nerve regrowth is very slow, at best one millimetre a day,…
Vaccine would be a huge win for young people and adults alike An international collaboration involving researchers at the University of Alberta and Griffith University in Australia has launched the first phase of human clinical trials for a potential strep A vaccine. Group A streptococcus bacteria, more commonly known as strep A, kills more than…
Easier-to-produce compound for cancer diagnostic imaging is ready for patient use For people waiting for imaging tests to diagnose neuroendocrine cancer, time is of the essence. Now a new medical imaging agent for PET scans promises to reduce wait times while costing less to produce and possibly revealing more of some types of cancer tumours.…
Early diagnosis can lead to better treatment A University of Alberta engineering professor has designed a portable ultrasound system that can detect scoliosis in adolescents without the risks associated with frequent X-rays. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a deformity of the spine that occurs in two to four per cent of those between the ages of…
Political expediency once again trumps the realities of fixing health care
Canada’s health-care system continues to implode and fail Canadian patients at a catastrophic level. Systemic problems and staffing issues are overwhelming health care delivery, and people are dying from a lack of proper care. Daily news reports now relate the most egregious dysfunctions as patients sought help and instead found themselves in a chaotic system…
Detailed data will help community organizations in Alberta develop effective injury prevention programs
A new report from the Injury Prevention Centre is the first in Alberta to provide data on injury-related emergency department visits by people experiencing houselessness – information that will help community organizations deliver injury prevention programs tailored to the distinct health-care needs of this population. “This is the first step in understanding what the injury issues are,” says…
Drastic changes are needed. Millions of Canadians on wait lists know that. Why don't politicians?
Drastic changes are needed if we are to repair the Canadian health-care system. Millions of Canadians waiting for medically-necessary surgeries and procedures already know that. It’s time for the rest of us to catch up and start advocating for change. At least five million Canadians are without a family doctor. More than one million Canadians…
AI-powered portable ultrasound system makes scans and diagnoses accessible from anywhere
Imagine if family doctors, nurses, technicians – even ski patrollers – could use handheld ultrasound devices to screen for everything from hip dysplasia to wrist fractures to heart disease from anywhere. A new approach to scans developed at the University of Alberta pairs the accessibility of portable ultrasound with an artificial intelligence app that can…
Since 2020 Alberta chiropractors have been required to wear masks. Now one of them has had enough
Since last September, experts have testified at a tribunal hearing for an Alberta chiropractor on how well masks do, or don’t, slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Unfortunately, the chiropractor’s college, YouTube and LinkedIn didn’t want you to know what was said because most of it contradicts what people have been told…
Latest QS global subject rankings highlight a diversity of institutional strengths
The University of Alberta is the top institution in Canada for nursing and petroleum engineering, according to the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject. This year’s rankings also featured 15 subjects in the top 100 worldwide, highlighting a diversity of strengths for the U of A. Nursing has continually climbed the QS rankings over the…