They wanted to help, so she began by teaching them about TB and respiratory infections. Then she and the prisoners co-developed a community-based surveillance program that aimed to identify inmates with TB symptoms.

She also started a support group for prisoners with the disease. Together, they co-developed educational videos, materials and even a song.

“This experience made me understand the power of involving people with lived experience in research,” says Rueda, who grew up in Colombia. “I listened to them. I learned from them. It changed my life and shaped how I do research today.”

Rueda, who is both a medical doctor and an epidemiologist, was educated at Colombia’s University of Antioquia. She has long-standing collaborative connections with UM scientists because she participated as a PhD student in the International Infectious Disease and Global Health Training Program, which is based at UM and has multiple partners in Colombia.

In 2021, she joined UM as an associate professor of medical microbiology and infectious diseases and Canada Research Chair in sexually transmitted infection — resistance and control.

Her Manitoba research focuses on pneumonia, TB, HIV and sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs).

She works with marginalized populations, studying, for example, why multiple infections co-occur in many patients and whether biomarkers in blood could hold the key to on-the-spot diagnostic testing.

Before starting her HIV research, Rueda and her team brought together more than a dozen Winnipeg community members with lived experience — including people living with HIV, people who used drugs and people without housing — and trained them as co-researchers.

“One of the main lessons they taught me is the beauty of delivering messages simply. As researchers, we love elaborate explanations, when actually people prefer simple, plain, clear and concrete messages.”

The community members co-developed calls to action, including messages for Manitoba health-care providers such as: “When testing for one STBBI, test for all.”

Rueda’s research has revealed the overlapping social conditions that contribute to HIV and sexually transmitted co-infections in Manitoba. Some of these findings appear in a newly published article in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas.

She has found that the province has a much higher rate of new HIV diagnoses in women, in people who inject drugs, and in people without housing than Canada as a whole, where new cases are more prevalent in men who have sex with men. “Manitoba requires different strategies,” she says.

Rueda received a 2023 Terry G. Falconer Memorial Rh Institute Foundation Emerging Researcher Award, recognizing her exceptional innovation, leadership and promise in her field.

She and her team are now partnering with Winnipeg’s Siloam Mission to study the use of dual rapid testing for HIV and syphilis to connect people with care more quickly.

Rueda is strongly committed to research that translates into practical improvements in care for underserved communities.

“I refuse to sit in a chair and say, ‘Wow, what a cool finding’ or ‘What a sad finding,’” she says. “We must work closely with people who are disproportionately affected by infectious diseases to change health policy.”

“I congratulate these successful Rady Faculty researchers and their partner networks whose work is contributing to the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right here in Manitoba and around the world,” said Dr. Mario Pinto, UM’s vice-president (research and international). 

“It is wonderful to see Manitoba leading the nation with the highest average and median grant values, a testament to the outstanding quality of research conducted at the University of Manitoba.”  

Dr. Peter Nickerson, vice-provost (health sciences) and dean of the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, said that the funded projects in the Spring 2024 competition show the diversity of health research taking place across the faculty.  

“The researchers are examining a wide range of topics – from new drug combinations to treat blood cancer to determining how the communication between astrocytes and neurons occurs. This CIHR funding is crucial for advancing science and will inevitably have an impact on the health of patients both locally and globally,” Nickerson said.  

One of the 11 Rady Faculty grant recipients is Dr. Jude Uzonna, professor of immunology at the Max Rady College of Medicine and vice-dean (research) at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. He and his team received $1,005,976 over five years to study what could one day lead to new treatments for leishmaniasis.  

Leishmaniasis is an understudied parasitic disease spread by sand flies that can cause skin sores and even fatal damage to internal organs. The disease affects more than 12 million people worldwide, Uzonna said, and it’s starting to spread to non-endemic countries like Canada.  

“It’s coming,” he said. “It’s really coming because of global warming, increased immigration from endemic countries to Canada and soldiers coming back from peacekeeping duties. The numbers are growing, but if we can develop a vaccine for it, then it becomes a magic bullet used to prevent it.”  

The team has found that leishmaniasis triggers the production of a molecule called pentraxin 3 (PTX3) in infected people. PTX3 weakens a specific part of the immune system that normally helps fight the parasite, so Uzonna suggests that targeting PTX3 might be a good way to develop new treatments for the disease.  

