Marketing Your

NOVEMBER 2019 Published-To-Be Paper

Event Highlights
Member Profiles

DAMPENING THE
INFLAMMATORY
RESPONSE TO
BACTERIAL INFECTIONS
 D

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT CBR PUBLISHED BY
Knowledge Translation Committee

DESIGNERS 
RESEARCH EVENTS
Dr. Stefanie Mak & Andy Hsu
The CBR aims to improve the health and well-being
Clotting & AbCellera Biologics
4 11
CONTRIBUTORS
of patients through innovative research in blood and Amardeep Singh Sekhon
Dr. Amy Glenwright* Alzheimer's Disease Visit
blood-related processes. Amy Wong Strilchuk
Andy Hsu

Iron Chelation
5 13 Canadian Science
Bronwyn Lyons
Corrie Belanger
Cristyn Fung
Dr. Erika Siren* Therapy Policy Conference
Eva Yap
Fennie Easton van der Graaf

GOALS Dr. Georgina Butler*

Dr. Geraldine Walsh
Haisle Moon 6 Self-propelled
Hemostatic Particles 15 Health & Wellness
Step Challenge
Dr. Hesham Soliman
CBR Research & Clinical Goals Dr. Houra Loghmani*

Innate Defense
8 16 Girls & STEAM
Ido Rafaeli*
• Improve the quality and safety of blood J. Andrew Alexander*
product collection, storage and delivery Katharine Sedivy-Haley*
Lily Takeuchi Regulator Peptides Symposium
• Create new knowledge to better treat Morgan Alford
bleeding and clotting disorders S. Soroush Nasseri

Walking the
9 18, 20 Norman Bethune
Sarah Bowers*
• Develop novel approaches to Shawna Stanwood*
modulate the immune system to
Sreeparna Vappala
Dr. Stefanie Mak*
Tightrope Symposium
Patient-driven. Innovative. Community. treat inflammation and infections and Dr. Stefanie Novakowski
Victor Lei

28 Platelets 2.0 22 CBR Research Day

promote wound repair Wayne Zhao
Over the past year, donor support has helped us develop novel approaches
* indicates Editorial Board member
to battle severe bleeding in rural areas, delineate the mechanisms of
inflammatory diseases, and increase the quality of blood products used in COVER ART by Morgan Alford

25 ISH 2018
BLOG cbr.ubc.ca
transfusions – only a few examples among many pioneering discoveries. FACEBOOK @cbrubc
With your continued support, the CBR will further transform innovative
TWITTER @CBR_UBC PROFILES
INSTAGRAM  @cbr_ubc

Secret Lives of CBR

7
ideas into life-enhancing solutions.
CBR magazine is published by the Knowl-
Researchers
31 PDF & RA Retreat
edge Translation (KT) Committee, a group of
CBR undergraduates, graduate students, post-
The CBR needs you to help fund our programs, which range from $50 to
doctoral fellows, research associates, and tech-
$100,000. We invite you to explore opportunities at the CBR where your nicians who are interested in science writing,

10 Dr. Andrew Shih

blogging, and mixed media communications.
partnership with us will result in positive impacts on education, training and

32 Career Night
It is distributed free of charge to CBR and UBC
meaningful research. Examples of initiatives that need your support include: alumni, friends, and the scientific community.
Opinions expressed in the magazine do not
necessarily reflect the views of the centre or the
Opportunity Cost university.

34 From Scientists to
Reward leadership in students and staff with the Neil $50 Address correspondence to:
The Centre for Blood Research AWA R D S
Mackenzie Mentorship Award 4th Floor, Life Sciences Centre Dragons
Excellence in Service
7
2350 Health Sciences Mall
Expose trainees to diverse career opportunities with the $1,000 Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3
Award
E D U CAT I O N
CBR Career Night
Jumpstart a postdoctoral fellow’s career with the
Postdoctoral Transition Award
$5,000
The KT Committee publishes weekly at
CBR News (cbr.ubc.ca) and covers a wide range
of topics, from recent research highlights and 35 Magazine
Contest
Cover Art
CBR Education Commitment
12 Keystone Symposia:
opinion pieces on science and academia, to

Single Cell Biology

Support a clinical fellow in Translational Research Studies
Make a CBR Symposium possible
$75,000 event coverage and CBR initiatives. If you are
• Support student research through interested in participating in the KT Committee,
$25,000- competitive undergraduate, graduate, email Stefanie at: stefanie.mak@ubc.ca or talk OPINION
to one of the members! All undergraduates,
$100,000 and postgraduate awards

14 mTAS 2018 26 Marketing Your

graduate students, PDFs, RAs, and technicians
Explore further: CBR.ubc.ca/support-us are welcome to join.
• Offer a range of stimulating educational
Edward M. Conway, MD, PhD symposia, workshops, and seminars CONTACT Paper
stefanie.mak@ubc.ca
Director, Centre for Blood Research • Provide cutting-edge career

24 Neil Mackenzie
30 APipeline
Plug for the Leaky
Tel: 604.822.4252  |  Email: ed.conway@ubc.ca development opportunities for our
Knowledge
trainees Translation Mentorship Award
Committee
Science beyond academia
2 3
 Research Research

