A European panel of experts has highlighted the life-cycle assessment framework developed by Dr. Regier, Associate Director of the ATM, as the way forward to address timely evidence-informed access to precision oncology products.
During the recent Health Technology Assessment international (HTAi) Annual Meeting, taking place in Seville, Spain in June 2024, there was a noteworthy Bayer Oncology symposium titled “Precision Oncology: Unlocking Access to Breakthrough Therapies for Patients with Cancer”. In the session, Professor Yvonne-Beatrice Böhler of Technische Hochschule Köln, Germany, presented Dr. Regier’s framework from the article “Perspective on Life-Cycle Health Technology Assessment and Real-World Evidence for Precision Oncology in Canada” originally published in npj Precision Oncology in 2022.
Dr. Dean Regier
Dr. Böhler highlighted the need for evolving health technology assessment frameworks that go beyond traditional evidence generation in clinical trials, emphasizing the growing importance of real-world shaping precision oncology strategies that will make healthcare systems more equitable and efficient. Dr. Dean Regier authored this article in 2022 with colleagues Dr. Samantha Pollard, Melanie McPhail, Dr. Tania Bubela, Dr. Timothy Hanna, Dr. Cheryl Ho, Dr. Howard Lim, Dr. Kelvin Chan, Dr. Stuart Peacock & Deirdre Weymann.
The Academy of Translational Medicine (ATM) is rooted in its mission to becoming a fully integrated powerhouse for advancing translational medicine on a worldwide scale. Seeing the Canadian-based article by Dr. Regier and colleagues used by Dr. Böhler as a prime example of how international health systems should be thinking about real-world evidence and life-cycle evaluation, illustrates the wide-reaching impacts of ATM-supported research. External stakeholders sharing this Canadian-based work as a thought-provoking strategy for international audiences is an indication of its applicability and relevance on a global level. The ATM congratulates the authors and encourages its community to learn more about the article.
The Symposium recording is available here, and is posted below (1:02 mark).
The full article by Dr. Regier in Precision Oncology can be found here.
The Academy of Translational Medicine celebrates its Members Dr. Khaled Abdelrahman, Dr. M. Ehsan Karim, and Dr. Laura Evgin for their successful applications in the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant: Spring 2024 competition. There were 38 UBC Faculty of Medicine-associated projects awarded a cumulative $25 million to tackle an array of themes, as part of the CIHR’s total $325 million of funding for 373 projects in the Spring 2024 competition. The ATM looks forward to the outcomes of these important research initiatives funded by this cycle, and asks that you join us in congratulating Dr. Evgin, Dr. Karim, and Dr. Abdelrahman for their achievement!
Medventions Toronto Innovation Day Announces 2024 Theme:
Image-guided Therapy, Digital Health, and AI in Medicine
Medventions Toronto Innovation Day is a dynamic event showcasing groundbreaking advancements in healthcare technology and key insights in medtech entrepreneurship. Held annually, this forum brings together leading innovators, healthcare professionals, investors, and industry experts to explore the latest innovations aimed at transforming patient care. From cutting-edge medical devices to innovative digital health solutions, the Medventions Toronto Innovation Day serves as a platform for:
collaboration
networking
and fostering new ideas
The day will provide a national platform for discussions among Canada’s top medtech entrepreneurs, computer scientists, healthcare providers, trainees, medical science researchers and industry professionals to advance healthcare through AI and machine learning techniques. Other topics that will be addressed include:
Talent development, career growth, and leadership in the medtech industry
Venture capital funding for AI in healthcare
Strategic exits in the medtech industry
Enablers, challenges and risks associated with the use of AI in healthcare, including technical and business challenges of data sharing and patient privacy
The event is also inviting Canada’s most promising medtech companies to present and discuss how they are harnessing the power of AI to enhance physician capabilities and improve patient outcomes.
Event Details
Date: Monday 21 October 2024
Time: 8am – 4pm EST
Location: Toronto (Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre)
Registration Open: Therapeutics Initiative – Bringing Best Evidence to Clinicians
Keynote presentations at the conference will be delivered by internationally renowned experts, Dr. Derelie (aka Dee) Mangin (Professor, McMaster University) and Dr. John Mandrola (Cardiac Electrophysiologist, Baptist Health). In addition, a diverse lineup of both new and veteran faculty members from the Therapeutics Initiative will present on various relevant topics.
