BLOOD CLOTTING &

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

APRIL 2019
MEMBER PROFILES

ADVANCES IN DESIGNING
ANTI-THROMBOTICS
 ABOUT CBR
The CBR aims to improve the health and well-being
of patients through innovative research in blood and
blood-related processes.

GOALS
CBR Research & Clinical Goals
• Improve the quality and safety of blood
product collection, storage and delivery
• Create new knowledge to better treat
bleeding and clotting disorders
• Develop novel approaches to
modulate the immune system to
Patient-driven. Innovative. Community. treat inflammation and infections and
promote wound repair
Over the past year, donor support has helped us develop novel approaches
to battle severe bleeding in rural areas, delineate the mechanisms of
inflammatory diseases, and increase the quality of blood products used in
transfusions – only a few examples among many pioneering discoveries.
With your continued support, the CBR will further transform innovative
ideas into life-enhancing solutions.

The CBR needs you to help fund our programs, which range from $50 to
$100,000. We invite you to explore opportunities at the CBR where your
partnership with us will result in positive impacts on education, training and
meaningful research. Examples of initiatives that need your support include:

Opportunity Cost
Reward leadership in students and staff with the Neil $50
Mackenzie Mentorship Award
Expose trainees to diverse career opportunities with the $1,000
CBR Career Night
Jumpstart a postdoctoral fellow’s career with the $5,000
E D U CAT I O N
Postdoctoral Transition Award CBR Education Commitment
Support a clinical fellow in Translational Research Studies $75,000 • Support student research through
Make a CBR Symposium possible $25,000- competitive undergraduate, graduate,
$100,000 and postgraduate awards
Explore further: CBR.ubc.ca/support-us • Offer a range of stimulating educational
Edward M. Conway, MD, PhD symposia, workshops, and seminars
Director, Centre for Blood Research • Provide cutting-edge career
Tel: 604.822.4252 | Email: ed.conway@ubc.ca development opportunities for our
trainees

2
 D

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PUBLISHED BY
Knowledge Translation Committee

DESIGNER  RESEARCH EVENTS

Dr. Stefanie Mak & Cristyn Fung
Protease-Mediated
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Dr. Amy Glenwright*
Bronwyn Lyons
4 Switch 16, 18 Earl Davie
Symposium
CBR Health & Wellness Committee
Corrie Belanger
Polyphosphate
5 21 Pan-Canadian Airway
Cristyn Fung

Inhibitors Network Conference

Fennie Easton van der Graaf
Dr. Georgina Butler*
Dr. Geraldine Walsh
Haisle Moon
Dr. Houra Loghmani*

6 24 Blood Soccer Team:

J. Andrew Alexander*
Dr. Kai Yu
Katharine Sedivy-Haley*
Thrombomodulin Summer Champions
Loïc Caloren
Lily Takeuchi
Dr. Meera Raj
Enhancing “Clot-
8 27 Blood is Bonding
Dr. Michael Hughes*

Busting” Ability
Nico Werschler
Sarah Bowers
Sreeparna Vappala
Dr. Stefanie Mak*
Dr. Stefanie Novakowski

29 Canadian Blood
Tseday Tegegn
Wayne Zhao
* indicates Editorial Board member PROFILES Services Visit
Secret Lives of CBR
11
COVER PHOTO Macrophages in mouse

Researchers
adipose tissue after high-fat diet, by
Nooshin Safikhan
BLOG cbr.ubc.ca
FACEBOOK @cbrubc AWA R D S
TWITTER @CBR_UBC

12 Dr. Karen Cheung 7

INSTAGRAM  @cbr_ubc

CBR magazine is published by the

MSFHR Awards
Knowledge Translation (KT) Committee,
a group of CBR undergraduates, graduate
students, postdoctoral fellows, research

14 Jim Humphries 10 PDF/RA Travel

associates, and technicians who are in-
terested in science writing, blogging, and
mixed media communications. It is distrib-
uted free of charge to CBR and UBC alum-
Awards
ni, friends, and the scientific community.
Opinions expressed in the magazine do not

15 CSI 2018
necessarily reflect the views of the centre
or the university.
OPINION
Address correspondence to:

22 Open Access & Open

The Centre for Blood Research
4th Floor, Life Sciences Centre
Science
20 European Conference
2350 Health Sciences Mall
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3

The KT Committee publishes week-

on Biomaterials
23 Targeted Gene
ly at CBR News (cbr.ubc.ca) and covers a
wide range of topics, from recent research
Therapy: Luxturna
25 Matrix Biology
highlights and opinion pieces on science
and academia, to event coverage and CBR
initiatives. If you are interested in partici-
pating in the KT Committee, email Stefanie
Europe Meeting
26 Building Resilience
at: stefanie.mak@ubc.ca or talk to one of
the members! All undergraduates, gradu-
in Graduate School
27 CIHR Project Grant
ate students, PDFs, RAs, and technicians
are welcome to join.

CONTACT Recipients
30 GMOs
stefanie.mak@ubc.ca

Knowledge
Translation
Committee
28 Michael John Page
PDF Award
Science beyond academia
3
 Research
Proteases Can Be a Turn-On, or a Turn-Off. Or…
A Protease-Mediated Switch Controls the Transition
from Proinflammatory (M1) to Repair (M2)
Macrophages
By DR. GEORGINA BUTLER, Research Associate, Overall Lab
C hronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as arthritis1
and systemic lupus erythematosus2 (SLE), affect many Canadians,
and yet the mechanisms behind such conditions are not fully understood
and there is no cure available.
Inflammation is crucial for the destruction of infectious agents
and injured tissue, and this phase of the immune response is mediated
in part, by leukocytes. In particular, controlled polarization between
proinflammatory (M1) macrophages3 and healing (M2) macrophages
regulates the initiation and resolution of inflammation. The switch to M2
macrophages is vital to avoid the development of chronic inflammatory
and autoimmune diseases.
The Overall Lab4 at the UBC Centre for Blood Research is focused
on understanding the role of proteases in health and disease. Dr. Antoine
Dufour and colleagues have determined a mechanism where precise
proteolytic processing controls the M1 to M2 macrophage switch.
The research, recently published in Nature Communications5, shows
that C-terminal truncation of IFNγ, the cytokine that mediates M1
differentiation, by matrix metalloproteinase-12 (MMP-12) removes
the IFNγ receptor binding site, effectively turning off IFNγ-mediated
polarization of M1 macrophages.
Using murine models of inflammation, Dufour et al. showed that
mice lacking MMP12, or wild-type mice treated with a specific MMP12
inhibitor, had increased IFNγ and M1 macrophage levels. These mice
displayed an increased incidence and worse symptoms of arthritis, and
4
in an SLE model, exhibited far greater lymphadenopathy and lupus
nephritis. By mining transcriptome datasets from human SLE patients,
the group found that in untreated SLE, MMP-12 mRNA was significantly
reduced compared with healthy controls, whereas in treated SLE
patients, MMP-12 expression was comparable with healthy controls.
By immunohistochemistry using region-specific anti-IFNγ antibodies,
Dufour et al. showed that human SLE lupus nephritis biopsies had
increased intact IFNγ as well as reduced MMP-12 immunostaining.
This research highlights a protective role for MMP-12 in dampening
inflammation. In a negative feedback mechanism (see figure), MMP-
12 secreted from M2 macrophages cleaves the C-terminus from IFNγ.
Truncated IFNγ no longer polarizes macrophages to an M1 phenotype,
which allows M2 macrophages to resolve the inflammation. Low levels
of MMP-12, as seen in SLE patients, would be insufficient to cleave IFNγ
and proinflammatory M1 macrophages would persist. Thus therapies
directed at augmenting MMP-12 levels might be beneficial in the
treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.
1
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-229-x/2009001/status/art-eng.
htm#n3
2
http://www.lupuscanada.org/lupus-questions/
3
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/81876653.pdf
4
http://clip.ubc.ca
5
Nat Commun. (2018) 9(1): 2416. C

