Join top experts from Canada and around the worldat AllerGen’s Third Annual Research Conference,Innovation from cell to society3 in Banff, Alberta,Canada, February 10-12, 2008.

Professionals from across multiple disciplines and sec-tors will meet in the Rocky Mountains early next yearto look at the causes and progression of allergic andrelated immune diseases, with a special emphasis onthe link between allergy and the environment.

Highlighting existing knowledge, as well as the inno-vative and collaborative work going on within theNetwork’s integrated research programme, the con-ference will feature:

• keynote addresses by internationally renownedexperts;

• engaging scientific presentations featuringAllerGen investigators and trainees speakingto issues and outcomes arising from Networkresearch;

• panel discussions featuring representativesfrom research, industry, government and non-governmental organizations;

• opportunity to network with Canadian andinternational representatives from across

cont’d on page 8

Volume 3, Issue 3Fall 2007

I N N O V A T I O N F R O M C E L L T O S O C I E T Y

www.allergen-nce.ca

The NCE program is a joint initiative of theNatural Sciences and Engineering ResearchCouncil, the Canadian Institutes of HealthResearch, the Social Sciences and HumanitiesResearch Council and Industry Canada.

AllerGen NCE Inc. is dedicated to creating an enduring network of allergy and immunedisease experts whose discovery and development efforts contribute to reducing theimpact of allergic and related immune diseases in Canada and around the world.

AllerGen NCE Inc.Scientific Director & CEODr. Judah A. Denburg

Managing Director & COODiana Royce, EdD

AllerGen Administrative Centre is located at McMaster University1200 Main Street WestMichael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery, Room 3120Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5(905) 525-9140 ext 26502

All newsletter enquiries and comments should be sent to:Communications and Marketing OfficerJudi Pattison at pattisj@mcmaster.ca

I N N O V A T I O N F R O M C E L L T O S O C I E T Y

cont’d from page 1multiple disciplines and sectors;

• trainee research poster competition; and• a conference closing banquet.

Innovation from cell to society3 is geared to:• clinicians, researchers, pharmacists and other medical

professionals involved with allergic, immunologic andrespiratory diseases;

• federal, provincial and municipal policy makers;• pharmaceutical and bio-technology firms that invest

in research and discovery relating to allergy, asthmaand immune diseases;

• food producers and manufacturers;• entrepreneurs interested in innovative health products

and tools; and• students looking to pursue research and development

careers in industry or clinical settings in the field ofallergic and related immune disease.

If you would like more information or to register to attendInnovation from cell to society3, go to www.allergen-nce.ca.Registration forms are also available for download.

Sponsorship opportunities availableInnovation from cell to society3 provides an opportunity forindustry, non-profit and government representatives to net-work with AllerGen investigators and international researchpartners, initiating new and strengthening existing relation-ships.

Sponsorship oppor-tunities are designedso that sponsors willderive clear andimmediate valuefrom their invest-ment in AllerGen’sconference.

In addition to multi-ple advertisingopportunities in the conference programme, AllerGennewsletters and on the Network’s website, promotional dis-play space will be available to Platinum, Gold, Silver andBronze sponsors at the event. As well, promotional materialsprovided by conference supporters will be available in dele-gate packages.

AllerGen continues to grow as a Network, bringing togethermore than 160 researchers and over 150 trainees represent-ing 40 sites across Canada and around the globe. Innovationfrom cell to society3 provides a venue for science and industryto meet, leading to innovative collaborative opportunities.

Contact AllerGen’s Managing Director Diana Royce at 905-525-9140 ext. 26502, if your organization wishes toexplore conference sponsorship opportunities.

Allergic disease hot topic at Rocky Mountain resort

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2007 CONFERENCEPARTICIPATION REPORT

184 delegates in attendanceUniversity/hospital organizations: 72%Non-profit organizations: 13%Business and industry: 11%Government agencies/departments: 4%

Network NewsAllerGen would like to thank Principal Investigator Kent HayGlass,University of Manitoba, for his commitment and leadership aschair of AllerGen’s Advanced Education and Training OpportunitiesAdvisory Committee (AETOAC), 2005-2007.

* * *

AllerGen Principal Investigator Dr. Susan Waserman accepted a$10,000 cheque on June 27, 2007, to be used for patient educa-tion materials at the Pediatric Allergy and Asthma Clinic atMcMaster's Children's Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. The moneywas donated by local radio stations, CHML and Y108 Children'sFund.

The McMaster Children's Hospital is the second busiest children'shospital in Ontario. The hospital is a referral centre for more than2.3 million people in south central Ontario.

* * *

AllerGen trainee Jason Pole received recognition for his AllerGen-funded research at the recent Canadian Society for Epidemiologyand Biostatistics (CSEB) Conference inCalgary, Alberta.

Chosen as one of 12 students to make anoral presentation at the CSEB NationalStudent Conference on May 28, 2007, Polereceived third prize for outstanding researchand presentation from an independent panelof judges. More than 60 students studyingepidemiology and biostatics took part in thestudent conference.

Following on the heels of the student event was the CSEBConference attended by more than 300 delegates from across thecountry. Once again, Pole presented his research during a sessionfocused on respiratory health. He was awarded the event's topprize for student research.

Pole’s AllerGen-funded research was also selected for the StudentPrize Paper by the Society for Pediatric and Perinatal EpidemiologicResearch. As part of this award, Pole presented his work at theannual conference held in Boston, June 18-19, 2007.

* * *

AllerGen continues to add to its collective expertise at theNetwork Administrative Centre.

Shelley Burford is AllerGen’s new Network ProgrammeCoordinator. Burford will aid in the delivery of two key networkprogrammes – Highly Qualified Entrepreneurial Personnel and thenew International Partnership Initiative.

Kevin Reed is AllerGen’s new Information Technology Coordinator.He has been instrumental in improving computer network security,introducing new technologies such as web conferencing and theuse of wikis, as well as helping to re-organize AllerGen’s extensiveonline database.

Suzanne Bezzina provides administrative support as AllerGen’sExecutive Secretary.

Photo courtesy of B

anff Lake Louise Tourism

AllerGen programme leaderreceives Killam AwardAllerGen Programme Leader DeanBefus, PhD, is the recipient of the2007-08 Killam Award for Excellencein Mentoring at the University ofAlberta.

This annual award recognizes excel-lence in mentoring undergraduateand graduate students, postdoctoralfellows and visiting scholars.

Befus’s dedication to the develop-ment of future researchers extendsto his committment to the develop-ment of AllerGen trainees.

The important contributions ofAllerGen investigators to mentoringNetwork trainees helps to addressthe shortage of highly qualifiedentrepreneurial professionals in thefield of allergic and related immunediseases.

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AllerGen, TOPIGEN partner to provide hands-on training

AllerGen and TOPIGEN Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical stage bio-pharmaceutical company based in Montreal, are offering recentdoctoral graduates and MD clinician scientists the opportunity togain valuable experience in research and development in an indus-trial setting.

The AllerGen-TOPIGEN Industrial Research and DevelopmentFellowship will support promising doctoral and MD graduates whowant to gain allergy and asthma research experience in an industri-al setting.

The Fellowship provides $94,000 in support over two years, with$47,000 being contributed each by AllerGen and TOPIGEN. TheAllerGen-TOPIGEN Industrial Research and Development Fellowshipis aimed at recent doctoral and MD-trained graduates seekingemployment in Canadian industry for the first time.

AllerGen Scientific Director Dr. Judah Denburg believes thisFellowship will encourage young researchers and clinician scientiststo seek new directions for their post-academic research, andincrease Canadian capacity in allergic and related immune diseasesresearch and development.

