Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) and Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario (HSFO) Present Summer Medical Student Research Awards

Last Friday, four Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) medical students received research awards valued at $6,000 each from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario (HSFO). An additional five NOSM medical students received NOSM Dean’s Summer Medical Student Research Awards, also valued at $6,000 each.

This is the fifth year the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario has sponsored Summer Medical Student Research Awards for NOSM medical students. This year brings to a successful conclusion a five-year commitment to NOSM from the Heart and Stroke Foundation valued at nearly $200,000. The HSFO student research projects provide medical students with the opportunity to gain cardiovascular research training while working with an established NOSM researcher. The projects are carried out across Northern Ontario. Similarly, the NOSM Dean’s awards provide medical students with an opportunity to conduct hands-on research on a broad range of biological and social research topics.

“Once again, the Heart and Stroke Foundation is extremely proud to support bright, young minds in Northern Ontario. We hope that, by fuelling their interest in addressing the health issues faced by Northern Ontarians, we are encouraging the next generation of care providers who will create healthier futures for the North,” says Dr. Marco Di Buono, Director of Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario.

This year’s student projects, supported by the HSFO, include projects entitled:
• Multidisciplinary Interventions for a Rural Primary Care Setting: Developing patient-centered strategies for improved management of the co-morbidities associated with type II diabetes
• Attitudinal differences and knowledge gaps in interprofessional collaboration and education between health-care professionals and health-care students
• Effects of Polyphenolic Compounds on Oxidative Stress-Induced Cytotoxicity in Rat Cardiac Myocytes
• Regulation of Adrenaline Biosynthesis by Reactive Oxygen Species

The four 2010 recipients of the HSFO Summer Medical Student Research Awards for NOSM are:
• Kathleen Anderson
• Sheila MacIntosh
• Matthew Piché
• William Yates

Immediately following the HSFO presentation, five NOSM medical students were awarded NOSM Dean’s Summer Medical Student Research Awards valued at $6,000 each.

Dr. Greg Ross, NOSM’s Associate Dean of Research, expressed enthusiasm regarding the value of the opportunities provided by NOSM Dean’s Summer Medical Student Research Award. “Research at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine is reflective of the School’s mandate to be socially accountable to the diverse cultures of Northern Ontario,” said Dr. Greg Ross. “NOSM Dean’s Summer Medical Student Research Awards allow our students to remain in the North for the summer and study topics relevant to the people and communities of Northern Ontario while gaining valuable research experience.”

The 2010 recipients of NOSM Dean’s Summer Medical Student Research Awards are:

• Allison Carroll Coutts
• Jeniva Donaleshen
• Rebecca Matthew
• Justin Poling
• Colleen Valente

This year’s student projects, supported by NOSM Dean’s Summer Medical Student Research Awards, include the following topics:

• Research and Innovation Project “Northern Lights”
• Examining differences in mortality and morbidity rates related to chronic disease among Aboriginal and Euro-Canadian people on Manitoulin Island from 1869-1950
• Effect of Pre-natal Glucocorticoid Exposure on Neurobehavioral Outcomes
• Identifying groups at risk for community acquired pneumonia in Northern Ontario
• End of Life and Palliative Care Needs in Northwestern Ontario Aboriginal Reserve Communities

“The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is fortunate to have had the opportunity to partner with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario for the past five years,” said NOSM Dean Dr. Roger Strasser. “These awards provide medical students, our future physicians, with valuable experience in the field of research. I would like to congratulate the students on their awards and wish them success with their research.”

The Heart and Stroke Foundation, a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living and advocacy.