From Computers to Clinics: Advances in Designing
Polyphosphate Inhibitors as Novel Anti-Thrombotics
B y L I LY T A K E U C H I , G r a d u a t e S t u d e n t , K i z h a k k e d a t h u L a b
T hrombosis, the formation of a potentially deadly blood clot, remains
one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Once
formed, clots can slow or obstruct normal blood flow, leading to damage
to surrounding tissue. In deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot forms in the
veins deep inside the body between large muscle groups, most commonly
in the leg or pelvis. When a clot in the deep vein breaks free, it can trav-
el through the heart and cause a potentially fatal blockage in arteries to
the lung known as a pulmonary embolism. While there are several an-
tithrombotic drugs available on the market, many suffer from undesirable
side effects, particularly bleeding. Currently, Dr. Jayachandran Kizhakke-
dathu’s research group is pursuing a number of avenues towards the de-
velopment of novel anti-thrombotics without the limitations associated
with current medications.
Recently, a new drug target to inhibit thrombosis, with potential for
reduced bleeding side effects, has been identified as polyphosphate (pol-
yP).1 Although most cells contain polyP, platelets are an abundant source.
These cells play a central role in blood clotting. While the mechanisms
by which polyP participates in blood clotting have yet to be fully under-
stood, researchers are investigating the possibility of neutralizing the ef-
fects of polyP to prevent thrombosis. Unlike the current anti-thrombotic
approaches, this strategy could minimize the bleeding risk, as these agents
do not target key coagulation enzymes. However, nonspecific binding of
these inhibitors to normal cells has been a hurdle in their clinical utility.
To mitigate these issues, the approach designed by the Kizhakkedathu
lab uses positively charged groups known as cationic binding groups
(CBGs), bound to a dendritic, or branched, polymer core. These CBGs
are attracted to the highly negatively charged polyP, as well as other
normal cellular components. To mitigate the issue of binding to normal
Research
cells, the design also uses a brush of polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains
bound around the polymer core that act as a “shield”, limiting the amount
of nonspecific binding to normal cells. In this collaborative study recently
published in Biomacromolecules, Mafi et al. use computer simulation to
study the binding mechanism and sensitivity of different CBGs to PEG
in order to optimize their drug designs.2 While computer simulation has
been used increasingly in the field of drug discovery, studying interactions
of large molecules has proven challenging due to the fast interactions
between molecules that occur on the order of nano- or micro-seconds.
Here, the authors use an algorithm called Metadynamics and report that,
as predicted, increasing the positive charge density of CBGs had more of
an effect on binding to polyP than did increasing the PEG shield length.
Further, the authors determined that the PEG-CBGs aggregate first and
then make a sandwich with polyP, forming a complex in solution. By
simulating these interactions, researchers are able to better understand the
mechanisms of polyP inhibition and make predictive design decisions.
Finally, in addition to targeting polyP, other negatively charged mediators
of thrombosis have also been identified, including cell-free DNA, RNA
and neutrophil extracellular traps. The Kizhakkedathu group is currently
working towards applying similar design strategies to prevent the onset of
thrombosis by these negatively charged mediators.
To learn more about thrombosis research and awareness initiatives
visit http://www.worldthrombosisday.org/.
1
Cell (2009) 139 (6): 1143–1156.
2
Biomacromolecules (2018) 19 (4): 1358-1367. C
5
 Research
Thrombomodulin: Old Protein with New Functions
and Hope
B y WAY N E Z H A O , P h D S t u d e n t , D e v i n e L a b
A s its name suggests, thrombomodulin (TM) modulates thrombin
activity. The traditional role of TM is to vastly accelerate production
of activated protein C from its zymogen by thrombin. This discovery,
made in the 1980s, has established TM as an integral part of the
anticoagulant protein C system. Given its wide expression in multiple
cell types in humans, in addition to endothelial cells lining blood
vessels, scientists have discovered that TM is also involved in non-
traditional processes beyond the hemostatic system. In their review paper
“Exploring traditional and non-traditional roles for thrombomodulin”1,
Drs. Conway and Loghmani summarize the known functions of TM and
introduce new pathways and mechanisms that TM has recently found to
be involved in.
TM is a complex transmembrane glycoprotein with five distinct
structural regions (Figure 1). Several regions have been linked to
mechanisms in the body other than hemostasis. For example, the lectin-
like domain of TM exhibits anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective
functions in a murine model of reoxygenation injury and inflammation.
One possible pathway to achieve these effects is through sequestering
HMGB1, which prevents it from engaging TLR4 and triggering reactive
oxygen species production and NFκB signalling. However, TM has also
been found to exhibit pro-inflammatory effects. In this case, monocytes
expressing TM can trigger firm monocyte-endothelial interaction thereby
increasing macrophage infiltration after injury. These opposite effects are
both seemingly orchestrated by the lectin-like domain of TM. The exact
mechanism by which a single domain is able to achieve different immune
6
effects is not clear and needs to be investigated.
Given its involvement in multiple biological pathways, TM is being
actively studied in the context of disease. It is becoming clear that both
the traditional and non-traditional roles of TM have profound effects
on the progression and pathogenesis of a wide variety of diseases. These
studies, however, also further exemplify the complexity of TM and how
more research is needed to fully understand its functions. For example,
in diabetic nephropathy, TM has been found to have a protective effect.
Specifically, diabetic mice which receive recombinant lectin-like domain
of TM have less nephropathy and fibrotic damage. There are also fewer
macrophages observed in their kidneys which suggest less harmful
inflammation. In contrast, in atherosclerosis, TM has been proposed
to exacerbate vascular damage by promoting monocyte adhesion to
endothelium. It is not yet clear how TM can have anti-inflammatory
effects in one disease but pro-inflammatory in the other.
Drs. Conway and Loghmani have written this review to illustrate
the diverse functions of TM. They also come to the conclusion that
more research is needed to address the gaps in the understanding of this
integral membrane protein. It is their hope that through research, one day
we will be able to target or modify TM to treat a variety of diseases leading
to improved health of patients.
1
Blood (2018) 132(2): 148-158. C
Figure 1: Thrombomodulin’s five distinct structural
regions have been linked to mechanisms in the body
other than hemostasis.

The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research
Awards
B y K A T H A R I N E S E D I V Y - H A L E Y, P h D C a n d i d a t e , H a n c o c k L a b
T he Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) was established
in honour of BC’s first Nobel Laureate Dr. Michael Smith, with the mission
to support health research in BC, and develop and attract research talent. The
Foundation offers highly competitive awards to support early-career researchers
in the areas of biomedical, clinical, health services, and population health research.
In 2018, five CBR Postdoctoral Trainees and CBR Principal Investigator Dr. Hugh
Kim were recognized by the MSFHR with research awards.
Dr. Emily Park in the Ma Lab is developing
a diagnostic tool for assessing the invasiveness of
cancers. When tumour cells disperse, they do so via
chemotaxis, migrating in response to local chemical
signals. However, current assays for assessing
chemotaxis – and thus invasiveness – are highly
variable due to instability of chemical gradients used.
Furthermore, existing assays use a large number of cells, requiring an invasive
biopsy. Dr. Park is working on a microfluidic platform which would generate
a stable gradient suitable for testing a smaller number of cells, such as can be
obtained from a less invasive needle biopsy. This tool would be useful in guiding
the course of chemotherapy, since tumour cells with different levels of invasiveness
might respond differently to treatment.
Dr. Jane Ru Choi (also in the Ma lab) is
developing a method to isolate circulating tumour
cells (CTCs). Genome sequencing of individual CTCs
would be of great use to evaluate cancer status and
treatment efficacy, and identify potential mutations
and cancer subtypes within a heterogeneous tumour.
However, the task has remained challenging due to
the extreme rarity of CTCs. Existing methods for isolating single cells are time
consuming and require precise manipulation, leading to undesirable cell loss.
Therefore, there is a strong need for technologies that can efficiently capture such
rare cells for downstream single cell sequencing. Dr. Choi is developing a method
to rapidly capture and select single CTCs within a hydrogel matrix based on their
phenotypic profile while eliminating cell loss. This improved method would
enable better cancer monitoring and guide personalized therapy.
Dr. Yoan Machado in the Overall Lab is studying
the role of proteases in allergic responses. Proteases,
or enzymes that cut other proteins, are known to be
major triggers of allergic TH2 responses, capable of
acting as allergens themselves or acting as adjuvants
to strengthen the allergic response towards other
allergens. The proteolytic or cutting activity is required
Awards
for proteases to trigger the allergic response. Therefore, Dr. Machado is using
“degradomics” to identify cut ends of proteins that may be involved in the allergic
response by participating in signalling cascades in antigen presenting cells or by
acting as danger signals to alert the immune system.
Dr. Ka-Yee (Grace) Choi of the Hancock lab
is studying host defense peptides (HDPs) and their
synthetic analogues, innate defense regulator or IDR
peptides. These molecules have immunomodulatory
properties: they improve the body’s ability to fight
infections rather than simply attacking bacteria
directly. This indirect action makes it more difficult
for bacteria to develop resistance towards the peptides. Dr. Choi says that her
goal “is to understand the biological effects of HDPs and IDR peptides on both
the host and bacteria during chronic infections, in order to identify the potential
use of these peptides as alternative therapies against antibiotic resistant bacteria.”
Antibiotic resistance is a global problem, and as multidrug-resistant organisms
proliferate, common infections and routine surgeries will become increasingly
life-threatening.
Dr. Daniel Pletzer (also in the Hancock lab) is
studying the use of IDR peptides to fight antibiotic
resistant bacteria that have gathered into high-density
communities known as biofilms. Biofilms are difficult
to treat and account for two thirds of clinical infections.
Dr. Pletzer and others have recently shown that IDR
peptides work synergistically with antibiotics when
treating mouse bacterial abcesses caused by all six ESKAPE pathogens, which
account for 60% of hospital infections. His research continues to investigate the
mechanisms of action of these peptides and their interaction with antibiotic
treatments. Dr. Pletzer believes “it is important to test novel drugs against high-
density infections to identify their real therapeutic potential.”
Finally, Dr. Hugh Kim, who received a MSFHR
Scholar Award, is studying the role of platelets in
chronic inflammatory diseases such as periodontal
(gum) disease. During chronic inflammation, the
dysregulation of cytokine signaling can lead to tissue
damage and loss of function. Platelets have recently
been discovered to be critical elements of this process,
although their exact role in chronic inflammation is not well understood. Dr.
Kim’s work will attempt to clarify how cytokines are released from platelets during
inflammation; this work has implications for the rational treatment of many
chronic diseases, including periodontal disease. C
7
 Research
New Anticoagulants Enhance “Clot-Busting”
Ability of the “Clot-Former” Factor Xa
B y T S E D AY T E G E G N , P h D S t u d e n t , P r y z d i a l L a b
I f you, loved ones or friends suffer from diseases that may involve
abnormal blood clotting, such as heart attack, stroke, atherosclerosis,
deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism or even cancer, commercials
on “blood thinners” (anticoagulants) may catch your attention more than
other drugs while watching your favourite TV show. Drug advertisements
are everywhere! They often promise us clinical benefits that outweigh side
effects, even better outcome than “traditional” drugs used for decades to
mitigate the same condition/disease. Regardless of the length of clinical
use, drugs are continuously under investigation in a quest for a deeper
understanding of their mechanism of action and novel applications.
A recent publication from the Pryzdial lab at the Centre for
Blood Research (CBR), took a deeper look at two relatively new clotting
factor Xa (FXa)-directed oral anticoagulants (DOACs) known as
rivaroxaban (Xarelto®) and apixaban (Eliquis®). You have likely seen their
advertisements over the past few years. Both were approved by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration in 2011 and 2012, respectively. This class
of anticoagulants is the first to be approved since the advent of warfarin
in 1954. Unlike warfarin, which simultaneously inhibits several clotting
factors including FXa, these DOACs function by specifically blocking
only the active site of FXa. This reduces the generation of thrombin (a key
clot-forming enzyme) and thus prevents clot formation. DOACs are an
improvement over the traditionally administered warfarin because they
target only one clotting factor, requiring less frequent laboratory tests and
no dietary restrictions. Furthermore, in May 2018, an antidote named
andexanet alfa (andexanet) was approved if rapid reversal was required
8
due to the requirement of emergency surgery or to curtail bleeding side
effects.
So, what else do DOACs do in addition to inhibiting clot formation?
Before answering, let’s do a very brief review of how clot-formation and
clot-busting happens in our blood vessels.
Maintaining the circulation of blood requires extensive molecular
surveillance orchestrated by many enzymes and cofactors. They help
us form healthy clots to prevent us from bleeding and to rapidly
clear obstructive clots. These dynamic events are broadly classified as
coagulation (clot-forming) and fibrinolysis (clot-busting). Clot-forming
can be initiated through two mechanistic arms forming complexes called
“extrinsic tenase” upon tissue injury to initiate FXa production and
“intrinsic tenase” to amplify FXa production. Think of these events as two
“waterfalls” merging together to create a big splash. In this case, FXa!
Various coagulation factors including FXa play “double agent”
where they perform an additional task opposing their primary role.
When bound to an anionic phospholipid-containing membrane (e.g.
activated platelets), FXa is sequentially cleaved by plasmin (a key clot-
busting protein) from its intact form, FXaα, to FXaβ and then to Xa33/13.
Although, plasmin generation was enhanced in the presence of either
FXaβ or Xa33/13, the former resulted in superior plasmin generation in
plasma.
 Research

The Pryzdial lab previously showed that irreversible chemical modification of FXaβ reduced
the formation of Xa33/13 and promoted clot-busting. This observation lead to the hypothesis that
FXa-blocking DOACs enhance clot-busting ability by stabilizing FXaβ and inhibiting further
fragments.

