News & Events
NEWS
U of T researchers unveil new preclinical insights into why males are more likely to have severe COVID-19
A new study from a team of EPIC members has uncovered the biological reasons underlying sex differences in COVID-19 outcomes and is offering a promising new strategy to prevent illness. Early on during the pandemic, clinicians quickly noticed that males were more likely than females to be hospitalized or admitted to the ICU or to die from COVID-19 despite having similar infection rates. This pattern held true across all age groups and in countries around the world. The research, conducted in mice and published in the journal iScience, points to the ACE2 protein as a key contributor to differences in COVID-19 outcomes between males and females.
New U of T study uncovers how the gut microbiome boosts immune development and shields against pathogens
A new study from University of Toronto researchers is shedding more light on how the community of microbes in our gut contribute to a well-functioning immune system and defend against harmful pathogens.
EPIC announces new Trainee Advisory Committee and steering committee members
EPIC is pleased to announce the members of its inaugural Trainee Advisory Committee and to welcome two new members to its steering committee. The Trainee Advisory Committee will work closely with EPIC staff and leadership to ensure that trainee perspectives are integrated into the development and implementation of new programming and supports for our trainee community. By helping trainees achieve their short- and long-term professional goals, EPIC is training the next generation of leaders whose work will tackle infectious diseases from multiple perspectives.
Four Black undergraduate students reflect on their experiences in the EPIC Inspire Summer Studentship program
Undergraduate student Mary Addo working in a lab at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. September 11, 2023 By Betty Zou As the summer winds down and students start returning to class, four undergraduate students working across Toronto are reflecting back on their...
This AI will help us get ahead of the next pandemic
It seems appropriate that the Toronto offices for Kamran Khan’s BlueDot, which uses artificial intelligence to flag potential infectious disease outbreaks around the world, are located at the edge of Lake Ontario. Similar to a lighthouse, BlueDot signals when there’s danger ahead. BlueDot’s intelligence platform combines a computer’s ability to understand human language, known as natural language understanding (NLU), and machine learning, a form of AI that imitates humans’ ability to learn and gradually become more accurate. The platform sorts through massive volumes of online information— ranging from news reports, social media sites, government websites, and more — from around the globe, in over 130 languages, every 15 minutes of every day.
MD/PhD student Hannah Kozlowski receives inaugural Future Leaders Prize
Hannah Kozlowski is the inaugural recipient of the Future Leaders Prize from the Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium. The prize, to be awarded annually, recognizes outstanding PhD graduates at the University of Toronto who have completed an excellent infectious disease-focused thesis and demonstrated leadership outside of their scientific studies.
Two U of T teams partner with Moderna to develop new mRNA-based tools to target HIV and other diseases
From left to right: Mario Ostrowski, Haissi Cui and Landon Edgar July 27, 2023 By Betty Zou and Mayuri Punithan Two teams of researchers at the University of Toronto have partnered with Moderna Canada to advance new mRNA-based therapies for HIV and other diseases. The...
EPIC awards over $1 million in funding to advance innovative infectious disease research
The Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium is investing $1.05 million in innovative, cross-disciplinary research to tackle infectious threats and bolster preparedness against future outbreaks. The funding, awarded through the Career Transition Awards, Convergence Postdoctoral Fellowships, New Connections Grants and Proof-of-Principle Grants, will support researchers and senior trainees at the University of Toronto and partner hospitals. The 12 funded projects span a wide breadth of research topics from organ-on-a-chip models of infection to new approaches that aim to improve disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
U of T Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Research Day returns in-person after three-year hiatus
Some of the trainee speakers at the 2023 Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Research Day. (Back row: l-r) James Pollock, Cynthia Guo (Middle row: l-r) Krithika Muthuraman, Derek Tsang, Jonathon Kotwa, Priyal Shah, Natalie Au, Purav Guptal (Front row) Emma Lash June...
EVENTS
November 22-23, 2023: AMR Symposium
After the success of last year's symposium on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), we are thrilled to partner with diagnostics industry leader bioMérieux Canada once again this year to present the second annual AMR symposium! The...
October 17, 2023: First annual EPIC Symposium
We are excited to announce that the first annual Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium symposium will take place on October 17, 2023 at the Old Mill Toronto Hotel! Please join us for a day of research, networking and community-building.
Climate Change and Infectious Diseases Speaker Series
How is climate change shifting and accelerating the spread of infectious diseases around the world? What are some of the impacts on societies, economics, and human and ecological health? These were some of the topics that we wanted to address through the public speaker series we cohosted earlier this year with Climate Positive Energy and the Institute for Pandemics, two other Institutional Strategic Initiatives at the University of Toronto.