After three years of planning and renovations, the facility has moved from CancerCare Manitoba’s building to the department of physiology and pathophysiology’s area on the fourth floor of the Basic Medical Sciences Building.

Dr. Sabine Mai, director of the Nano and Cell Imaging Facility, said it’s wonderful to have a new space on campus with cutting-edge imaging technology.

Dr. Sabine Mai (centre) speaks about the Nano and Cell Imaging Facility’s new space on the fourth floor of the Basic Medical Sciences Building.

“We have three rooms that have been completely renovated to make space for the facility. We redesigned the space to house the equipment,” said Mai, a professor of physiology and pathophysiology in the Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and UM Canada Research Chair in genomic instability and nuclear architecture in cancer.

A grand opening took place on Oct. 15 with presentations, tours and hands-on experiences.

The facility is available for students, faculty and researchers from across Canada and around the world to use.

The newest piece of equipment is a ZEISS Elyra 7 super-resolution microscope, which has a resolution below 20 nanometers. Mai said this allows the user to see a single molecule.

Modern microscopes aren’t only for viewing specimens, she said, but also include software and cameras.

“You don’t only see – you document what you see. And that’s where the camera and software come in,” Mai said.

The facility also offers 3D imaging, laser microdissection, spectral karyotyping and advanced live cell imaging.

Darryl Dyck, NCIF’s expert imaging technician, speaks about the equipment in the Nano and Cell Imaging Facility.

In addition to providing researchers with the use of microscopy equipment and training opportunities, NCIF experts can help scientists design their experiments and integrate imaging into their work in any area of research.

“It can be cell biology. It can be any disease where you need to look at tissues or at individual cells. It can be a mouse model that you study. It doesn’t really matter what the object that you study is, as long as you have cells and tissues that you want to investigate,” Mai said. 

The facility was opened by Mai 26 years ago to meet the growing demand for high-end microscopy. It has continuously evolved, incorporating new and cutting-edge technology.

“I was hired by the University of Manitoba because of the work that I had been doing back in Europe. I came with a single microscope, and then everybody wanted to use it, so I thought, ‘OK, if I cannot do my work because everybody’s using it, either we find another way, or I have to go back to Europe,’” Mai said.

“It was my dream in 1999 to create a facility like this. We are now one of the longest-established imaging facilities in Canada.”

Mai said that people shouldn’t be shy and should reach out to her if they are interested in learning more and want to take advantage of the imaging possibilities.

“If you have an idea about what you would like to do related to any type of imaging, just contact me,” said Mai, who can be reached at sabine.mai@umanitoba.ca.

The groundbreaking study showed that a method developed by Mai and her team can accurately predict the risk that a patient with “smoldering” multiple myeloma will progress to having multiple myeloma.  

Watch the video to learn more:

Multiple myeloma is an incurable blood cancer, with about 4,000 people newly diagnosed in Canada per year. Patients currently survive an average of eight years after diagnosis.

Patients with smoldering multiple myeloma show no symptoms until the disease progresses to multiple myeloma. Currently, there is no accurate tool in the clinic to identify patients who will progress to multiple myeloma.

Dr. Sabine Mai

“Without a cure, the question is, ‘How long can we manage a myeloma patient’s disease and improve on their quality of life?’” said Mai, professor of physiology and pathophysiology in the Max Rady College of Medicine.

“This breakthrough allows us to risk-stratify smoldering multiple myeloma to identify the subgroup with high risk of progression, which allows for tailored treatments of this risk group. Equally important, the published assay [lab procedure] allows us to monitor the larger subgroup of patients with stable smoldering multiple myeloma.”

Mai uses three-dimensional imaging and microscopy to visualize genetic material inside a patient’s cell to reveal genomic changes and instability. By marking the ends of chromosomes, called telomeres, 3D measurement tools the team developed indicate whether the cell is stable or cancerous well before clear symptoms are present.

The study was conducted by Telo Genomics, a biomedical research company founded by Mai in 2014. The clinical study was conducted in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

“I began this research 10 years ago here at UM,” said Mai. “When my early data showed promising results in 14 different cancers, as well as Alzheimer’s disease, I started Telo Genomics to support the necessary clinical studies. The focus of the company quickly turned to multiple myeloma and clinical studies were completed with actionable results for the patients.”

“This cutting-edge discovery is generating new opportunities for academic growth and better-informed patient care,” said UM Vice-President (Research and International) Dr. Mario Pinto. “Mai and Telo Genomics exemplify the UM strategic research priority for health and well-being by translating this research into real impacts for those suffering with this deadly blood cancer across Canada and the United States.”