Dr. Rolinda Carter, the lead author of “Rivaroxaban and Apixaban Induce Clotting Factor Xa
Fibrinolytic Activity”1 explains her work in this brief interview:

Knowledge Translation Committee (KT): What is the specific finding of your publication?
Dr. Rolinda Carter (RC): The study identified a new mechanism by which FXa-directed DOACs
can enhance clot dissolution.

KT: Does this finding affect our current clinical understanding of DOACs?
RC: It’s hard to really give clinical conclusions because a clinical study was not done. Nevertheless,
it would go back to the positive use of FXa-DOACs to treat deep vein thrombosis and thus prevent
post thrombotic syndrome which has links to ineffective clot dissolution.

KT: Are more factors acting as “double agents” in coagulation and fibrinolysis currently being
studied? Do you think our most common understanding of fibrinolysis and coagulation as
separate entities is coming to end?
RC: More and more researchers are finding that elements of the clotting cascade have multiple
functions. Studies are ongoing in the Pryzdial laboratory to look at the role clotting factor Va has
in clot-dissolution. Further investigation is also ongoing to optimize the clot-busting activity of
FXa derivatives.

KT: What was unexpected during your investigation? Did it deviate from the initial hypothesis?
RC: The initial hypothesis was that anticoagulants would bind to the active site of FXa, preventing the formation of Xa33/13 and thus enhance clot
lysis. This enhancement was not due to reduced thrombin generation and the consequent effects on its numerous functions, but its ability to bind to the
active site of FXa and promote plasmin generation. Thus, our findings were in line with the original hypothesis.

1
J Thromb Haemost. (2018) 16(11):2276-2288. C

The known “anticoagulant” and

newly identified “fibrinolytic”
mechanism of novel DOACs.

9
 Awards

2018-2019 CBR Postdoctoral Fellow & Research

Associate Supplementary Travel Awards
Congratulations to the following award recipients!

O nce a year, the Centre for Blood Research provides travel awards to Postdoctoral Fellows and Research Associates to aid in
their travel to conferences and academic events. Any CBR Postdoctoral Fellow or Research Associate is eligible to apply,
provided they have not received an award within the last year. Each award offers up to $1,000 to supplement other funding sources.
Consistently throughout the years, recipients have attended, then presented their research at a diverse range of informative and
exhilarating conferences. Upon their return, awardees write short reports on the conferences they attended and their experiences.
These are posted on the CBR website.

Dr. Pierre-Marie Andrault, Brömme Lab Dr. Narges Hadjesfandiari, Devine Lab

Will attend the Atherosclerosis Gordon Will attend the AABB conference
Research Conference in Newry, Maine, on transfusion medicine & cellular
USA therapy in San Antonio, Texas, USA

Dr. Michael Hughes, McNagny Lab Dr. Amy Lee, Hancock Lab

Attended the Immunochemistry and Will attend the Systems Immunology

Immunobiology Gordon Research Cold Spring Harbor meeting in Cold
Conference in Mt. Snow, Vermont, Spring Harbor, New York, USA
USA

Dr. Kerryn Matthews, Ma Lab SayyedSoroush Nasseri, Cheung Lab

Attended the Society for Laboratory Attended the Miniaturized Systems

Automation and Screening for Chemistry and Life Sciences
Conference in Washington DC, USA Conference in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Dr. Erika Siren, Kizhakkedathu Lab Dr. Hesham Soliman, Rossi Lab

Attended the Canadian Science Attended the Keystone Symposia:

Policy Conference in Ottawa, Ontario, Single Cell Biology in Breckenridge,
Canada Colorado, USA

10

Secret Lives of CBR Researchers:
Episode 1. Lauren Wilkinson
By CORRIE BELANGER, PhD Candidate, Hancock Lab
T he Centre for Blood Research has many talented graduate students,
postdocs and faculty doing cutting edge research in important fields such
as infectious and inflammatory diseases, cancer, and biotechnology. In the CBR
newsletter, we spend a great deal of time focusing on how CBR researchers apply
their skills to achieve prestigious publications and awards, but we often do not
recognize the extraordinary things that researchers do outside of the lab. Work-
life balance is an important factor for overall health and success. Whether this
is drinking beer (my personal favourite) or getting involved in an intramural
sport, everyone has something to distract them from life in the lab. The CBR
has some exceptional people who have extraordinary talents not only in the lab
but outside of it as well. To give a snapshot into the diversity of skills that CBR
members have, I have interviewed interesting graduate students with impressive
talents. This month I would like to highlight Lauren Wilkinson, a talented
microbiologist with a secret past as an Olympic athlete.
Lauren Wilkinson is a Microbiology and Immunology graduate student,
who has recently defended her Master’s thesis on inhibition of swarming
motility in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Outside of the lab, Lauren is also a skilled
rower and a retired athlete from the Canadian Women’s Rowing Team. As a
two time Olympian and London Games silver medallist, Lauren expressed
that “the sport of rowing has introduced [her] to some of [her] dearest friends,
taken [her] to fourteen countries and given [her] the opportunity to represent
Canada at the highest levels.” With two older brothers introducing her to the
sport at a young age, Lauren has now been rowing for over eleven years and
with the help of her great coaches and teammates, found herself at the starting
line of the Olympic Games. Though graduate school alone can be a huge time
and effort commitment, Lauren still managed to balance graduate life with
Profiles
Lauren Wilkinson (back
row, centre) winning
silver in the London 2012
Olympics as a member
of the Canadian women’s
eight.
Photo credit: Canadian
Olympic Team
training and rowing, and also expresses passion for other activities, such as
diving and spending time outdoors with friends. Amazingly, Lauren managed
to efficiently utilize her time by training as she commuted to UBC by bicycle
and still managed to do additional running or weight training in between
experiments at least a few times a week. These activities helped her maintain her
fitness so she could return to full-time training for the Rio Olympics in proper
shape! Though Lauren retired from the National Rowing Team after the Rio
Olympics, rowing and the team spirit will always be a part of her life, and she
would love the opportunity to coach young athletes like herself in the future. She
has also recently been accepted into the Bachelor of Education program at UBC
and is ready to put all of her great experiences to use as a professional teacher.
Just as she is an encouraging mentor to undergraduate students in the Faculty
of Science at UBC, she looks forward to the joys and rewards of becoming a
teacher and coaching young athletes in the future.
Lauren is just one of many exceptional graduate students in the CBR
exhibiting impressive talents outside research. Her story can inspire many
of us in the department to pursue our own passions, and remind us that it is
important to have a balanced life. If you have a talent or know someone with
a talent to be showcased in the CBR newsletter, email the Education Program
Manager for the CBR, Stefanie Mak (stefanie.mak@ubc.ca). C
11
 Profiles

Meet the Researcher: Dr. Karen Cheung

B y D R . S T E FA N I E N O VA K O W S K I , K a s t r u p L a b

D r. Karen Cheung is a professor at UBC in the Department of

Electrical & Computer Engineering and the new School of
Biomedical Engineering. She is also the Director of the Graduate
Biomedical Engineering Program. As one of the newest members of
the CBR, having joined in June, Dr. Cheung’s recruitment represents
exciting new directions for blood research at the CBR and its translation
to the clinic.

Can you tell me a bit about your research background?

I studied bioengineering as an undergraduate student, followed by a
PhD also in bioengineering at the University of California, Berkley. In
high school I liked both sides, the biology side and the engineering side,
and I grew up in California, where bioengineering was available as an
undergraduate degree program.

How have the opportunities for high school or undergraduate

students interested in bioengineering changed since you started your
career?
When I was an undergraduate student, the program was not structured Dr. Karen Cheung
as well as programs are now. Instead of just taking some engineering
courses and some biology courses, programs now are designed to help
students make connections between the molecular level, cellular level,
tissue level, and functional level, considering both the engineering and
biological components.

12
 Profiles

What are some of the research projects your lab is focused on now?
I am involved in several projects including, for example, organ-on-a-
chip and cellular printing. We have a tumour-on-a-chip wherein we
culture spheroids, which are models of tumours. We make them three-
dimensional, so they actually model multi-cellular structures, and include
not just cells found within the tumour, but also extracellular components,
like the proteins important for cell attachment. We use hydrogel beads to
grow the cells, and this allows us to study the effect of hypoxia on the cells
in a dynamic matter, as these conditions change over time in the body.
With microscopy, we study in real-time, what’s happening to the cells.
We are also collaborating with colleagues at St. Paul’s Hospital to create
an airway-on-a-chip. There, we are modeling a very specific part of the
lung and studying the effects of fibrosis in chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease and asthma.
In terms of cellular printing, our work focuses on flow hydrodynamics
in inkjet printing. When you are printing cells, the cell diameter is very
close to the size scale of the inkjet nozzles. Our research was the first to
see what’s happening inside the nozzle, close to the cell, using high-speed
imaging. This lets us study how different properties of the ink affect the
cells during the printing process.
What excites you the most about your work? What work are you most
proud of?
What’s most exciting about research in general is exploring things that
have not been solved before. In my lab, we are building technologies that
enable scientists to do things they can’t do yet. Once we have achieved that,
we would move forward to working with partners to make fundamental
discoveries. It’s exciting to create these new technologies, and I’m very
proud of my trainees who have the perseverance and patience to stick
through it. There are always lots of challenges, but they overcome them,
and I am very proud of that.
If you had any advice for trainees, what would it be?
Be open to investigating new things. One of my challenges that I did not
foresee in the organ-on-a-chip project, was how difficult it would be to
image the cells. My students were not afraid to explore new microscopy
techniques, regardless of what their academic background was. C

Is the focus of your lab on the biology or building the tools and models
for studying the biology?
Ideally, it’s both. We’re not just building bridges for other people, although
this really drives us in terms of what we build, because it would be
nonsensical to make something and tell other researchers it’s what they
need. The hypoxia study arose from conversations with researchers at
the BC Cancer Center, who knew it was important to study the hypoxic
conditions in a dynamic setting. This is what drove us to spend time Tumour-on-a-chip: Breast tumour cells growing and forming
developing this technology. To do this, I try to build a group of students multicellular spheroids, encapsulated within gel-like droplets.
who come in from different backgrounds and then complement each Individual cells are labelled in green (right). Image credit: Lab
other. That way we use the natural strengths of each trainee, depending Chip (2010) 10(18): 2424-32.
on their background; but there are still opportunities for them to work
together and learn from each other.

