Mars in March

On March 23rd approximately 30 HQP met together for the Second Annual Research Presentation Competition. This event was first held in Guelph the previous year and, although it is still relatively new, it has grown in scope in the short time since its inception. This year the competition included both oral presentations as well as posters.

The purpose of the competition is two-fold: to allow HQP to showcase their research, and to build links between researchers within the network. Both components benefit HQP. The day's program offers HQP a chance to present their work, which allows them to increase their presentation experience and get feedback from their peers. Each of these aspects can improve the research and skills of the presenter. Moreover, the audience is given the opportunity to learn more about the work that is being pursued within the network. It is hoped that from this platform HQP can create links with others in the network who are producing either, work that is complementary to their own, or work that has the potential to offer added benefit to other research projects.

This year the competition drew participants from all three AFMNet theme groups. Six oral presentations were provided by Karen Eny, Jacob Shelley, Bénédicte Fontaine Bisson, Leah Cahill, Della Kwan, and Vahid Farzamid. Topics covered by these talks ranged from governance of natural health products to dietary disease control to bioactive components of human milk to the reliability of policy documents concerning pesticide reduction and genetically modified crops to vitamin C transport proteins. Undoubtedly all participants learned new information through the talks, many of which drew lively questions and commentary from the audience. Some of these conversations even spilled over into the breaks.

The competition included five posters, presented by Hatam Hakimov, Adam MacDonald, Stephen Ozsungur, Jocelyne Verity and Li Yao. As with the oral presentations the topics were broad. Research on swine livers, fluid-particle software, reactions to caffeine, an application of atomic force microscopy and premature infants was presented on participant posters. These greatly added to the sharing of research information and experience which was an integral part of the day.

As well as hearing from HQP, one PI from each of the three AFMNet themes kindly joined us to share a few words with the attendees. Bruce Holub of Theme II offered comments about Omega-3 and Cardiovascular Care, Dérick Rousseau of Theme I spoke on his work in AFMNet and other research projects in structure dynamics, and Heather Boon of Theme III rounded out the day by offering examples of each of the components of GE3LS (Genetics, Ethics, Environment, Economics, Law and Society). Each speaker added to the overall understanding of the HQP participants of the work done by their counterparts working within other Themes. Moreover, this further educated the attendees about links within and between the themes.

By midday participants were ready to stretch their legs. To facilitate the need for a walk, a tour of the MaRS facility, fortuitously nearby the street from the Fitzgerald Building at University of Toronto where the conference took place, was offered at lunchtime. For those of you who were unable to join us, MaRS is a building housing a number of organizations involved in research and the commercialization of research. Speakers from two of the tenants, Diane Brown of the McLaughlin Centre for Molecular Medicine, and Klaus Fiebig of the Ontario Genomics Institute gave short overviews of the work each undertakes at MaRS. We also toured the physical building.

As our guide, Ross Wallace, the Director of Corporate Strategy at MaRS, taught us the physical structure of MaRS is every bit as much a means of meeting the organization's goals as the tenants the structure houses. The tenants are chosen because they represent many aspects of excellence in innovation and its commercialization, the building is configured in a manner that ensure these tenants are brought into contact with each other and can build relationships. AFMNet members participating in the tour noted that the themes of networking, exceptional research and commercialization endeavours are common to both MaRS and AFMNet.

To cap the day the awards were presented to the oral and poster competitors. Three awards were granted for the oral presentations: first place to Benedicte Fontaine-Bisson; second place to Jacob Shelley; and third place to Karen Eny. The award for the best poster was given to Stephen Ozsungur.

The HQPA would like to thank all the participants of the March meeting for preparing presentations of their research. It was these presentations that made the conference a resounding success.