GenXys Health Care Systems, Inc., the global leader in precision prescribing software with embedded pharmacogenetic data, recently finalized another customer deal to advance precision medicine initiatives with Ohio-based Flexsus, the laboratory division of FlexHealth. Combined with GenXys’ best-in-class precision prescribing platform, Flexsus can now perform pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing and report results that identify medication that may be most efficacious for individuals…
Having a high-quality assembled genome—free of errors and gaps—is important for countless biological studies. In comparison to short reads, long reads are better for sequencing highly repetitive DNA regions; however, long reads are also known for their relatively higher error rates. The Birol Lab addresses this shortcoming by developing ntEdit+Sealer, an alignment-free genome finishing protocol ideal for correcting genome assemblies…
Building an inclusive, cross-cutting research immunology and immune engineering community Once a week, Kelly McNagny sits in on meetings with medical doctors at St. Paul’s Hospital’s Centre for Heart and Lung Innovation (HLI), as they discuss their cases and their clinical research. The experience changed how Dr. McNagny, a professor and Immunologist with UBC’s department of Medical Genetics, and the School…
Researcher Kelly McNagny wasn’t working in the field of new and dangerous viruses when the pandemic hit more than two years ago. His team at the University of B.C.’s School of Biomedical Engineering was actually developing new blood-test technology to help doctors predict which children are likely to have issues with allergies. But when the coronavirus swept the globe and…
Researchers from the UBC Faculty of Medicine and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) have received $1 million from Canada’s Stem Cell Network to conduct research and a clinical trial for one of the world’s first genetically engineered cell replacement therapies for type 1 diabetes. The researchers say the study is an important step toward developing a potential functional cure for type 1 diabetes.
A non-linear path in life is sometimes key to opening many unexpected opportunities. This is the case for Dr. Katharine (Kate) Sedivy-Haley, a PhD alum of the Centre for Blood Research (CBR). Dr. Sedivy-Haley recently graduated from the PhD program for microbiology and immunology at the University of British Columbia. At the time of the interview, Dr. Sedivy-Haley was a Researcher at…
Algernon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (the “Company” or “Algernon”) (CSE: AGN) (FRANKFURT: AGW0) (OTCQB: AGNPF) a clinical stage pharmaceutical development company is pleased to announce that the last patient has completed the treatment period in its Phase 2 proof of concept study of NP-120 (“Ifenprodil”) for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (“IPF”) and chronic cough. The Company is projecting that topline data will be available…
Cancer Immunotherapy is a form of treatment that uses the body’s immune system to identify and attack tumour cells to stop cancer from spreading. Although it can be very effective, the response varies significantly from patient to patient. While concluding that neoantigen counts from noncoding DNA are not informative for predicting patient response to immune checkpoint inhibitors, a study lead by GSC’s Distinguished…
September often means Labour Day barbecues, back-to-school shopping for the kids and final visits to restaurant patios before the heat lamps come out for fall. But in 2020, Kevin Chaplin spent half that month quarantining in his basement after a business trip to Germany, where his B.C. medical device company was deploying its flagship product for the first time since…
As Canada faces a sixth wave of COVID-19 infections, researchers at the UBC faculty of medicine are urging people who are pregnant to remain vigilant based on data from Canada’s first national, peer-reviewed study on COVID-19 in pregnancy. The findings, published today in JAMA, show that pregnant people who catch COVID-19 are at greater risk of being hospitalized, being admitted to…