How do you think your research fits in with the CBR, in terms of their
overall goal and their ongoing projects?
While we’ve been making tumor models with our technology, we can
easily build different types of models with these tools that would be
relevant to other researchers at the CBR. For the inkjet project, in addition
to tissue engineering, we are trying to dispense single cells. If we are able
to rapidly dispense single cells in a high-throughput way, we can use
this for single cell studies, which should lead to additional collaborative
opportunities.
Chips used for co-culturing vascular lumen (left), co-culturing
spheroids (centre) and imaging co-cultured spheroids (right).

13
 Profiles
Meet a CBR Member: Mr. James (Jim) Humphries
B y C B R H E A LT H A N D W E L L N E S S C O M M I T T E E
A t the Centre for Blood Research (CBR), the holiday season was inaugurated
on December 7th, 2018. We all came together around the Christmas tree
to enjoy our annual holiday potluck and gift exchange. This kind of giving and
sharing is a form of “investment in others” that can yield big returns in our own
happiness and overall wellness, as described by Dr. Michael Norton of Harvard
Business School and Dr. Elizabeth Dunn of the Department of Psychology at
UBC in their book “Happy Money: The New Science of Smarter Spending.”
CBR members are not new to the concept of “investing in others”; in fact
this is our year round tradition! We often carve out time to help one another meet
deadlines and simply raise each other’s spirits. The past few weeks, our “take-two
initiative” further proved to us just how much our community values one another.
This initiative was organized by the CBR Health and Wellness Committee where
CBR members were provided with sweets that they can give to others as a form of
appreciation to those that go the extra mile for others. We went through a couple
of large bowls of assorted holiday sweets already! The Health and Wellness team
encourages our community to keep “investing in others” especially in this warm
season of giving and sharing.
Our community also consists of many members who are involved in various
charitable organizations, whether local or far away. Among the extensive list of
CBR do-gooders, Mr. James (Jim) Humphries from the custodial team is truly one
to highlight. He is a firm believer in investing in others and he does this by giving
to the Sefton Village Children’s Home in Isabela, Philippines. Sefton Village was
established through the support of the Helga Mosey Memorial Trust as part of
their charitable mission to help poverty-stricken children and young people. It has
been a home and shelter for many, including abandoned newborns and children
from abusive homes. The children can stay at the village or safely transition to
homes of loving adoptive parents.
The Health and Wellness team recently interviewed Mr. Jim Humphries to
learn more about his charitable activities relating to Sefton Village.
How long have you been with UBC and
what do you enjoy about working at the
CBR?
I have been at UBC for 15 years. I like the
CBR because even though a lot of wonderful
people come and go, it still feels like a family.
What prompted you to give, especially
to the Sefton Village Children’s Home in
Isabela, Philippines?
I am motivated to give partly due to my
personality and upbringing. Growing up, I spent some time in an orphanage and
this experience allowed me to understand the needs of some of the children. The
reason I support the Sefton Village Children’s Home is accidental. Five years ago, I
visited the Philippines with my family, and one day, I noticed a rundown building.
14
I began asking questions. The following day, I was able to pay a visit and observe
the children living there. I soon learned about their many needs, ranging from
medical needs, to educational support, to everyday items. Since then, I frequently
ship packages to the organization and three years ago I traveled back to Isabela to
see how the children are doing.
What do you pack in the boxes?
I usually pack crayons, books, toys,
used clothes, or anything else a kid
might want/need. This is usually
achieved by finding good sales at
different stores.
What are some challenges you are
currently facing to continue your
support to the orphanage?
I am trying to find a better way to get
the shipments out, because shipping
cost is the biggest hurdle of this process. A small box costs over $100 to ship and I
ship about 6 to 7 boxes yearly!
How has your life been enhanced by giving to this orphanage and other
initiatives?
I really enjoy giving! In particular, when giving to the orphanage, I get a lot of
satisfaction when I see the children’s happy faces!
Have CBR members participated in your endeavours previously?
Throughout the year, they support me a lot by donating items to fill up boxes I
place on the 4th floor by the women’s washroom in the west wing. When I initially
asked if the CBR would allow me to put a box there, the feedback I received from
Dr. Ed Conway was very positive and very encouraging for me to stay committed
to giving!
__________________________________________________________
As we head into the holiday season, the CBR Health and Wellness team
would like to thank Jim Humphries for the opportunity to learn about his giving
endeavours. Also, we would like to recognize all our other do-gooders for their
contributions to our community and to the world in so many different ways. As
we transition into the New Year, may this season be time to prioritize our time
and resources in a way that would maximize our health, wellness and happiness!
Please consider donating to Jim’s box :) C
 Awards

31st Annual Canadian Society for Immunology

Meeting
By DR. MEERA RAJ, Postdoctoral Fellow, Scott Lab

Western University in London, Ontario.

Photo credit: Balcer/Wikimedia Commons

T hanks to the Centre for Blood Research for providing me with the CBR
Postdoctoral Fellow Travel Award. Because of this travel award, I had
the opportunity to attend the 31st Annual Canadian Society for Immunology
Meeting (CSI) for the first time. The meeting was held at Western University,
located in London, the “forest city” of Ontario (and not England). The Western
University campus is one of Canada’s oldest campuses, surrounded by beautiful
gardens and trees, and has a mix of gothic and modern architecture.
At the event, I found the members of CSI to be exceptionally welcoming
and accepting of newcomers like myself. These members celebrated contribu-
tions and accomplishments of all Canadian Immunologists. Investigators from
UBC also made the list of accomplished immunologists. Dr. Michael Grant, a
professor at Memorial University and a former UBC student (B.Sc. and M.Sc.),
received a CSI – Hardy Cinader Award; Dr. Megan K. Leving, a UBC professor,
received a CSI Investigator Award; Dr. Martin J. Richer, an assistant professor
at McGill University and a former UBC Ph.D. student received a CSI New In-
vestigator Award. At the CSI symposium, there were interesting presentations
on topics that included Aging & Immunosenescence: Susceptibility to Infection
and Implications for Vaccination; Conventional and Unconventional T Cell
Development: Fate Choices & Spatial Factors; and Cancer Immunotherapy: Ba-
sic Mechanisms & Clinical Promise.
My poster, describing the making of a better-humanized mouse via
polymer-grafting, was one of 108 posters presented at the conference.
Humanized mice are an important tool in studying human diseases in an animal
model. My work demonstrated that the polymer-grafting of human leukocytes
can allow engraftment and delay xenorecognition by donor T-cells in an
immunocompromised host mouse. This prevention/delay in xenorecognition,
measured by the onset of T cell-mediated graft-versus-host disease (GVHD),
may provide a longer window of opportunity for studying the immunological
processes involved in human disease, thereby, generating a better-humanized
mouse. I had several visitors interested in my work, as they had either struggled
with humanized mice in their previous projects, were currently working with
humanized mice, or were just curious if polymer-grafting was toxic to cells.
In addition to getting useful feedback on my project, I had a great time
networking, interacting and discussing novel ideas pursued by students and
investigators. I was able to meet former lab members and to learn more about
their individual projects. Buffet lunches and dinners were held at the Great
Hall, which also served as a venue to network and socialize. Meals at the Great
Hall were accompanied by performances from Patrick Coppolino, a comedian;
Swagger, London’s favourite party band; and some hilarious ‘1-minute 1-slide’
voluntary presentations by trainees to increase attendance at their poster
presentations. C

15
 Events

Earl W. Davie Symposium speakers, 2018

Earl Davie Symposium 2018: In Review

B y B R O N W Y N LY O N S , P h D S t u d e n t , S t r y n a d k a L a b ,
a n d T S E D AY T E G E G N , P h D S t u d e n t , P r y z d i a l L a b

A t the Centre for Blood Research (CBR), November is associated

with the annual Earl W. Davie Symposium. This highly anticipated
multidisciplinary symposium was launched 12 years ago by CBR’s founding
director Dr. Ross MacGillivray, who was a trainee in Dr. Earl Davie’s
laboratory. Attendees include CBR members, local and international
researchers, clinicians, students, patients, and industry representatives. Dr.
Davie couldn’t join us in person this year but was close by in Seattle and
there in spirit via webcast.
The 12th Earl W. Davie Symposium was held on November 15th, 2018
in downtown Vancouver. In addition to Dr. Davie’s 91st birthday, this year
marks the 54th anniversary of the discovery of the “waterfall cascade” of
Keynote speakers Dr. John Griffin (Scripps Institute) &
blood coagulation. In his opening remarks, the director of the CBR - Dr. Ed
Dr. Maureane Hoffman (Duke University)
Conway - noted that this significant milestone is “essentially a discovery
that impacts every medical discipline that exists and affects millions of
people around the world!”
The day kicked off with the first of the two keynote speakers. Dr.
John Griffin (Scripps Institute) started by focusing on the non-traditional
neuroprotective role of the natural anticoagulant, activated protein C (APC),
which is mediated through “biased signalling”, or non-canonical cleavage
of protease activated receptor 1 (PAR1). To improve therapy in ischemic
stroke, Dr. Griffin stressed the importance of combining “reperfusion with
neuroprotection”, taking into account the multiple actions of APC.