This study aims to better understand the role of PTX3 in the disease. It will also look at whether the level of PTX3 can predict if someone will benefit from treatment or not, which is important because the current drugs used can be toxic.  

“If we can show that PTX3 is causing a problem, then we can develop a molecule that can target and block PTX3 production. We can combine the molecule with a drug to make treatment more efficient and better. That will have a significant impact,” Uzonna said.  

Rady Faculty of Health Sciences CIHR project funding recipients 

Dr. Marissa Becker, professor of community health sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine 

Grant: $100,000 (one year)  

Using a program science approach, Becker and the team will develop a deeper understanding of how physical, organizational, social and relational dimensions of place shape ecologies of risk and safety for adolescent girls and young women, female sex workers and their male sexual partners in Nairobi County, Kenya. This work will generate contextualized knowledge for prioritizing place-based strategies to optimize sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection prevention program coverage and address unmet needs. 

Dr. Sanjiv Dhingra, professor of physiology and pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine; researcher, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre 

Grant: $1,067,176 (five years)  

Dhingra will lead a study focused on understanding the reasons for rejecting transplanted donor-derived mesenchymal stem cells in the heart. This research will help to develop strategies to prevent rejection and improve the survival of implanted stem cells in the heart. 

Dr. Jody Haigh, professor of pharmacology and therapeutics, Max Rady College of Medicine; researcher, Research Institute in Oncology and hematology, CancerCare Manitoba 

Grant: $1,071,000 (five years) 

Haigh aims to identify new drug combinations to treat aggressive forms of blood cancer and to determine ways to avoid drug resistance to these treatments that can sometimes occur during cancer therapy. This project will be important in identifying and confirming new drug approaches that can be used in personalized medical care for childhood and adult blood cancer patients in Canada. 

Dr. Julie Lajoie, assistant professor of medical microbiology and infectious diseases, and Francis A. Plummer Professorship in Global Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine 

Grant: $1,132,200 (five years)  

Lajoie and the team will follow female sex workers from Nairobi, Kenya, who are using an injectable contraception called depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) for six months and determine the immune activation and inflammatory profile in the blood and at the female genital tract. They will also examine whether using DMPA impacts the capacity to respond to previously exposed viruses and affects the cells’ capacity to respond to the stress hormone cortisol. 

Dr. Aaron Marshall, department head and professor of immunology, Max Rady College of Medicine; researcher, Research Institute in Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba 

Grant: $1,151,326 (five years) 

Marshall’s project deals primarily with B lymphocytes, the immune system cells responsible for producing antibodies. The research aims to define the cellular reprogramming signals that either switch on or switch off B lymphocytes and how these networks are altered in chronic autoimmune disease. 

Dr. James Nagy, professor of physiology and pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine 

Grant: $898,876 (five years)  

Using experimental mouse models, Nagy and the team will determine how spinal neurons, called V0c neurons, contribute to force level control in the limbs. He expects the results will challenge current textbook knowledge on force generation during movement and reveal new concepts on how command signals to motoneurons are converted to desired levels of muscle activity. 

Dr. Zulma Rueda, associate professor of medical microbiology and infectious diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine; Canada Research Chair in Sexually Transmitted Infection – Resistance and Control 

Grant: $688,501 (four years)  

Rueda will lead a study that will generate a comprehensive and systematic understanding of the knowledge, attitudes and practices about HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBI) among people living with HIV and people who face disproportionate risk of acquiring HIV/STBBI (people experiencing houselessness, people who inject drugs) and health and service providers in Manitoba. 

Dr. Tabrez Siddiqui, associate professor of physiology and pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine; researcher, Kleysen Institute for Advanced Medicine, Health Sciences Centre; researcher, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba 

Grant: $1,143,676 (five years)  

Neurexins are essential proteins that help nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other, and changes in the genes for these proteins can increase the risk of developing autism. Siddiqui’s research highlights the possibility of fixing certain brain communication issues by targeting specific proteins, offering hope for new treatments. 