“An important part of AllerGen’s mission is to attract Canada’s bestand brightest to the areas of allergic and related immune diseases,building Canadian capacity to deal with this increasingly prevalentchronic disease. The AllerGen-TOPIGEN Fellowship will help to dojust that,” says Denburg.

TOPIGEN Vice President, Discovery, Luc Paquet, PhD, says thisFellowship will give post-doctoral graduates and MD trained clini-cian scientists a better understanding of the biotech and pharma-ceutical industry, private funding, intellectual property and othercommercial applications of research that can help the Canadianeconomy expand and create new jobs.

This Fellowship will not only provide research and developmentexperience, but will allow young entrepreneurs to see first-handthe process behind commercialization of innovative research, willpromote industry awareness as to the capabilities of Canadian uni-versities and university research, and facilitate the transfer ofexpertise and technology.

“Innovation helps to create wealth. In the pharmaceutical industry,innovation comes from research. Since most of the small- andmedium-sized companies in Canada do not have large revenuestreams, assistance programmes like this Fellowship will help devel-op new research programmes, leading to pharmaceutical innova-tions,” says Paquet.

Paquet says his company’s collaboration with AllerGen will allowTOPIGEN to launch a new research initiative, which would not bepossible without this partnership.

TOPIGEN is a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical com-pany focused on developing new classes of inhaled drugs for respi-ratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease andasthma.

Discovering an entrepreneurial future Thirty AllerGen trainees and new professionals from 10universities across Canada attended the Second AnnualTrainee Symposium in King City, Ont., May 16-18, 2007.

Invited speakers focused on the importance of entrepre-neurialism in Canada’s biotechnology business sector atthis year’s event, Your Entrepreneurial Future. The sym-posium also included a poster competition in which 12trainees’ posters were entered.

Keynote speaker Kevin Fehr, PhD, director of basicresearch and genetics, research and development divi-sion of GlaxoSmithKline Inc. and a member of AllerGen’sBoard of Directors, opened the symposium with herpresentation, Choosing a career option: Have you thoughtabout Biotech? Fehr provided AllerGen trainees with anoverview of the wide range of career opportunities inthe Canadian biotech sector, an area critical to growingCanada’s economy.

Other presentations at the two-day event included:

• A CEO’s perspective on the importance of HQP: JeffreyCrelinsten, PhD, president of The Impact Group andpublisher of Re$earch Money, spoke to the importanceof developing highly qualified professionals to ensurethat research leads to new ideas that can be devel-oped into new products and services benefitingCanadians both socially and economically.

• Entrepreneurship in life sciences: Robert Foldes, execu-tive director of YORKBiotech Inc., described the impor-tance of networking, personal determination andenthusiasm when pursuing an entrepreneurial future.Foldes also discussed the challenges associated withfinding seed funding at the start-up stage of a newbusiness venture in Canada.

• Insider’s guide to career opportunities: A panel discus-sion focusing on career options open to trainees.Panelists Alan Hamilton, PhD, director of therapeuticsin respiratory medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim;Darlene Homonko, PhD, executive director at GoldenHorseshoe Biosciences Network at McMasterUniversity; and Frank Viti, chief executive officer atthe Asthma Society of Canada, shared their personalcareer paths, including challenges, opportunities andlessons learned.

• Spin-offs and start-ups: Consultants John Dickey, prin-cipal at Capital Insights Incorporated, and RogerBernier, PhD, former vice president at ForagenTechnology Management Inc., spoke about the impor-tance of a business plan to the commercialization ofresearch and entrepreneurial success.

potential to provide more accurate andtimely diagnosis of asthma, especially inyoung children. Adamko is in the processof firming up a series of patent applica-tions based on his findings in this AllerGenproject.

AllerGen Principal Investigator Paige Lacy,PhD, reported on her completed projectentitled Modulation of Exocytosis inAllergic Inflammation, which examined theproteomics of inflammatory cell activation,as well as selected kinases important forphosphorylation and her pending publica-tions, as part of her follow-on researchprogramme.

AllerGen Principal Investigator Dr. NicolaCherry, co-investigator Dr. Jeremy Beach,and trainees Nitin Kapur, Xiangning Fan,and Fortune Sithole discussed theirprogress on the AllerGen research project,Use of database linkage for the surveillanceof occupational asthma. Cherry reportedthat they have access to a dataset com-bining information on work and health forapproximately one million claims episodesin Alberta, and that they are now turningtheir expertise towards similar data fromBritish Columbia, as well as an examina-tion of the economic costs of occupationalasthma. With co-investigator IgorBurstyn, PhD, University of Alberta, andcollaborator Dr. Susan Kennedy at theUniversity of British Columbia, they expectto have the data analysis for Alberta andBC completed by August 2008. The resultsof this team’s research will be of interestto policy makers, workplace health andsafety organizations and employers.

AllerGen Principal Investigator MiriamStewart, PhD, together with team mem-bers from the universities of Alberta, NewBrunswick, British Columbia, Toronto,McMaster and Athabasca, are developinga research programme focused on socialsupport for children and youth with asth-ma, allergies and anaphylaxis, and their

parents. These studies assess the supportresources, needs, and intervention prefer-ences of affected children, youth, and par-ents. Findings will be used to design,implement, and evaluate an accessiblesupport intervention that overcomes geo-graphic, physical and temporal barriers,and tests intervention effects.

A site visit was conducted at theUniversity of Alberta Biobanking Centre,led by Dr. Bruce Ritchie, AssociateProfessor, Department of Medicine. Basedon best practices at biobanking centresaround the world, including the Centre forDisease Control in Atlanta, the CaliforniaState (Forensic) Laboratories, pharmaceuti-cal industry facilities, and CSIS, UK,Norway and Icelandic biobanking facilities,Ritchie and his team have developed afull-service low-overhead cost-recoverybiobanking facility that supplies supportfor ethics approvals in addition to provid-ing robust, validated, scalable biobankingservices guided by rigorously evaluatedstandard operation procedures. With theuse of robots, their own pipette innova-tions and the latest in internet-based bar-code technologies, Ritchie’s team has sixstudies under way and aims to partnerwith both industry and other researchteams to best utilize their capacity to

store 100,000 samples per freezer andretrieve 1,000 samples per hour. Ritchiedescribes his centre as a key part of thediscovery supply chain.

A partnership development meeting withMark Taylor, Director, Grants and Awards,Alberta Heritage Foundation for MedicalResearch (AHFMR), led to the developmentof a funding partnership betweenAllerGen, AHFMR and the CanadianSociety for Allergy and ClinicalImmunology (CSACI) in support of anAllerGen Student and New ProfessionalsNetwork networking event at the upcom-ing CSACI conference in Edmonton,September 27–30, 2007.

A meeting with Dean Befus, PhD,Programme B: Diagnostics andTherapeutics Research Leader, Dr. DonEnarson, senior advisor, InternationalUnion Against Lung Disease (The Union)and Dr. Anne Fanning, University ofAlberta and past-president of the TheUnion, was held to work out the details ofthe International Partnership Initiative-supported workshop on lung health pro-gramme implementation in collaborationwith partners in El Salvadore, Mexico andCanadian First Nations.

Dr. Bruce Ritchie (centre) and his team at the University of Alberta Biobanking Centrehave developed a full-service facility that supplies support for ethics approvals as wellas robust, validated and scalable biobanking services.

at the University of Alberta

I N N O V A T I O N F R O M C E L L T O S O C I E T Y I N N O V A T I O N F R O M C E L L T O S O C I E T Y

Global attention onAllerGen researcherAllerGen Principal Investigator AnitaKozyrskyj, PhD, is the object of worldwidemedia attention as the lead author in arecent study published in CHEST Journal.The study is co-authored by colleagues Dr.Pierre Ernst and AllerGen ProgrammeLeader Dr. Allan Becker.