To achieve these groundbreaking results, Mai focused on single-cell nuclear imaging using 3D imaging and analysis. She also uses super-resolution imaging to detect the cancer-related DNA and genome structure at nano resolution.

“We had the first super-resolution microscope in the world at the Genomic Centre for Cancer Research and Diagnosis, which I established at UM and at CancerCare Manitoba,” said Mai.

This new technology also shows potential in detecting other forms of cancer. Mai’s team published results on the identification of thyroid cancer histotypes last year.

Each form of cancer must be individually tested with large-scale validation trials, at costs vastly exceeding the values of individual research grants. As a publicly traded company, Telo Genomics is able to engage investors and raise capital at a scale Mai couldn’t accomplish alone.

“Patient samples are being received for testing as we speak, so we have really taken this from the [research] bench to the bedside, which is deeply gratifying,” said Mai.

“Let’s dream big. If we apply the right treatments early enough, the outcome will be the increased progression-free survival of patients — and potentially someday, a cure for myeloma.”

CRCs are world leaders in their field funded by the Government of Canada in the areas of natural sciences and engineering, health sciences, and social sciences and humanities. “These symposia were a wonderful opportunity for researchers to get to know each other’s specialties, and to spark new collaborations with students and the wider community,” says Mario Pinto, Vice-President (Research and International). “I thank all the CRCs for their groundbreaking contributions to address the issues faced by society today.”

This thought-provoking look at current UM research is available to view online, each featuring a brief presentation from the gathered CRCs followed by a question-and-answer period with the audience.

CRC Symposium 1, February 2, 2023 – Fort Garry Campus

Featuring presentations from: Heather Armstrong, Chair in Integrative Bioscience; Guozhen Zhu, Chair in Mechanical and Functional Design of Nanostructured Materials; Trust Beta, Chair in Grain-Based Functional Foods; Eric Collins, Chair in Arctic Marine Microbial Ecosystem Services; Britt Drögemöller, Chair in Pharmacogenomics & Precision Medicine; Ned Budisa, Chair in Chemical Synthetic Biology and Xenobiology; Lori Wilkinson, Chair in Migration Futures; Jason Kindrachuk, Chair in Epidemiology and Global Public Health; Sabine Mai, Chair in Genomic Instability and Nuclear Architecture in Cancer; Jörg Stetefeld, Chair in Structural Biology and Biophysics; Carl Ho, Chair in Efficient Utilization of Electric Power; and Nandika Bandara, Chair in Food Proteins.

CRC Symposium 2, February 27, 2023 – Bannatyne Campus

Featuring presentations from: Tracie Afifi, Chair in Childhood Adversity and Resilience; Robert Lorway, Chair in Global Intervention Politics and Social Transformation; Janilyn Arsenio, Chair in Systems Biology of Chronic Inflammation; Puyan Mojabi, Chair in Electromagnetic Inversion for Characterization and Design; Annette Desmarais, Chair in Human Rights, Social Justice and Food Sovereignty; Zulma Rueda, Chair in Program Sciences & Global Public Health; and Kathryn Sibley, Chair in Integrated Knowledge Translation in Rehabilitation Sciences.

CRC Symposium 3, March 28, 2023 – Fort Garry Campus

Featuring presentations from: Ties Boerma, Chair in Population and Global Health; Kiera Ladner, Chair in Miyo we’citowin, Indigenous Governance & Digital Sovereignties; Rotimi Aluko, Chair in Bioactive Peptides; Zahra Moussavi, Chair in Biomedical Engineering; Terry Klassen, Chair in Clinical Trials; and Galen Wright, Chair in Neurogenomics.

CRC Symposium 4, April 24, 2023 – Bannatyne Campus

Featuring presentations from: Lisa Lix, Chair in Methods for Electronic Health Data Quality; John Ataguba, Chair in Health Economics; Nicole Wilson, Chair in Arctic Environmental Change and Governance; Lorrie Kirshenbaum, Chair in Molecular Cardiology; Meghan Azad, Chair in Developmental Origins of Chronic Disease; and Kristine Cowley, Chair in Function and Health after Spinal Cord Injury.

CRC Symposium 5, May 16, 2023 – Fort Garry Campus

Featuring presentations from: Kristina Brown, Chair in Arctic Marine Biogeochemistry; Nicole Rosen, Chair in Language Interactions; Robert Mizzi, Chair in Queer, Community & Diversity Education; Samar Safi-Harb, Chair in Extreme Astrophysics; and Susan Logue, Chair in Cell Stress and Inflammation.