Dr. Jillian Stobart, assistant professor, College of Pharmacy 

Grant: $944,776 (five years)  

Stobart’s project aims to determine how the communication between astrocytes and neurons occurs. This will be the first evidence that astrocytes can change brain circuits responsible for the sense of touch and is important because astrocyte-neuron communication changes in disease. Problems with astrocytes and their communication with neurons could be the missing link in these disorders. 

Dr. Geoffrey Tranmer, associate professor, College of Pharmacy  

Grant: $730,576 (five years)  

Tranmer and the team plan to create new and improved versions of the ALS drug edaravone and test the drug-like properties of these molecules in test tubes and ALS animal models. This will allow the team to determine and optimize the drug properties of the new ALS drug and will enable them to develop an optimized drug candidate ready for advanced clinical trials. 

Rueda is the 2023 recipient of the Terry G. Falconer Memorial Rh Institute Foundation Emerging Researcher Award in the Health Sciences category, in recognition of her innovative work on the syndemics of infectious diseases and her contributions to improving public health through evidence-based policy changes.

UM Today caught up with Rueda to learn more about her and the research she is undertaking.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your research.

I’m originally from Colombia, where I studied medicine and earned a PhD in epidemiology. My research focuses on four main areas: pneumonia, tuberculosis, HIV and sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections.

I work primarily with marginalized populations to understand the epidemiology and co-infections of these diseases. My lab, the Exposome Lab, and the AllTogether4IDEAS team, study all the exposures that affect health, both genetic and environmental, and how these interact to create negative health outcomes.

I’m also passionate about diagnostics and ensuring quick and accurate diagnoses to improve treatment outcomes. I believe in translating research into action by advocating for policy changes to improve public health.

Why is this research important?

Our research in Manitoba on HIV and sexually transmitted infections revealed a unique epidemiology compared to the rest of Canada. Nationally, new HIV diagnoses are predominantly reported among gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men, with two-thirds of cases in males and less than 20 per cent among people who inject drugs.

In contrast, Manitoba sees a different pattern: half of the newly diagnosed HIV cases are females, with a significant overrepresentation of people who inject drugs and those experiencing houselessness. This research sheds light on these intersecting conditions, such as sex, houselessness, injection drug use and mental health issues, that disproportionately impact these populations.

By understanding these unique epidemiological patterns, we can develop targeted interventions and support systems to improve health outcomes for those most affected in Manitoba.

What does winning the Rh Award mean to you?

Receiving the Rh Award was an emotional experience for me. It represents recognition of the incredible teamwork behind my research. It’s also a personal boost as a first-generation immigrant facing many challenges.

This award acknowledges the support of my family, mentors and colleagues who have guided me. It carries a responsibility to continue leading by example and advancing our work to improve public health.

What do you hope to achieve in the future?

I aim to expand our network of researchers and collaborators, including those with lived experiences. My ultimate goal is to generate evidence that transforms the lives of the populations we study.

Advocacy remains a key component of our work, ensuring that research findings are used to drive meaningful change. Additionally, I’m committed to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, recognizing that success is subjective and individualized.

What about you might people find surprising?

I live life to the fullest, valuing the present and embracing activities that bring joy, like dancing to salsa music, enjoying wine and coffee, traveling and spending time with loved ones.

Any advice for early-career researchers and students?

Be open-minded, flexible, humble and collaborative. Each person must find their own work-life balance. Follow your dreams and instincts, no matter how challenging.

I remember a professor telling me I couldn’t conduct research in Colombian prisons because I was too young and a woman. But I persisted, and that research changed my life. Listening to and collaborating with people who have lived experiences has been invaluable.

Bolton, whose field is psychiatric epidemiology, studies mental health in populations. She uses complex data analysis methods to reveal patterns in health data, such as the interrelationship between trauma, at-risk populations and suicidal behaviours.  

“I always kind of saw myself as the person running the stats,” says Bolton, who joined the Max Rady College of Medicine faculty in 2020 as an assistant professor of psychiatry, with an adjunct appointment in community health sciences.

“My role has really shifted dramatically.”

Bolton gradually took on mentorship and leadership roles during her graduate and postdoctoral work.

Now, as a faculty member, she is responsible for co-leading a large interdisciplinary team, ranging from psychiatrists and social workers to technical support staff, that provides and evaluates a virtual mental health skills training program for Manitobans through the CBTm (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy with Mindfulness) Hub.

