Daily News

Posted on June 23: Second-year student wins research excellence award

A second-year McMaster University student has presented a major research paper and received an award from the American Physiological Society. Jacob Rullo of Hamilton, 20, has won a David S. Bruce Award for undergraduate research. This is the first year for the awards, which are given annually to up to four undergraduate students at North American universities. Rullo, who has just finished his second year of the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) program, has been working in the laboratory of Alison Fox-Robichaud since his last year of high school. His current project involves developing and characterizing a model of liver injury associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The model involves giving mice a compound called dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) in the drinking water. In five to seven days the mice develop inflammation that has features of ulcerative colitis, one form of inflammatory bowel disease.

Posted on June 22: Prestigious research opportunity for student with top score

A McMaster University student is headed to Yale University to pursue a post-doctoral fellowship after receiving a rare "perfect score" on her application from a Canadian funding agency. Amy Latimer, a PhD student in McMaster's Department of Kinesiology, plans to use the two-year fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council to study health communication strategies at Yale's Health, Emotion and Behaviour Laboratory. "I'm very excited about this opportunity to build on my current research interests in a large lab that receives a lot of international profile," says Latimer. "My family and my colleagues here are just thrilled."

Posted on June 21: McMaster anthropologist wins Young Innovator Award

Since obtaining his PhD in 1999, McMaster's Hendrik Poinar has achieved a lot. Aside from international media attention surrounding his research into the genetics of ancient humans, Poinar has had four successful major grant proposals to develop new lab facilities and support his ongoing research. He has authored or co-authored more than 40 articles and book chapters, in leading journals such as Nature and Science. And he has offered undergraduates, research assistants, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows several opportunities to participate in this research. Now, he has another success to add to that list one that recognizes him for achieving so much so early in his career. The 35-year-old assistant anthropology professor was named the winner of the 2004 Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award. The award provides $25,000 to a new McMaster professor (less than eight years from a PhD) to encourage creative thinking about how undergraduate students can participate in University research. This is the second year for this award. The 2003 recipient was Imre Szeman, director of McMaster's Institute on Globalization and the Human Condition.

Posted on June 18: Meet McMaster’s newest green thumb

Barb Rabicki's favorite plant has three Latin names. To the layperson, it's called "bugbane" or "snakeroot," a tall, fragrant perennial with purple leaves that thrives in moist, shady areas. But she's unlikely to plant it on campus just yet. "You need the right place for it," she says. "Most of our garden beds on campus receive full sun exposure, so we have to keep that in mind when we're selecting new cultivars." Rabicki has an Ontario Diploma of Horticulture from the University of Guelph and a Bachelor's degree from Western. Before joining McMaster's grounds team as the grounds manager last month, she was a parks manager at the City of Hamilton. "McMaster is gifted with the most tremendous natural environment," says Rabicki. "My goals will be to optimize the beauty of the campus, create compelling spaces for people to enjoy, introduce new landscaping ideas and enhance the natural beauty."

Posted on June 17: McMaster researcher heads new tropical diseases clinic

Globetrotters who are looking for comprehensive care, before and after they travel, can seek advice from McMaster's Shariq Haider at Hamilton Health Sciences new International Health and Tropical Diseases Clinic. Under the direction of Haider, the clinic sees patients before they travel to review their overall health, discuss the health risks of the region they're visiting and receive the shots they need to protect their health. If, when they return, they aren't feeling well, they can come back to the clinic for assessment and treatment. Haider is an assistant professor of medicine at McMaster and a specialist in tropical medicine and infectious diseases. He knows the importance of continuity of care when it comes to today's exotic illnesses. "Over and over again, research shows that people who receive pre-travel advice have better outcomes," said Haider. "Our clinic can help travellers reduce their risks of getting sick and, if they do come down with something, we have the expertise to treat them quickly and effectively."