Can Dysfunctional Clotting Contribute to Neurological

Disorders?
B y D R . S T E FA N I E N O VA K O W S K I , K a s t r u p L a b

A lzheimer’s disease is a devastating neurological disorder with no

known cure. Characterized by gradual cognitive decline, its effects
are felt throughout Canada. Over half a million Canadians are living
with dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease is a major contributor to this
number.1 There are several links between Alzheimer’s disease pathology
and blood clotting, however the biochemical pathways connecting
these two processes are poorly defined. In a step towards clarifying this
relationship, members of Kastrup and Jefferies Labs at the Centre for
Blood Research recently characterized the role of the essential clotting
protein, coagulation factor XIII (FXIII), in the development of harmful
beta-amyloid deposits found in Alzheimer’s disease.2
What causes Alzheimer’s disease? Currently, there is no clear answer.
As the disease progresses, brain cells are destroyed, and small bleeds occur
in the brain’s vasculature, leading to dementia. Clumps of beta-amyloid
protein in the brain, termed plaques, are a hallmark of the disease, yet it is
unknown how these plaques contribute to destruction of the brain cells.
Beta-amyloid can also accumulate along blood vessels during cerebral
amyloid angiopathy (CAA), which occurs in over 90% of patients with
Alzheimer’s disease. It is also unknown how these deposits form.3 In work
performed at the Centre for Blood Research, PhD candidates W. Hur
and N. Mazinani demonstrate beta-amyloid can be covalently linked by
activated FXIII (FXIIIa), a coagulation factor found in the plasma and
in platelets, the cells responsible for blood clotting. The role of FXIIIa in
blood clotting is well-defined: FXIIIa links strands of fibrin to each other
to form a stable meshwork that forms the clot. While FXIIIa co-localizes
with beta-amyloid deposits in the brain, it was unknown whether FXIIIa
could also act on beta-amyloid, as it does with fibrin.
In the recent publication, W. Hur and N. Mazinani show for the
first time that beta-amyloid is a substrate for FXIIIa. FXIIIa obtained
from either plasma and platelets can link beta-amyloid proteins together
to form large, multi-protein aggregates. They also found the activity of
FXIIIa and extent of beta-amyloid linkage differed for variants of beta-
amyloid. As these variants are associated with different probabilities of
developing CAA, this suggests a possible role for FXIIIa in CAA and
possibly Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Unexpectedly, FXIIIa could
Whether FXIIIa acts on beta-amyloid in physiological settings
has yet to be determined. To establish this, experiments using animal
models will be required. Furthermore, it is still unclear whether FXIIIa
contributes to the pathology of CAA and Alzheimer’s disease. However,
the work described here helps strengthen the bridge between Alzheimer’s
disease and blood clotting. Characterizing these connections is the first
step in understanding what causes Alzheimer’s disease, and eventually
finding a cure.
1
https://alzheimer.ca/en/Home/Get-involved/Advocacy/Latest-info-
stats
2
J. Biol. Chem. (2018) 294(2): 390-396.
3
Frontiers in Bioscience (2009) 14: 4778-4792. C
Multiphoton image of cerebral amyloid angiopathy
(red) on blood vessels (green) in Alzheimer’s disease
mouse model. From cover of Neuron, 2010 Jun 10.
Image credit: Cortes-Canteli, M. et al. 2010, 66(5).
695–709. doi: [10.1016/j.neuron.2010.05.014]
Metaling with Chelation Therapy:
Reducing Transfusion-Associated Iron Toxicity with
Conjugated Drugs
By MORGAN ALFORD, Graduate Student, Hancock Lab
B eta-thalassemias are a group of inherited blood disorders caused by a
decrease in beta hemoglobin chains that can result in severe anemia,
reduced oxygen supply to tissues, failure to thrive, and death. Blood
transfusions are the most common form of treatment for these disorders.
However, since humans cannot remove iron from the body, reactive iron
from repeated transfusions accumulates and causes organ dysfunction.
Therefore, iron chelation therapy is given alongside transfusions to bind
iron and promote its excretion. Deferoxamine, the gold-standard iron
chelator currently on the market, effectively reduces the concentration
of reactive iron in serum following blood transfusion, but the drug has a
short circulation time, and can cause neurotoxicity, nausea, diarrhea and
abdominal pain when taken long-term. These adverse effects, together
with an intense blood transfusion regimen (7 hrs, 5-6 times per week),
likely contribute to the high rate of noncompliance. Clearly, there is a
need for the design of safer alternative chelating agents.
A recent study by Dr. Srinivas Abbina and colleagues in the
Kizhakkedathu lab in the Centre for Blood Research (CBR) at UBC
shows that adverse effects of Deferoxamine can be ameliorated by
molecular conjugation to a bulky class of chemicals called biodegradable
hyperbranched polyglycerols.1 The design of the conjugated molecule
determines the degree of improvement in iron circulation and excretion
under acidic conditions that are characteristic of the environment in vivo.
Moreover, none of the conjugates were toxic to liver or fibroblast cells.
Consistent with studies performed in synthetic media, conjugates were
degraded between 8 and 70 hrs after administration in a mouse model
of iron overload (depending on degree of linkage): Faster degradation
was associated with lower iron accumulation in all organs and iron was
excreted via two different pathways in a similar time. In contrast, slower
degradation was associated with greater accumulation in the spleen and
pancreas and favoured excretion via the kidneys.
In this study, Abbina et al. demonstrate, for the first time, the
therapeutic potential of conjugated drugs for promotion of iron excretion
and reduction of iron accumulation in vital organs. It is hoped that this
therapeutic approach will not only have improved efficacy as compared
to the current gold-standard chelator Deferoxamine, but the anticipated
reduced incidence and severity of side effects should increase compliance.
We will watch expectantly for good news for patients with disorders
that cause iron overload, as these novel drugs hopefully enter the clinic in
the near future!
ACS Cent. Sci. (2019) 5(5): 917-926. C
1

also link beta-amyloid to fibrin, leading to stiffer clots. This leads to the following chelation. More specifically, iron chelation efficiency depends
question, is beta-amyloid a normal component of blood clots in the brain, on the biodegradable linkages used in conjugation. For example, more
or could its incorporation into clots contribute to CAA? stable conjugates that have a high degree of linkage require more time to
be broken down and are associated with prolonged iron excretion from
the liver and kidneys. All conjugates presently studied in vitro degraded
4 5
 Research Awards
E ach year, the University of British Columbia Faculty of Science awards the
Excellence in Service Awards to a maximum of six staff (including one
Postdoctoral Fellow or Research Associate), two faculty members and two students
2018 UBC Science
in the entire student body. These awards recognize those who bring exceptional
and positive contributions to their faculty and reward their outstanding service. Excellence in Service
Award Recipient:
Congratulations to Dr. Erika Siren, a recent graduate from the Kizhakkedathu
lab who received this prestigious award in late 2018! She’s now continuing her
education as a Friedman Scholar at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Erika Siren was credited for going above and beyond to provide support
within her interdisciplinary field of biomaterials chemistry, increasing its visibility
Dr. Erika Siren
and accessibility and collaborations within the university. Outside the lab, Erika
was also actively involved in science outreach during her PhD through initiatives
at Science World and Café Scientifique.
Many of Erika’s contributions were through the Centre for Blood Research,
including the CBR Knowledge Translation Committee, of which she was a
founding member. Erika worked as a science writer throughout her PhD; indeed,
her articles were featured in Biotechnology Focus, the Vancouver Sun and the

Self-propelled Hemostatic Particles Find a New Financial Post. Reflecting on her time at the CBR, Erika notes that “the CBR
provided a really unique graduate school experience where I was encouraged to

Home in Gauze and Spray Cartridges contribute to science in more ways than research alone. Many of the initiatives I
participated in during grad school could not have been done without the financial
and administrative support from the CBR”.
Congrats Erika! C
By AMY WONG STRILCHUK, PhD Candidate, Kastrup Lab