The study, Increased risk of childhood asth-ma from antibiotic use in early life, showsthat children who have taken more thanfour courses of antibiotics before their firstbirthday are 1.5 times more likely to sufferfrom asthma by the age of seven.

The study has garnered media attentionfrom as far away as Germany and Australia.

Informing AllerGen’s birth cohort study

While this project was funded by theCanadian Institutes of Health Research,Kozyrskyj says these results could informAllerGen-supported research.

"There's the possibility of pursuing thesame study on children recruited forAllerGen's birth cohort initiative, theCanadian Healthy Infant LongitudinalDevelopment study," she says.

Currently, Kozyrskyj is the PrincipalInvestigator on an AllerGen-funded projectlooking at the impact of maternal stress onthe development of childhood asthma.

AllerGen trainee Dr. Anne Ellis is one ofonly nine physicians worldwide receiv-ing a joint World Allergy Organization–Nycomed Fellowship.

As the lone Canadian representative,Ellis will spend two weeks at an inter-nationally renowned allergy centre tobe chosen by the World AllergyOrganization (WAO), based on her pro-posed research. The fellowship willallow Ellis to learn new skills and tech-niques that she can use in her ownresearch. Fellowship recipients will alsoattend the World Allergy Congress inBangkok, Dec. 2-6, 2007.

Dr. Tina Laister, the Ontario MedicalLiaison Manager at Nycomed Canada Inc.(formerly Altana Pharma), says it is

important for companies like Nycomed tobe involved in these types of programs.

“This initiative will not only support up-and-coming physicians in their trainingand development, but may result in newways to diagnose, treat or prevent aller-gic disorders,” she says.

In addition to adjudicating the competi-tion, WAO officials will provide adminis-trative support to the fellowship.Nycomed provides financial support forthe initiative. The fellowship covers alltravel and accommodation costs to theresearch institution and expenses asso-ciated with attending the World AllergyCongress.

Ellis currently holds the AllerGen/

Bayer/CAAIF Immunodeficiency andImmunomodulation of AllergicInflammation Clinician-ScientistResearch Fellowship, which aims tocontribute to improved patient care andexcellence in research by increasing thenumber and level of expertise of MDs inCanada with a specialty in allergy andclinical immunology. She is supervisedby AllerGen’s Scientific Director, Dr.Judah Denburg.

Making the connectionBC industry looks to provincial universities for research expertiseA new partnership between AllerGen and Accelerate BC, a graduate research intern-ship programme, will connect British Columbia industry with the next generation ofup-and-coming researchers in allergic and related immune diseases.

AllerGen trainees (graduate students and post-doctoral fellow interns) at Canadianuniversities will have an opportunity to gain exposure and apply their skills in anindustrial setting, as well as develop valuable relationships with potential employersand representatives from other non-academic organizations.

British Columbia companies can expand their research and development pro-grammes by using expertise available at universities across the country. Studentsand their supervisors bring advanced research methods, and new tools and tech-nologies that may help companies address challenges that may impact their suc-cess. Industry will also develop new relationships with universities, leading to futurecollaborative opportunities.

Accelerate BC is based on a pilot project of MITACS, a Networks of Centres ofExcellence (NCE) dedicated to mathematical sciences. Started in 2003, the pro-gramme has expanded in partnership with the British Columbia’s Ministry ofAdvanced Education, to encompass all disciplines and faculties at Canadian univer-sities. AllerGen is the first NCE to commit to collaborating with MITACS under thisprogramme. The internship is co-funded by BC’s provincial government and thepartnering BC company. AllerGen Programme Leader Dr. Peter Paré, University ofBritish Columbia, is AllerGen’s BC lead for this partnership. So far, Paré has hostedtwo workshops for local faculty and trainees promoting this opportunity.

The goal of the programme is to ensure that research innovations developed atCanadian universities are leveraged by BC industry, increasing provincial competi-tiveness both nationally and internationally.

British Columbia companies interested in learning more about partnering withAllerGen through the Accelerate BC programme should contact Karen Booth, VPExternal Relations, MITACS, at 778-782-6861 or e-mail kbooth@mitacs.ca.

AllerGen trainee awarded fellowship

AllerGen Managing Director Diana Royceheld a series of meetings with AllerGenresearchers and potential research partnerorganization representatives during a sitevisit to the University of Alberta inEdmonton, Alberta, July 16-17, 2007.

Highlights of these meetings include:

A briefing with AllerGen PrincipalInvestigator, Dr. Redwan Moqbel, whorecently returned from sabbatical inAustralia, and is resuming leadership of hisresearch programme on tryptophanmetabolites and related receptors in aller-gic inflammation at the University ofAlberta’s Department of Medicine(Pulmonary Division).

AllerGen co-investigator ShawnaMcGhan, asthma education coordinator,University of Alberta, is part of a nationalteam that is exploring effective strategiesto support students with asthma and ana-phylaxis. One of those strategies willimprove access and training for healthcareprofessionals to the Roaring Adventures ofPuff (RAP): A Childhood Asthma EducationProgramme, developed at the University ofAlberta. Through AllerGen networking,McGhan is part of a team that has recent-ly completed a needs assessment ofhealthcare professionals who work withchildren with asthma. This data is beingused to develop an online version of theRAP Instructor’s Workshop. Recently, RAPwas used by The Lung Association ofAlberta and NWT to launch asthma daycamps in partnership with municipalrecreation departments and child supportgroups such as YMCA and Boys and GirlsClubs.

In collaboration with AllerGen PrincipalInvestigator Miriam Stewart, McGhan ispart of a national team involvingresearchers from New Brunswick to BritishColumbia that aims to facilitate on-linepeer mentoring for children and teenagerswith asthma and anaphylaxis, and theirparents—groups that are currently under-served in terms of asthma education and

support. The team recently received theLung Association of Alberta/NWT AngelaJone Clinical Research Award, leveragingthe original AllerGen grant. The team alsoreceived approval for a letter of intent andwill make a full application for additionalfunding from the Alberta Child Family

Research Grant in hopes of expanding theAllerGen project to include research sup-porting the asthma needs of rural andAboriginal communities.

In addition, McGhan is working withAllerGen Principal Investigator LisaCicutto, University of Toronto, on a projectexamining the effectiveness of Sabrina’sLaw in Ontario (a law requiring that allpublicly funded schools and school boardsin Ontario have Anaphylactic Plans).Recently, McGhan and AllerGen investiga-tor Tim Vander Leek participated on acommittee that launched a policy advisorythrough the Alberta School BoardAssociation, for students with anaphylax-is—an example of Alberta’s regulatoryapproach that is part of the comparativestudy.

AllerGen Principal Investigator, pediatricianDr. Darryl Adamko, is using his AllerGengrant and the University of Alberta’sNational High Field Nuclear MagneticResonance Centre (NANUC), to study theability of urine samples to predict anddiagnose asthma. This research has the

AllerGen research in actioni

AllerGen Principal Investigator ShawnaMcGhan is part of a team creatingan asthma-friendly resource kit forschools.

AllerGen Principal Investigator Dr. Darryl Adamko and his research team, Bruce Lix(left), Idongesit Obiefuna, Christopher Skappak, Adamko and Erik Saude at theUniversity of Alberta’s National High Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Centre.

AllerGen traineeDr. Anne Ellis isthe recipient ofan international

fellowship.

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AllerGen is strengthening its position as a worldleader in the fight against the allergic diseaseepidemic through a new partnership initiative.

