Daily News

Posted on Feb. 24: Patients’ stories offer insight for future doctors

Hamilton residents have the opportunity to put graduating doctors on the right path to developing excellent relationships with their future patients. One hundred and twenty people who have had a good relationship with a medical doctor are being invited to talk one-to-one about their experience with a third-year medical student. The sessions, organized in partnership with the City of Hamilton, will be held at city hall and at the West End Clinic during Patient Week starting April 28. Associate professor, family medicine, Cathy Risdon, said the first-person stories about memorable encounters, and the positive difference it made for the patient, are important for the students to hear. "Stories are a powerful tool for teaching. Patients have invaluable expertise in defining excellent medical care, and they can have a true impact on the students' perspective on their future." One prospective storyteller says, "When my daughter was first in the hospital, with isolation signs posted, you can imagine how upset we were. The very first night of our stay in walks our family doc, at the time fully outfitted in 'isolation' regalia. The smile on Sarah's face and the feelings of reassurance that we all felt from this first visit and the subsequent ones was overwhelming." "We went from feeling lost and isolated among strangers, in a strange and frightening situation, to actually feeling somewhat special and cared for on more than just a physical level."

Posted on Feb. 21: Wall of Distinction to herald McMaster’s best

People making outstanding achievements that bring fame to the Faculty of Health Sciences and University, will soon find themselves framed and hung. That is, their portraits will be added to the new Community of Distinction being formed along a wall of the Health Sciences Centre. The pictorial history will feature pictures and stories of alumni, faculty and staff who have brought distinction and recognition to McMaster University and the Faculty of Health Sciences through outstanding scholarship and innovative research. The 120-foot gallery will be along the west wall on the second floor, between the School of Nursing offices and the Ewart Angus Centre. To the left will be a three-dimensional graphic of a tree. The individual pictures and biographies of individuals will be set around another three-dimensional graphic of the HSC building and the gallery's sign. To the right will be more individual honours, plus recognition of the Faculty's partners in education and research, Hamilton Health Sciences, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and St. Peter's Hospital. "We're a relatively young Faculty, but we have a clear history of excellence and innovation," said John Kelton, dean and vice-president of the Faculty. "It's important we recognize the individuals and groups who have put us on the map."

Posted on Feb. 20: Big day for McMaster hoopsters

McMaster's Sarah Sterling is the Most Valuable Player in Ontario West following a sensational sophomore season in which she averaged 15.4 points and 8.5 rebounds. The selection highlighted a big day for hoops at McMaster. The men's team, already guaranteed home-court advantage in the playoffs due to finishing in first place, battled to a comeback 83-73 victory against Waterloo. Meanwhile, the women's squad dominated the individual awards with Katie Coulson named top defender and Susanne Burr picked as the exemplary student-athlete. Sterling, Coulson and Westdale grad Christen Dickenson were named to the all-star team. "For a second-year athlete to be so consistent and to make such an impact is amazing," said head coach Theresa Burns in evaluating Sterling's contribution. Click here to read more.

Posted on Feb. 20: Diabetes research gets $20M boost

A professor of McMaster University's Faculty of Health Sciences is the lead investigator for the $20 million Canadian portion of a major study of adults with Type 2 diabetes. Hertzel Gerstein, professor of medicine, and head of endocrinology at Hamilton Health Sciences, will lead 11 Canadian university, hospital and community-based clinics participating in the international study, to test three promising approaches to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke in adults with Type 2 diabetes. He will be working in collaboration with Salim Yusuf, professor of medicine, and Sarah Capes, assistant professor of medicine, at McMaster University. The ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) study is funded by two American medical institutes, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute on Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, which are both part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. There are a total of 70 sites in the U.S. and Canada; participants in Hamilton are being followed through the McMaster hospital site of Hamilton Health Sciences.

Posted on Feb. 18: New Functional Genomics Centre connects leading researchers

A new Functional Genomics Centre that will bring together some of McMaster's leading-edge researchers in the area of human disease, specifically cancer, received Senate approval last week. "Genomics research is substantially altering our understanding of normal physiological processes and the molecular basis of disease," says biochemistry professor and one of the centre's core faculty members John Hassell, in a report to Senate. "The greatest impact of genomics thus far has come from knowledge of the sequence of the genomes of experimental organisms." The centre is part of the restructuring of the Institute for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MOBIX). MOBIX, established in the mid-80s, focuses McMaster's research efforts in the emerging area of molecular biology and biotechnology. The centre's core faculty includes: John Hassell; Juliet Daniel, biology; Suleiman Igdoura, biology; Yingfu Li, biochemistry; Bernardo Trigatti, biochemistry; Peter Whyte, pathology and molecular medicine. Other professors associated with the centre include Damu Tang, medicine, and Joe Macri, pathology and molecular medicine. The proposal will go to the Board of Governors for final approval.