Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
ANNUAL REPORT April 2020 – March 2021
2020/21 Annual Report
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Director’s Message..........................................................4 Governance....................................................................6 Dr. Michael Houghton Receives the 2020 Nobel Prize .......8 Celebrating the Nobel Prize During a Pandemic..............10 Statement of Operations................................................12 Our Impact ..................................................................13 Impact of Our Members ................................................14 Research Awards & Accolades .......................................16 Trainee Awards .............................................................18 U of A Research Community Response to COVID-19.......20 Honouring Our Retirees: Dr. Norman Kneteman .............................................22 Dr. James Smiley......................................................24 Spotlighting New Members ............................................26 Partnerships and Collaborations.....................................28
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Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE The last year will go down in history as quite remarkable! At the onset of the pandemic, we quickly adapted to working remotely and learnt how to transition to virtual meetings, while remaining connected to our socially-distant peers in the laboratories, as well as friends and families. The unprecedented challenges we all faced did not hinder the many successes we celebrated with our researchers and their teams. Firstly, when called upon by the Government of Canada, several members of the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology (LKSIoV) joined several Task Forces aimed at mitigating the pandemic. These include the Immunology Task Force (Jutta Preiksaitis), Therapeutic Task Force (Matthias Götte), and Vaccine Task Force (D. Lorne Tyrrell). As the world began to battle COVID-19, we witnessed a remarkable transition to SARSCoV-2 and COVID-19 research by many researchers, in particular virologists, both at the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology and on a global scale. Through the notable collaboration by government, industry, and academia, this pandemic will be controlled. We have seen new technologies that have brought about safe and effective prophylactics, particularly the mRNA vaccines, in less than one year. We anticipate the development of new antivirals that will transform the course of COVID-19 and likely several other viral diseases. The end of the pandemic cannot come soon enough as we acknowledge the social, mental, and financial impacts left on us all. A huge “thank you” to all the healthcare providers for waging a historic battle against COVID-19 despite mental and physical fatigue. As our esteemed colleague and member, Dr. Jack Jhamandas, said at the beginning of the pandemic, “It is hard to imagine how a small piece of RNA could bring the world to its knees!” In our annual report, we also honour our colleagues and members, Drs. Norman Kneteman and James Smiley, as they retire this year. Their careers are filled with incredible contributions to their respective fields. Importantly, their paths are also marked by their outstanding mentorship of future generations.
2020/21 Annual Report
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We celebrate the research achievements of our members throughout this publication. In particular, we highlight Dr. Michael Houghton, the Director of the Applied Virology Institute. He won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine along with Charlie Rice (Rockefeller University) and Harvey Alter (NIH) for the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus. Dr. Houghton’s Nobel Prize was only the second Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to be awarded to a professor in a Canadian university in almost 100 years; the first being Banting and MacLeod in 1923 for the discovery of insulin. The Nobel Prize is also the very first for the University of Alberta (U of A). We celebrate this historical achievement with all of you! I would like to thank our many supporters and donors, in particular the Li Ka Shing Foundation and GSK Canada, for their support of our critical research. This year was also marked with the support from alumni and friends to create the U of A’s COVID-19 and Emerging Pathogens Research Fund. Our members, including our students, post-doctoral fellows, and research associates, made significant contributions to progress vaccines, develop new target-specific therapies, improve diagnostics, as well as further our understanding of host-virus interactions and pathogenesis. We are proud of the entire LKSIoV community!
D. Lorne Tyrrell Founding Director, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
OUR VISION Leading the world in virology discoveries and cures.
OUR MISSION Through leadership in scientific excellence and international collaboration, the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology will invest in virology and immunology research to discover new methods to prevent, treat, and cure virus-related disease to reduce the burden of viral disease around the world.
