“Kudos and Congratulations” recognizes achievements by faculty, residents and trainees in the Department of Surgery. Please send items to be included to alice.mui@ubc.ca
47. – another CIHR success
Congratulations to: 
Dr. Jan Ehses, (General Surgery)
who has received a CIHR grant to study “Targeting anti-inflammatory macrophages to treat type 2 diabetes.” It has long been known that type 1 diabetes (classically juvenile onset diabetes) occurs when a patient’s own immune system kills the insulin producing beta cells. Dr. Ehses’ research suggests that the body’s own immune system also contributes to beta cell malfunction in type 2 diabetes (T2D classically adult onset diabetes) via chronic inflammation, and that this involves the classic immune cell, the macrophage. Macrophages can hinder normal tissue function, or conversely promote the healing and regeneration of a tissue after it has been damaged. Since current therapies for T2D do not target the cause of beta cell failure and are not able to stop ongoing beta cell failure, this knowledge should assist in devising new strategies to halt and reverse beta cell failure in T2D.
posted : 2012-February-6
46. – CIHR successes
Congratulations to: 
Dr. Dan Luciani, (General Surgery)
who joined the Diabetes Research group at the Children’s and Family Research Institute in July 2011 has received his first CIHR grant !!! His grant entitled “Control of beta-cell mitochondrial physiology by core anti-apoptosis proteins.” studies the effect of high levels of fats and glucose on a group of pro-survival proteins in pancreatic islet cells. In particular, his lab is interested in the mechanisms by which beta-cells normally sense glucose and release insulin and we aim to clarify how these important cells fail under obesity-associated stress. His studies will help reveal important new ways to promote islet beta-cell survival and function. Such discoveries will help prevent the progression of diabetes in at-risk individuals and ultimately control the growing global diabetes epidemic in Canada and the world.
Congratulations to: 
Dr. Scott Tyldesley (Radiation Oncology)
who has been successful again with another CIHR grant entitled “Strategic configuration of cancer care services based on clinical, demographic and geographic considerations.” The objective of this proposal is to develop and evaluate a methodological framework to determine the strategic configuration of provincial cancer treatment services. The analyses will take into account current and future clinical practice, demographic characteristics and geographic considerations, and make use of evidence-based, analytical methodologies from the operations research field. Dr. Tyldesley has assembled an unique multi-disciplinary research team which includes researchers, clinicians, decision makers and health service leaders from the British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA) and researchers (faculty, PhD students and Post Doctoral Fellows) in operations research from the Sauder School of Business at UBC. These studies are essential to develop a system which efficiently coordinates services and utilization of resources in providing high quality diagnostic and clinical services.
posted : 2012-January-30
45. – Outstanding (and cold resistant at UNBC)
Congratulations to: 
Dr. Nadine Caron, (General Surgery)
who has received an Outstanding Alumni Award from SFU for 2012 (…..she won UBC’s Outstanding Alumni Award in 2003). Nadine Caron, BSc ’93 (Kinesiology) – Professional Achievement Surgeon, University Hospital of Northern BC When describing Dr. Nadine Caron, extraordinary is a word often used. Even as a student Nadine was extraordinary, winning more than 20 major academic awards. She was a star basketball player at SFU and earned the Shrum Gold medal as the top undergraduate student. She became the first female First Nations student to graduate from UBC’s School of Medicine, again as the top student, and was named one of Maclean’s “100 Canadians to Watch”. While completing her surgical residency, she completed her Masters of Public Health at Harvard. Today she continues to distinguish herself as an outstanding surgeon, researcher, mentor, educator, patient advocate and community leader. She is a faculty member in the Northern Medicine Program at University of Northern BC, an associate faculty member at John Hopkins Centre for American Indian Health, and an assistant professor with UBC’s Faculty of Medicine. She is passionate about health policy and has served on many committees to help shape Canada’s health agenda, including the BC and Canadian medical associations and the BC health ministry. She is internationally renowned for her advocacy work to address the special health needs and disparities of rural, remote, northern and Aboriginal communities. Through role-modeling and public speaking, she encourages First Nations youth to share her love of learning and further their education – an extraordinary legacy indeed.
posted : 2012-January-26
44. – Award to the Branch for International Surgery
Congratulations to:
Dr. Robert H. Taylor, Director Branch for International Surgery and Clinical Professor, Surgery
who has been chosen by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as the recipient of the 2012 Teasdale-Corti Humanitarian award.
The Teasdale-Corti award was established to acknowledge and celebrate Canadian physicians who, while providing health care or emergency medical services, go beyond the accepted norms of routine practice.
Dr. Taylor helped establish UBC’s Branch for International Surgery to address surgical care in international health and has travelled to nearly every continent in the world to provide surgical care and teaching in the developing world, including working for the International Red Cross in conflicted regions. In addition to this Royal College award in 2010 Dr Taylor was made a Member of the Order of Canada for his humanitarian contributions to improving medical services and surgical care in underserved populations of the world.
posted : 2012-January-11
NEWS page first released : 2010-July-12