In the earliest days of the Foundation, Dr Robert Brunham was integral in establishing and developing the Foundation and has dedicated his expertise and time to the organization. He has provided direction, advice and invaluable support to the Board of Directors.  Dr Brunham is head of the Vaccine Research Laboratory at the UBC CDC. He is a world authority in Chlamydia research, and is well known for his work on SARS and HIV.

Dr Jenn Gardy was also involved in the early days, helping the Foundation find the direction it would take in funding projects that were deemed a priority by the BC Centre for Disease Control and its researchers. During her time at the BC CDC, she was a Senior Scientist and Associate Professor at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health, as well as the Canada Research Chair in Public Health Genomics. Her work in pioneering whole genome sequencing of tuberculosis opened a new tools to understand pathogen transmission by incorporating bioinformatics, math modeling, information visualization and social sciences. Currently with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, she continues to keep in touch when we need her.

Additionally, we have always held an advisor position for whomever is the head of the BC CDC. Currently the interim Executive Lead is Dr David Patrick. He’s also the medical epidemiology lead for antimicrobial resistance at the CDC and a professor in the UBC School of Population and Public Health. An infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist with a career-long interest in responding to emerging infectious diseases, he is also keenly interested in reducing unnecessary antibiotic use in our communities. Having the head of the CDC as an advisor to the Foundation is truly key to ensuring that the Foundation is kept abreast of the CDC’s objectives and is best positioned to collaborate in a meaningful way.

For more information on our Board and Advisors, please visit our Board page.

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The objective of the OAP is to help enhance the research enterprise at BCCDC and to increase the opportunities for success at major peer review organizations such as CIHR. We offer three types of funding: i) money for blue sky, discovery, or pilot grants; ii) workshop and team-building grants, to bring colleagues together either for the exchange and discussion of new research and/or its translation into new policy/practice or to help in generation of research teams; iii) research travel awards for investigators to learn new techniques, exchange research information and prepare material for publication.

The deadline for applications is Monday April 1, 2019 at 4:30pm PST and is open only to faculty members of BCCDC/BCPHL. If you are faculty, please check your inboxes for a recent email containing Application Forms and Terms of Reference. If you didn’t receive one, or just would like more info, email : foundation@bccdc.ca

To learn more about the projects funded by the OAP by the BCCDC Foundation, please search this blog for the tag “OAP”

The post Call for Applications for Spring 2019 OAP Competition is Now Open! appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.

The UBC BC CDC Grand Rounds committee held its annual popcorn kick-off to the 2018-19 Grand Rounds schedule on Sept 11^th in its temporary location for the coming months: the Hardwick Hall of UBC MSAC (Medical Student & Alumni Centre).

As an interesting start to the year, those present watched a screening of the award winning documentary “Resistance”  (with the blessing of the director and paid licencing for group viewing).

A synopsis:  Antibiotics were first massed-produced in the 1940s and their ability to fight and kill bacteria revolutionized medicine and profoundly impacted everything from agriculture to war. After less than 80 years, these miracle drugs are failing. Resistant infections kill hundreds of thousands of people around the world each year and there are now dozens of so-called superbugs each with its own challenges and costs. How did this happen? Using microscopic footage, harrowing personal stories, and expert insights, RESISTANCE clarifies the problem of antibiotic resistance, how we got to this point, and what we can do to turn the tide. You can view a trailer for the film here.

Thanks to @meenrz for the photos!

Upcoming UBC BC CDC Grand Rounds sessions will include talks on making sense of whole genome sequencing metadata, an update on the air quality health index for Vancouver, infectious diseases of the future, and machine learning/AI in public health, just to name a few.

The post Popcorn Kickoff for 2018-19 Grand Rounds a Success! appeared first on Pacific Public Health Foundation.

The Award is a people’s choice that recognizes inspirational immigrants who have come to Canada, achieved success and made a positive difference living here. Whether it’s a community advocate or volunteer, a successful entrepreneur or a cultural icon, this is the first Canadian national award program that recognizes immigrants’ achievements from all walks of life.

To see his story and those of the other Award winners, please click through to Canadian Immigrant magazine’s website:  https://canadianimmigrant.ca/canadas-top-25-immigrants/canadas-top-25-immigrants-2017

The BCCDC Foundation is pleased to be have been the source of some of the funding for Dr. Morshed’s research projects and we wish him continued success as he strives to find answers in the world of microbiology.

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