The assistant professor is one of seven faculty members or students in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences who have received The Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Women’s Leadership Development Awards in the 2023 round of funding.

Bolton’s award will fund her to attend a two-day program, Leadership Skills for Engineering and Science Faculty, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston this summer.

“All my leadership training has been through experience and on the job,” she says. “I’ve modelled my leadership style after my own mentors, who have been fabulous, but the majority of them are men.”

Women still face unique challenges in terms of proving themselves as capable leaders and role models, often while juggling family responsibilities, Bolton says.

“I’m hoping the program at MIT will allow me to recognize areas where I can improve my leadership skills and develop my strengths. I also hope it will help me to become a strong female role model to my team and students.”

The $250,000 Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Fund was established in 2019.

“These awards give us a great opportunity to recognize and support emerging women leaders,” says Dr. Jacquie Ripat, vice-dean (academic affairs) of the Rady Faculty. “The recipients are a source of inspiration and will contribute to developing an inclusive and equitable academic environment.”

Here are the other 2023 award recipients:

Dr. Laura Chisick

Dr. Laura Chisick, assistant professor and section head of general internal medicine, will attend the Leadership Strategies for Evolving Health Care Executives program at Harvard University.

“I believe this program will give me the tools I need to navigate our health-care system at this pivotal time,” Chisick says. “As a general internist, I work every day towards improving patient care.”

Dr. Renée Douville

Dr. Renée Douville, associate professor of pharmacology and therapeutics, is taking online courses through the Yale School of Management in the areas of Women’s Leadership, Leading Teams and Leading with Power and Influence. 

Douville has been tasked with co-developing a joint master’s program in neuroscience between UM and the University of Strasbourg in France.

“I see this training as a pathway to better manage the team supporting this program and guide its future students,” she says. “My overarching goal is to grow as a female role model and leader by gaining dynamic, transferable leadership skills.”

Dr. Amanda Fowler-Woods

Dr. Amanda Fowler-Woods, assistant professor of community health sciences, will attend the Intermediate Indigenous Women in Leadership program at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Alberta.

She hopes to explore her potential as a driver for change in the academic and health-care systems. 

“This course will support the development of my leadership skills through connecting with other Indigenous women, teachers and Elders through land-based learning, ceremony and culture,” she says.

Dr. Zulma Rueda

Dr. Zulma Rueda, associate professor of medical microbiology and infectious diseases and Canada Research Chair in sexually transmitted infection – resistance and control, will attend a hybrid online/in-person program at Harvard University called Women Leaders: Advancing Together.

“I would like to grow my capacity and confidence to speak to those in power, enhance my negotiation skills, navigate complex situations, and recognize and overcome organizational barriers,” Rueda says. “My dream is to become a mentor who empowers and supports other women to rise and lead.”

Ellie Jack

Ellie Jack, a PhD candidate in community health sciences, has a research focus on mental health service access and financial well-being.

She will participate in a program called Leading Strategic Student Success through the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

“I’m passionate about post-secondary education,” Jack says. “This training will help me refine my leadership skills so that in future roles as a post-secondary instructor, I can best support student development.”

Abigail Kawadza

Abigail Kawadza is a master’s student in the administration stream at the College of Nursing, which prepares graduates for careers in nursing management and administration.

Kawadza, who has been a nurse for more than a decade, will participate in the LEADS Leadership Foundations online program for health-care professionals through the Canadian College of Health Leaders.

“My area of research interest is the dynamic between nurses and leaders,” she says. “Specifically, what do nurses expect from their leaders, and how can leaders improve the nursing work environment to retain and sustain a healthy workforce?”

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 recently announced grants from the Fall 2022 funding round went to faculty members in medicine, nursing and pharmacy.

“This outstanding result reflects the high calibre of our health researchers,” said UM Vice-President (Research and International) Dr. Mario Pinto.

“This funding will enable UM laboratory scientists to advance knowledge in areas such as cardiovascular health, spinal cord injury, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Rett syndrome. Rady Faculty investigators will also conduct cutting-edge data research, as well as vital studies aimed at supporting mental health and well-being.”

The largest grant of more than $1.4 million went to a team led by Dr. Linda Larcombe, an associate professor of internal medicine, community health sciences and medical microbiology/infectious diseases.