Profiles

S elf-propelled particles—what started as a “wouldn’t that be cool” idea

has become a real technology that has gained the support of many
groups that hope to some day see this product, on the front of both
military and civilian lines, saving lives.
This work has been spearheaded by Dr. James Baylis, a postdoc and
former PhD student in the lab of Dr. Christian Kastrup, who started this
research back in 2012. The idea behind this technology was to create a ma-
terial that could deliver therapeutics, like hemostatics, deep into wounds,
overcoming the main challenge of being flushed out of tissue by flowing
blood. The result? Microparticles containing calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
and tranexamic acid, which, when exposed to blood, react to produce
CO2 bubbles propelling the particles in all directions – including against
blood flow. The particles can be enhanced by adsorbing other agents onto
their surface, such as the potent procoagulant thrombin. Early success of
these particles in solution, published in Science Advances1, generated
much excitement from colleagues at the Centre for Blood Research2, and
also grabbed the attention of larger organizations including the Canadian
National Research Council, Canada’s Department of National Defense,
and the American Department of Defense.
With the support of these organizations, this product has undergone
major modification and enhancement. A recent application is loading
dried particles into a device which can be loaded onto an air compressor
which shoots the particles through a catheter to stop intra-abdominal
hemorrhage. Preliminary results are positive [unpublished]; if this can
be developed into an effective tool, it would be cause for celebration, as
current treatments for intra-abdominal hemorrhage, compression wraps
or balloon tamponades, are limited in their usage and efficacy. The most
developed form of these particles is on a gauze pad, which can be packaged
and stored for months, and then trigger that same propelled hemostatic
reaction when applied to a bleeding wound. This would be particularly
suited for military or first responders who need to stop massive bleeds
quickly without access to equipment and resources like those found in a
hospital. A study using gauze coated in microparticles was published in
Shock3; it tested this product on pigs with severe junctional hemorrhage.
The results of this study were that the “prothrombotic microparticles [on
gauze] improved survival and two indicators of hemorrhagic shock when
applied without compression”.
This product has been patented as CounterFlow, and the inventors,
Drs. Christian Kastrup and James Baylis, now head up the company
CoMotion which works to further develop and manufacture hemostatic
products using the self-propelled particle technology. Established in
2017, CoMotion now has several employees including scientists, a
clinician and a business specialist. Having recently completed his PhD in
the department of Biomedical Engineering, Dr. James Baylis is a postdoc
in the Kastrup lab and Chief Executive Officer for CoMotion: Go James!
1
Sci Adv (2015) 1(9):e1500379.
2
https://cbr.ubc.ca/going-against-the-flow-self-fuelled-microparticles-
deliver-cargo-through-flowing-blood-to-stop-hemorrhage/
3
Shock (2016) 36(3 Suppl 1): 123-128. C
Secret lives of CBR
researchers:
Episode 2. Dr. James Baylis
By CORRIE BELANGER, PhD Candidate,
Hancock Lab
T he Centre for Blood Research has many talented graduate students, postdocs
and faculty doing cutting edge research in important fields, but they also
have exciting lives outside of the lab. In the CBR Newsletter, we have started a
column to honour the secret talents and skills that CBR members have. Last
month I introduced Lauren Wilkinson, a Microbiology and Immunology alumni
and Olympic athlete. This month I interviewed Dr. James Baylis, biomedical
engineer by day and entrepreneur by night.
Dr. James Baylis has recently defended his PhD in Biomedical Engineering
where he focused on Biomaterial and nanomedicine for management of bleeding.
In addition to long hours spent in the lab, he also managed to find time to co-
found the start-up company CoMotion Drug Delivery Systems and fill the role
of Chief Technology Officer all while still a graduate student! His company is an
extension of a successful project that James worked on in his PhD. Ultimately
this work developed a technology for self-propelling particles that enhance
the delivery of therapeutic agents into wounds, and is a direct example of how
research at UBC can be directly applied to improve clinical treatment of patients
and have an impact on human health. Though the basic research was part of James’
thesis, his team was required to make a lot of improvements on the technology
for medical use, which lead to the development of a company which could receive
the required funding and allocate the proper resources. Though health science is
clearly James’ passion, he also finds time to do other cool activities such as play the
piano, kick box and surf, and he believes that anyone who feels strongly enough
about their passions will find the time to complete them, even when time becomes
limited in the graduate school environment. The development of this company
has definitely helped James learn new skills that are not necessarily accessible to
research based graduate programs. He hopes to continue to build CoMotion and
to develop his skills for whatever comes next.
James is just one of many exceptional graduate students in the CBR
exhibiting impressive talents outside of research. If you would like to be featured
in next month’s column or know someone with a talent to be showcased in the
CBR newsletter, email the Education Program Manager for the CBR, Stefanie
Mak (stefanie.mak@ubc.ca). C