The International Partnership Initiative (IPI) willsee the Network join forces with five interna-tional organizations in the pursuit of realizingits vision – to reduce the impact of allergic andrelated immune diseases nationally and globally.The Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) programme isinvesting $828,000 in AllerGen under the NCE’s new initiative.The Honourable Maxime Bernier, former Minister of Industry,made the announcement during a video conference May 25,2007, held at AllerGen’s host institution, McMaster University inHamilton, Ontario, and École Polytechnique in Montreal, Quebec.

Under this NCE initiative, AllerGen will also receive $262,000from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) tosupport collaborations with investigators from India, a low/mid-dle income nation.

“This initiative will allow Canadian and international leaders inallergic and related immune disease research to foster newrelationships in a spirit of global co-operation, leading to posi-tive economic and social impacts in Canada and around theworld,” says Dr. Judah Denburg, AllerGen’s Scientific Directorand CEO. “The IPI will allow for the sharing of Canadian andinternational expertise in the battle against these chronic dis-eases.”

According to the World Health Organization, 300 million peopleworldwide suffer from asthma and 255,000 died of the diseasein 2005. In Canada, over 8% of Canadians, aged 12 and older,have asthma (Canadian Community Health Survey, 2005), creating asubstantial burden on the health care system.

AllerGen is partnering with:

• The Global European Allergy and Asthma Network;

• The Karolinska Institute;

• World Health Organization initiatives, Allergic Rhinitis and itsImpact on Asthma (ARIA) and the Global Alliance onRespiratory Diseases (GARD);

• The International Union Against Tuberculosis and LungDisease; and

• The Institute of Population Health and Clinical Research atthe St. John’s National Academy of Medical Sciences.

Partnering to fight allergic disease

AllerGen a leader on the world stageOur global partnersInternational Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Location: Paris, France

The International Union Against Tuberculosis and LungDisease (The Union) focuses on education, translatingknowledge about tuberculosis and lung disease to medicalstaff, policy makers and the general public, ensuring theyare aware of the health risks associated with such diseases.

The Union targets low- and middle-income countries, help-ing them develop and implement prevention and controlprogrammes to deal with lung disease and associated com-munity health issues.

Representatives from AllerGen and the Union will be work-ing with key stakeholders from El Salvador, Mexico andCanadian First Nations to develop and implement lung-health strategies in those countries. A fundamental aspectof this partnership is to ensure that knowledge is translat-ed into effective best practices policies and strategies.

This collaboration will place Canadian researchers at theforefront of global outreach and international developmentefforts to understand and alleviate the growing global bur-den of allergy and asthma, leading to improved lunghealth.

Global Allergy and Asthma European NetworkLocation: Gent, Belgium

The Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN)is a Network of Excellence bringing together 26 Europeanteams, the European Academy of Allergology and ClinicalImmunology and the European Federation of Patient’sAssociations.

GA2LEN’s goal is to decrease the burden of allergy andasthma throughout Europe by establishing an internation-ally competitive network to enhance the quality and rele-vance of research.

Collaborations between AllerGen and GA2LEN representa-tives will focus on identifying internationally acceptedstrategies for the development and implementation of birthcohort studies.

Representatives from the two organizations will meet inAmsterdam, Netherlands, Nov. 7-8, 2007

New professionals, traineesform national networkAllerGen’s Highly Qualified Entrepreneurial Professionals(HQEP) programme is offering AllerGen trainees and new pro-fessionals enhanced leadership and management skills devel-opment with the establishment of the AllerGen Students andNew Professionals Network (ASNPN).

The goal of the recently formed student-led organization is tohelp enhance research and professional networking opportu-nities for trainees and new professionals within the Network.The ASNPN will foster new relationships among students andprofessionals, facilitate the exchange of information betweentrainees and other Network participants and partners, andpromote research excellence and skills-development at vari-ous AllerGen events.

An advisory committee to AllerGen’s Research ManagementCommittee and Administrative team, the ASNPN’s roleincludes:

• promoting trainee participation at AllerGen events, • developing and implementing information sharing strategies

among trainees; and • organizing training and networking opportunities to help

trainees build research and professional skills.

Although the ASNPN leadership team will be annually electedby undergraduate, masters, MDs, doctoral and post-doctoralstudents working on AllerGen projects or holding AllerGenawards, the current leadership team was formed by solicitingnominations and volunteers.

Ideally, the committee will have representation from acrossthe country and will include trainees and new professionalscovering a variety of disciplines and levels of study. TheASNPN inaugural committee will serve until the first electionis held at AllerGen’s upcoming conference in February 2008.

The first event organized by the ASNPN was a reception atthe Canadian Society for Allergists and Clinical Immunologists(CSACI) Annual Meeting held in Edmonton, Alberta, Sept. 28-30, 2007. The reception, co-sponsored by AllerGen, CSACI, theNational Residency Educational Program and the AlbertaHeritage Foundation for Medical Research, afforded CSACItravel grant recipients, AllerGen trainees and NREP represen-tatives the opportunity to meet other trainees in the field ofallergy and immunology. The ASNPN will also plan and organ-ize AllerGen’s annual Trainee Symposium.

Canadian Allergy and Immune Diseases Advanced Training Initiative (CAIDATI) Training AwardAllerGen is offering as many as seven Masters or PhD stu-dents an opportunity to contribute to reducing the impact ofallergic disease through a fellowship programme that will seeAllerGen match funding contributed by the host institution ofaward winners. This fellowship will help increase Canadiancapacity in the area of allergic and related immune diseaseresearch. Funding will be distributed in early 2008.

The Karolinska InstituteLocation: Stockholm, Sweden

The Karolinska Institute is Sweden’s largest medical training andresearch centre and one of the largest medical universities inEurope.

Working with researchers at the Karolinska’s Institute ofEnvironmental Medicine, AllerGen investigators will provide signifi-cant leadership in developing new international research, capacitybuilding and knowledge translation.

This partnership will focus on the development and design of aninternational clinical research trial involving AllerGen’s ClinicalInvestigator Collaborative and the Karolinska Institute. Also, a studentexchange will see as many as six AllerGen and Karolinska traineesgain relevant research experience in a partner lab over two years.

Institute of Population Health and Clinical Research at the St. John’s National Academy of Medical SciencesLocation: Bangalore, India

As part of a medical college and hospital, the Institute is the firstorganization of its kind in India dedicated to research that willimpact developing countries.

AllerGen and St. John’s investigators will focus on creating aresearch programme examining the impact nutrition plays in preg-nancy, early life and childhood development of chronic diseases,such as allergy and asthma. Comparing the results of this cohortstudy to Canadian studies will allow researchers to look at cultural,social and biological factors impacting the development of allergyand other chronic diseases.

AllerGen Scientific Director Dr. Judah Denburg, Programme LeaderDr. Allan Becker, Principal Investigator Anita Kozyrskyj, PhD, and Co-investigator Dr. Ganesh Srinivasan, will meet with Institute repre-sentatives October 15-16, 2007, in Bangalore, India, to launch theplanning of a joint research initiative for which they can collectivelyseek national and international support.

Global Alliance Against Chronic Respiratory DiseaseLocation: Geneva, Switzerland

The Global Alliance Against Chronic Respiratory Disease (GARD), avoluntary alliance of international organizations, institutions andagencies, is part of the World Health Organizations’s global initia-tive to prevent and control chronic diseases.

The collaborative efforts between AllerGen and GARD researchersallow for accelerated research and knowledge translation. Theresult will be updated Canadian and international guidelines todeal with allergic rhinitis and asthma, and improved managementand treatment practices to positively impact patients with chronicdiseases.