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Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
GOVERNANCE
Director
Management & Review Advisory Committee
Administrative Assistant
Director, Operations & Research
Communications Coordinator
Research Support & Innovation Grants Adjudication Committee
2020/21 Annual Report
Research Impact Awards Adjudication Committee
Graduate Studies Entrance Awards Adjudication Committee
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Management & Review Advisory Committee Katharine Magor, Committee Chair, Dept of Biological Sciences Amit Bhavsar, Assistant Professor, Dept of Medical Microbiology & Immunology Matthias Götte, Chair, Dept of Medical Microbiology & Immunology Catherine Mitran, PhD Candidate, School of Public Health Ryan Noyce, Research Associate, Dept of Medical Microbiology & Immunology Graham Tipples, Medical-Scientific Director, Public Health, Alberta Public Laboratories Stephanie Yanow, Professor, School of Public Health D. Lorne Tyrrell, Director, Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology (LKSIoV) Carla Craveiro Salvado, Director of Operations and Research, LKSIoV
Research Support & Innovation Grants Adjudication Committee D. Lorne Tyrrell, Committee Chair; Director, LKSIoV Katharine Magor, Professor, Dept of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta (Internal Reviewer) William Albritton, University of Saskatchewan (External Reviewer) Hans van de Sande, University of Calgary (External Reviewer) Carla Craveiro Salvado, Scientific Officer; Director of Operations and Research, LKSIoV
Graduate Studies Entrance Adjudication Committee Carla Craveiro Salvado, Committee Chair; Director of Operations and Research, LKSIoV Hanne Ostergaard, Professor, Dept of Medical Microbiology & Immunology Maya Shmulevitz, Associate Professor, Dept of Medical Microbiology & Immunology Reshma Sirajee, MSc student, School of Public Health
Research Impact Awards D. Lorne Tyrrell, Committee Chair; Director, LKSIoV Amit Bhavsar, Assistant Professor, Dept of Medical Microbiology & Immunology Carla Craveiro Salvado, Scientific Officer; Director of Operations and Research, LKSIoV
LKSIoV Team D. Lorne Tyrrell, Director Bonnie Bock, Administrative Assistant Carla Craveiro Salvado, Director of Operations and Research Betty Lee, Communications Coordinator 7
Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
DR. MICHAEL HOUGHTON
RECEIVES NOBEL PRIZE FOR DISCOVERY OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS Researcher’s passion for disease prevention leads to prestigious prize As a teen in England, Dr. Michael Houghton was inspired by celebrated French biologist, chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur, who dedicated his life to disease prevention. “I was 17 when I started to think hard about what kind of career I wanted,” says Houghton, Director of the Li Ka Shing Applied Virology Institute. “I thought to myself: Think hard about your choice; don’t drift from job to job; pick a passion and go with it.” Houghton chose to study biological sciences at East Anglia University in England where he discovered his passion for lab research and launched a lifelong dedication to disease prevention. This passion for helping mankind was recognized with the highest honour possible — the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) that he shared with Dr. Harvey Alter of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Dr. Charles Rice of the Rockefeller University. In his Nobel lecture, Houghton acknowledged the key contributions to his work by colleagues Dr. Qui-Lim Choo, Dr. George Kuo and Dr. Daniel Bradley. He accepted the Nobel Prize on Dec. 10, 2020. Houghton recalls an undergraduate project that solidified his passion for lab work and biological sciences. “I remember it well — we were using cell medium containing bovine serum to grow mammalian cells, a time-proven standard method that is used in labs to this day,” he says. “I just loved being in the lab making observations.” 2020/21 Annual Report
In 1977, Houghton completed his PhD in biochemistry at King’s College, University of London as an external student while working in the basic research division of a US biotech company in the UK. While in the UK, Houghton began working on projects involving genetic engineering and recombinant DNA (rDNA), a method of cloning nucleic acid molecules. He published research papers on human interferon genes, and it would later help define his research success. In 1982, Houghton left the UK to pursue jobs with emerging US-based biotech companies. He set his sights on California and set up his own lab at the Chiron Corporation, a biotech set up by Drs. Bill Rutter and Ed Penhoet from the University of California. “The director of virology at Chiron, Dr. Dino Dina, introduced me to the problem of non-A, non-B hepatitis research,” says Houghton. “We both agreed that the methods I used in my UK lab research work could also apply to non-A and non-B hepatitis,” he says. For the next seven years, Houghton and his fivemember team devoted their efforts to identifying the etiological agents of non-A and non-B hepatitis viruses. The team tried different methods to identify the genome that causes non-A and non-B — all without success. Houghton and his research colleagues turned their attention to hepatitis D virus (HDV) research using the cDNA expression screening method and found it to be very successful. These promising results emboldened his team to continue using cDNA expression screening with non-A, non-B hepatitis virus samples.