16
 Events
The morning session started out with Dr. Alvin Schmaier (Case
Western Reserve University). He described how factor XII, a coagulation
factor in the intrinsic pathway, regulates inflammation by mediating a
neutrophil response. Next, Dr. Ed Pryzdial (Associate Director of the CBR
and a Canadian Blood Services Scientist) spoke of the extrinsic pathway,
describing how enveloped viruses contribute to clot formation and
infection through host-derived tissue factor and viral surface glycoprotein
C. Involving both the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of coagulation, Dr.
Narcis Popescu (Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation) discussed
how disseminated intravascular coagulation develops during anthrax
infections, showing that Gram-positive peptidoglycan promotes tissue
factor expression by monocytes.
Switching gears, patient and clinician perspective talks on improving
comprehensive care for individuals living with sickle cell were given by
Storma McDonald, President of the Sickle Cell Association, and Dr. Hatoon
Ezzat, Director of BC Provincial Adult Hemoglobinopathy program. Sickle CBR Office Manager Hana Kim (left) with members of the Conway Lab
cell-associated pain was their key focus; they emphasized the importance
of pain management procedures to help guide physicians when patients
visit emergency rooms. Supported by various clinical success stories, Dr. platelets. Dr. Mark Looney (University of California, San Francisco), wound
Ezzat also noted the importance of treating with hydroxyurea to reduce up the day by wowing the audience with fluorescent images of live cells
pain and improve quality of life for these patients. moving about intact mouse lungs during experimental manipulations and
presented compelling evidence of the generation of new platelets in the
lung.
The formal part of the day came to a close with Dr. Stefanie Mak, the
CBR’s Education Program Manager, presenting awards to trainees for the
best posters ... some tough decisions, as there were many excellent ones.
Indeed, trainees were key participants in this event, delivering four of the
day’s talks, and presenting all of the posters. (For more information on the
trainee talks, see pages 18-19). Thanks were extended by Dr. Conway to
all of the speakers and organizers who helped make this year’s Earl Davie
Symposium once again, a fabulous educational and social experience.
Special thanks went to Stefanie Mak and Hana Kim (the CBR’s Office
Manager), our sponsors, and of course to Earl Davie, who annually “lends”
his name and support for this wonderful opportunity! C
Storma McDonald, President of Sickle Cell Association

With a break for lunch and poster-mingling, the afternoon session

began with the second keynote speaker, Dr. Maureane Hoffman (Duke
University), who discussed how joint and skin bleeds differ in patients with
hemophilia. Dr. Jill Johnsen (University of Washington) provided clinical
insights into disease management of hemophilia using genotyping through
the My Life Our Future campaign, a targeted approach to understanding
this genetically diverse disease. She advocates for comprehensive genetic
approaches, to ascertain the complexities of the disease.
The rest of the afternoon provided mechanistic insights into blood
clotting and platelet disorders. Dr. Brian Branchford (University of
Colorado) deliberated on an exciting inhibitor, UNC2025, which shows
promise in mouse models for decreasing platelet accumulation during
blood clotting and providing protection from pulmonary emboli. Dr.
Walter Kahr (University of Toronto, SickKids) described the genetics and
corresponding mechanisms behind rare platelet disorders, such as Gray Kim Lab at Earl W. Davie Symposium
Platelet Syndrome, a disease that is characterized by abnormally large

17
 Events

12th Earl W. Davie Symposium: A Focus on the Next-

Generation of Blood Researchers
B y D R . S T E FA N I E N O VA K O W S K I , K a s t r u p L a b ,
D R . G E R A L D I N E WA L S H , S c i e n t i f i c Wr i t e r, C a n a d i a n B l o o d S e r v i c e s ,
B R O N W Y N LY O N S , P h D S t u d e n t , S t r y n a d k a L a b ,
a n d T S E D AY T E G E G N , P h D S t u d e n t , P r y z d i a l L a b

Parker Jobin (Overall Lab) presenting research talk Sreeparna Vappala (Kizhakkedathu Lab) shares
her work with an engaged attendee

Originally posted on the Canadian Blood Services R.E.D. blog on December 13,
2018.

In November 2018, the University of British Columbia Centre for Blood

Research (CBR) hosted its 12th annual Earl W. Davie Symposium in
Vancouver, BC. During the event, researchers, students, clinicians and
patients discussed successes and ongoing challenges in hematology, from
understanding basic mechanisms of clotting to improving patient care.
Details of the invited talks can be found on pages 16-17; however, a major
part of what makes the day special is the enthusiastic participation of
the CBR trainees. Throughout the day, the audience heard talks from four
trainees, while 26 students presented their work during the poster sessions.

“Three of the invited speakers today told me how special the trainees are
here at CBR. I had this on multiple occasions before! I think that CBR not
only has an excellent recruitment process in place, but we also offer very
Trainees at Earl W. Davie Symposium
good training programs.” - Dr. Ed Pryzdial, Canadian Blood Services scientist
and associate director of the CBR

18

Trainee talks: from blood clotting to neuroinflammation
While the key proteins involved in blood clotting were identified
by Dr. Earl W. Davie and his colleagues over 40 years ago, many
questions remain, including questions about the role of coagulation
factor XII (FXII) in regulating clotting. In the first trainee talk of the day,
Tammy Truong (Weitz Laboratory, McMaster University), described
her work characterizing the interaction between FXII and histidine-rich
glycoprotein, a protein found in plasma and platelets. This work could aid
in developing new treatments for blood clotting disorders, reducing the
risk of bleeding associated with current drugs. Tammy was a recipient of
the CBR’s newly-established travel awards, made possible through the
Sheldon Naiman and Linda Vickars Hematology Endowment Fund.
Most people attending a symposium on blood research would not
expect to hear about the impact of dietary fibre on their health; however,
this was not the case at this year’s Symposium. In an engaging talk,
Hannah Robinson, (Osborne Laboratory, University of British Columbia),
described how high dietary levels of guar gum, a soluble fiber, provides
protection in animal models of multiple sclerosis, preventing entry of
immune cells into the nervous system. While guar gum can be found in
ice cream, Hannah was quick to point out that “ice cream is not the cure
for multiple sclerosis.”
Occasionally, new roles can be found for well-characterized proteins.
In his talk, Parker Jobin, a MD/PhD student in Overall Laboratory
(University of British Columbia), described how tryptophanyl-tRNA
synthetase, a protein typically found within cells, can be released and alter
cell growth in blood vessels, regulating inflammation. During the poster
session, he shared how the Symposium has helped him in his professional
development:
“At the Symposium, there’s a mix of both familiar and new faces. This
provides an opportunity to hone your presentation skills with colleagues
you are comfortable with, while still meeting with many distinguished
researchers and clinicians.” - Parker Jobin, Overall Laboratory
Poster presentations: the expanding realm of blood research
At the Symposium, each of the poster presenters have the opportunity
to practice their elevator pitches with 30-second ‘shotgun’ talks. Maria-
Elizabeth Beava (Jefferies Laboratory, University of British Columbia)
gave a particularly enthusiastic talk that highlighted how the field of blood
research has grown since the early focus on blood clotting proteins, as
her work focuses on possible links between eye disease and Alzheimer’s
Disease. The Symposium offers both trainees and researchers a chance to
learn about research outside of their area of study, an opportunity many
trainees value.
“At the Symposium, you can meet patients, scientists and doctors. I
had the opportunity to talk to a trauma surgeon today, which gave me
a new perspective on my research. This Symposium is a great event that
provides wonderful opportunities for students!” - Wayne Zhao, Devine
Laboratory
Events
Wayne is studying how temperature affects the quality and function
of platelets used for transfusion, which are currently stored at room
temperature. There is growing interest in storing platelets in the cold, as
this may help improve their activity in patients with trauma and it may
allow an extension of the shelf-life of platelets, which is currently limited
to 7 days. Wayne’s findings may help inform Canadian Blood Services
and other blood operators as they explore new possibilities with platelet
products.
Platelets are also capable of mediating inflammation, and are known
to bind to and internalize pathogens, including viruses. Tseday Tegegn
(Pryzdial Laboratory) is following protein synthesis in platelets, with the
goal of understanding how platelet interactions with the Dengue virus
alter proteins in the cell. She is investigating whether this contributes to
low platelet levels (thrombocytopenia) during infection. Moving from
platelets to the immune system, Linda Yang (Scott Laboratory) is focused
on adoptive cell immunotherapy, a promising potential treatment for
cancer. She is studying what the cells used in this therapy release and
deliver to cancer cells, to identify which specific components reduce
cancer cell growth.
Throughout the day, posters were judged by the CBR’s post-doctoral
fellows, research assistants, and investigators. This year’s winners were
Emel Islamzada (3rd place), Tammy Truong (2nd place) and Stefanie
Novakowski (1st place).
Both Stefanie and Emel’s research demonstrate the roles of new
technologies in blood research. Stefanie (Kastrup Laboratory, University
of British Columbia) developed a method for delivering genetic material
to platelets using nano-sized delivery systems, with the goal of creating
modified platelets with improved activity during trauma or with extended
shelf-life. Emel (Ma Laboratory, University of British Columbia) studies
how red blood cells decrease in flexibility during storage using microfluidic
devices, which allow single cells to be isolated and characterized. Her
findings could potentially be used to identify ‘superdonors’, donors whose
blood cells do not deteriorate during storage, leading to improved activity
after transfusion.
From developing new drugs to learning how dietary fibre might
impact our health, the 2018 Earl W. Davie Symposium was a diverse
and enlightening experience, and this based solely on the student
presentations! The CBR symposia are always an invaluable learning
experience for attendees, from trainees to patients to established
researchers, and this year was no different.
The Centre for Blood Research at the University of British Columbia
hosts three Canadian Blood Services scientists, and affiliated staff,
postdoctoral fellows and students. Canadian Blood Services and the
Centre for Innovation are proud to partner with the Centre for Blood
Research to deliver training and education events including the annual
Earl W. Davie Symposium. C
19
 Awards

29th European Conference on Biomaterials

By DR. KAI YU, Research Associate, Kizhakkedathu Lab

W ith support provided by a CBR Post-Doc Travel Award, I attended

the 29th European Conference on Biomaterials at Maastricht,
Netherlands from Sep 9-13, 2018. The theme of this year’s conference
was “Materials for Life,” which expressed the challenge the biomaterials
field is currently facing: providing effective and affordable biomaterials-
based methods to address clinical needs. At the conference, I gave an
oral presentation titled “Influence of dynamic conditions on plasma
protein corona and thrombus generation on the surface”. It stirred up
discussion on the evaluation of medical devices in vitro and bridging the
gap between in vitro hemocompatibility tests and in vivo results. The
presentation brought awareness to the importance of testing conditions
in assessing blood compatibility of medical devices in vitro. The audience
also expressed interest in CBR and the talent that we have to facilitate
these studies.
I also attended other sessions including antimicrobial biomaterials
and controlling biomaterial-biological systems, which are two other
topics that I am studying. I got a chance to communicate with my peers in
this field and learn their approach to achieving antimicrobial activity and
minimizing the complicated interactions between blood and biomaterials.
The most impressive keynote was on “Contrasting nanomedicine
claims versus human clinical performance: why such disconnects?”. Even
though there are currently thousands of publications claiming evidence for
nanomedicine anti-tumor drug delivery efficacy in cell and animal cancer
models, there are few nanomedicines to date which exhibit enhanced
clinical anti-cancer effectiveness compared to free drug. Scientific
research credibility, lack of in vitro-in vivo correlation, and exaggeration of
preclinical outcomes for nanomedicines are increasingly questioned. The
speaker proposed that artificial intelligence and personalized medicine
may be good strategies to address this disconnect.
Overall, the conference gave me a deeper insight into the
biomaterials field. During my trip, I also visited the beautiful host city,
Maastricht, which is located on both sides of the Meuse River and has a
rich history and culture. Old architecture is combined with the new, as the
old buildings are joined by renovated buildings, museums, bridges, and an
art university. C

20
 Events

Creation of a Pan-Canadian Airway Network

Conference
B y F E N N I E E A S T O N VA N D E R G R A A F, U n d e r g r a d u a t e S t u d e n t i n J e f f e r i e s L a b

S earching for collaborations in hospitals, industry, or academia?