CRC Symposium 6, June 19, 2023 – Bannatyne Campus

Featuring presentations from: Andrew Halayko, Chair in Chronic Lung Disease Pathobiology and Treatment; Colin Gilmore, Chair in Applied Electromagnetic Inversion; James Blanchard, Chair in Epidemiology and Global Public Health; Marcelo Urquia, Chair in Applied Population Health; and Souradet Shaw, Chair in Program Science & Global Public Health.

The funding is made possible by the gift of $30 million made in 2016 by philanthropists Ernest and Evelyn Rady in support of health sciences at the university. The fund will allocate a total of $1 million over three years to support collaborative research by faculty members.

The one-year grants are designed to seed short-term projects that combine the expertise of researchers from various departments and colleges of the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

“All four of these interdisciplinary teams have proposed cutting-edge science,” said Dr. Peter Nickerson, vice-dean research of the Rady Faculty. “These are exciting projects that cover the spectrum from basic to clinical research, each with the potential for high impact in the short term.”

Here are the projects chosen for funding in 2019:

Analyzing medications in human milk

Dr. Lauren Kelly

Dr. Lauren Kelly, assistant professor of pediatrics/child health in the Max Rady College of Medicine and scientist with the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), will lead a study of breast milk. Mothers who take medications, and their health-care providers, are often concerned about infants’ exposure to drugs in breast milk. This can deter breastfeeding or deny moms safe use of medicines.

Kelly’s team includes researchers from the College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and CHRIM. After reviewing what medicines breastfeeding women in Manitoba use, they will conduct a pilot project to collect and analyze breast milk. The evidence obtained will advance the understanding of medication safety during breastfeeding.

A further goal is to develop methods for storing anonymized medication data with milk samples, allowing for follow-up research.

Applying artificial intelligence to health research

Dr. William Leslie

A team led by Dr. William Leslie, professor of internal medicine and radiology in the Max Rady College of Medicine, has already had success at harnessing artificial intelligence. The team has “taught” a machine to find vertebral fractures on bone-density scans. This helps to identify patients at high risk for another fracture.  

The new study will continue this machine-learning research, enhance the infrastructure for it, and promote machine-learning collaborations within and beyond the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

Leslie’s team, which includes researchers from the department of radiology and the College of Pharmacy, will share lessons they have derived from “teaching” machines, in terms of requirements such as image processing and computer programming. A key goal is to help other researchers enter this fast-paced field.

Understanding a non-invasive thyroid tumour

Dr. Sabine Mai

Dr. Sabine Mai, professor of physiology, biochemistry/medical genetics and human anatomy/cell science in the Max Rady College of Medicine, Canada Research Chair in genomic instability and nuclear architecture in cancer, and senior investigator at the Research Institute in Oncology and Hematology, leads a team that will investigate a type of thyroid tumour called a “non-invasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features” (NIFTP).

Because this tumour is non-invasive, it may be over-treated if it is diagnosed as aggressive cancer. This study will compare NIFTP to other sub-types of thyroid cancer in order to predict its behaviour and tailor its clinical management.

With team members from pathology/immunology and surgery, the study will examine NIFTP at the genetic level. It will look, for example, at the 3D organization of telomeres (the ends of chromosomes). The project aims to refine the diagnostic criteria for NIFTP.

Investigating the genetics of HIV risk

Dr. Lyle McKinnon

A study led by Dr. Lyle McKinnon, assistant professor of medical microbiology and community health sciences in the Max Rady College of Medicine, will build on the previous finding that vaginal inflammation in women increases HIV susceptibility. The underlying reasons why some women have this inflammation are unclear.

The team recently analyzed the genetic profiles of more than 200 young women in South Africa. They found several gene variants that are associated with genital inflammation and/or HIV acquisition.

With team members from medical microbiology/infectious diseases, immunology and community health sciences, this study seeks to validate this finding in a larger sample of South African and Kenyan women, and to investigate more precisely how genes influence inflammation and HIV susceptibility. The ultimate goal is to develop new HIV prevention strategies.

VIEW FULL PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS.

The 2018 Rady Innovation Fund recipients, Dr. Thomas Klonisch, Dr. James Nagy and Dr. Kathryn Sibley, will present their findings on December 17, click for event info. 

Canada Research Chairs (CRC) improve our depth of knowledge and quality of life, and attract graduate students from around the world to Manitoba, helping drive our economy by fuelling discovery.