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This time, however, the team introduced a new variable to their research — using serum from patients who had unusually severe non-A or non-B hepatitis. This proved to be the right path and their research yielded a single clone which was shown to be derived from the HCV genome. “HCV is a very unique virus — it is not highly related to anything else,” says Houghton. “We proved in our lab that the clone was derived from a viral RNA genome found only in non-A and non-B individuals.” In 1989, Houghton and colleagues, Qui Lim Choo and George Kuo, published two papers that demonstrated overwhelming evidence that they had identified the genome that causes HCV. These days, Houghton and Dr. Lorne Tyrrell, director of the parental Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, oversee a broad portfolio of translational research projects with several principal investigators. These projects include developing a vaccine for hepatitis C; developing an anti-viral agent to fight CMV, a herpes-type virus; creating small molecules to treat Alzheimer’s disease; a treatment for non-alcoholic liver disease; a vaccine for group A streptococcus; and developing anti-cancer therapies, among others. Houghton says the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has caused the research community to pause. “Coronavirus has been a wake-up call for the scientific community,” he says. “I believe we need to increase funding for infectious disease research.”
Photo by Han Houghton (2020) “It’s also become clear that we need to stockpile vaccines to emerging viruses because it has been shown that a vaccine against the SARS CoV-1 coronavirus that emerged in 2003 would have been partially effective at preventing the COVID-19 pandemic.” Houghton would like to see today’s young researchers spend more time addressing serious diseases, much like his inspiration, Louis Pasteur. “The more scientific minds we have working on the unmet health needs of the world, the better off our society will be,” he says. “Biomedical research is so important to mankind.” Houghton has a simple piece of advice for all students, regardless of their research interests: “If you find your passion, chances are you will be good at it and you will enjoy it,” he says. Author: Bernie Poitras
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Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
CELEBRATING THE NOBEL PRIZE... DURING A PANDEMIC! Dr. Houghton’s 2020 Nobel Prize is the first for the University of Alberta and the first in Medicine or Physiology for Canada in almost 100 years!
U of A virtually hosts “An Evening with Nobel Laureate Michael Houghton” on Dec 9, 2020. The entire U of A community and general public were invited! Top: Nobel Laureate Michael Houghton, host Dan Riskin, LKSIoV Director D. Lorne Tyrrell. Bottom: FoMD Dean Brenda Hemmelgarn, President Bill Flanagan.
Bottoms up, Dr. Houghton and Mrs. Han Houghton! You so deserve it! Shortly after the announcement, Dr. Tyrrell released celebratory balloons! One can never have enough balloons for this kind of celebration! 2020/21 Annual Report
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Ms. Solina Chau and Dr. Li celebrate via zoom with Dr. Houghton and others!
The day Dr. Houghton received his Nobel Prize in his own backyard!
Celebratory zoom with U of A, Dr. Li and the Government of Alberta! Top: Dr. Michael Houghton, President Bill Flanagan, U of A Board of Governors Chair Kate Chisholm. Middle: Premier Jason Kenney, Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister Doug Schweitzer. Bottom: Mr. Li, Dr. D. Lorne Tyrrell.
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Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS APRIL 2020 – MARCH 2021 Revenue LKS Endowment Allocation.................................. $971,344 GSK Infrastructure Endowment Allocation ............ $275,460 Giving Tuesday Fundraising Campaign*............... $191,172 Total Revenue: .............................................. $1,437,976 *Campaign raised funds specifically for the COVID-19 and Emerging Pathogens Research program
Giving Tuesday Fundraising Campaign*
GSK Infrastructure Endowment Allocation
13.3%
19.2% 67.5% LKS Endowment Allocation
Expenses Trainee Studentships and Support........................ $126,000 Research Grants................................................. $490,000 BCL-3 Equipment ................................................. $94,359 *Total Expenses:............................................... $710,359 *Expenses do not reflect operating costs
BCL-3 Equipment 13.3%
17.7%
Trainee Studentships and Support
69.0%
Research Grants 2020/21 Annual Report
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OUR IMPACT
9
Graduate Studies Entrance Awards $90,000
1
Doctoral Student Award
1
$12,500
WEBSITE
69,350+
Pageviews 55% vs 2019/20
56,500+
Visitors 58% vs 2019/20
Bridge Grant $40,000
6
COVID-19 and Emerging Pathogens Research Grants $210,000
4
Undergraduate Summer Studentships
285
TWITTER FOLLOWERS 124% vs 2019/20
44,000+
Impressions
229
FACEBOOK LIKES
BCL-3 Equipment $94,359
$19,500
6
Research Support & Innovation Grants
39% vs 2019/20
926+
Reach, up by 900%
$240,000
4
Research Impact Awards $4,000
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Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
IMPACT OF OUR MEMBERS From April 2020 to March 2021, our members were awarded external funding to support 114 research projects. These projects focused mostly on the COVID-19 pandemic. The U of A, including our members, successfully responded to both of the Government of Canada’s rapid response calls for projects aimed at tackling the pandemic. The information on pages 14 and 15 was gathered from the members’ annual reports submitted to the LKSIoV.