Passionate about improving care for patients with airway disease? The
‘Creation of a Pan-Canadian Airway Network Conference’ provided the
slight changes in environment. Dr. Hirota emphasized the significance
of using flow systems in microfluidic devices to study tissues in a chip,
and how he partners with Aspect Biosystems for 3D tissue printing.
perfect opportunity to forge connections. Such devices could be the next alternative to animal models, presenting
Facilitated by COPD expert, Dr. Don a more affordable, ethical method to study human tissue with greater
Sin, and Program Manager, Dr. Tony Yang, experimental control.
the November 5th Pan-Canadian Airway Through a very professional and candid atmosphere, the experience
Network Conference cleverly addressed of this conference was intellectually exhilarating. I can’t tell if it was
medical goals to combat Chronic Obstruc- because of absorbing so much information or just eating too much of
tive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) from an the delicious lunch (see pictures; all photo credits go to Jasemine Yang),
array of scientific angles. The scope of this but I really grew as a researcher throughout the course of this event. This
conference united a community of clini- experience truly inspired a sense of a greater cause and the ability to make
cians, biomedical engineers, geneticists, a greater impact because of the support and collaboration promoted
industry representatives, and health econ- Dr. Don Sin between a vast array of scientists. Be sure to attend future sessions of
omists, all striving to bring ‘exceptional this conference which are likely to be held every 2 years, and contact Dr.
care through exceptional science’ for the over 2.5 million Canadians suf- Tony Yang for any questions.
fering from COPD1.
Networking and lunch
The conference consisted of four distinct sessions: Bioimaging,
Biomedical Engineering, Genetics/Genomics, and Clinical Translation. The
Chair of each session moderated 2-3 presentations from distinguished
local and national investigators, followed by their engagement in a panel
discussion. The audience was invited to ask questions either online or
through a microphone, generating an intellectually stimulating but also
relaxed dialogue.
The chair of the UBC Department of Radiology Dr. Jonathon Leipsic
set the stage for Dr. Grace Parraga (Robarts Research Institute) and
Dr. Jonathan Rayment (B.C. Children’s Hospital Research Institute). Dr.
Parraga evaluated the use of ‘Hyperpolarized Gas Magnetic Resonance
Panel Discussion (left to right): Dr. Karen Cheung,
Imaging’ as a fast diagnostic tool used to convey information about Dr. Jeremy Hirota, and Dr. Edmond Young
COPD severity. Despite being an expensive technique, it does overcome
conventional challenges of using a spirometer to measure lung function2.
Dr. Rayment expanded on this technique’s significance as it can be used to
calculate ventilation defect percent (VDP)3, which is a sensitive indicator
of lung disease in cystic fibrosis. His work as a pediatrician opened the
suggestion to focus research on the origin of COPD and also highlighted
the challenges of diagnosing COPD in young children.
Dr. Karen Cheung (a Director of the UBC School of Biomedical
Engineering and PI in the Centre for Blood Research) introduced Dr.
Edmond Young (University of Toronto) and Dr. Jeremy Hirota (McMaster 1
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2014003/article/11908-
University). Dr. Young introduced the applications for organ-on-a-chip, eng.htm
the method of growing lung and other tissues in hydrogel or other 2
J Magn Reson Imaging (2010) 32(6): 1398-1408.
matrices within the chip, and how conditions can be controlled, such 3
Acad Radiol. (2018) S1076-6332(18): 30270-8. C
as ash particles passing by smooth muscle and epithelial cells, to study

21
 Opinion

Open Access and Open Science: The Call for

More Transparency in Science
B y D R . S T E FA N I E N O VA K O W S K S I , K a s t r u p L a b

I n May 2018, a group of Swedish universities made the decision not to

renew their contracts with publishing giant Elsevier.1 To researchers
who rely on these journals for their day-to-day work this may seem
human samples, and maintaining the infrastructure required to deal
with the amount of data constantly generated in science is also an
issue. In certain fields – particularly biomedical research – it may take
like a drastic move, but this new stand-off is part of a movement years to see whether open science truly has a measurable impact
toward an open-access model in publishing research. Sweden is just on the progress of research, the public trust in science, and general
one of several European countries where institutions have made scientific literacy. Under Trudeau’s leadership, there has been much
similar moves in the past couple of years.2,3 These actions are a result rhetoric for open science within government research.4 Cynics may
of a much larger push for open science, an umbrella term referring to argue that the current mantra is purely political, used to garner
the movement to make every step of the scientific process available electoral support in the last election by opposing the much more
to any curious individual within any level of society. stifling approach used by former Prime Minister Harper. Regardless,
The connection between open access and open science is clear, this discussion provides a useful push for more Canadian universities
but removing paywalls to publications is just the tip of the iceberg. to consider how they too can contribute towards the open science
Open science extends to examples such as open source software, movement without compromising the integrity of their research. And
online lab notebooks, and even to the concept of ‘citizen science’, in as the researchers at these institutions, it’s up to us to take the first
which the public is involved in data collection. The response to open step.
science has been varied across institutions and countries. There
are multiple arguments against it including: fear of being ‘scooped’, 1
Nature (2018) 557(7706): 479-480.
loss of patenting ability, and the possibility of disseminating poor 2
Nature (2018) 553(7687): 137.
quality data in large quantities. On the other hand, supporters of 3
Nature (2016) 529(7584): 13.
open science cite a need for increased integrity in research, whereas 4
https://globalnews.ca/news/3397989/canada-history-march-for-
increased dissemination will allow for better replication and validation science/ C
of experiments, as well as more efficient collaboration between
researchers. Finally, since much of research is publicly funded, it’s
believed that the public has a right to the information gained from
research.
Open science should not be limited to a debate between
scientists. The inability to replicate published experiments due
to insufficient details in methodology doesn’t just harm scientific
process, but also the public’s trust in science. As researchers, we
forget that many people’s exposure to the scientific method is the
linear model we learn in middle school: we make a hypothesis,
perform an experiment, and draw a conclusion. Any researcher will
tell you this is an oversimplification of the entire process. In fact, the
complexities of research methodology and analysis are why even
scientists in the same field don’t always see eye to eye. Open science
provides a chance to increase scientific literacy to non-scientists – not
just in terms of what we know, but how we know it.
There are limits to how far open science can go: the right to
privacy becomes an important consideration when dealing with

22
 Opinion

The First Targeted Gene Therapy

Approved in North America: Luxturna
B y B R O N W Y N LY O N S , P h D S t u d e n t , S t r y n a d k a L a b

R PE65-mediated inherited retinal dystrophy leads to severe deterioration of vision and complete blindness in early adulthood1.
A small subgroup of patients, approximately 1000 people in the United States2, have mutations in both paternal and maternal
copies of the RPE65 gene that encodes retinoid isomerohydrolase, an enzyme involved in generation of the chromophore, 11-cis
retinal. This biallelic mutation has a very poor prognosis and is considered the most severe of inherited retinal dystrophies.
At the beginning of 2018, Luxturna, developed by Spark therapeutics, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) for treatment of RPE65-mediated inherited retinal dystrophy2. Luxturna is the first targeted gene therapy approved in the US,
representing a huge milestone in medical care. Through injection under the retina of each eye, adeno-associated virus introduces
a functional copy of RPE65. This allows the eye to regenerate the 11-cis retinal chromophore that is required for normal vision2.
Follow-up of participants in the Phase III trial showed that 27 of 29 patients regained their vision over the first year after treatment;
21 were able to complete an obstacle course in low light3. An article about 13-year-old Jack Hogan, the first patient to receive
Luxturna after FDA approval, can be read on Vox4.
But, with the increasing cost of bringing a therapeutic from the laboratory to FDA approval (approaching $1-2 billion USD5)
and with Luxturna only offering treatment to a small proportion of retinal dystrophies, how much does a single treatment cost?
Treatment of both eyes costs $850,000 USD ($1.1 million CAD), not including the cost of travel/secondary treatment/hospital care!
Does this hefty price tag spell disaster for Luxturna as it did for the first gene therapy agent from UniQure, Glybera? Glybera was
licensed in Europe in 2012 for treatment of lipoprotein lipase deficiency, an extremely rare condition. However, at a cost of over a
million USD, Glybera was purchased only once, FDA approval was not sought and Glybera met its demise in the pharmaceutical
market6.
To encourage sales of Luxturna, Spark therapeutics is offering rebates for patients who do not respond within a reasonable
time post-treatment7. The company is also working closely with insurance providers to reduce costs and allow the patients to pay
for the treatment in instalments. However, a million dollars paid through instalments could still take a lifetime to pay off. The high
price tag of these first two gene therapy treatments is worrying — if too few patients can afford Luxturna, will a domino effect ensue,
blocking further advancements in development of other gene therapies? Hopefully, the benefits of Luxturna will inspire a wave of
novel therapies for other genetic disorders. Spark therapeutics, in collaboration with Pfizer pharmaceuticals, is already expanding
Phase I and II trials of a second gene therapy for treatment of the inherited bleeding disorder, Hemophilia B8.

Crystal structure of retinoid

isomerohydrolase RPE65 (PDB 4F2Z).