6 7
 Research
Dampening the Inflammatory Response to
P. aeruginosa Infection using a Synthetic
Immunomodulatory Peptide
By DR. GEORGINA BUTLER, Research Associate, Overall Lab
A ntibiotic resistance and the lack of novel antibiotics pose a real threat
to health, and therefore new solutions to fight resistant bacteria are
required. The Hancock Lab at UBC is using host defense peptides to
tackle the problem of antibiotic resistance: These peptides, which occur
naturally, are also known as Innate Defense Regulator (IDR) peptides.
IDRs do not kill bacteria directly like traditional antibiotics, but rather,
modulate our innate immune system to downplay excessive inflammation
and enhance protective immune functions. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is
an opportunistic pathogen that causes pneumonia. P. aeruginosa lung
infections are particularly problematic in cystic fibrosis patients whose
lungs are already compromised, and the infections are not easily treated
due to increasing drug resistance of this Gram negative bacterium.
In a recent study published in Infection and Immunity, Kelli
Wuerth, a former graduate student in the Hancock lab, used a 12 amino
acid synthetic host defense peptide, IDR-1002, in a murine model of
acute P. aeruginosa lung infection.1 Changes in gene expression in
lungs and blood following infection with P. aeruginosa were analysed
by RNA sequencing followed by comprehensive bioinformatics studies
to determine which pathways are affected. Bacterial infection altered
the expression of over 4700 genes in lungs and over 1300 in blood
(about half upregulated and half downregulated in both tissues) with
59 pathways being differentially regulated. These included hemostasis,
axon guidance (cell migration), and chemokine signalling. As expected,
the upregulated proteins that included, for example, chemokines and
matrix metalloproteinases, were involved in inflammation and immune
responses. In keeping with the RNA-seq data, neutrophils, white blood
cells that destroy bacteria, were increased in the infected lungs.
8 9
Research
Image credit: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Walking the Tightrope
B y S R E E PA R N A VA P PA L A , P h D S t u d e n t , K i z h a k k e d a t h u L a b
I magine, you are walking on a tightrope. If you fall to one side of this narrow line, zombies are waiting to eat you up. On the
other side, it is a fall into a crazy deep canyon. Terrifying, isn’t it? However, there is good news! By having the perfect con-
cert of one’s movement, balance and coordination, the tightrope can be mastered. Just like walking the tightrope; our bodies
carefully coordinate blood cells and clotting molecules in the blood vessels to achieve a perfect balance between bleeding and
clotting. However, disruption of this balance can lead to either excessive bleeding or undesirable clotting.
Efforts to decipher how blood orchestrates this balance between bleeding and clotting at a molecular level began in
mid-20th century. The early models of blood clotting were described by Davie, Ratnoff, and Macfarlane in 1964. They showed
how the sequential cleavage of certain blood proteases, convert the liquid blood into a gel like clot. Although these models
critically advanced our knowledge of the diseases caused by most clotting factor deficiencies, they were unable to explain
several clinical and experimental observations. For example, these models couldn’t explain why people with FXI deficiency
were prone to bleeding compared to people with FXII deficiency. Further research on these observations bridged the gaps in
these models and has led to a better description of clot formation. Thus, the clot formation paradigm is no longer considered
a linear sequence of proteolytic events that generate the final protease, thrombin, penultimate to clot production. The current
understanding involves a complex interplay of cells in the vasculature and plasma clotting molecules. This interplay is regu-
lated by multiple feedback mechanisms resulting in properly balanced clot formation.
Recently, a review article in the Journal of Transfusion and Apheresis Science was published by one of our Centre for
Mice treated with IDR-1002 without any infection showed few
changes in gene expression, indicating the potential safety of this
compound. When mice were treated with IDR-1002 prophylactically,
Blood Research investigators, Dr. Edward Pryzdial.1 Together with his students and a clinical colleague, Dr. Pryzdial’s group
set out to provide a high-level perspective of the latest advances in clotting system biochemistry and its relation to various
bleeding disorders. He says the aim of the article was to “provide guidance for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows
before P. aeruginosa infection, the altered expression of genes induced by
who need a big-picture snapshot of hemostasis as a springboard for their own in-depth studies”. His aim was also “to provide
the bacterial infection was greatly reduced (2111 genes vs 4739 in lungs).
physicians with a streamlined resource for assistance in the clinic”. It is not only a useful resource for trainees and clinicians,
Also, the inflammatory-response genes were downregulated, there were
but for anyone who is new to the field of coagulation or wants to dust-off their clotting concepts.
reduced proinflammatory chemokines and cytokines and fewer bacteria
in the lungs. The types of white blood cells present were altered, i.e.,
In this article, Dr. Pryzdial discusses the tightrope walking strategy that blood uses to maintain the balance of hemosta-
there were fewer neutrophils and more monocytes/macrophages, cells
sis. He points out how the default program of the vasculature is anti-clotting and any breach to the execution of this program
that help to resolve inflammation by clearing dead neutrophils after an
switches it to clotting mode. Once a clot has done its job of sealing leaky vessels, it induces anti-clotting and clot dissolution
immune response.
to restore the normal flow of blood. Further, the review also illustrates the involvement of endothelial cells, platelets and
Thus, treatment with IDR-1002 prior to infection with P. aeruginosa
red blood cells in clot formation and lysis. Understanding the molecular
dampened the overwhelming inflammatory response whilst reducing
principles of blood clotting is imperative in clinical settings. This encom-
the bacterial burden in the lungs. This is important since it is often the
passing overview of this convoluted clotting system is a great tool for cli-
exaggerated host response to infection that causes the damage or disease,
nicians to provide improved patient care and diagnosis.
rather than the infection itself. The results of this study suggest that IDR-
1002 primes the immune response to respond to infection. Future research
Prior to publication of this review article, I took a graduate course
in the Hancock Lab will address whether IDR-1002 could be used as an
taught by Dr. Pryzdial on the biochemistry of hemostasis. I can comment
adjuvant or in combination with antibiotics to improve the host response
first-hand that that the article is an excellent resource that I wish I had
and promote the elimination of P. aeruginosa lung infection.
while immersed in the course!
Infect. Immun. (2018) 97(1): e00661-18. C
1
Transfus. Apher. Sci. (2018) 57(4): 449-457. C
1
 Profiles
CBR Member Feature: Dr. Andrew Shih
D r. Andrew Shih is a staff hematopathologist at Vancouver General
Hospital. He is also the Medical Director and Regional Medical
Leader of Transfusion Medicine at Vancouver Coastal Health Authority.
Dr. Shih recently joined the Centre for Blood Research (CBR) at UBC and
I was honoured to interview and welcome him as a new member of the
CBR.
Could you tell us about your research interest?
My research interest started at McMaster University where I worked
on projects such as red blood cell genotyping to improve transfusions
in sickle cell disease patients. I have also conducted research on the
quality differences between different methods of production. Now, as
I’ve transitioned from being a hematologist to practicing transfusion
medicine exclusively, I have developed an even broader interest in
transfusion related research. I have been interested in using “big data” to
make transfusion practice more data-driven. Transfusion in specialized
populations who need it most, such as trauma and transplant patients,
has been some of the focus of my most recent work. I believe even to this