Total External Funding: $17,431,065 Alberta Cancer Foundation
5.7%
Others 23.9%
Alberta Innovates
31.3% University Hospital Foundation
6.3% 32.8%
CIHR
Full Members: $16,266,880 Others 12.1% Janssen Pharmaceuticals
Canada Foundation for Innovation
5.9%
CIHR 11.9%
20.5%
17.0% Gilead Sciences
32.6% Diamond Light Source Ltd
Associate Members: $1,164,185 2020/21 Annual Report
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RESEARCH TRAINEES & DISSEMINATION
28
RESEARCH ASSOCIATES
224
PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
19
POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWS
141
ORAL PRESENTATIONS
93
GRADUATE STUDENTS
50
MSc Students
43
PhD Students
80
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
42
Summer Students
38
Project Students
30 43 68
116 47 33 25 11
International National Local
MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS Television Radio Article Podcast
TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH
23 6
15
Patents Spin-off Companies
Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
RESEARCH AWARDS & ACCOLADES We are proud of all our members. Here we recognize those that received awards for their exceptional work, demonstrating their commitment to research excellence. Congratulations to all recipients! The information on pages 16 and 17 was gathered from the members’ annual reports submitted to the LKSIoV.
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FULL MEMBERS
1
ASSOCIATE MEMBER
36 6
2020/21 Annual Report
TRAINEES OF FULL MEMBERS
TRAINEES OF ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
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AWARDS
1
AWARD
62
AWARDS
8
AWARDS
16
MEMBER AWARDS
Carlos Cervera Clinical Publication Award, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta
Michael Houghton
World Expert on hepatitis B, Expertscape HBV Special Interest Group Leadership / Steering Committee, American Association for the Study of Liver Disease
Jack H. Jhamandas
2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
2021 Innovation Award, Technology Transfer Services, University of Alberta
Katharine Magor
James R. Smiley
Faculty of Science Mentorship Award, University of Alberta
Graham A. Tipples Public recognitions from provincial political leadership, public health leadership and AHS leadership
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Carla S. Coffin
Mentor Award for Senior Investigator, Canadian Society for Virology
Sue Tsai CRC Tier II in Immunometabolism/ Diabetes
Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
TRAINEE AWARDS Barakat Lab Yasser Tabana — Alberta Innovates Graduate Scholarship; Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship; Antoine Noujaim Graduate Scholarship in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Conn Lab Lashmitha Arasaratnam — University of Saskatchewan Devolved Graduate Scholarship; Western College of Veterinary Medicine Graduate Student Scholarship/ Fellowship Award; Townsend Equine Health Research Fund Graduate Scholarship Award
Bhavsar Lab Ghazal Babolmorad — Kids with Cancer Graduate Studentship; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. Graduate Award
Elahi Lab
Bradley Dubrule — NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award
Najmeh Bozorgmehr — Medical Sciences Graduate Program Scholarships (MSGPS); American Association of Immunologists (AAI) Fellowship Award; Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship
Asna Latif — Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship
Yasaman Bahojb Habibyan — LKSIoV Recruitment Award Kareem Hasan — LKSIoV Recruitment Award
Clemente-Casares Lab Aklima Akter — WCHRI Graduate Studentship Kasia Dzierlega — LKSIoV Summer Studentship; LKSIoV Graduate Studies Entrance Award; the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry 75th Anniversary Award; Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship (AGES) Megan Lee — LKSIoV Summer Studentship; LKSIoV Graduate Studies Entrance Award; the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry 75th Anniversary Award; Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship (AGES); CIHR CGS-M Mitchell Wagner — NSERC USRA
Coffin Lab Canadian Institutes of Health Research Graduate Studentship; Canadian HCV Graduate Studentship; Canadian Liver Foundation Studentship; University of Calgary Eyes High PhD Scholarship; University of Calgary Graduate Studentship
2020/21 Annual Report
Siavash Mashhouri — Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship (AGES) Shima Shahbaz — American Association of Immunologist Career in Immunology Award
Hawkes Lab Reshma Sirajee — WCHRI Graduate Studentship; Sarah Lopaschuk Memorial Scholarship; WCHRI Research Day 3rd Place MSc Abstract Winner; Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship; Alberta Council for Global Cooperation’s Top 30 Under 30; Dr. Gary McPherson Leadership Scholarship; CROI New Investigator’s Scholarship to International Conference
The information on pages 18 and 19 was gathered from the members’ annual reports submitted to the LKSIoV.