1
N Engl J Med (2015) 372(20): 1887-1897.
2
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm589467.htm
3
The Lancet (2017) 390(10097): 849-860.
4
https://www.vox.com/2018/3/22/17147312/luxturna-gene-therapy-retinal-disease
4
http://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2017/10/18/drug-development-costs-revisited
5
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601165/the-worlds-most-expensive-medicine-is-a-bust/amp/
6
http://ir.sparktx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/spark-therapeutics-announces-first-their-kind-programs-improve
7
https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/spark_therapeutics_and_pfizer_amend_license_agreement_for_
investigational_spk_9001_in_hemophilia_b C

23
 Events
Bloody Brilliant: CBR Soccer Team, GSS Summer
Champions!
By LOÏC CALOREN & NICO WERSCHLER, Summer Research Students
W hile the eyes of the world were turned to the stars competing at
the World Cup 2018 in Russia, the CBR soccer team Blood Soccer
took to the field in the Graduate Student Society (GSS) Summer soccer
league. Having improved from 4th to 3rd place in the last two seasons, the
team was eager to keep the upward trend going.
Right from the start, despite most players not having played in a
while, Blood Soccer hit its stride with a comfortable 5-1 victory against
Morphine in their opening game. Led by returning captain Prashant, there
seemed to be good chemistry between the new players and the veteran
core of the team. However, there was still room for improvement and the
team would undoubtedly get stronger in the coming weeks as the players
got more playing time together.
The second game offered more suspense as Blood Soccer and
Antiballies were closely matched. In the end, the difference was the
combination play between new recruit Loïc and veteran Abhinav which
led to an Abhinav hat trick and, in total, accounted for 3 assists and all
5 goals. This handed Blood Soccer their second straight victory as they
defeated Antiballies 5-3 before heading into a break.
The winning streak was cut short in the next game as Blood Soccer
suffered its first defeat of the season (2-5) to Random Walkers. Blood
Soccer was missing a few players and, despite the rest and practice,
couldn’t match Random Walkers’ play.
This loss meant Blood Soccer had to win their next game against
Losers to clinch the top seed in their bracket. From the start, the game
was tense, and the Losers were getting frustrated by the tactical play of
Blood Soccer blocking the midfield and forcing long balls over the top
(inevitably intercepted by Blood Soccer’s clutch defenseman Charles).
In the second half, after a tackle from behind that wasn’t called by the
referee, the game’s physical play was ramped up culminating in a red card
for the Losers centre-back and a heated argument between the two sides.
24
Blood Soccer team picture, posing with the trophy
In the end, Blood Soccer’s field management gave them the 5-2 victory.
Blood Soccer was in the playoffs and beat MLS FC 7-4 before facing
Losers in the semi-finals. Keen to prove a point and not be intimidated
by the Losers’ antics of the previous game, Blood Soccer came out all-
guns-blazing with hat tricks from Loïc and Nico. Blood Soccer tucked
the Losers to sleep with a crushing 9-2 victory to reach the final for the
first time since the team’s inaugural season. The final matchup would be
tough: Blood Soccer was facing Random Walkers. Though tied for points
at the top of the standings, Random Walkers had almost double the goal
differential and had handed Blood Soccer its only defeat of the season.
The final started as most do, both teams closely matched and
neither wanting to make mistakes. Midway through the first half, Random
Walkers drew first blood. Not wanting to be down at half, Blood Soccer
managed to equalize shortly after and both teams entered the break
locked at 1-1. The players regrouped at halftime and Prashant made some
tactical changes that allowed Blood Soccer more freedom in the attacking
third of the field. Right from the start of the second half the changes made
an impact as a nice passing sequence ended with Loïc getting brought
down inside the box. No need for VAR — it was definitely a penalty. Blood
Soccer took the lead as the penalty was coolly taken. From there, the flood
gates opened. A deflected shot found the back of the net before two more
goals were added on by Blood Soccer for a 5-1 lead. Random Walkers did
have chances, even hitting the crossbar a couple times, but were unable
to answer. Even up 5-1, team captain Prashant was anxious and could be
heard every 2 minutes yelling “REF, HOW MUCH TIME LEFT?!?”.
At last, the final whistle came and Blood Soccer had won! For the
first time, they had gone all the way and were champions. The cup was
presented to Prashant and, all together, the squad celebrated as they
hoisted the trophy. With this year’s success, the expectations will be high
for the champions when they return to defend their title next year. C
 Awards

T he field of extracellular matrix (ECM) biology has come a long way

Conference dinner at Old Trafford
since 1968 – the year of formation of the Federation of European
Connective Tissue Societies (FECTS). At that time, only a single form of
collagen had been described, and the first DNA cloning methods would
not arrive for another five years.
Matrix Biology Europe’s 2018 meeting celebrated this history, and
the 50-year anniversary of the Federation, by showcasing the cutting-
edge matrix research from around the world. Thanks to the support
provided by a CBR Postdoctoral Travel Award and the British Society
Matrix Biology (BSMB), I was able to participate.
Sessions focused on the relevance of ECM in areas including human
disease, cell signaling, and mechanobiology. Of particular interest to
me were the talks about circadian clock regulation of protein secretion
and ECM homeostasis – coined the ‘chronomatrix’ – which is a theme
pioneered by our hosts and my former colleagues at The Wellcome Trust

Matrix Biology Europe Centre for Cell-Matrix Research.

I presented my own work as a poster, describing our recently opti-

2018: Celebrating 50 mized method for the proteomic analysis of bone. This attracted interest
from a number of researchers keen to learn from our developments in tis-

Years of FECTS
sue extraction, which remains a challenge for complete analysis of other
connective tissues such as cartilage.
It was a real highlight to see my former PhD advisory committee-
member, Prof. Ray Boot-Handford, deliver the Fell Muir Award plenary
lecture, where he described his scientific journey from the mapping of
the gene encoding type X collagen, through to ongoing clinical trials to
treat MCDS (a form of skeletal dysplasia caused by COL10A1 mutations).
This, combined with the discussions and new connections that I formed
By DR. PETER BELL, with other researchers, will be my enduring memory of a productive
Postdoctoral Fellow, Overall Lab conference. C

Official conference photo

Photo credit: Matrix Biology Europe 2018 Conference

25
 Opinion

Building Resilience in Graduate School

B y K A T H A R I N E S E D I V Y - H A L E Y, P h D C a n d i d a t e , H a n c o c k L a b

W hen I started graduate school at UBC in 2012, I thought I was prepared. I had excellent marks, publications from research done as an
undergraduate student, and even an NSERC award. Three years later, I was in therapy and seriously considering quitting grad school. I
was drained, anxious, unable to focus, and struggling with tasks that I had previously found easy. I felt broken. What went wrong?

I was used to working in a linear undergraduate environment. New classes each term, with a scheduled set of tests and assignments.
Expectations were clear. It was easy to prioritize tasks based on how close the due date was and what percent of the mark the assignment
made up. Feedback came regularly. While some classes were easier than others, there was usually a correlation between how much effort I
made and my mark. In contrast, after the first two years of graduate school and my comprehensive exam, I had just one big multi-year project
looming in the distance: my thesis. Deadlines were vague. Most frustratingly, the amount of time and effort I put into my experiments did not
guarantee good results.

In the three years since then, I’ve picked up a few principles that have helped me to move forward – things I wished I had taken heed of
sooner. Maybe they can help you, or someone you care about.

I’m not out of the tunnel yet, but I see an end, and a light.

1. Prioritize taking care of yourself. We all know that it’s important to eat properly, get 7-8 hours of sleep, and exercise. Yet it is very easy to let
these things slide when you feel pressure to get research results. You can’t always control your research schedule, but remember that you
can’t do your best work when you’re not at your best - too much overtime can decrease your productivity.

2. Get outdoors. Spending time in nature can reduce stress, depression, and anxiety. Walking can increase creativity, especially walking outdoors.
If you’re feeling stuck, try a walk in the UBC Botanical Garden or Nitobe Memorial Garden (your UBC card gets you in for free).

3. Stay connected. We are not meant to be alone, and yet, many of us withdraw when we are most in need of help. It makes a huge difference to
be around people who care about you, or those who may have similar struggles. Find those people. Find them in the lab, in your department,
in the CBR, in UBC clubs, in the wider community. Talk to them.

4. Have a personal side project. When things are going poorly in the lab – and they will, at some point or another – it really helps to have something
else going on in your life that you can feel good about. Volunteering, athletic activities, and creative projects are good places to start. This
can also be a good way to make those social connections or get outdoors – and develop skills in teamwork, communication, or leadership.

5. Turn on the music. I swear, there are days when the only thing that keeps me going is singing along with Sarah Slean in the tissue culture room.

6. Ask for help early and often. You’re not expected to come to grad school with all the skills necessary to write a thesis. If you feel stuck, talk to
colleagues in your lab, your supervisor, or your committee members. Above all, if things aren’t going well, don’t cancel meetings with your
supervisor! You may want to wait until you have better results, but your supervisor is supposed to help you figure out how to get those results.

7. Think about how you work. Odds are good that you, like me, have work habits that worked great in undergrad but might not be well suited for
grad school. Now’s a good time to reassess! I’m still working on this myself, but taking time to prioritize tasks and think about how they fit
into a thesis is more effective than just trying to power through an overly cluttered to-do list.

If you are having a hard time and don’t know who to talk to, try the resource list on the CBR website or someone on the CBR Mental Health
Contacts list. C

26
 Events

Blood is Bonding
By DR. GEORGINA BUTLER, Research Associate, Overall Lab

F ebruary is “The Month of Love” and CBR’s Overall lab took the opportunity
for an alternative lab bonding experience. Canadian Blood Services Research
Centre for Innovation netCAD Blood4Research Facility needed 500 donations
for evaluation of new whole blood collection packs. Instead of bowling or pub
night, we booked a slot at netCAD for a group blood donation. For many of us
from countries ineligible to donate in the regular system, it was our first blood
donation. We enjoyed the guilt-free eating of sweet and salty snacks, and even
had a competition which was won by Marli – who filled her bag with 488 mL
in just 4 minutes, 28 seconds! We bumped into Dr. Stefanie Novakowski, an
alumna of the Kastrup lab who said, “I used blood throughout my 5 year PhD, so
I’m here to give back.” Why not consider a visit to netCAD for your next team-
building event?

Awards

CIHR Project Grant Recipients

Congratulations to the three CBR members who received the CIHR Project Grants!

T he Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant competition takes place twice a year for the purpose of supporting Canadian
researchers’ innovative ideas that will advance health-related knowledge, health research, health care, health systems and/or health outcomes.
This funding assists incremental, innovative knowledge translation projects from discovery to application, including commercialization. To be eligible,
the nominated principal applicant must be either an independent researcher or a knowledge user. This grant ranges between $50,000 and $990,000
per year for the grant durations of 1 to 5 years.

Dr. Edward M. Conway: Dr. Hélène Côté: Dr. Aly Karson:

“Characterization of a novel cofactor “The BCC3 cohort: Cellular aging in women “Hematopoietic stem cell aging”
for tissue factor that enhances its pro- living with HIV”
thrombotic and pro-inflammatory activities”

27
 Awards

2018 Michael John Page Postdoctoral

Fellow Award
Congratulations to Dr. Jennifer Grants, Postdoctoral Fellow at the
Karson Lab!