Seven of the 10 chairs named at the U of M will be held by women and two of the researchers joined Minister Duncan: Trust Beta, CRC in Grain-Based Functional Foods, and Nancy Kang, who comes to Manitoba from the United States to become a CRC in Transnational Feminisms and Gender-Based Violence.

“The future of research and science in Canada will be led by the next generation of talent,” Minister Duncan said. “That’s why it is so important that we support our early career researchers today. There’s is no better place than Canada to be a scientist. That’s why Canada Research Chairs come here from diverse backgrounds and choose Canada to pursue their ambitious research goals, build their teams and maintain Canada’s position as a global leader in research excellence.”

Digvir S. Jayas, Vice-President (Research and International) and Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba, echoed the Minister’s sentiments.

 “I congratulate these 10 researchers on their success in earning these competitive funds,” he said. “They are trailblazers in their fields and will enrich our community with their ideas and discoveries.”

The 10 new and renewed chairs will receive an investment of $9.5 million from the CRC program.

The Nov. 14, 2018 Canada Research Chairs announcement.

The 10 CRCs

Janilyn Arsenio.

Janilyn Arsenio, internal medicine
Chair in Systems Biology of Chronic Inflammation

Heterogeneity in T cell fate and function is required for effective immune responses and the prevention of immune dysregulation. Dysregulation can lead to over-activated immune responses in autoimmune diseases and transplant rejections, or to a loss of immune function, termed exhaustion, in chronic infections and cancer. Arsenio’s research will define the molecular mechanisms underlying T cell differentiation into functional regulators of the immune system. This knowledge is essential for the development of novel therapies to effectively treat infectious and non-infectious (autoimmune and cancer) diseases and to enhance our understanding of immune responses during transplant rejections.

Trust Beta.

Trust Beta, food and human nutritional sciences
Chair in Grain-Based Functional Foods

The health care issues associated with North American diet and lifestyle include obesity, several forms of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. In order to counteract diet-related diseases, research in the area of functional foods is essential to allow development of accessible whole grain foods that will have a positive impact on the health of Canadians. Beta’s research addresses unique and critical questions relating to the extent to which constituents in foods can confer health benefits by scavenging excessive free radicals, inducing antioxidant defenses, reducing lipid oxidation, lowering LDL cholesterol, and inhibiting cancer cell proliferation following consumption of whole grain-based products.

Nediljko Budisa.

Nediljko Budisa, chemistry
Chair in Chemical Synthetic Biology
Coming from Technische Universitat Berlin, Germany

Modern genetic engineers aim at building living systems in order to establish technologies to produce virtually every imaginable medically or industrially interesting substance. The long-term objective of Budisa’s research is to create highly modular bio-inspired materials useful for both academia and (bio)industrial purposes. Budisa will achieve these objectives by 1) developing protein-based natural polymer materials with the potential to revolutionize bone surgery and wound healing; 2) engineering biological alternatives to conductive carbon nanotubes for use in energy storage, water filters, bio-electronic devices and more.

Annette Desmarais.

Annette Desmarais, sociology and criminology
Chair in Human Rights, Social Justice and Food Sovereignty (Renewed)

The goal of this research program is to advance research on the conceptual framework, practice, politics and potential of food sovereignty to build ecologically sustainable, socially-just, and healthy food systems. The objectives of the proposed research are: 1) to investigate the role of land tenure dynamics in enhancing and/or hindering the implementation of food sovereignty in Canada and beyond; 2) to conduct a gender analysis of member organizations of La Vía Campesina and its international strategies and structures; and 3) to analyze the experiences and challenges of youth entering agriculture and engaging in food system transformation.

Colin Gilmore.

Colin Gilmore, electrical and computer engineering
Chair in Applied Electromagnetic Inversion

Gilmore’s research program will advance the art and science of Applied Electromagnetic Inversion (EMI), which uses electromagnetic waves to quantitatively image internal properties of objects and inaccessible regions of interest. The objectives are to: 1) develop new EMI systems to improve imaging sensitivity and resolution; 2) advance the algorithms that create the images from the data; and 3) develop entirely novel systems (hardware and algorithms) for imaging remote targets. This research program will have immediate impact on food security, cancer diagnosis and monitoring, and arctic science and geo-prospecting.

Nancy Kang.