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I N N O V A T I O N F R O M C E L L T O S O C I E T Y I N N O V A T I O N F R O M C E L L T O S O C I E T Y

AllerGen is strengthening its position as a worldleader in the fight against the allergic diseaseepidemic through a new partnership initiative.

The International Partnership Initiative (IPI) willsee the Network join forces with five interna-tional organizations in the pursuit of realizingits vision – to reduce the impact of allergic andrelated immune diseases nationally and globally.The Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) programme isinvesting $828,000 in AllerGen under the NCE’s new initiative.The Honourable Maxime Bernier, former Minister of Industry,made the announcement during a video conference May 25,2007, held at AllerGen’s host institution, McMaster University inHamilton, Ontario, and École Polytechnique in Montreal, Quebec.

Under this NCE initiative, AllerGen will also receive $262,000from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) tosupport collaborations with investigators from India, a low/mid-dle income nation.

“This initiative will allow Canadian and international leaders inallergic and related immune disease research to foster newrelationships in a spirit of global co-operation, leading to posi-tive economic and social impacts in Canada and around theworld,” says Dr. Judah Denburg, AllerGen’s Scientific Directorand CEO. “The IPI will allow for the sharing of Canadian andinternational expertise in the battle against these chronic dis-eases.”

According to the World Health Organization, 300 million peopleworldwide suffer from asthma and 255,000 died of the diseasein 2005. In Canada, over 8% of Canadians, aged 12 and older,have asthma (Canadian Community Health Survey, 2005), creating asubstantial burden on the health care system.

AllerGen is partnering with:

• The Global European Allergy and Asthma Network;

• The Karolinska Institute;

• World Health Organization initiatives, Allergic Rhinitis and itsImpact on Asthma (ARIA) and the Global Alliance onRespiratory Diseases (GARD);

• The International Union Against Tuberculosis and LungDisease; and

• The Institute of Population Health and Clinical Research atthe St. John’s National Academy of Medical Sciences.

Partnering to fight allergic disease

AllerGen a leader on the world stageOur global partnersInternational Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Location: Paris, France

The International Union Against Tuberculosis and LungDisease (The Union) focuses on education, translatingknowledge about tuberculosis and lung disease to medicalstaff, policy makers and the general public, ensuring theyare aware of the health risks associated with such diseases.

The Union targets low- and middle-income countries, help-ing them develop and implement prevention and controlprogrammes to deal with lung disease and associated com-munity health issues.

Representatives from AllerGen and the Union will be work-ing with key stakeholders from El Salvador, Mexico andCanadian First Nations to develop and implement lung-health strategies in those countries. A fundamental aspectof this partnership is to ensure that knowledge is translat-ed into effective best practices policies and strategies.

This collaboration will place Canadian researchers at theforefront of global outreach and international developmentefforts to understand and alleviate the growing global bur-den of allergy and asthma, leading to improved lunghealth.

Global Allergy and Asthma European NetworkLocation: Gent, Belgium

The Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN)is a Network of Excellence bringing together 26 Europeanteams, the European Academy of Allergology and ClinicalImmunology and the European Federation of Patient’sAssociations.

GA2LEN’s goal is to decrease the burden of allergy andasthma throughout Europe by establishing an internation-ally competitive network to enhance the quality and rele-vance of research.

Collaborations between AllerGen and GA2LEN representa-tives will focus on identifying internationally acceptedstrategies for the development and implementation of birthcohort studies.

Representatives from the two organizations will meet inAmsterdam, Netherlands, Nov. 7-8, 2007

New professionals, traineesform national networkAllerGen’s Highly Qualified Entrepreneurial Professionals(HQEP) programme is offering AllerGen trainees and new pro-fessionals enhanced leadership and management skills devel-opment with the establishment of the AllerGen Students andNew Professionals Network (ASNPN).

The goal of the recently formed student-led organization is tohelp enhance research and professional networking opportu-nities for trainees and new professionals within the Network.The ASNPN will foster new relationships among students andprofessionals, facilitate the exchange of information betweentrainees and other Network participants and partners, andpromote research excellence and skills-development at vari-ous AllerGen events.

An advisory committee to AllerGen’s Research ManagementCommittee and Administrative team, the ASNPN’s roleincludes:

• promoting trainee participation at AllerGen events, • developing and implementing information sharing strategies

among trainees; and • organizing training and networking opportunities to help

trainees build research and professional skills.

Although the ASNPN leadership team will be annually electedby undergraduate, masters, MDs, doctoral and post-doctoralstudents working on AllerGen projects or holding AllerGenawards, the current leadership team was formed by solicitingnominations and volunteers.

Ideally, the committee will have representation from acrossthe country and will include trainees and new professionalscovering a variety of disciplines and levels of study. TheASNPN inaugural committee will serve until the first electionis held at AllerGen’s upcoming conference in February 2008.

The first event organized by the ASNPN was a reception atthe Canadian Society for Allergists and Clinical Immunologists(CSACI) Annual Meeting held in Edmonton, Alberta, Sept. 28-30, 2007. The reception, co-sponsored by AllerGen, CSACI, theNational Residency Educational Program and the AlbertaHeritage Foundation for Medical Research, afforded CSACItravel grant recipients, AllerGen trainees and NREP represen-tatives the opportunity to meet other trainees in the field ofallergy and immunology. The ASNPN will also plan and organ-ize AllerGen’s annual Trainee Symposium.

Canadian Allergy and Immune Diseases Advanced Training Initiative (CAIDATI) Training AwardAllerGen is offering as many as seven Masters or PhD stu-dents an opportunity to contribute to reducing the impact ofallergic disease through a fellowship programme that will seeAllerGen match funding contributed by the host institution ofaward winners. This fellowship will help increase Canadiancapacity in the area of allergic and related immune diseaseresearch. Funding will be distributed in early 2008.

The Karolinska InstituteLocation: Stockholm, Sweden

The Karolinska Institute is Sweden’s largest medical training andresearch centre and one of the largest medical universities inEurope.

Working with researchers at the Karolinska’s Institute ofEnvironmental Medicine, AllerGen investigators will provide signifi-cant leadership in developing new international research, capacitybuilding and knowledge translation.

This partnership will focus on the development and design of aninternational clinical research trial involving AllerGen’s ClinicalInvestigator Collaborative and the Karolinska Institute. Also, a studentexchange will see as many as six AllerGen and Karolinska traineesgain relevant research experience in a partner lab over two years.

Institute of Population Health and Clinical Research at the St. John’s National Academy of Medical SciencesLocation: Bangalore, India

As part of a medical college and hospital, the Institute is the firstorganization of its kind in India dedicated to research that willimpact developing countries.

AllerGen and St. John’s investigators will focus on creating aresearch programme examining the impact nutrition plays in preg-nancy, early life and childhood development of chronic diseases,such as allergy and asthma. Comparing the results of this cohortstudy to Canadian studies will allow researchers to look at cultural,social and biological factors impacting the development of allergyand other chronic diseases.

AllerGen Scientific Director Dr. Judah Denburg, Programme LeaderDr. Allan Becker, Principal Investigator Anita Kozyrskyj, PhD, and Co-investigator Dr. Ganesh Srinivasan, will meet with Institute repre-sentatives October 15-16, 2007, in Bangalore, India, to launch theplanning of a joint research initiative for which they can collectivelyseek national and international support.

Global Alliance Against Chronic Respiratory DiseaseLocation: Geneva, Switzerland

The Global Alliance Against Chronic Respiratory Disease (GARD), avoluntary alliance of international organizations, institutions andagencies, is part of the World Health Organizations’s global initia-tive to prevent and control chronic diseases.

