News & Events
EVENTS
MicrobeTO Student Seminars
Join EPIC and MicrobeTo as we kick off a new monthly student seminar series featuring presentations from infectious diseases trainees.
Date: Second last Tuesday of each month, 5 – 7 pm
Location: MSB 2173
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Annual Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Research Day
After a three-year hiatus, the annual Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Research Day is back in-person this year on June 19-20! EPIC is proud to be a partner in this year’s event, along with MicrobeTO. The first day will feature trainee talks followed by a second day with two keynotes, early career investigator talks and a poster session.
Date: June 19-20, 2023
Location: TBD
More details coming soon!
NEWS
World TB Day: How EPIC researchers are creating better vaccines for tuberculosis and uncovering its financial burden for patients and families
Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the world’s most deadly infectious threats and a significant global health challenge. The World Health Organization estimates that in 2021, 10.6 million people became sick with the disease and 1.6 million people died of TB, which is both preventable and curable. Learn more about how members of the University of Toronto’s Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium are working to tackle TB from multiple angles, from creating better vaccines to gaining a deeper understanding of TB’s financial toll on patients and families.
Member Spotlight: Sarah Haines
For this month’s member spotlight, we caught up with Sarah Haines, an assistant professor in the department of civil and mineral engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. Sarah’s research is on building science and indoor environmental quality with a particular focus on indoor air quality and the indoor microbiome. We also talk about her work with Indigenous communities to improve housing and drinking water quality.
How worried should I be about Marburg? An expert Q&A with Rob Fowler
Earlier this year, Equatorial Guinea declared its first outbreak of Marburg virus disease, with 11 confirmed deaths so far. The disease is caused by Marburg virus, which belongs to the same family of viruses as Ebola, and presents with similar symptoms including high fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, and occasionally severe bleeding. For this expert Q&A, we sat down with Rob Fowler to talk about the recent Marburg outbreak, what lessons we can take away from Ebola and how our community can help.
U of T home to new hub that will strengthen Canada’s pandemic preparedness and increase biomanufacturing capacity
A new national hub focused on enhancing Canada’s ability to respond quickly, effectively and equitably to future pandemics has become a reality with $2 million in funding from the Canada Biomedical Research Fund. Led and anchored by the University of Toronto, the Canadian Hub for Health Intelligence and Innovation in Infectious Diseases (HI3) is a collaborative, multi-disciplinary and multi-sector coalition of over 80 partners. It will provide a powerful network to support a robust domestic pipeline of life-saving vaccines and therapeutics targeting existing and emerging infectious threats.
Member Spotlight: Nicole Mideo
For this month’s member spotlight, we caught up with Nicole Mideo, an associate professor in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, to talk about her work using mathematical modelling to study parasites like the ones that cause malaria.
International Day of Women and Girls in Science: Seven scientists share their women in science heroes and hopes for the next generation
February 11 is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. To mark the occasion, we asked our community of female scientists to tell us about their women in science hero who encouraged them and how they hope to inspire the next generation of girls to pursue science.
Expanding the research toolbox for one of the world’s deadliest animals
Mosquito-transmitted diseases affect an estimated 347.8 million people annually and are responsible for nearly 450,000 deaths each year, making them one of the most dangerous animals in the world. Despite their devastating impact, research on the mosquito has lagged behind that of other model organisms, in part due to the lack of appropriate tools and resources. Kathryn Rozen-Gagnon is trying to change that. Read more about how she is integrating diverse fields to study the interplay between mosquito-borne viruses and their mosquito and human hosts.
Member Spotlight: Jean-Philippe Julien
A conversation with with Jean-Philippe Julien, a senior scientist in the molecular medicine program at SickKids Research Institute and an associate professor in the departments of biochemistry and immunology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He also holds the Canada Research Chair in Structural Immunology.
The Canada-Africa Mpox Partnership launches with $3 million team grant
Researchers from the University of Toronto and Nigerian Institute of Medical Research have received $3 million from the federal government to launch an international project that will help inform the clinical and public health response to local and global epidemic of mpox. The new funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and International Development Research Centre builds on the collaborative projects and seed funding from the mpox rapid research response launched by EPIC earlier this year.
World AIDS Day: Meet the next generation of HIV/AIDS researchers
On World AIDS Day, we spotlight eight talented trainees who are doing impactful work on HIV/AIDS.