Nancy Kang, women’s and gender studies
Chair in Transnational Feminisms and Gender-Based Violence
Coming from the University of Baltimore, USA

Kang’s research will interrogate how black, Indigenous, and Asian-descended women in Canada and the United States articulate their experiences with gender-based violence in situations of mass oppression, or what may be termed inter-ethnic/inter-racial nodes. Nodes are clusters of historical experiences within which manifestations of violence—especially gender and sexuality-based—exist and flourish, often through state sanction. The research compares and contrasts transnational textualities (both lived and imagined) by using a postcolonial feminist-of-color lens. Such nodes as slavery, residential/boarding schools, incarceration, and immigration illustrate the need for multi-faceted dialogues between and about women of color.

Kiera Ladner.

Kiera Ladner, political studies
Chair in Miyo we’citowin, Indigenous Governance & Digital Sovereignties

Focusing on theoretical and community-based research, this program of research will deepen understanding of decolonization, reconciliation, and resurgence within Canada and Anglo-settler societies. Ladner’s research program will interrogate and pursues miyo-we’citowin, governance and community-based research through four major projects: 1) a comparative project on treaties which focuses on treaty narratives and their potential for decolonization; 2) a comparative constitutional law and Indigenous politics participatory digital archive project seeking to radically transform data collection and knowledge mobilization; 3) a collaborative Indigenous archives project addressing intellectual sovereignty and community-based research; and 4) a research and community outreach initiative on decolonizing governance and rebuilding communities. 

Lorenzo Livi.

Lorenzo Livi, computer science
Chair in Complex Data
Coming from the University of Exeter, UK

Many natural and man-made systems are now observable with a high level of detail, allowing us to investigate and understand phenomena with an unprecedented level of sophistication. However, data describing such systems require complex representations encoding both temporal and spatial information. Livi’s research program will: 1) design data-driven methods to process spatio-temporal information represented as evolving graphs; 2) unravel the inner mechanisms explaining the functioning of (artificial) recurrent neural networks; 3) apply data-driven methods in structural biology and computational neuroscience for solving basic scientific problems having impact on society and health care.

Lisa Lix.

Lisa Lix, community health sciences
Chair in Methods for Electronic Health Data Quality

Electronic health databases, which contain digital information about an individual’s health and health care use, have significant potential to improve the population health. However, the accuracy and completeness of data in electronic medical records, registries, and administrative databases poses an ongoing challenge. Dr. Lix’s research will develop methods to measure and improve the quality of electronic health databases for studying chronic health conditions and predicting disease risk. Her research will lead to better health information systems for health care decision-making.

Sabine Mai.

Sabine Mai, physiology and pathophysiology, Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba
Chair in Genomic Instability and Nuclear Architecture in Cancer

Global incidences of cancer are expected to increase by 68 per cent between 2012 and 2030, according to Cancer Research UK. The genomic complexity of cancer requires new insights to provide treatment decisions that are truly personalized for each patient. Dr. Mai’s novel and transformative research will focus on genomic instability and alterations in nuclear genome architecture followed by the translation of these findings into the clinic to achieve personalized medicine solutions.

Sabine Mai

The University of Manitoba and CancerCare Manitoba are pleased to announce that professor Sabine Mai has been chosen as a 2015 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winner in the Sun Life Financial Trailblazers and Trendsetters category by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN).

The Top 100 Awards recognize Canada’s strong, fearless female leaders who have become agents of change in reshaping Canadian organizations at the highest levels.

“We are extremely proud of Dr. Mai. She is indeed a trailblazer and role model of female scientists in Canada and around the globe,” said Digvir Jayas, vice-president (research and international) at the U of M.

Mai is professor in the departments of physiology, biochemistry and medical genetics, human anatomy and cell science at the College of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences. She is a scientist with the Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, a joint institute of the U of M and CancerCare Manitoba.

Mai established and directs the Genomic Centre for Cancer Research and Diagnosis, a cutting edge and unique molecular imaging facility. Her research focuses on how instability of DNA occurs in cancer cells and has the potential to lead to new tools to diagnose cancer. She uses 3D imaging technologies to identify signs of gene instability. She was the first to introduce the use of super resolution microscopy to Canada and her facility purchased the first commercially available super resolution system in North America.

Mai joins a prestigious community of past Award Winners, including Canada’s most iconic women trailblazers: Margaret Atwood, best-selling author; Dr. Roberta Bondar, astronaut; Arlene Dickinson, chief executive officer, Venture Communications; Christine Magee, president, Sleep Country Canada; Michaëlle Jean, former Governor General of Canada; Heather Reisman, founder and chief executive officer, Indigo Books & Music; and, Kathleen Taylor, chair of the board, Royal Bank of Canada.

The full list of WXN’s 2015 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winners can be found at www.wxnetwork.com/top-100/top-100-winners.