Home
Windsor-Essex grassroots mask makers seek feedback on fit and comfort A local grassroots group of people who sew want to hear back from those individuals who have used their homemade personal protective equipment (PPE). The Windsor-Essex Sewing Force (WESF) mobilized early in the pandemic to make face masks and scrub caps for frontline workers. Later it provided PPE to vulnerable and high risk groups like seniors, low-income families, migrants and people with disabilities. Now, beyond a full year of the pandemic, a survey has been launched to better understand how the masks fits, as well the mask’s comfort and usefulness. “Volunteers knew they wanted to make the best masks possible for our community,” said WESF cofounder Rebecca Rudman. “It was natural for us to reach out to local researchers at the Great Lake Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) with its expertise in quality control and materials analysis, and WE-SPARK Health Institute with their network of experts at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, the University of Windsor…
Prof to address world body on empowering young women to resist and reduce sexual violence UWindsor professor Charlene Senn will present on the topic “Empowering young women to resist: An evidence-based intervention to reduce sexual violence” at Psychology Day at the United Nations on Thursday, April 15. UWindsor researcher Charlene Senn will represent the discipline of social psychology at the 14th annual Psychology Day at the United Nations on Thursday, April 15. Professor of women’s and gender studies as well as psychology and the Canada Research Chair in Sexual Violence, Dr. Senn will present a lecture entitled “Empowering young women to resist: An evidence-based intervention to reduce sexual violence” as one of five global experts providing recommendations using evidence-based research from different spheres of the discipline. The title of this year’s event, “Psychological Contributions to Building Back Better in a Post-Pandemic World,” responds to a call from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to resist the temptation to return to the way the world…
Fruit flies could hold key to unlocking cancer mystery, says UWindsor researcher Biology professor Andrew Swan has been awarded a $30,000 grant to study a protein associated with cell growth in hopes of identifying treatment for cancer. The tiny insect attracted to overripe bananas and discarded apple cores is being used at the University of Windsor to unlock one of the mysteries surrounding cancer in humans. UWindsor biologist Andrew Swan is using fruit flies to study a protein that holds cell division in check. The protein, called tuberin, is the product of a tumour suppressor gene in our DNA. It’s been established that tuberin is related to cell growth, but Dr. Swan says its role in mitosis, or cell division, requires further study. “This is where we come in,” said Swan. “Our collaborator, Dr. Elizabeth Fidalgo Da Silva from Dr. Lisa Porter’s lab, found that tuberin has some responsibility in mitosis as well and we want to see if this protein is playing the role we think it is. If we’re right, this could represent a druggable target for many human…
Networking event to bring together health research community The April 29 “WE-Spark After Dark” virtual networking event will gather members of the Windsor-Essex research community.
Non-invasive helmet ventilation system in development by local researchers Windsor researchers are in the early stages of developing a non-invasive ventilation system called the Canada Hood. (courtesy Dr. Jay MacDonald) WINDSOR, ONT. -- A made-in-Canada device is aiming to breathe new life into the COVID-19 battle, by taking a different approach on a device that has been crucial during the pandemic — ventilators. A team of Windsor researchers is in the early stages of developing a non-invasive ventilation system called the Canada Hood. “We are trying to avoid putting people into an induced coma and breathing tubes. It’s a lot less harsh on the body,” says Dr. Jay MacDonald, emergency and hyperbaric medicine specialist at Windsor Regional Hospital. Dr. MacDonald is working alongside Windsor Regional Hospital’s former ER chief Dr. Rob Woodall and Dr. Clive Davis, an expert in respirology, intensive care, and hyperbaric medicine in Hamilton to spearhead this project. Hood ventilation devices, also known has helmets, uses a transparent plastic bubble…
Brain Tumour Foundation offers free school lesson plans Tara Malone, a teacher at Riverside Secondary School in Windsor is shown on Thursday, April 1, 2021. Malone was on a committee organized by the Brain Tumour Foundation that developed specialized lesson plans. PHOTO BY DAN JANISSE /Windsor Star Understanding more about brain tumour survivors is the goal a new national educational resource program developed with the help of two Windsor residents. Ryan Palazzolo, a University of Windsor student, and Tara Malone, a teacher at Riverside secondary school, were on a committee that created more than 20 lesson plans for the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada. The Superkids Program launched last week, offering free lesson plans for students from Grades K-12. The committee behind it is a mix of patients, survivors, teachers and post-secondary students. Malone was one of four teachers who helped shape the curriculum. “I think it was important to have pre-ready lessons with handouts and activities, especially this year when teachers are so overwhelmed,”…
Sewing volunteers hit milestone UWindsor professor Ken Drouillard is heading a research project to help the Windsor-Essex Sewing Force. The volunteer group recently passed a production milestone of 50,000 masks and scrub caps. An army of volunteers aided by UWindsor researchers has hit the milestone of sewing more than 50,000 facemasks and scrub caps in one year. The Windsor-Essex Sewing Force began producing personal protective equipment for local healthcare workers when the pandemic first struck. The group also provided masks to vulnerable populations, including seniors, low-income families, people with disabilities, migrant workers, and at-risk children. The items were designed with the help of scientists at UWindsor’s Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research. With a grant from the Office of Research and Innovation and the WE-Spark Health Institute, experts used GLIER’s scanning electron microscope to analyze materials and designed a database and website to track inventory, requests, donations, and…
Trivia night to test myth-busting skills Test your health knowledge and skills busting myths about cancer at the “Don’t be Fooled” trivia night, taking place online April 1. This graduate student-led event, hosted by WE-Spark Health Institute and Windsor’s Research Information Outreach Team (RIOT), is open to all ages. There’s something for everyone, including a chance to win a $25 raffle prize. RIOT Windsor is a volunteer group of University of Windsor researchers comprised of graduate students and professors in cancer biology, chemistry, computer science, physics, psychology, and engineering. The free trivia event will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday; register here. Courtesy: https://www.uwindsor.ca/dailynews/2021-03-29/trivia-night-test-myth-busting-skills
Health research gathering to provide project overview WE-SPARK Health Institute is preparing to host its next bi-monthly virtual Think Tank, a unique opportunity for researchers, healthcare providers, students, and the Windsor-Essex community to come together to share ideas, get to know each other, and learn what’s happening in the region. The Think Tank is open to everyone and will take place Friday, April 9, 1 to 3:30 p.m. Click here for more information and to register. Laura D’Alimonte, clinical practice manager for Windsor Regional Hospital, says that participating in previous Think Tanks has helped her to understand the research landscape in Windsor-Essex, allowed for networking opportunities with academic leaders across the region, and provided opportunities for collaborations with experts with similar academic interests. “I was pleasantly surprised by the diversity of the participants and I encourage people from all backgrounds to be part of these,” she says. “You don’t have to be thinking of being on a research team…