Left to right: Dr. Rachel Fernandez; Dr. Aly Karsan; Dr. Jennifer Grants; Dr. Ross
MacGillivray; Mr. Roger Page; Ms. Hourik Khanlian.

O n Wednesday October 17th, Dr. Jennifer Grants was presented with the 2018 Michael John Page
Postdoctoral Fellow Award by the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BMB) and
the Centre for Blood Research (CBR). This award was developed by BMB and CBR in memory of Dr.
Page who received his Ph.D. from UBC in 2004. After postdoctoral work in St. Louis, Dr. Page was a
faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco before dying suddenly in 2013 at age 36.
Dr. Grants’ presentation was attended by Mr. Roger Page (Michael’s father who flew in from Thunder
Bay), Dr. Leonard Foster (Head, BMB), Dr. Ed Pryzdial (Associate Director, CBR), Dr. Aly Karsan
(Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine; Dr. Grants’ postdoctoral supervisor and a member
of the CBR) as well as Dr. Rachel Fernandez (Associate Dean, Postdoctoral Fellows Office & Student
Professional Development) and Ms. Hourik Khanlian (Manager, Human Resources and Postdoctoral
Affairs) from the UBC Faculty of Graduate + Postdoctoral Studies.

Reflecting Dr. Page’s attitude to life, the Michael John Page Postdoctoral Fellow Award recognizes
academic excellence as well as extracurricular activities. The Award is funded through an endowment
set up by the Page Family in addition to contributions from BMB and CBR. Dr. Grants presented a
very clear summary of her research starting as an undergraduate at the University of Victoria, her
graduate work under Dr. Stefan Taubert’s supervision at the Centre for Molecular Medicine and
Therapeutics and her current studies with Dr. Karsan at the BC Cancer Agency. Dr. Grants has studied
transcriptional regulation in various model systems including blood cells. She presented evidence
linking inflammation, ageing and myeloid malignancy using transgenic mouse models for specific blood
cancers. Following her scientific presentation, Dr. Grants explained the important role of music in her
life including her training in piano, violin and voice. She capped off an entertaining seminar by playing
Edward Elgar’s Salut d’Amour on her violin. Following her presentation, Mr. Roger Page presented Dr.
Grants with the 2018 Michael John Page Award (a memorial plaque plus a $3,000 prize). A splendid
time was had by all! C

28

CBR Summer Students Visit Canadian Blood Services!
By SARAH BOWERS, Undergraduate Student, Brown Lab
W hat is involved in getting blood that has been donated at a
mobile clinic in Campbell River to a patient on the operating
table at Vancouver General Hospital?
On Tuesday, July 24th, the CBR Summer Students headed to
Canadian Blood Services’ Vancouver location to find out. The clinic
and labs are located at Oak Street and 32nd Avenue, right next to
BC Children’s Hospital. Our tour was led by Dr. Tanya Petraszko,
a hematologist and medical director at Canadian Blood Services.
Created in 1998, Canadian Blood Services (CBS) is a not-for-
profit charitable organization that manages the Canadian blood
supply. With 36 fixed collection sites and more than 14,000 donor
clinics every year, they are responsible for recruiting and collecting
blood, plasma, and platelets all the way from Halifax to BC. The
only exception is in Québec, where Héma-Québec operates. Dr.
Petraszko pointed out that this national scope is one of the things
that makes CBS so special.
First, we headed to the clinic where people were in the process
of giving blood. As the CBR Summer Students had recently been
on a tour of the netCAD Blood for Research facility (a special
donor clinic and part of the CBS Centre for Innovation), we were
interested to learn how this clinic compared. The main difference
here is that because the donated blood components are intended
for use by hospitals for medical care, patient safety must be
considered in addition to donor safety. For donors, this involves
filling out the Donor Questionnaire followed by a face-to-face
screening prior to being allowed to donate. No test is available for
mass screening for diseases such as malaria or bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE). For diseases like HIV, antibody and nucleic
acid amplification testing (NAT) can be used. However, there is a
window period of about 9 days following infection when the virus
may not be detected but could still be transmitted. As a result,
Events
donor deferral is based on risk, and personal questions must be
asked. Having said that, Dr. Petraszko told us that the answer to
one simple question is typically a good indicator of eligibility…
“Are you feeling well today?”
The Vancouver location that we toured also houses the
production laboratory where blood from all over BC comes for
processing. The protocols for transport change based on a number
of factors, including the weather. Red blood cells (RBCs) are not
fans of the July heat! When we arrived in the lab it was fairly
quiet. Dr. Petraszko explained that often the busiest time is at
night as units that have been donated throughout the day arrive.
Samples of these units will have been sent for testing for things
like infectious diseases and blood groups. Once the units arrive,
blood products such as RBCs, plasma and platelets are separated
and stored in appropriate conditions, just like at netCAD. We
watched as labels were placed on products to reconcile them with
their test results. Once testing and production are complete, the
products are released to inventory and are ready to be distributed
as needed to hospitals.
Many of us were not aware of the other services that CBS
provides to Canadians. Dr. Petraszko explained that half of the
CBS’ budget goes towards purchasing plasma protein products
from the US for distribution within Canada. CBS also operates a
Cord Blood Bank, the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network.
Dr. Petraszko highlighted the fact that in the past, there was not fair
distribution of organs across the country. CBS now manages the
national patient registries for organ donation and transplantation
in an equitable manner. We were interested to learn about the
Kidney Paired Donation Program that allows people who are
not a match for a loved one to still help through the swapping of
compatible kidneys through multiple donor-recipient pairs to start
‘domino’ chains of transplants. The CBS recently facilitated their
1000th kidney transplant!
The CBR Summer Students would like to extend a big thank-
you to Dr. Petraszko, others at the CBS Vancouver location, and
Julie Kora for the opportunity to tour the facility. We now have a
much better understanding of the work being done by Canadian
Blood Services, and a new appreciation for its breadth. To find
out more about Canadian Blood Services and becoming a donor,
please check out https://blood.ca/, or ask a Summer Student! C
29
 Opinion

G enetic engineering is the process of altering the blueprints

of an organism in order to effect some desired change. Since
its discovery in the 1970s, this technology has been used to
advance research, industry, medicine, and agriculture. However,
using genetic modification to engineer the food we eat has

GMOs: Scientific or been an ongoing contention. Biological systems are complex

and interconnected, and some fear that genetic modification

Social Uncertainty?
may cause significant ripple effects impacting the health of
consumers or the surrounding environment. For example, if corn
is engineered to produce a natural insecticide, what will happen
to that insecticide? Could it harm people eating the corn, or start
an evolutionary arms race with pests? For decades, scientists,
consumers, and regulators have attempted to assess and respond
to these risks.

The majority of scientists believe that genetically modified

B y K A T H A R I N E S E D I V Y - H A L E Y,
PhD Candidate, Hancock Lab
organisms (GMOs) are safe1. Genetic engineering is at least as
predictable as “conventional” techniques2, which, since the 1930s,
have included the hybridization of different plants and the use
of chemicals or radiation to introduce random genetic changes
in the hope that some of the resulting plants will have desirable
traits. Studies have repeatedly failed to identify any adverse
health consequences in GMOs, and GM crops have become
commonplace in North America without any apparent ill effects
on biodiversity or the health of humans or livestock3,4.

However, a vocal minority of scientists say that the issue of

safety is still unresolved5. These dissenters cite studies of too
short duration or with too few subjects to reveal potentially subtle
differences in health outcomes. The distribution of GMO products
is not well tracked, making it difficult to assess their effects on
humans. Ecological effects are also difficult to measure, and may
vary with local environment and regulations. For example, the
effects of herbicide-resistant GM crops depend on the impact

30

of the new herbicide compared to alternative herbicides used in
a given country6. Ecologists express more uncertainty regarding
the safety of GMOs than researchers studying other issues such
as food safety, where the scientific debate is not so much about
whether GMOs are dangerous, as it is about how confident we are
that GMOs are safe5.
The consumer perspective is more skeptical of GMOs than
the general scientific community. This skepticism may partly be
due to a fuzzy understanding of the technology, or viewing DNA
as an ‘essence’ of living organisms that shouldn’t be tinkered with7.
However, consumer distrust is not just targeted at the technology
behind GMOs, but also at the corporations that seek to profit from
them. GMO patents – and Monsanto’s aggressive defense of these
patents – have resulted in unprecedented corporate ownership of
living organisms. Many consumers are concerned about how well
we can trust the giants that produce our food – GMO or otherwise
– and the institutions that regulate it.
Multiple government institutions have responded to public
discomfort with GMOs by requiring stringent safety assessments
for each new organism. In theory, this is a reasonable response
to the varied possible characteristics of GM crops. In practice,
however, only crops backed by a strong commercial interest can
make it over costly regulation hurdles while crops with primarily
humanitarian benefits struggle to fund the necessary safety trials.
For example, Vitamin A-enriched ‘Golden Rice’ was predicted to
save millions of lives by reducing vitamin A deficiency in Africa and
Asia but has yet to make it to market8. This imbalance perpetuates
the public perception that GMO development is dominated by
large corporations and unlikely to provide significant public benefit.
This belief promotes continued opposition to GMOs, further
undermining the ability of this technology to benefit society.
Opinion
Despite these problems, it is important to recognize that
GMOs do have a wide range of potential benefits6. Plants that are
higher yielding, more nutritious, and more resistant to changing
conditions could be vital in addressing food security in the face
of climate change. Replacing pesticide use with naturally pest-
resistant crops could have environmental benefits if properly
managed. These rewards are perhaps too significant to leave on
the table, but our current system of relying on private corporations
to bring GMOs to market has not furthered the best usage of this
technology. Additional studies would improve our understanding
of the long-term effects of GMOs in biological and ecological
systems. However, it is essential that we address the human
systems of food production in order to realize public benefits while
managing public risks.
1
http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/29/public-and-scientists-views-on-
science-and-society/
2
J Agric Food Chem. (2013) 61(48): 11695–701.
3
J Anim Sci. (2014) 92(10): 4255–78.
4
Crit Rev Biotechnol (2014) 34(1): 77-88.
5
Environ Sci Eur. (2015) 27: 4.
6
J Econ Perspect. (2014) 28(1): 99–120.
7
Trends Plant Sci. (2015) 20(7): 414–8.
8
Science (2008) 320(5875): 468–71. C
31
We thank all our donors from academia, industry, and
the private sector for your generous contributions. cbr.ubc.ca