The collaborative efforts between AllerGen and GARD researchersallow for accelerated research and knowledge translation. Theresult will be updated Canadian and international guidelines todeal with allergic rhinitis and asthma, and improved managementand treatment practices to positively impact patients with chronicdiseases.

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Global attention onAllerGen researcherAllerGen Principal Investigator AnitaKozyrskyj, PhD, is the object of worldwidemedia attention as the lead author in arecent study published in CHEST Journal.The study is co-authored by colleagues Dr.Pierre Ernst and AllerGen ProgrammeLeader Dr. Allan Becker.

The study, Increased risk of childhood asth-ma from antibiotic use in early life, showsthat children who have taken more thanfour courses of antibiotics before their firstbirthday are 1.5 times more likely to sufferfrom asthma by the age of seven.

The study has garnered media attentionfrom as far away as Germany and Australia.

Informing AllerGen’s birth cohort study

While this project was funded by theCanadian Institutes of Health Research,Kozyrskyj says these results could informAllerGen-supported research.

"There's the possibility of pursuing thesame study on children recruited forAllerGen's birth cohort initiative, theCanadian Healthy Infant LongitudinalDevelopment study," she says.

Currently, Kozyrskyj is the PrincipalInvestigator on an AllerGen-funded projectlooking at the impact of maternal stress onthe development of childhood asthma.

AllerGen trainee Dr. Anne Ellis is one ofonly nine physicians worldwide receiv-ing a joint World Allergy Organization–Nycomed Fellowship.

As the lone Canadian representative,Ellis will spend two weeks at an inter-nationally renowned allergy centre tobe chosen by the World AllergyOrganization (WAO), based on her pro-posed research. The fellowship willallow Ellis to learn new skills and tech-niques that she can use in her ownresearch. Fellowship recipients will alsoattend the World Allergy Congress inBangkok, Dec. 2-6, 2007.

Dr. Tina Laister, the Ontario MedicalLiaison Manager at Nycomed Canada Inc.(formerly Altana Pharma), says it is

important for companies like Nycomed tobe involved in these types of programs.

“This initiative will not only support up-and-coming physicians in their trainingand development, but may result in newways to diagnose, treat or prevent aller-gic disorders,” she says.

In addition to adjudicating the competi-tion, WAO officials will provide adminis-trative support to the fellowship.Nycomed provides financial support forthe initiative. The fellowship covers alltravel and accommodation costs to theresearch institution and expenses asso-ciated with attending the World AllergyCongress.

Ellis currently holds the AllerGen/

Bayer/CAAIF Immunodeficiency andImmunomodulation of AllergicInflammation Clinician-ScientistResearch Fellowship, which aims tocontribute to improved patient care andexcellence in research by increasing thenumber and level of expertise of MDs inCanada with a specialty in allergy andclinical immunology. She is supervisedby AllerGen’s Scientific Director, Dr.Judah Denburg.

Making the connectionBC industry looks to provincial universities for research expertiseA new partnership between AllerGen and Accelerate BC, a graduate research intern-ship programme, will connect British Columbia industry with the next generation ofup-and-coming researchers in allergic and related immune diseases.

AllerGen trainees (graduate students and post-doctoral fellow interns) at Canadianuniversities will have an opportunity to gain exposure and apply their skills in anindustrial setting, as well as develop valuable relationships with potential employersand representatives from other non-academic organizations.

British Columbia companies can expand their research and development pro-grammes by using expertise available at universities across the country. Studentsand their supervisors bring advanced research methods, and new tools and tech-nologies that may help companies address challenges that may impact their suc-cess. Industry will also develop new relationships with universities, leading to futurecollaborative opportunities.

Accelerate BC is based on a pilot project of MITACS, a Networks of Centres ofExcellence (NCE) dedicated to mathematical sciences. Started in 2003, the pro-gramme has expanded in partnership with the British Columbia’s Ministry ofAdvanced Education, to encompass all disciplines and faculties at Canadian univer-sities. AllerGen is the first NCE to commit to collaborating with MITACS under thisprogramme. The internship is co-funded by BC’s provincial government and thepartnering BC company. AllerGen Programme Leader Dr. Peter Paré, University ofBritish Columbia, is AllerGen’s BC lead for this partnership. So far, Paré has hostedtwo workshops for local faculty and trainees promoting this opportunity.

The goal of the programme is to ensure that research innovations developed atCanadian universities are leveraged by BC industry, increasing provincial competi-tiveness both nationally and internationally.

British Columbia companies interested in learning more about partnering withAllerGen through the Accelerate BC programme should contact Karen Booth, VPExternal Relations, MITACS, at 778-782-6861 or e-mail kbooth@mitacs.ca.

AllerGen trainee awarded fellowship

AllerGen Managing Director Diana Royceheld a series of meetings with AllerGenresearchers and potential research partnerorganization representatives during a sitevisit to the University of Alberta inEdmonton, Alberta, July 16-17, 2007.

Highlights of these meetings include:

A briefing with AllerGen PrincipalInvestigator, Dr. Redwan Moqbel, whorecently returned from sabbatical inAustralia, and is resuming leadership of hisresearch programme on tryptophanmetabolites and related receptors in aller-gic inflammation at the University ofAlberta’s Department of Medicine(Pulmonary Division).

AllerGen co-investigator ShawnaMcGhan, asthma education coordinator,University of Alberta, is part of a nationalteam that is exploring effective strategiesto support students with asthma and ana-phylaxis. One of those strategies willimprove access and training for healthcareprofessionals to the Roaring Adventures ofPuff (RAP): A Childhood Asthma EducationProgramme, developed at the University ofAlberta. Through AllerGen networking,McGhan is part of a team that has recent-ly completed a needs assessment ofhealthcare professionals who work withchildren with asthma. This data is beingused to develop an online version of theRAP Instructor’s Workshop. Recently, RAPwas used by The Lung Association ofAlberta and NWT to launch asthma daycamps in partnership with municipalrecreation departments and child supportgroups such as YMCA and Boys and GirlsClubs.

In collaboration with AllerGen PrincipalInvestigator Miriam Stewart, McGhan ispart of a national team involvingresearchers from New Brunswick to BritishColumbia that aims to facilitate on-linepeer mentoring for children and teenagerswith asthma and anaphylaxis, and theirparents—groups that are currently under-served in terms of asthma education and

support. The team recently received theLung Association of Alberta/NWT AngelaJone Clinical Research Award, leveragingthe original AllerGen grant. The team alsoreceived approval for a letter of intent andwill make a full application for additionalfunding from the Alberta Child Family

Research Grant in hopes of expanding theAllerGen project to include research sup-porting the asthma needs of rural andAboriginal communities.

In addition, McGhan is working withAllerGen Principal Investigator LisaCicutto, University of Toronto, on a projectexamining the effectiveness of Sabrina’sLaw in Ontario (a law requiring that allpublicly funded schools and school boardsin Ontario have Anaphylactic Plans).Recently, McGhan and AllerGen investiga-tor Tim Vander Leek participated on acommittee that launched a policy advisorythrough the Alberta School BoardAssociation, for students with anaphylax-is—an example of Alberta’s regulatoryapproach that is part of the comparativestudy.

AllerGen Principal Investigator, pediatricianDr. Darryl Adamko, is using his AllerGengrant and the University of Alberta’sNational High Field Nuclear MagneticResonance Centre (NANUC), to study theability of urine samples to predict anddiagnose asthma. This research has the

AllerGen research in actioni

AllerGen Principal Investigator ShawnaMcGhan is part of a team creatingan asthma-friendly resource kit forschools.