day, many transfusion practices are not evidence based and therefore,
I believe more research into clinical transfusion outcomes is needed to
improve and standardize practice.
What is Transfusion Boot Camp and how are you involved with it?
I first was a trainee learning in the Transfusion Boot Camp when I was
a fellow at McMaster University. Transfusion Boot Camp is a program/
initiative designed to bring medical trainees together to learn about
transfusion. The Boot Camp, which began at the University of Toronto, has
been successfully hosted throughout Canada and the rest of the world. Dr.
Jacqueline Trudeau, a transfusion medicine physician/anesthesiologist,
first introduced the Boot Camp to British Columbia. Here in BC, I am a
seminar leader for the Boot Camp. I provide trainees with up-to-date and
essential knowledge of transfusion. I would like to extend my thanks to
the CBR which has been a huge supporter of the Boot Camp. The CBR
provides administrative support, organization of transfusion medicine
experts across the province to lead seminars, as well as learning materials
such as case print-outs, answer cards, and tally sheets to make the Boot
Camp as successful as it is today. I’m hoping to expand this with the help
of my colleagues to other medical providers, such as nurse practitioners
and paramedics.
What do you see in the future of transfusion medicine?
There has been a progressive decrease in the usage of many traditional
blood products such as red blood cells but increases in demand from
10
B y WAY N E Z H A O , P h D S t u d e n t , D e v i n e L a b
specialized patient populations such as trauma, transplant, and others
requiring chronic transfusion such as hemoglobinopathy patients.
Research into specialized transfusion services are needed to improve
patient outcome and demonstrate the value of blood to patient care.
To make sure all patients are indeed getting the best care from transfusion,
I am in support of hospitals implementing the idea of transfusion
appropriateness as a care quality measure, where transfusion occurs with
best practice recommendations. I also believe that we need to strengthen
the connections between lab and clinical services, where I’ve had the
unique viewpoint of practicing in both settings.
Finally, I envision that we can use computer simulation to best predict
blood inventory to reduce product wastage while preventing blood
shortages. This idea was pioneered by my predecessor Dr. David Pi. Using
a mathematical model, we can predict product usage based on previous
experience and model the optimal state. This was done at Vancouver
General Hospital and improved already excellent wastage rates from
outdating. I believe this may be even more critical for platelet units where
the shelf life is only 7 days and therefore there are the highest risks for
supply issues.
What are your favourite things to do outside of the lab?
I enjoy hiking, camping, photography, and travelling. I love going to places
that have very distinct cultures compared to here. During my residency I
went on a backpacking trip to Vietnam and I really enjoyed it. Since then
I have been to Iceland, Japan, China, Greece, the Scandinavian countries,
England, France, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Morocco, Brazil, and Argentina.
Next on the agenda for me is probably Ireland or Cambodia. I’m also a
huge music buff and wine/scotch/beer snob! C
Dr. Andrew Shih
posing with his
winning 'uplifting'
photo from a contest
to decorate the new
Vancouver General
Hospital elevators
CBR-SBME Summer Students Visit AbCellera!
By AMARDEEP SINGH SEKHON, Undergraduate Summer Student, Shih Lab
I n the growing field of immunotherapy, it may turn out that we as human
beings might hold the cure for dementia or HIV. How? Our bodies are
capable of making more than billions of unique antibodies and any one
of these could unlock a potentially life-saving treatment. But how do we
find that one therapeutic antibody out of all the other billions? AbCellera
Biologics, a biotechnology firm, has the answer.
On July 19th, 2019, summer research students at the UBC Centre
for Blood Research (CBR) and School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME)
were given the opportunity to tour AbCellera Biologics, located at Cambie
Village in Vancouver. Originating from the Hansen Lab in the Michael
Smith Laboratories at UBC, AbCellera specializes in the use of a novel
microfluidic platform to identify potential therapeutic antibodies from a
sample containing millions of B-cells.
Upon arriving at the facility, we were greeted by Taryn Haggerstone,
a member of the operations and administration team at AbCellera, where
we had the opportunity to learn about the company’s history and how it
operates as an enterprise. What is most fascinating about this company
is that most of its business is not from the manufacturing of biological
products, but rather its work in identifying hundreds of possible human
antibodies that could be implemented in novel therapeutic treatments.
Most of AbCellera’s partners are pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer and
Merck, leading R&D initiatives in immunotherapeutics. Despite only a
small number of antibody therapeutics being available on the market
in North America, AbCellera shows great promise in increasing this
number in the coming future and unlocking many new treatments for rare
diseases.
Taryn Haggerstone welcoming summer students to AbCellera
The tour of the facility and the overview of the underlying process of
antibody discovery were led by Dylan Neid, an engineer in charge of the
microfluidic devices and robotics at AbCellera, and Dr. Emilie Lameignère,
a senior research scientist in biophysics. Essentially, the antibody
discovery process at AbCellera starts off by immunizing an organism with
Events
a known antigen or pathogen. Then, scientists and technicians harvest a
sample of B-cells (white blood cells that secrete antibodies) and screen
each and every cell, selecting for B-cells that secrete antibodies with the
right binding properties. After that, each screened B-cell is genetically
sequenced using specialized technology, which allows them to rapidly
express hundreds of antibodies. As captivating as this seems, AbCellera
can complete this process in a matter of hours using the microfluidic
screening platform, compared to the conventional technology, which
takes days or even months to perform!
Following the tour of all the laboratories, all of the summer students
were invited to have a snack (which was actually more of a lunch than a
snack!), during which we had the opportunity to speak with employees
from each of the teams at AbCellera, from Cell Screening and Engineering
to Bioinformatics. During our 5-minute discussion with Dr. Wei Wei (a
research scientist in immunization technologies), Jordan Kowalski (a
mathematician focusing on software development), as well as Dylan
Neid and Dr. Emilie Lameignère, we were able to learn more about their
background, how they came to work at AbCellera, and what role they have
in their current position. After speaking with all of the team members,
many of whom had a background that was not related to genetics or
immunology, it was clear that AbCellera hires individuals based on their
potential fit within the company dynamic, rather than based on education
and experience. Their philosophy
is that an individual with baseline
experience in a given discipline
can be trained to become
proficient in a specific role if
they manage to work well with
the rest of the employees. This
may be unconventional, but for
AbCellera, it is clearly working
given their current successes in
Dr. Emilie Lameignère (left) hosting a round
the field of immunotherapeutics.
table networking session
The CBR-SBME summer
students would like to extend a big thank you to AbCellera and its team
members for being so welcoming and giving us the opportunity to tour
the facility — they have truly given us an idea of what a career in science
could look like and the many avenues we can take to work in the field of
biotechnology. We now have a much better understanding about the work
being done by AbCellera, as well as the advances currently taking place in
the new field of immunotherapeutics. To find out more about AbCellera
and its career opportunities, please visit https://www.abcellera.com/, or
just ask a summer student! C
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 Awards Events