Larcombe is an anthropologist whose research focuses on First Nations history, health and collaborative research. Her grant will fund a three-year project called “Connecting with cultural heritage: Land-based learning and healing through archeology in northern Manitoba.”

The study team will create and evaluate a land-based healing and cultural heritage program that will enable youth to explore archeological sites and artifacts reflecting the thousands of years of Inuit, Dene and Cree presence along the coast of Hudson Bay at Churchill, Man.

“We will determine if cultural heritage in land-based healing programming can contribute to wellness and leadership development of Inuit, Dene and Cree youth,” the researchers wrote.

Here’s a look at the other funded projects. More information on the studies and research teams is available here.

Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov, distinguished professor, psychiatry, Max Rady College of Medicine

Grant: $100,000 (one year)

In Chochinov’s study, health-care professionals will hold conversations with cancer patients, guided by the Patient Dignity Question: “What do I need to know about you as a person to take the best care of you possible?” The study will measure how this affects the experiences of both patients and care providers.

Dr. Ian Dixon, professor, physiology and pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine; principal investigator, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital

Grant: $1,040,400 (five years)

Dixon’s project centres on proteins and processes involved in skin wound healing, with the goal of developing treatments to speed wound closure and reduce scarring. The study will investigate how age and sex affect dermal healing. It will also examine the healing of skin damage caused by chemotherapy and radiation.

Dr. Soheila Karimi, professor, physiology and pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine; researcher, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM)

Grant: $1,136,025 (five years)

Neural stem cell therapy has exciting potential for patients with spinal cord injury, but it currently faces the challenge that the cells die after they are transplanted. Karimi’s project will test an experimental treatment aimed at optimizing the use of neural stem cells for repairing spinal cord injury.

Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, assistant professor, medical microbiology and infectious diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine; Canada Research Chair in molecular pathogenesis of emerging viruses; researcher, CHRIM

Grant: $750,000 (five years)

Kindrachuk’s team will investigate the circulation and transmission of the monkeypox virus in wildlife in regions of Africa where the virus is endemic, as well as surrounding areas. They will also assess the potential impact of the virus on Canadian wildlife.

Dr. Lorrie Kirshenbaum, professor, physiology and pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine; Canada Research Chair in molecular cardiology; director, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre

Grant: $853,931 (five years)

Kirshenbaum’s project builds on the growing evidence of a link between body-clock disruptions – like those experienced by shift workers and people with health issues such as sleep apnea – and cardiac dysfunction. He will investigate the relationship between circadian disruption and heart attack.

Dr. Lisa Lix, professor, community health sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine; Canada Research Chair in methods for electronic health data quality

Grant: $508,725 (three and a half years)

Lix’s study focuses on using anonymized health-care databases to construct personal and family disease histories for chronic illnesses, such as heart disease. Researchers will compare two methods for creating disease histories, using data from Manitoba and Denmark, and assess their value for predicting disease risk.

Dr. Suresh Mishra, professor, internal medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine

Grant: $100,000 (one year)

Mishra will explore the role of cholesterol in the body’s production of steroid hormones. He aims to develop new ways to treat altered steroid hormone levels, which can lead to infertility and illnesses such as inflammatory diseases.

Dr. Neeloffer Mookherjee, professor, internal medicine; researcher, CHRIM

Grant: $100,000 (one year)

Mookherjee’s team will look at differences in how rheumatoid arthritis (RA) develops in males and females. In addition to using a mouse model, her team will study human samples from close relatives of RA patients, who may show changes in their blood before the appearance of clinical RA symptoms.

Dr. Christopher Pascoe, assistant professor, physiology and pathophysiology; researcher, CHRIM

Grant: $100,000 (one year)

Pascoe’s project aims to better understand how diabetes in pregnancy increases the risk of asthma in offspring. He will examine how maternal diabetes increases the twitchiness of airway smooth muscle in the lungs of offspring, and whether a specific enzyme co-ordinates changes in this muscle.