AllerGen Principal Investigator Dr. Darryl Adamko and his research team, Bruce Lix(left), Idongesit Obiefuna, Christopher Skappak, Adamko and Erik Saude at theUniversity of Alberta’s National High Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Centre.

AllerGen traineeDr. Anne Ellis isthe recipient ofan international

fellowship.

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AllerGen, TOPIGEN partner to provide hands-on training

AllerGen and TOPIGEN Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical stage bio-pharmaceutical company based in Montreal, are offering recentdoctoral graduates and MD clinician scientists the opportunity togain valuable experience in research and development in an indus-trial setting.

The AllerGen-TOPIGEN Industrial Research and DevelopmentFellowship will support promising doctoral and MD graduates whowant to gain allergy and asthma research experience in an industri-al setting.

The Fellowship provides $94,000 in support over two years, with$47,000 being contributed each by AllerGen and TOPIGEN. TheAllerGen-TOPIGEN Industrial Research and Development Fellowshipis aimed at recent doctoral and MD-trained graduates seekingemployment in Canadian industry for the first time.

AllerGen Scientific Director Dr. Judah Denburg believes thisFellowship will encourage young researchers and clinician scientiststo seek new directions for their post-academic research, andincrease Canadian capacity in allergic and related immune diseasesresearch and development.

“An important part of AllerGen’s mission is to attract Canada’s bestand brightest to the areas of allergic and related immune diseases,building Canadian capacity to deal with this increasingly prevalentchronic disease. The AllerGen-TOPIGEN Fellowship will help to dojust that,” says Denburg.

TOPIGEN Vice President, Discovery, Luc Paquet, PhD, says thisFellowship will give post-doctoral graduates and MD trained clini-cian scientists a better understanding of the biotech and pharma-ceutical industry, private funding, intellectual property and othercommercial applications of research that can help the Canadianeconomy expand and create new jobs.

This Fellowship will not only provide research and developmentexperience, but will allow young entrepreneurs to see first-handthe process behind commercialization of innovative research, willpromote industry awareness as to the capabilities of Canadian uni-versities and university research, and facilitate the transfer ofexpertise and technology.

“Innovation helps to create wealth. In the pharmaceutical industry,innovation comes from research. Since most of the small- andmedium-sized companies in Canada do not have large revenuestreams, assistance programmes like this Fellowship will help devel-op new research programmes, leading to pharmaceutical innova-tions,” says Paquet.

Paquet says his company’s collaboration with AllerGen will allowTOPIGEN to launch a new research initiative, which would not bepossible without this partnership.

TOPIGEN is a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical com-pany focused on developing new classes of inhaled drugs for respi-ratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease andasthma.

Discovering an entrepreneurial future Thirty AllerGen trainees and new professionals from 10universities across Canada attended the Second AnnualTrainee Symposium in King City, Ont., May 16-18, 2007.

Invited speakers focused on the importance of entrepre-neurialism in Canada’s biotechnology business sector atthis year’s event, Your Entrepreneurial Future. The sym-posium also included a poster competition in which 12trainees’ posters were entered.

Keynote speaker Kevin Fehr, PhD, director of basicresearch and genetics, research and development divi-sion of GlaxoSmithKline Inc. and a member of AllerGen’sBoard of Directors, opened the symposium with herpresentation, Choosing a career option: Have you thoughtabout Biotech? Fehr provided AllerGen trainees with anoverview of the wide range of career opportunities inthe Canadian biotech sector, an area critical to growingCanada’s economy.

Other presentations at the two-day event included:

• A CEO’s perspective on the importance of HQP: JeffreyCrelinsten, PhD, president of The Impact Group andpublisher of Re$earch Money, spoke to the importanceof developing highly qualified professionals to ensurethat research leads to new ideas that can be devel-oped into new products and services benefitingCanadians both socially and economically.

• Entrepreneurship in life sciences: Robert Foldes, execu-tive director of YORKBiotech Inc., described the impor-tance of networking, personal determination andenthusiasm when pursuing an entrepreneurial future.Foldes also discussed the challenges associated withfinding seed funding at the start-up stage of a newbusiness venture in Canada.

• Insider’s guide to career opportunities: A panel discus-sion focusing on career options open to trainees.Panelists Alan Hamilton, PhD, director of therapeuticsin respiratory medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim;Darlene Homonko, PhD, executive director at GoldenHorseshoe Biosciences Network at McMasterUniversity; and Frank Viti, chief executive officer atthe Asthma Society of Canada, shared their personalcareer paths, including challenges, opportunities andlessons learned.

• Spin-offs and start-ups: Consultants John Dickey, prin-cipal at Capital Insights Incorporated, and RogerBernier, PhD, former vice president at ForagenTechnology Management Inc., spoke about the impor-tance of a business plan to the commercialization ofresearch and entrepreneurial success.

potential to provide more accurate andtimely diagnosis of asthma, especially inyoung children. Adamko is in the processof firming up a series of patent applica-tions based on his findings in this AllerGenproject.

AllerGen Principal Investigator Paige Lacy,PhD, reported on her completed projectentitled Modulation of Exocytosis inAllergic Inflammation, which examined theproteomics of inflammatory cell activation,as well as selected kinases important forphosphorylation and her pending publica-tions, as part of her follow-on researchprogramme.

AllerGen Principal Investigator Dr. NicolaCherry, co-investigator Dr. Jeremy Beach,and trainees Nitin Kapur, Xiangning Fan,and Fortune Sithole discussed theirprogress on the AllerGen research project,Use of database linkage for the surveillanceof occupational asthma. Cherry reportedthat they have access to a dataset com-bining information on work and health forapproximately one million claims episodesin Alberta, and that they are now turningtheir expertise towards similar data fromBritish Columbia, as well as an examina-tion of the economic costs of occupationalasthma. With co-investigator IgorBurstyn, PhD, University of Alberta, andcollaborator Dr. Susan Kennedy at theUniversity of British Columbia, they expectto have the data analysis for Alberta andBC completed by August 2008. The resultsof this team’s research will be of interestto policy makers, workplace health andsafety organizations and employers.

AllerGen Principal Investigator MiriamStewart, PhD, together with team mem-bers from the universities of Alberta, NewBrunswick, British Columbia, Toronto,McMaster and Athabasca, are developinga research programme focused on socialsupport for children and youth with asth-ma, allergies and anaphylaxis, and their

parents. These studies assess the supportresources, needs, and intervention prefer-ences of affected children, youth, and par-ents. Findings will be used to design,implement, and evaluate an accessiblesupport intervention that overcomes geo-graphic, physical and temporal barriers,and tests intervention effects.

A site visit was conducted at theUniversity of Alberta Biobanking Centre,led by Dr. Bruce Ritchie, AssociateProfessor, Department of Medicine. Basedon best practices at biobanking centresaround the world, including the Centre forDisease Control in Atlanta, the CaliforniaState (Forensic) Laboratories, pharmaceuti-cal industry facilities, and CSIS, UK,Norway and Icelandic biobanking facilities,Ritchie and his team have developed afull-service low-overhead cost-recoverybiobanking facility that supplies supportfor ethics approvals in addition to provid-ing robust, validated, scalable biobankingservices guided by rigorously evaluatedstandard operation procedures. With theuse of robots, their own pipette innova-tions and the latest in internet-based bar-code technologies, Ritchie’s team has sixstudies under way and aims to partnerwith both industry and other researchteams to best utilize their capacity to

store 100,000 samples per freezer andretrieve 1,000 samples per hour. Ritchiedescribes his centre as a key part of thediscovery supply chain.