S ingle cell biology has revolutionized biomedical research. I had the

amazing opportunity to absorb some of the innovative emerging
technologies, methodologies and computational approaches driving
this field forward at the Keystone Single Cell Biology Symposium in
Breckenridge, Colorado. Techniques discussed at the meeting included
single cell RNA sequencing, multiplexing single cell multi-omics, and
spatial transcriptomics. It was truly incredible to see how the techniques
described have contributed to breakthroughs in our understanding of the
diversity and heterogeneity of cells.

Keystone Symposia:
Single Cell Biology,
Breckenridge,
Colorado
By DR. HESHAM SOLIMAN,
Research Associate, Rossi Lab
The meeting included a session on single cell computational biology
CBR trainee Kate Sedivy-Haley (third from left) shares her workshop group’s position on pollution in
where Dr. Rahul Satija, who developed Seurat (a single cell computational
a “Science Policy 101” exercise. Also participating, UBC PhD Candidate Alyssa Kirlin (far left).
R package), introduced Seurat version 3 and Dr. Dana Pe’er talked
about new computational tools to advance single cell biology. Many
computational packages/techniques for single cell RNA sequencing
quality control or analysis were introduced. Another interesting session
was on using single cell data to reconstruct cell lineages, where Drs.
Fernando Camargo and Thomas Hofer discussed cellular barcoding using
different approaches. Single cell imaging was also an important topic at
the meeting. Dr. Lukas Pelkmans talked about the “4i imaging system”
which is able to image across scales from tissue to molecular resolution
and Dr. Masahiro Ueda presented “AiSIS”, an automated live single cell
imaging technology for analysis of signal transduction at single molecule
resolution. Additionally, novel in situ protein imaging techniques that
offer higher resolution with multiplexing capabilities such as a technique
A cademics are often billed as top-notch problem solvers; however, the
termed Immuno-SABER were presented. Finally, many new multiplexed
sequencing techniques such as MULTI-seq, RAGE-seq and SPLiT-seq,
were introduced in the meeting, each offering distinct advantages and
tailored for specific uses.
Finally, I would like to thank the Centre for Blood Research for the
CBR travel award which gave me the chance to attend this meeting with
some of the world’s most advanced scientists in the field of single cell
biology. C
Scientists Wanted: Influencing Science Policy at the
Canadian Science Policy Conference
By DR. ERIKA SIREN, Kizhakkedathu Lab and
K A T H A R I N E S E D I V Y - H A L E Y, P h D C a n d i d a t e , H a n c o c k L a b
task of translating their work into policy is a challenge that can leave
even the best researchers stumped. What can scientists do to influence
policy that supports strong Canadian science and innovation? How does
an academic get scientific evidence into the hands of decision makers?
These questions and more were discussed at the 10th Canadian Science
Policy Conference (CSPC), held November 7th-9th, 2018 in Ottawa.
Each year, the event brings together experts from academia, policy, and
industry to share ideas along five themes: Science and Policy; Science
and Society; Science, Innovation, and Economic Development; Science
and International Affairs; and Science and the Next Generation. The
2018 conference’s 780 attendees and 267 speakers included four Centre
for Blood Research members: three trainees and Dr. Dana Devine, UBC
professor and Chief Scientist at Canadian Blood Services.
Dr. Devine presented in the conference’s Short Talks series, where
she told the story of how contaminated blood led to building bridges
between research and health policy. After thousands of Canadians
were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through tainted transfusions, a
formal federal inquiry was launched and Canadian Blood Services was
established to address the gaps in our national blood policy. Canadian
Blood Services developed a hub-and-spoke research network with a
focus on collaboration and partnership, to develop expertise in blood
transfusion, facilitate foundational transfusion research, and develop a
Blood for Research lab and donor centre in Vancouver. At this centre, some
donors who are excluded from medical blood donation can still contribute
to blood research. Canadian Blood Services is also involved in knowledge
mobilization and education, including developing best practices for
transfusion and sharing successful practices in other countries.
As an expert actively involved in both academia and government,
Dr. Devine noted that far too few scientists engage in policy discussions
outside of “coffee room” chat. Research funding is heavily impacted by
policy, and involving scientists in decision-making is integral for ensuring
that funding decisions are informed and relevant. Recognizing this
knowledge gap, funding agencies have put forward several initiatives to
get more young scientists interested in policy. CIHR is in its third year
of funding the Health Systems Impact Fellowship: a two year program
in which a PhD or PDF leads a collaboration between academia and
government that addresses critical challenges in Canadian healthcare.
Likewise, Mitacs launched their Canadian Science Policy Fellowship in
2016 that sponsors a one-year opportunity for PhDs or PDFs to work on
science policy issues within a government institution. For early career
investigators, the CSPC is currently piloting Science meets Parliament,
an intensive one-day symposium immediately preceding the annual
Canadian Science Policy conference. In this initiative, academics meet
with key members of parliament including the Minister of Science and the
Chief Science Advisor of Canada to establish an open and ongoing channel
between the two communities. For academics looking to influence policy
outside these initiatives, Nature recently published a useful perspective
piece that highlights the do’s and don’ts of impacting science policy.1
The CSPC provides a unique opportunity for trainees to learn about
science from a societal perspective. Regardless of whether you see
yourself in a science policy career or not, experiences such as these are
an effective way to re-invigorate and re-evaluate your research.
Missed the 2018 conference? Check out the interviews published on
the Canadian Science Policy Centre’s YouTube channel. The conference
proceedings are also freely available on the CSPC 2018 website2; trainees
interested in science policy careers may be especially interested particu-
larly in the sessions “Science Policy 101” and “Skills and competencies
where science and policy meet”.
1
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-019-0232-y#Sec3
2
https://sciencepolicy.ca/cspc-2018 C