Friday 18 October: Up to 3.5 Mainpro+/MOC Section 1 Credits
Saturday 19 October: Up to 5.5 Mainpro+/MOC Section Credits
Registration Fees
Physician / Nurse Practitioner / Pharmacist
$349 by 4 Sept | $399 after 4 Sept
Non-MDs / Non-Pharmacists
$229 by 4 Sept | $239 after 4 Sept
Resident / Student
$49 by 4 Sept | $59 after 4 Sept
Registration includes light breakfast, refreshments, lunch, access to the plenary sessions, concurrent sessions, online syllabus, and access to post-event recordings of plenary sessions
The new MSResearchNetwork section on MedNet is a fantastic source of information as part of a longer-term plan to grow awareness of the MSResearchNetwork among the UBC Faculty of Medicine community.
Situated within BC’s thriving biomanufacturing and life sciences ecosystem, the BC MS Cell Therapies Translational Research Network (MS Research Network) collaborates with research partners across the province, country and globe to leverage the latest advances in cell and gene engineering to develop innovative therapies for patients with MS.The page includes subsections for topics such as Resources, News and Announcements, and Funding Opportunities. For example, there are currently open funding opportunities which may be of relevance for those involved in translational medicine, such as:
Dr. Sorensen and his colleagues revealed that specific proteins in both Ewing sarcoma (EWS-FLI1 and EWS-ERG) and prostate carcinoma (TMPRSS2-ERG or overexpressed ERG) can bind to the person’s own DNA sequences in regions of DNA that are typically silent, and then activate those sequences to amplify the expression of types of RNA known as repeat element RNAs (such as HSAT2 & HSAT3). That RNA is then transported out of the cell via extracellular vesicles, and into the surrounding microenvironment, and potentially more widely. The result is that this process can spread these RNAs to neighbouring tissues, causing immunosuppression, inflammation, and destruction to healthy cellular functions, potentially facilitating the dissemination of cancer cells to other regions of the body. Furthermore, the RNA in question (HSAT2 and HSAT3) can be detected in the blood of patients with Ewing sarcoma. These findings indicate that monitoring these levels may provide an avenue for tailoring diagnostics and treatment of the cancers.
The potential impacts of this research would not only benefit local patients with these specific cancers, but rather patients with such cancers worldwide. Similarly, Dr. Sorensen worked with esteemed researchers both in Canada and internationally to unravel one of the many elaborate mechanisms used by cancerous cells to propagate disease, including those from the Vancouver Prostate Centre, the University of Toronto, and the Technical University of Munich (where Dr. Sorensen is also an Ambassador). As a leader in translational medicine, Dr. Sorensen advocates for others to work collaboratively in the pursuit of collective excellence.
“Successful translational medicine hinges on the willingness to seek those collaborators with different and complementary perspectives in order to work towards a common goal and maximize its impact. I encourage those in the Academy of Translational Medicine’s community to explore their opportunities to build powerful teams driving innovation.”
–Dr. Poul Sorensen
The ATM looks forward to sharing further updates to subsequent updates to this breakthrough of knowledge. Members are encouraged share their own experiences with collaborative research by contacting translational.medicine@ubc.ca.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Dena Shahriari, who is the recipient of a VCHRI 2024 Innovation and Translational Research Award. Dr. Dena Shahriari is a Member of the ATM, and an Assistance Professor within the Department of Orthopaedics and the School of Biomedical Engineering.
These awards support investigators who are putting new knowledge into practice, implementing research outcomes and turning discoveries into commercial opportunities.
Through the study Regenerative interfaces for advanced upper limb prosthetics, Dr. Shahriari is developing a neural interface that enables relaying information from the cross-section of a person’s nerve, thus enabling a wider range of neural input and output via neural recording and electrical stimulation. The development of such technology could have exciting implications regarding the ability for information sharing between an individual’s own neurons and their prosthetic. This would be of particular benefit for those with upper limb prosthetics, which often lack the ability to translate sensations in a way that would make them functional.
The other recipients of the 2024 awards are Dr. Peter Black, Dr. Naisan Garraway, Dr. Emilie Joos, Dr. Dirk Lange, Dr. Julia Naso, Dr. Karen Sherwood, and Dr. Brian Grunau. Summaries of each recipient project and the announcement of the award can be found here on the VCHRI website.
The catalyst grants are intended to enable precision health pilot research projects and to facilitate inter-faculty and cross-institute collaboration. Up to four grants will be awarded in the 2024 round, at a maximum of $50,000 each.
The grants will support a project led by two investigators, where the primary applicant must be an early career researcher. Through this grant competition, Precision Health aims to encourage new collaborations and support early career researchers and teams.
Event Details
Through the study Regenerative interfaces for advanced upper limb prosthetics, Dr. Shahriari is developing a neural interface that enables relaying information from the cross-section of a person’s nerve, thus enabling a wider range of neural input and output via neural recording and electrical stimulation. The development of such technology could have exciting implications regarding the ability for information sharing between an individual’s own neurons and their prosthetic. This would be of particular benefit for those with upper limb prosthetics, which often lack the ability to translate sensations in a way that would make them functional.