News and Announcements:
Delaying Second Dose of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Produces Stronger Immune Response
Delaying the second dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine produces a stronger immune response, according to new research led by Dr. Brian Grunau from the UBC Faculty of Medicine and Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences at St. Paul’s Hospital. The peer-reviewed study compared levels of antibodies among paramedics who were fully vaccinated within four weeks to those who received their second doses after six to seven weeks. For more information, please visit cheos.ubc.ca.
Halting COVID-19 in Its Tracks
Limited therapies are available to treat COVID-19, nearly two years into the global pandemic. Dr. Dermot Kelleher and Dr. Shane Duggan from the UBC Faculty of Medicine are pivoting elements of their innovative research on esophageal disease to develop a novel aerosol treatment for COVID-19. The proposed treatment, which targets the lungs using a handheld nebulizer, is designed to reduce severe COVID-19 health outcomes and save lives without reliance on specialized equipment. For more information, please visit med.ubc.ca.
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CBC Explains: Why Doctors Are So Worried About Pregnant People Getting COVID-19
While pregnant people are considered high-risk in terms of COVID-19, this group has lower COVID-19 vaccination rates than the general population. Dr. Deborah Money from the UBC Faculty of Medicine, and other infectious disease experts across North America, explain the potential harmful effects of COVID-19 during pregnancy and the importance of vaccination. For more information, please visit cbc.ca.
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Local Solutions for Boosting COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake
The UBC Innovation Support Unit (ISU), directed by Dr. Morgan Price, is working to address COVID-19 vaccine uptake through supporting community efforts to co-develop local solutions and reduce barriers to immunization. The ISU has delivered Immunization Primary and Community Care (immPACC) Mapping workshops across Western Canada to help communities collaboratively plan with their key stakeholders for more equitable vaccinations. For more information, please visit med.ubc.ca.
Funding Opportunities:
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2022 UBC Faculty of Medicine Precision Health Catalyst Grant
The goal of this opportunity is to encourage new collaborations, support early career investigator teams, and advance an individualized approach to maximizing health. The funding will be allocated to as many as 7 grants, with each offered up to $50,000. Primary applicants must be UBC faculty, and meet early career researcher criteria. Grant recipients will present their work at the UBC FoM Precision Health Symposium in late 2022.
Application Deadline: February 1, 2022.
For more information, please visit mednet.med.ubc.ca.
Resources for Investigators:
The Impact of COVID-19 Disease & Vaccination on Pregnancy and Newborns
The COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) and CanCOVID are eager to share the latest research from three CITF-supported studies on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination on pregnancy and newborns.
Event date and time:December 20, 2021, 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM PST.
For more information, please visit the registration page.
COVID-19 Update: Expert Q&A With Public Health, Primary Care, Vaccine, Epidemiology, and Lab Specialists
In this free online accredited educational session, highly experienced and knowledgeable public health leaders and medical experts will answer questions, share their experiences and recommend best practices in managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Event date and time: January 25, 2022, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM PST.
For more information, please visit ubccpd.ca.