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 Awards
22nd International Conference on Miniaturized
Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences
By S. SOROUSH NASSERI, PhD Student, Cheung Lab
R ecently, I had the opportunity to attend The 22nd International
Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences
(µTAS 2018) hosted by Taiwan’s National Tsing Hua University in
Kaohsiung. The conference, organized every year by The Chemical and
Biological Microsystems Society and rotating among Asian, European
and North American venues, is one of the most prestigious scientific
conferences in the field of microfluidics. The conference places great
emphasis on the biological applications of microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip
systems, looking for more efficient ways to answer pressing questions in
life sciences, and providing new vehicles to explore uncharted territories.
µTAS 2018 featured more than 2400 abstracts (oral presentations
and posters) plus industrial exhibitions and workshops. While µTAS
included many seemingly unrelated sessions, these could be categorized
into three main themes: microfluidic technology per se, application of
microfluidics in clinical diagnosis, and application of microfluidics in
chemical and biological research. Some topics that caught my attention
were several attempts at organ-on-a-chip devices for research or personal
medicine, and microfluidic devices for diagnosis of diseases more rapidly
or more economically.
I presented a poster of our work in Dr. Karen Cheung’s lab in
collaboration with Dr. Kizhakkedathu. This work concerns tissue clearing
for better microscopy of 3D microtissues. 3D microtissues are novel
models for mimicking in vivo tissues, standing between traditional cell
cultures and animal models. One of the benefits 3D microtissues provide
is the ability to readily image them with confocal microscopy or other
techniques. However, physical properties of tissues prevent imaging
deep into the tissue; as we go deeper, fluorescent signals get blurry and
14
eventually are lost. This problem is traditionally addressed with a laborious
embedding and sectioning process. Dr. Cheung’s lab has eliminated
the need for this process by using the properties of hyperbranched
polyglycerols (HPG) to enable the 3D microscopy of whole microtissues.
This will allow us to derive more informative data from all parts of the
3D microtissues, and will support the development of a rapid and high-
throughput image-based drug screening platform. I very much enjoyed
talking to the people about my work, and conceived new ideas on how
to make progress in the project based on comments I received from the
people who would benefit from using our improved clearing techniques
in their research.
Attending a conference also provides opportunities for fun! Although
the talks and posters were too good to miss, I still found some time in the
free hours and after the conference to enjoy the beauty of Taiwan. The
conference was held in Kaohsiung, one of the more populous cities of
Taiwan in the south of the island. At a time when Vancouver weather had
everyone shivering, Kaohsiung was easily keeping it up above 25 degrees
Celsius! It is a beautiful city with much to explore: natural beauties,
cultural attractions, and lively night markets. I also stayed in Taipei for a
couple of days and visited the National Palace Museum, which contains
many artefacts of Chinese civilization. The highly efficient railways of
Taiwan also made it easy for me to travel to Hualien for a day and explore
the famous Taroko National Park, with its wonderful gorge and many
historical monuments. I will long remember Taiwan for its lively vibe, kind
and hospitable people, great food and amazing natural beauty, and if the
opportunity arises, would definitely recommend it as a country to visit! C
Achieving Health & Wellness One Step at a Time
By CRISTYN FUNG, CBR Education Program Assistant
T he Health & Wellness (H&W) Committee decided that March was
the best time for our members to get active and accumulate their
steps as the spring weather was warmer, brighter and fresher than ever!
Thus, the Committee presented the Centre for Blood Research (CBR)
Step Challenge, an event designed to encourage fitness and push oneself
to meet those goals through extending the number of steps one walks
daily. From March 4th to 24th, a total of three weeks, our CBR members
were required to log their daily steps in a Google tracking sheet and reach
a goal of 10,000 steps averaged weekly (no carry overs). This allowed
their progress to be visible and hopefully acted as motivation to either
walk more or continue their fitness routine. Last year, the Step Challenge
lasted four weeks and the objective was 12,000 steps per day, making it
difficult to accomplish. This year, changes were implemented to increase
participation and completion rates, such as assigning a more obtainable
goal and supplying lots of rewards as incentives.
A total of 26 ambitious steppers signed up and remained consistent
with their steps throughout the three week timeline. In the first and
second week, 17 steppers met the goal, whereas in the third week, 13
steppers finished the Step Challenge. Walking 10,000 steps is a difficult
task itself, so we permitted “step-equivalent” activities to count. These
include everyday activities such as sports, bicycling, shopping, yoga, and
swimming, to name a few. By the end of the Step Challenge, we had a
grand total of 10,452,496 steps. Fun fact: that’s enough to walk the entire
distance of Canada coast to coast once! At the end of each week, the
H&W Committee supplied milestone rewards and sent encouragement
emails to our steppers — it was certainly effective! Rather than fostering
a fierce competition, the Step Challenge focused on personal goals and
sparked passion while elevating moods.
Events
To celebrate the stepper’s achievements, the H&W Committee
placed fresh fruit in the CBR lounge after the first week. At the end of
the second week, the team handed out healthy surprise bags (containing
a granola bar, juice and fruit cup) to the 15 steppers who maintained
their weekly average of 10,000 steps. At the end of the third week,
the team handed out a final prize to the 13 steppers who successfully
finished the Step Challenge: a completion certificate and a Booster Juice
gift card. These 13 steppers were then qualified to enter a raffle for the
grand prize: a meal prep gift card! On March 29th, CBR held a healthy pita
lunch social to celebrate the end of the Step Challenge and draw from
the raffle to determine the lucky winner. Congratulations to Dr. Peter Bell
(Postdoctoral Fellow in the Overall Lab) on winning the raffle prize! Here
are Peter’s thoughts on how the Step Challenge helped him reach his
personal fitness goals:
“I especially liked the timing of the challenge, because it encouraged me
to start getting back to fitness after the winter break – and starting is
usually the most difficult step! The early start to training helped me to
gain a personal best in the Vancouver Sun Run, and has made recent
mountain biking trips easier on the legs!”
Great job to all the members who participated and persevered
throughout the Step Challenge. Whether the step goals were exceeded
or not, it was an effective method to get everyone active, inspired and to
set health goals! Join in on the fun next year! C
Health & Wellness Step Challenge participants
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 Events
and graduate trainees with academic backgrounds in life sciences.
Volunteers engaged girls in meaningful discussions about genetics and
genomics through making DNA code bracelets. In this activity, the girls
were tasked with spelling their names using DNA. They did this with the
help of a table that matched amino acids, represented by letters of the
alphabet, with their respective DNA codon. In addition to the DNA code
bracelet activity, the girls also had the option to make a DNA double helix
origami, which served as a good starting point for conversations about
the DNA structure.
In the afternoon session, Genome BC and the CBR hosted a “Crime
Scene Investigation” collaborative workshop based on real life laboratory
techniques employed in forensic science. Two workshops were held
consecutively throughout the afternoon session and attended by forty
girls. During the workshops, the girls had the exciting opportunity to gain
hands-on experience in matching blood types from suspects to the crime
Events
scene and learn about how DNA fingerprinting can be used to uniquely
identify individuals. The girls were curious, enthusiastic, and determined
analyzers as they examined evidence to find out who to convict for the
fictitious murder mystery!
Overall, this event was a fantastic interplay of today’s leaders,
empowering the leaders of tomorrow. This event was an opportunity for
pioneers in STEAM to communicate science in an effective and engaging
way to the next generation. It also propelled our goal to facilitate the
integration of STEAM into society through enhancing STEAM literacy
among our youth.
Special thanks to Science World at Telus World of Science, all of the
volunteers, and the organizing committee for such a successful event!
To learn more about future Girls and STEAM events visit: https://www.
scienceworld.ca/girls-steam. C

CBR-Genome BC Collaboration at Girls and

STEAM Symposium and Showcase
B y L I LY T A K E U C H I & F E N N I E E A S T O N V A N D E R G R A A F , C B R O u t r e a c h
C o m m i t t e e , a n d E VA YA P, E d u c a t i o n a l O u t r e a c h C o o r d i n a t o r, G e n o m e
BC Geneskool

O n Saturday November 3rd, 2018, aspiring young scientists, engineers, and thought
leaders came from all across BC for the Girls and STEAM Symposium and Showcase.
The event took place at TELUS World of Science and represented over 20 Science,
Technology, Engineering, Arts and design, and Mathematics (STEAM) representative
institutions, companies, and organizations. The event launched BC’s Girls and STEAM
week, announced by MLA Bowinn Ma, to advocate for science literacy and empower
elementary school girls to develop confidence, pursue their curiosity, and spark their
excitement in STEAM fields. The Centre for Blood Research (CBR) and Genome British
Columbia (Genome BC) collaborated to showcase the exciting applications of genetics,
genomics and blood research techniques.
Keynote speaker Ann Makosinski (above) and
The morning began with inspiring speeches from accomplished women in STEAM Bowinn Ma (below)
fields. We met Ann Makosinski, a 21 year old inventor and TEDx presenter who explained
how science and art intertwine to make the best discoveries like a hand-powered flashlight.
We also heard from Bowinn Ma regarding how she overcame the challenges involved with
being a minority female civil engineer which led her to become an exceptional leader in BC’s
transportation system and politics.

Throughout the day, a variety of representatives from STEAM organizations ran

showcase booths featuring innovative new projects and discussed the diversity of careers in
STEAM. Genome BC’s showcase booth was staffed by a group of all-female undergraduate
CBR & Genome BC outreach teams volunteering at Science World Girls and STEAM Symposium workshop and showcase booth