Dr. Mojgan Rastegar, professor, biochemistry and medical genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine; researcher, CHRIM

Grant: $990,675 (five years)

Rastegar has been working for more than 10 years to understand the pathobiology of Rett syndrome, a severe neurodevelopmental disorder in young children. This study will investigate the molecular and cellular abnormalities of the brain in this syndrome. The goal is to pave the way for therapeutic strategies.

Dr. Emily Rimmer, assistant professor, internal medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine

Grant: $307,530 (three years)

Rimmer’s project is a pilot study in preparation for an international randomized controlled trial of therapeutic plasma exchange as a treatment for septic shock. The researchers see potential for this treatment to save lives by removing harmful substances from the blood and replacing missing blood components.

Dr. Zulma Rueda, associate professor, medical microbiology and infectious diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine; Canada Research Chair in sexually transmitted infection – resistance and control

Grant: $100,000 (one year)

Rueda’s team will look at the incidence and impact of methamphetamine use and concurrent sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections in people living with HIV in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. One of the study’s goals is effective knowledge-sharing among people living with HIV, service providers and communities.

Dr. Geoffrey Tranmer, associate professor, College of Pharmacy

Grant: $100,000 (one year)

Tranmer will focus on edaravone, one of the few drugs approved to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In its current form, this medication has many limitations. Tranmer’s team plans to develop improved versions of edaravone and test them in order to optimize the drug and prepare it for advanced clinical trials.

Dr. Sonia Udod, associate professor, College of Nursing

Grant: $450,000 (three years)

Udod’s research will examine how health system leaders have adapted in response to the pandemic. She aims to determine how leaders can build their own and nurses’ psychological health and well-being to ensure a healthy workforce and organizational resilience at hospitals during and after the COVID-19 crisis.

Dr. Roberta Woodgate, distinguished professor, College of Nursing; Canada Research Chair in child and family engagement in health research and healthcare; researcher, CHRIM

Grant: $776,475 (five years)

Woodgate’s youth-centred, mixed-methods study aims to understand the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health and well-being of Manitoba youth who have come of age during the pandemic. The findings will inform recommendations to improve services and supports for this population.

Grant: $100,000 (one year)

Woodgate’s team will also conduct a youth-centered, arts-based longitudinal study that will result in the creation and evaluation of a toolkit. This toolkit, co-created by youth, will be designed for use in schools to foster social connectedness and optimize youth mental health and well-being.

The awards were announced today by the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. The new UM CRCs will receive $6.4 million over the next five to seven years.

“Our government is taking action to attract and retain the world’s brightest and most distinguished researchers,” said Bains. “For over 20 years, the Canada Research Chairs Program has been mobilizing Canada’s most esteemed academics to train and mentor the next generation of researchers and pursue ground breaking research that responds to society’s economic, social and health needs.”

Ten of the UM CRCs have been awarded to early career researchers and one prestigious Tier 1 chair to an established UM clinician-scientist. The CRC Program provides funding to universities to recruit and retain Canada’s knowledge leaders. Tier 1 chairs are acknowledged by their peers as world leaders in their fields and are appointed for seven years, receiving $1.4 million in funding over their terms. Tier 2 chairs are exceptional emerging researchers in their fields, appointed for rive years, receiving $500,000 in funding over their terms.

“I congratulate this amazing group of research leaders in being awarded Canada Research Chairs,” said Dr. Digvir Jayas, vice-president (research and international) and Distinguished Professor. “It is a significant career milestone to receive such recognition of excellence by Canada’s research funding program.”

The new UM CRC’s are:

Nandika Bandara (Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences) Tier 2 CRC in Food Protein Processing & Bioproducts

Kristine Cowley (Physiology and Pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences) Tier 2 CRC in Function and Health after Spinal Cord Injury

Britt Drögemöller (Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences) Tier 2 CRC in Pharmacogenomics & Precision Medicine

Danielle Gaucher (Psychology, Faculty of Arts) Tier 2 CRC in Social Inequality, Gender and Public Policy

Terry Klassen (Pediatrics & Child Health, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences/ Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba) Tier 1 CRC in Clinical Trials

Robert Mizzi (Educational Administration, Foundations & Psychology, Faculty of Education) Tier 2 CRC in Queer, Community and Diversity Education

Zulma Rueda (Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences) Tier 2 CRC in Sexually Transmitted Infection – Resistance and Control

