The Canadian gastrointestinal (GI) research community is a world leader in advancing our understanding of many areas of physiology and pathophysiology relevant to GI disease. These highly successful research programs have created an excellent cohort of graduate and postgraduate research trainees involved in GI research at institutions across Canada. These trainees play an instrumental role in the discoveries and new knowledge that has emerged from their laboratories. Many of them are funded by the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) in collaboration with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC) and a number of industry partners.
In recognition of the value of the Canadian GI trainees’ outstanding research contributions, and to promote and encourage the continued efforts of the graduate and postgraduate research trainees in basic and clinical sciences, the CAG and CCFC held the 10th Symposium on Research Topics in GI diseases on February 24 to 25th, 2011, in Vancouver, British Columbia (in advance of Canadian Digestive Diseases Week [CDDW]). The goal of this meeting was to provide research trainees with an opportunity to informally present their original research from diverse disciplines to their peers and to a selection of faculty from across Canada. In this forum, trainees actively participated in the discussions of papers in an open setting. This year’s program consisted of a series of superb presentations describing cutting-edge research, with 30 podium scientific presentations of basic and clinical gastroenterology-related research, covering GI development, pathogenesis of esophago-GI inflammation and healing, enteric microbiota and pathogens including bacteria that promote cancer, and gastric ulceration, enteric nerves, and epithelial transport and barrier function. The keynote presentation by Dr Gil Kaplan was titled “Translational GI Research in the 21st Century: Statistical Considerations”. The program also included a research grant writing exercise, after which the groups of trainees developed their own proposals and presented them to the group.
Similar to previous years, a major success of the meeting was that it provided a venue in which trainees could meet their peers from across Canada, develop research skills and initiate collaborations, thus developing contacts for their future research career and the future of Canadian GI research. Participants rated the program as good to excellent, and described the meeting as an amazing experience and a valuable opportunity for young researchers to exchange learning.
The CAG is proud to acknowledge its Benefactor Corporate Sponsors:
Abbott Canada
AstraZeneca Canada Inc
Olympus Canada Inc
Pentax Canada Inc
Merck & Co Inc
Takeda Canada Inc
Acknowledgments
The organizers thank the CCFC for helping to support this meeting. In addition, we thank the invited faculty, Drs Carla Coffin and Gil Kaplan, for their commitment and valuable contributions to this meeting.
PARTICIPANTS AND FACULTY IN THE 10TH SYMPOSIUM ON RESEARCH TOPICS IN GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASE, FEBRUARY 24 TO 25, 2011
Participants: Joannie Allaire, Sherbrooke, Quebec; Daniela Ardelean, Toronto, Ontario; Francisco Bautista-Cruz, Kingston, Ontario; Manmish Bawa, Calgary, Alberta; Mamatha Bhat, Montreal, Quebec; Cristina Bosoi, Montreal, Quebec, Jean-Francois Bourzac, Sherbrooke, Quebec; Francois Brial, Sherbrooke, Quebec; Qi Cao, Bedford, Nova Scotia; Ran Chen, Edmonton, Alberta; Josh Collins, Hamilton, Ontario; James Cotton, Calgary, Alberta; Genevieve Coulombe, Sherbrooke, Quebec; Elnaz Hoshivar, Calgary, Alberta; Lisa Kish, Edmonton, Alberta; Vanessa Kissoon-Singh, Calgary, Alberta; Tamia Lapointe, Calgary, Alberta; Joshua Lee, Calgary, Alberta; Manon Lepage, Sherbrooke, Quebec; Allen Lim, Calgary, Alberta; Mark Lukewich, Kingston, Ontario; Ryan Mathias, Calgary, Alberta; Travis Murdoch, Toronto, Ontario; Vivek Philip, Toronto, Ontario; L Patrick Schenck, Calgary, Alberta; Amira Seltana, Sherbrooke, Quebec; Victor Tso, Edmonton, Alberta; Sarah Tulk, Calgary, Alberta; Sara Turner, Calgary, Alberta; Aman Wadhwani, Calgary, Alberta. Faculty: Dr Carla Coffin, Calgary, Alberta; Dr Ken Croitoru, Toronto, Ontario; Dr Nicola Jones, Toronto, Ontario; Dr Gil Kaplan, Calgary, Alberta; Dr Steve Vanner, Kingston, Ontario.
SAVE THE DATE: RESEARCH TOPICS IN GI DISEASE XI, FEBRUARY 22 TO 23, 2012
The CAG’s Research Topics in GI Disease provides a unique opportunity for graduate students, PhD and MD postdoctoral trainees, including adult or pediatric trainees (beyond their core training, ie, ‘PGY5/PGY6’) engaged in GI research, to attend the 11th Annual Research Topics in GI Disease Meeting (February 22 to 23, 2012) being held directly in advance of CDDW 2012 in Montreal, Quebec. This small group meeting provides an intimate setting for participants to present their research findings, and to engage in career development workshops and skill building exercises among enthusiastic expert faculty in the field. In addition, participants will be able to register to attend CDDW 2012 and take advantage of trainee-focused events including the trainee workshop (small group session focused on research opportunities as well as application writing), faculty-directed poster reviewing sessions, key lectures (Young Investigator Award Lecture, Research Excellence Award Lecture) among many other sessions at CDDW.
Applicants must submit an abstract (using the CDDW meeting’s online abstract system). Abstracts will be reviewed, ranked and selected by the CAG Research Committee. Abstracts that are accepted to the Research Topics meeting are also considered for presentation at the CDDW meeting.
Funding will be available to support transportation to the Research Topics in GI Disease meeting and cover the cost of shared accommodation during the Research Topics course. Limited spots will be available on a competitive basis. The call for abstracts will be issued in early September. Stay tuned to the CAG website at www.cag-acg.org for more information.
SOME PAST RESEARCH TOPICS MEETING PHOTOS:
Research Topics in GI Disease VII, October 12 to 14, 2007, King City, Ontario
Research Topics in GI Disease VIII, October 24 to 26, 2008, Toronto, Ontario
A group assignment at Research Topics in GI Disease IX, October 16 to 18, 2009, King City, Ontario