Daily News

Posted on April 10: McMaster leads landmark trial in prevention of vascular events in patients with atrial fibrillation

Patient enrolment will soon begin in the ACTIVE trial (Atrial fibrillation Clopidogrel Trial with Irbesartan for the prevention of Vascular Events), the largest randomised trial program ever conducted in atrial fibrillation. "The ACTIVE trial is intended to respond to a largely unmet medical need in the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), who are at an increased risk of life-threatening vascular events such as stroke, myocardial infarction and death," said Stuart Connolly, professor of medicine at McMaster, and principal investigator of the ACTIVE trial. "Current treatment with oral anticoagulants is not suitable for many AF patients since it is limited by specific contraindications, monitoring constraints and poor compliance. Aspirin, the only standard alternative to oral anticoagulants, provides only modest protection in this patient population." Salim Yusuf, professor of medicine and director of the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster, is chair of the ACTIVE Steering Committee. The multicentre, multinational ACTIVE trial includes three primary objectives in investigating the long-term efficacy and safety of clopidogrel plus ASA for the prevention of vascular events in patients with atrial fibrillation. Clopidogrel plus aspirin, which inhibits platelet aggregation, will be compared with standard oral anticoagulant therapy in one trial (ACTIVE W), and compared with ASA alone in a second trial (ACTIVE A). The goal of treatment is the prevention of vascular events in patients with AF. A third integrated trial is also evaluating whether the angiotensin II receptor antagonist, irbesartan, is superior to placebo (in addition to usual blood pressure lowering therapy) in preventing vascular events in patients with atrial fibrillation (ACTIVE I).

Posted on April 10: McMaster seeks $55M from Canada Foundation for Innovation

McMaster will submit 23 applications valued at $55 million to the 2003 Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) competition, according to a report to Senate from the University Planning Committee. Established in 1997, CFI provides research infrastructure awards to universities, colleges, research hospitals and not-for-profit institutions. Its budget over the 10-year period is $3.65 billion. This year, CFI will invest up to $450 million for projects with total project costs of $150,000 or more. All universities are required to submit applications to CFI by May 30, 2003. A funding decision will be made in February, 2004. In 2002, CFI received more than 900 notices of intent requesting more than $2.5 billion. As a result, CFI implemented an allocation strategy to reduce both the number and value of applications, setting a maximum envelop for each institution. McMaster originally submitted 37 applications valued at $91 million. Three internal review panels reviewed the submissions and recommended which ones they felt should received full institutional endorsement. McMaster's largest funding request is for a $11.6 Institute for Life-Related Systems, led by engineering professor Simon Haykin.

Posted on April 10: Draft Refining Directions report now online

A draft Refining Directions report is now online. Click here to view the report. McMaster has spent the past six months reviewing its strategic plans through a process called Refining Directions. A number of work teams with representatives from across campus were created in the fall and they spent the next few months working on recommendations in six areas: undergraduate education; graduate education and research; external activities; internal community; planning and managing; and branding. The process has been overseen by a steering committee that has now reviewed the recommendations from each work group along with input from two rounds of community consultation and presentations to the University Planning Committee and approximately 25 other groups on campus. Input and comments on the draft report are welcome and can be forwarded to refining@mcmaster.ca. Over the next month, additional town hall meetings and consultation will be held on the draft report. Details of these sessions will be provided once the times and locations are confirmed. A final document will be presented to Senate in May and the Board of Governors in June.

Posted on April 9: Maple Leafs’ Ken Dryden, business executive Belinda Stronach among Spring Convocation honorary degree recipients

Toronto Maple Leafs president Ken Dryden, Hamilton police chief Ken Robertson, and Belinda Stronach, ranked by Fortune Magazine as one of the world's most powerful women in business are among the distinguished recipients who will be given honorary degrees at McMaster University's Spring Convocation ceremonies. The honorary degree recipients are honoured for their contributions in areas such as public service, education and scholarship, creative and performing arts and the McMaster community. About 3,000 students will celebrate graduation at Convocation ceremonies to take place in May and June at the Great Hall, Hamilton Place.

Posted on April 9: Conference examines shift towards aging society

Implications of the aging of the population will be examined during a two-day conference this week. From April 10-11, professionals in policy and planning, researchers, academics and statisticians, will participate in the conference entitled "Moving Towards and Older Society", hosted by McMaster's Centre for Gerontological Studies and Social and Economic Dimensions of an Aging Population (SEDAP). Speakers include James Banks, from the University College London; John Ermisch, from the University of Essex; Rejean Hebert; CIHR and University of Sherbrooke; John Myles, from the University of Toronto; James P. Smith, RAND; and Alan Walker, from the University of Sheffield. SEDAP is a multidisciplinary research program at McMaster that studies a wide range of aging-related issues. Located at McMaster, SEDAP is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. It involves 28 researchers from McMaster, the University of British Columbia, Universiti de Montrial, Queen's and the University of Toronto. The conference will be held in the CIBC Banquet Hall, third floor McMaster University Student Centre. Click here for program and registration information.