Souradet Shaw (Community Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences) Tier 2 CRC in Program Sciences & Global Public Health

Elizabeth Wall-Wieler (Community Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences) Tier 2 CRC in Population Data Analytics and Data Duration

Nicole Wilson (Environment & Geography, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources) Tier 2 CRC in Arctic Environmental Change and Governance

Galen Wright (Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences) Tier 2 CRC in Neurogenomics

The CRC program recognizes that diversity is indispensable to research excellence and is committed to working alongside Canadian institutions to achieve its equity targets and reflect the diversity of Canada’s population by 2029. Among the 259 Canada Research Chair recipients announced today, 26% self-identified as racialized minorities, 5% as Indigenous Peoples, 10% as persons with disabilities and 51% as women.

Tell us about your research.

Amazingly, 25% of the global population is infected with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). LTBI is the dormant form that if ‘contained’ can prevent the development of active tuberculosis (TB) and TB transmission. There are no effective diagnostic tests to guide effective LTBI treatment for general population and for high-risk groups, where people living with HIV (PLHIV) have the highest risk of TB progression and causes one in three acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related deaths, and it is a significant global health burden in some Canadian Indigenous communities. The World Health Organization has identified those with TB but not showing symptoms (called latent TB infection, LTBI), as the leading gap undermining global efforts to eliminate TB. This research program will identify factors in the blood, called biomarkers, in LTBI by studying genetic and non-genetic factors of exposure in well-defined TB cohorts from around the world. These biomarkers will allow the identification of those with LTBI so they can be treated before they become ill and infectious.

My program has always emphasised providing mentorship and excellent training for undergrad and graduate students. I am looking forward contributing to capacity building of future infectious diseases epidemiologies.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am from Colombia, based in Medellin since 1999, where I did my medical studies and PhD training in epidemiology. Medellin is the second most populous city, also named as the city of eternal spring.

Currently, I’m an associate professor at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, and on January next 2021 will begin my appointment as CRC at UM. I was introduced to UM during my PhD training in the IID&GHTP program led by Dr. Keith Fowke. That exposure allowed me to learn about the strength of UM in the area of infectious diseases and host pathogen interaction. For the past 8 years I’ve had active funded research with collaboration with UM, the National Microbiology Laboratory and the JcWilt National Retrovirology Laboratory. Through this collaboration I was involve in the development of an active exchange program that included BSc, master, PhD and clinical medicine and infectious diseases trainees, and this exchange program has a tremendous potential for expansion with mutual benefits to Colombia and Canada.

UM has a long history as a leader in infectious diseases research with strong HIV and STI research groups involved in diverse international research in Canada, Africa, Asia and South America, and this strong network will provide access to cohorts in different settings. Manitoba is now experiencing very high burden of sexully-transmitted infections (STI) and research is needed to help to understand the syndemics of STI and blood borne pathogens, in order to improve prevention and treatment.

What does CRC funding mean to you as a researcher?

In middle-income countries researchers do not receive protected time to do research. My CRC funding will allow me to dedicate almost my entire time to answer research questions. It will allow me to draw additional resources and collaborations to grow the research group and hopefully answer additional research questions. When you look at the CRC chair holders, you find a very strong group of highly qualified productive and diverse researchers in all disciplines across Canada. The opportunity to network with other CRC chair holders will allow me to bring an additional research lens.

How did you feel when you learned you were awarded your Canada Research Chair?

While speaking to my sister, I was checking my email and found out I was successful. I felt incredibly happy and proud and excited by the opportunity. This was the best evidence that you should always follow your dreams.

What inspires you?

There are many people that inspired me throughout all my life. But my two supervisors, Dr. Lazaro Velez and Dr. Maria Patricia Arbeláez taught me by example. They provided support no matter how ambitious the project was and comprehensive guidance and positive critiques.

What about you would people find surprising?

I spent my youth in Barranquilla [a port city located near the Caribbean Sea], I think my heart is in the coast. I love soccer, reading, cooking, and I’m a huge fun of salsa music and beaches.

Do you have any advice for students/young grad students starting their career?

People always will tell you what you cannot do. Follow your dreams. Dream, work, persevere, be open minded and flexible to new ideas and changes. And never give up your goals and dreams, no matter what people tell you.