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Hemmings Lab Yuliya Fakhr — Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship; FGSR Graduate Fellow Scholarship Rebecca Reif — LKSIoV Entrance Graduate Scholarship; 75th Anniversary Award
Hitt Lab Quinn Storozynsky — CRINA Marathon of Hope Graduate Studentship; Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship; Andrew Stewart Prize
Jhamandas Lab 2021 Innovation Award, U of A Technology Transfer Services
Julien Lab Eman Moussa — Alexander Graham Bell NSERC CGS-M; LKSIoV Graduate Scholarship Longxiang Wang — AIHS Summer Studentship
DL Tyrrell Lab Connie Le — Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Medical Student Award
G Tyrrell Lab Thomas Corsiatto — Bell McLeod Education Fund Graduate Entrance Scholarship; Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship (AGES); Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry 75th Anniversary Award
Willis Lab Ana D’Aubeterre — Undergraduate Research Initiative
Wozniak Lab Nicole Love — LKSIoV Graduate Studies Entrance Award
Yanow Lab Mohammad Hoque — School of Public Health Doctoral Award
Tsai Lab
Ethan Jansen — Alberta Innovates Summer Studentship
Lucy Lee — LKSIoV Summer Studentship
Katie Mitran — Alberta Innovates; WCHRI
Megan Lee — cGSM, AI-HS Graduate Studentship; FoMD Entrance Scholarship
Rebecca Reif — LKSIoV Graduate Studies Entrance Award; FoMD Entrance Scholarship
Yashvi Patel — ADI Summer Studentship
Madeleine Wiebe — CIHR Graduate Scholarship
Mengyi Zhu — China Scholar Council Graduate Studentship
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Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
THE U of A RESEARCH COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC Meet the COVID-19 and Emerging Pathogens Grant Competition Awardees!
Dr. Hyo-Jick Choi Virus inactivating salt-coated mask to prevent transmission of COVID-19 To read more about this research, visit www.ualberta.ca/folio/2020/10/u-of-a-researcher-working-onsalt-coated-masks-that-can-kill-coronavirus.html
Dr. Shokrollah Elahi Investigating the effects of dexamethasone on ACE2 expression as a therapeutic approach against SARS-CoV-19 infection To read more about this research, visit www.ualberta.ca/folio/2021/06/new-study-may-help-explainlow-oxygen-levels-in-covid-19-patients.html
Dr. Basil Hubbard Small-molecule inhibitors of Nsp15 for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2
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The COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest health crisis the world has faced in more than a century. In May 2020, the U of A community and general public donated almost $200K to support world-leading expertise and accelerate research to combat SARS-CoV-2. The COVID-19 and Emerging Pathogens grant program was created, and it funded these six exciting projects related to COVID-19 across three faculties at the U of A.