A partnership development meeting withMark Taylor, Director, Grants and Awards,Alberta Heritage Foundation for MedicalResearch (AHFMR), led to the developmentof a funding partnership betweenAllerGen, AHFMR and the CanadianSociety for Allergy and ClinicalImmunology (CSACI) in support of anAllerGen Student and New ProfessionalsNetwork networking event at the upcom-ing CSACI conference in Edmonton,September 27–30, 2007.

A meeting with Dean Befus, PhD,Programme B: Diagnostics andTherapeutics Research Leader, Dr. DonEnarson, senior advisor, InternationalUnion Against Lung Disease (The Union)and Dr. Anne Fanning, University ofAlberta and past-president of the TheUnion, was held to work out the details ofthe International Partnership Initiative-supported workshop on lung health pro-gramme implementation in collaborationwith partners in El Salvadore, Mexico andCanadian First Nations.

Dr. Bruce Ritchie (centre) and his team at the University of Alberta Biobanking Centrehave developed a full-service facility that supplies support for ethics approvals as wellas robust, validated and scalable biobanking services.

at the University of Alberta

Join top experts from Canada and around the worldat AllerGen’s Third Annual Research Conference,Innovation from cell to society3 in Banff, Alberta,Canada, February 10-12, 2008.

Professionals from across multiple disciplines and sec-tors will meet in the Rocky Mountains early next yearto look at the causes and progression of allergic andrelated immune diseases, with a special emphasis onthe link between allergy and the environment.

Highlighting existing knowledge, as well as the inno-vative and collaborative work going on within theNetwork’s integrated research programme, the con-ference will feature:

• keynote addresses by internationally renownedexperts;

• engaging scientific presentations featuringAllerGen investigators and trainees speakingto issues and outcomes arising from Networkresearch;

• panel discussions featuring representativesfrom research, industry, government and non-governmental organizations;

• opportunity to network with Canadian andinternational representatives from across

cont’d on page 8

Volume 3, Issue 3Fall 2007

I N N O V A T I O N F R O M C E L L T O S O C I E T Y

www.allergen-nce.ca

The NCE program is a joint initiative of theNatural Sciences and Engineering ResearchCouncil, the Canadian Institutes of HealthResearch, the Social Sciences and HumanitiesResearch Council and Industry Canada.

AllerGen NCE Inc. is dedicated to creating an enduring network of allergy and immunedisease experts whose discovery and development efforts contribute to reducing theimpact of allergic and related immune diseases in Canada and around the world.

AllerGen NCE Inc.Scientific Director & CEODr. Judah A. Denburg

Managing Director & COODiana Royce, EdD

AllerGen Administrative Centre is located at McMaster University1200 Main Street WestMichael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery, Room 3120Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5(905) 525-9140 ext 26502

All newsletter enquiries and comments should be sent to:Communications and Marketing OfficerJudi Pattison at pattisj@mcmaster.ca

I N N O V A T I O N F R O M C E L L T O S O C I E T Y

cont’d from page 1multiple disciplines and sectors;

• trainee research poster competition; and• a conference closing banquet.

Innovation from cell to society3 is geared to:• clinicians, researchers, pharmacists and other medical

professionals involved with allergic, immunologic andrespiratory diseases;

• federal, provincial and municipal policy makers;• pharmaceutical and bio-technology firms that invest

in research and discovery relating to allergy, asthmaand immune diseases;

• food producers and manufacturers;• entrepreneurs interested in innovative health products

and tools; and• students looking to pursue research and development

careers in industry or clinical settings in the field ofallergic and related immune disease.

If you would like more information or to register to attendInnovation from cell to society3, go to www.allergen-nce.ca.Registration forms are also available for download.

Sponsorship opportunities availableInnovation from cell to society3 provides an opportunity forindustry, non-profit and government representatives to net-work with AllerGen investigators and international researchpartners, initiating new and strengthening existing relation-ships.

Sponsorship oppor-tunities are designedso that sponsors willderive clear andimmediate valuefrom their invest-ment in AllerGen’sconference.

In addition to multi-ple advertisingopportunities in the conference programme, AllerGennewsletters and on the Network’s website, promotional dis-play space will be available to Platinum, Gold, Silver andBronze sponsors at the event. As well, promotional materialsprovided by conference supporters will be available in dele-gate packages.

AllerGen continues to grow as a Network, bringing togethermore than 160 researchers and over 150 trainees represent-ing 40 sites across Canada and around the globe. Innovationfrom cell to society3 provides a venue for science and industryto meet, leading to innovative collaborative opportunities.

Contact AllerGen’s Managing Director Diana Royce at 905-525-9140 ext. 26502, if your organization wishes toexplore conference sponsorship opportunities.

Allergic disease hot topic at Rocky Mountain resort

8

2007 CONFERENCEPARTICIPATION REPORT

184 delegates in attendanceUniversity/hospital organizations: 72%Non-profit organizations: 13%Business and industry: 11%Government agencies/departments: 4%

Network NewsAllerGen would like to thank Principal Investigator Kent HayGlass,University of Manitoba, for his commitment and leadership aschair of AllerGen’s Advanced Education and Training OpportunitiesAdvisory Committee (AETOAC), 2005-2007.

* * *

AllerGen Principal Investigator Dr. Susan Waserman accepted a$10,000 cheque on June 27, 2007, to be used for patient educa-tion materials at the Pediatric Allergy and Asthma Clinic atMcMaster's Children's Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. The moneywas donated by local radio stations, CHML and Y108 Children'sFund.

The McMaster Children's Hospital is the second busiest children'shospital in Ontario. The hospital is a referral centre for more than2.3 million people in south central Ontario.

* * *

AllerGen trainee Jason Pole received recognition for his AllerGen-funded research at the recent Canadian Society for Epidemiologyand Biostatistics (CSEB) Conference inCalgary, Alberta.

Chosen as one of 12 students to make anoral presentation at the CSEB NationalStudent Conference on May 28, 2007, Polereceived third prize for outstanding researchand presentation from an independent panelof judges. More than 60 students studyingepidemiology and biostatics took part in thestudent conference.

Following on the heels of the student event was the CSEBConference attended by more than 300 delegates from across thecountry. Once again, Pole presented his research during a sessionfocused on respiratory health. He was awarded the event's topprize for student research.

Pole’s AllerGen-funded research was also selected for the StudentPrize Paper by the Society for Pediatric and Perinatal EpidemiologicResearch. As part of this award, Pole presented his work at theannual conference held in Boston, June 18-19, 2007.

* * *

AllerGen continues to add to its collective expertise at theNetwork Administrative Centre.

Shelley Burford is AllerGen’s new Network ProgrammeCoordinator. Burford will aid in the delivery of two key networkprogrammes – Highly Qualified Entrepreneurial Personnel and thenew International Partnership Initiative.

Kevin Reed is AllerGen’s new Information Technology Coordinator.He has been instrumental in improving computer network security,introducing new technologies such as web conferencing and theuse of wikis, as well as helping to re-organize AllerGen’s extensiveonline database.

Suzanne Bezzina provides administrative support as AllerGen’sExecutive Secretary.

Photo courtesy of B

anff Lake Louise Tourism

AllerGen programme leaderreceives Killam AwardAllerGen Programme Leader DeanBefus, PhD, is the recipient of the2007-08 Killam Award for Excellencein Mentoring at the University ofAlberta.

This annual award recognizes excel-lence in mentoring undergraduateand graduate students, postdoctoralfellows and visiting scholars.

Befus’s dedication to the develop-ment of future researchers extendsto his committment to the develop-ment of AllerGen trainees.

The important contributions ofAllerGen investigators to mentoringNetwork trainees helps to addressthe shortage of highly qualifiedentrepreneurial professionals in thefield of allergic and related immunediseases.