Dr. Paul Jurasz Angiostatin: A potential novel biomarker of COVID-19 underlying pathophysiology To read more about this research, visit www.ualberta.ca/medicine/news/2021/04/covid19-pharmacyjurasz.html
Dr. Greg Tyrrell Developing a safe subunit vaccine for COVID-19 by using convalescent plasma to identify immunogenic epitopes
Dr. Reinhard Vehring Glass stabilization of an adjuvanted subunit coronavirus vaccine via spray drying To read more about this research, visit www.ualberta.ca/medicine/news/2021/07/vehring-powderedvaccine.html
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Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
DR. NORMAN KNETEMAN CELEBRATING A CAREER DEDICATED TO RESEARCH AND PATIENT CARE Honouring Dr. Norman Kneteman on his retirement! As Dr. Norman Kneteman gets ready for the next chapter in his life, we remember the Alberta-born legend who made significant contributions as a physician, researcher, and mentor to the field of transplantation, impacting the lives of so many. Dr. Kneteman devoted his career to surgery transplantation, research, and patient care. He earned his medical degree with distinction and MSc in Experimental Surgery from the University of Alberta (U of A). After completing a rotating internship and residency in general surgery in Edmonton, he completed a fellowship in transplantation surgery at the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, Missouri. He returned to the U of A as a transplantation surgeon. His career centred around liver transplantation and Hepatitis C virus research. It also included a focus on islet transplantation and small bowel transplantation research. He received over $27M in grants to support his research, resulting in 16 issued patents, 22 book chapters, monographs, government publications and invited articles, 67 published proceedings of scientific meetings and symposia, 405 abstracts, 142 presentations, as well as 238 peer-reviewed publications in journals, such as Hepatology and Nature. Worth noting, Dr. Kneteman, together with Dr. David Mercer and Dr. D. Lorne Tyrrell, co-developed the first non-primate animal model, a humanized liver chimeric mouse, to support HCV infection and replication. This groundbreaking development resulted in KMT Hepatech, a local U of A spin-off company. In 2017, the company was purchased by PhoenixBio (Japan). KMT Hepatech, now a subsidiary of PhoenixBio, remains in Edmonton with over 30 employees producing mice with chimeric livers or fresh human hepatocytes for use all over the world. As a mentor, he recruited and trained surgeons and researchers, including 14 MSc and 6 PhD students. These talented individuals collectively received 47 local, provincial, national, and international awards—a testament to Dr. Kneteman’s mentorship. Dr. Kneteman advanced the field of surgery transplantation and patient care, is recognized for his mentorship and leadership, and is a successful entrepreneur. He has truly built a solid foundation for future generations of surgeons and researchers.
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Memberships in Medical and Academic Societies
47
Honours and Awards
102 28
Committee Appointments (local, regional, national, and international) Ad Hoc Journal & Meeting Referee
2020/21 Annual Report
5
Editorial Boards
16
Issued Patents
14
MSc Students
67
Published Proceedings of Scientific Meetings and Symposia
6
PhD Students
405
Abstracts
Publications
142
Presentations
238
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CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 1978
Doctor of Medicine, University of Alberta
1984
Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada FRCS(C), General Surgery
1985
1985
MSc (Experimental Surgery), U of A
Fellowship, Transplantation Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine (2 yrs) Diplomat, American Board of Surgery (10 yrs)
1985
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, U of A (4 yrs)
1987 1991
1994
Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, U of A (5 yrs)
Alberta Heritage Scholar (5 yrs) Professor, Department of Surgery, U of A (15 yrs)
1996
Quality Leadership, Capital Health Authority, Annual Recognition Award
1997
Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee Medal, Islet Cell Transplant Group
2002
2011
Director, Division of Transplantation (10 yrs)
2012
BioAlberta Company of the Year, KMT Hepatech Inc
2014 2016 23
Champions of Care, Outstanding Patient Care Award, University Hospital Foundation (2 yrs)
Lifetime Achievement Award, Canadian Society of Transplantation Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
DR. JAMES SMILEY HONOURING A LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENTS IN VIROLOGY Congratulations Dr. James Smiley on your retirement! As we look back at Dr. Smiley’s achievements, we honour a virologist who made significant contributions to the field of virology and a mentor who impacted the lives of so many aspiring investigators. Dr. Smiley is a Professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta (U of A) for 24 years, as well as the Canada Research Chair in Molecular Virology (Tier 1) for 14 years. Dr. Smiley began his career studying genetics as an undergrad at McGill University. He then moved on to complete a PhD at McMaster University, studying the transcription of adenovirus Type 12 DNA. He ventured abroad to Yale University for his post-doctoral fellowships on herpes simplex viruses, before returning to Canada. Dr. Smiley’s research on herpes viruses help explain how viruses replicate and spread once they’ve invaded a cell. From 2010 – 2019, he received over $3.5M in operating grants for research that contributed to four book chapters and 94 publications in various prestigious journals such as the Journal of Virology and Nature. Dr. Smiley has been invited to deliver over 48 seminars locally, nationally, and around the world. He served on four editorial boards and as an ad hoc journal referee on 15 journals, including Journal of Virology, PNAS and Nature Communications. For 32 years, Dr. Smiley taught both undergraduate and graduate level courses in areas such as basic virology or herpes viruses. Throughout his career, he supervised and mentored 20 MSc students, 12 PhD students, and 12 PDFs, as well as sat on 94 supervisory committees. His research in the fields of herpes viruses and viral oncology has resulted in awards spanning five decades, with the most recent being the 2020 Mentor Award for Senior Investigator from the Canadian Society of Virology—a true testament to his dedication to shaping the next generation of scientists. Dr. Smiley is truly a leader in molecular virology and has left a legacy for others to continue to build upon.
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Awards and Scholarships
20
MSc Students
4
94
Publications
12
PhD Students
15
Ad Hoc Journal Referee
4
Book Chapters
12
PDFs
12
Conference Organizing Committees
4
Salary and Infrastructure Awards
94
Supervisory Committees
14
External Grant Review Boards
2020/21 Annual Report
Editorial Boards
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CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 1972
BSc, McGill University
1974
Graduate Research Studentship, National Cancer Institute of Canada (3 yrs)
1977 PhD, McMaster University 1977
King George V Silver Jubilee Research Post-doctoral Fellowship, National Cancer Institute of Canada
1978
PDFs, Yale University
1978
PDF, National Cancer Institute
1979 1979
Assistant Professor, McMaster University Research Scholar, National Cancer Institute (6 yrs)
1985
Associate Professor, McMaster University
1985
Research Associate, National Cancer Institute (3 yrs)
1988
Terry Fox Senior Scientist, National Cancer Institute (11 yrs)
1989
Professor, McMaster University
1997
Professor & Chair, Dept of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, U of A (5 yrs)
2000
Subak-Sharpe Lectureship, 25th International Herpesvirus Workshop, Oregon, USA
2002 2004
Professor, Dept of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, U of A Canada Research Chair, Tier I, in Molecular Virology (14 yrs)
2020 25
Mentor Award for Senior Investigator, Canadian Society for Virology Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
SPOTLIGHTING NEW MEMBERS
Carmen Charlton Dr. Charlton is an Assistant Professor in Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. She is also a Clinical Microbiologist with the Public Health Laboratory. Her research interests are: • Infectious disease testing for HIV • Hepatitis • Protective immunity in prenatal women • COVID-19 serology testing
Matthew Croxen Dr. Croxen is the Program Lead of Public Health Bioinformatics and Genomics, Alberta Precision Laboratories. He is also an Assistant Professor in Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. His research interests are: • Infectious diseases • Vaccine preventable diseases • Pathogen diversity • Genomics
Olivier Julien Dr. Julien is an Assistant Professor in Biochemistry. His research interest is focussed on the role of viral proteases, such as in Zika, Mayaro, Chikungunya and SARS-CoV-2 viruses.
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The LKSIoV is excited to welcome its newest members from across the University of Alberta campus!
M. Joanne Lemieux Dr. Lemieux is a Professor in Biochemistry and Director of the Membrane Protein Disease Research Group. Her research interests are: • Viral protease inhibitors • Protein crystallography • Enzymology
Lisa Willis Dr. Willis is an Assistant Professor in Biological Sciences and an Adjunct Professor in Medical Microbiology & Immunology. Her research interests are: • Glycoscience • Immunology • Biochemistry • Sex differences
Michael Woodside Dr. Woodside is a Professor in Physics. His research interests are: • Folding of viral RNA structures • Programmed ribosomal frameshifting • Exoribonuclease resistance • Protein folding • Misfolding, prion-like conversion
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Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATIONS The LKSIoV unites a consortium of 50 exemplary researchers. Most LKSIoV members are associated with the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology at the U of A. Members are also affiliated with 18 other units (institutes, departments and faculties) at the U of A. In addition, some of our members are located in other institutions. The success of our members, and ultimately our Institute, is dependent on both intra- and inter-collegiate connections, including with local, national, and international collaborators. The following data was gathered from the members’ annual reports submitted to the LKSIoV.
Number of collaborating agencies or institutions 1–4 5 – 10 11 – 20 21 – 30 > 31
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COLLABORATIONS AT A GLANCE
39 68 23
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Canadian institutes, faculties, depts, networks International institutes, agencies, networks Countries
Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology
6-010 Katz Centre for Health Research University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E1 lksiov@ualberta.ca | 780.492.1084 www.uab.ca/lksiov