16 17
 Events
Patient perspective presenter Dr. Georgina Butler
Norman Bethune Symposium 2019: In Review
B y V I C T O R L E I , Te c h n i c i a n a n d L a b M a n a g e r , C o n w a y L a b ,
a n d S R E E PA R N A VA P PA L A , P h D S t u d e n t , K i z h a k k e d a t h u L a b
Dr. Peter Rahfeld (University of British Columbia)
T he Centre for Blood Research’s annual Norman Bethune Symposium was held on April
3rd, 2019 at UBC Robson Square in downtown Vancouver, BC. A tribute to the Canadian
physician Dr. Norman Bethune, a pioneer in trauma surgery and transfusion medicine, this
symposium is a forum for researchers, clinicians and trainees to present their work in these
related fields. This year’s program was spearheaded by Dr. Dana Devine and Dr. Ed Conway.
After the opening remarks by Dr. Conway, the symposium talks began with Dr. Richard
Kaufman (Brigham and Women’s Hospital), who discussed the relationship between frequent
platelet donation and long-term depletion of platelets and lymphocytes. Next, Dr. Angelo
d’Alessandro (University of Colorado) shared his interest in using metabolomics to determine
metabolic markers of oxidative hemolysis of red blood cells, and how this information could
be used to “personalize” transfusion medicine. He is exploring whether metabolomics could
help better match the donor and specific storage conditions with recipients.
Following a sumptuous coffee break, Dr. Chris Overall (University of British Columbia)
spoke about his studies of MALT1, a caspase-like protease that plays a role in immune
responses, and the identification of an allosteric MALT1 inhibitor that can rescue a patient
who has a homozygous MALT1 mutation. Discussing his research on hemorrhage treatment
in the battlefield, Dr. Anirban Sen Gupta (Case Western Reserve University) described the
development of Synthoplate, a synthetic platelet surrogate that is temperature-stable and
enhances aggregation of active platelets.
Norman Bethune Symposium co-organizer Dr. Dana Devine
18
Events
This year’s patient perspective talk was given by Dr. Georgina Butler (Research Associate from Dr.
Chris Overall’s group at UBC), who recounted the harrowing story of her son, Sam, and his struggle
with arteriovenous malformation (AVM), which can lead to sudden large bleeds. Dr. Butler described the
emotional roller coaster ride she has experienced while supporting Sam through numerous unexpected
bleeds and procedures to attempt to treat his condition. Her story was filled with fear, frustration, and
helplessness, but sprinkled in between were moments of triumph and optimism. Dr. Butler reminded us
that the patients we discuss in case studies could easily be people in our lives, and that the impact of their
conditions is much greater than data points on a graph.
Audience members at Norman Bethune After a lunch break, the afternoon session
Symposium
began with two clinician perspective presentations.
Dr. Jeannie Callum (University of Toronto) focused
on the management of hemostasis and approaches
to streamline the care of bleeding patients, such as
expediting trauma room protocols using electronic
patient identification methods and using alternative
blood products. Dr. Mitchell Cohen (University of
Colorado) then talked about the trauma surgeon’s
approach for treating acute traumatic coagulopathy.
He drew the audience’s attention to the importance
of a data-driven, precision medicine approach in
these patients, as each trauma patient is different
and coagulopathy changes with time after the event
of trauma.
The rest of the afternoon was focused on red blood cell research. First, Dr. Peter Rahfeld (Postdoctoral
Fellow from Dr. Stephen Withers’ group at UBC) shared the discovery of highly efficient enzymes that can
convert Type A blood to Type O blood. This research on universal blood production was highlighted by
CIHR as one of the major achievements in 2018. Next, Dr. Aaron Tobian (Johns Hopkins) highlighted the
clinical risks associated with red blood cell transfusions, specifically the risk of thrombosis. While larger
clinical trials are required, he noted that in a post-operative scenario, the odds of a patient developing
venous thromboembolism is two times higher when they receive red blood cell transfusions. The final
talk of the day was by Dr. Robin Turner (University of British Columbia), who described using Raman
spectroscopy as a quality control method to assess stored red blood cells within sealed blood bags.
Throughout the day, the trainees had opportunities to share their current work as oral or poster
presentations. To learn more about these, check out the R.E.D. blog post from Canadian Blood Services
(pages 20-21).
Kim Lab at Norman Bethune Symposium
The symposium came to an end with CBR Education Program
Manager Dr. Stefanie Mak awarding prizes to the top poster
presenters, and Dr. Conway thanking all the speakers for making
the day an engaging educational experience. Thank you to Dr.
Devine for putting the program together, as well as Dr. Ed Przydial,
Dr. Stefanie Mak, Hana Kim and Cristyn Fung for all the behind-
the-scenes support. Special thanks go to the event sponsors: CSL
Behring, Bayers, Grifols, Canadian Blood Services, Naiman Vickars
Endowment Fund and Octapharma. C
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 Events Events

Trainees Shine at the 2019 Norman Bethune Travel bursary awardee

Symposium Master’s student, Ahmed Al-Arnawoot (Dr. William Sheffield

B y B R O N W Y N LY O N S , P h D S t u d e n t , S t r y n a d k a L a b a n d
D R . G E R A L D I N E WA L S H , S c i e n t i f i c Wr i t e r, C a n a d i a n B l o o d S e r v i c e s
Attendees view poster presentations at Norman Bethune Symposium
Originally posted on the Canadian Blood Services R.E.D. blog on June 11, 2019.
Winners of the poster awards (L-R): Wayne
Zhao, Emel Islamzada and Aparna Gopal
Researching the ethics of commercial plasma donation
Laboratory, McMaster University) was the recipient of a travel bursary
from Canadian Blood Services Centre for Innovation to attend the 2019
Norman Bethune Symposium. He presented a poster and talk describing
Massimo Cau (University of British Columbia) new approaches to find therapies for auto-immune vasculitis. He
“These engineered natural inhibitors to target an enzyme in neutrophils that
symposia are a great platform for research trainees to receive input from may cause inflammation in blood vessels. Ahmed used several rounds of
researchers in different disciplines. This allows you to expand the horizons screening of phage display libraries (a technique that won its developers
of your own research.” the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry) to develop a library of peptide
candidate inhibitors that mimic the natural enzyme in the body.
Wayne, who is funded by the Canadian Blood Services’ graduate
fellowship program, is researching cold-stored platelets. Platelets are
usually stored at room temperature, because when exposed to cold,
platelets become activated and are quickly cleared from the blood
circulation once transfused. Recently, however, there’s interest in using
cold-stored platelets as an alternative product for patients with massive
trauma. Transfusing already activated platelets may be an advantage in
helping those patients clot faster and prevent further blood loss. Wayne
is testing the characteristics of cold-stored platelets in the laboratory, to
better understand how they might behave in patients.
Trainee Massimo Cau (Dr. Christian Kastrup Laboratory, University
of British Columbia) is taking a different approach to preventing bleeding.
He is using a novel technology – self-propelling particles that drive drugs
directly into the wound – to stop deadly bleeds. He hopes they may be

T his annual symposium honours Canadian physician, Dr. Norman
Bethune. A controversial figure, Dr. Bethune is remembered as a
fearless doctor, an innovative biomedical engineer, an early proponent
of socialized medicine, and a trailblazer who operated the earliest
practical mobile blood banks. Reflecting his legacy, the Norman Bethune
Symposium offers a platform for researchers and clinicians to present
strategies and challenges experienced within transfusion medicine.
The program for this year’s symposium was developed by Dr. Dana
Devine, Canadian Blood Services’ chief scientist, and Dr. Edward Conway,
Centre for Blood Research (CBR) director. The agenda struck a balance
between providing well-established experts the opportunity to present
their work and showcasing trainees and early-career investigators. As Dr.
Devine noted, the symposium has much to offer trainees: it provides “a
chance to reunite with friends and colleagues, and encourages networking
opportunities for trainees, including the opportunity to meet high-profile
investigators, which can be particularly valuable for trainees and those
early in their careers”.
Trainees presented an impressive six talks and 20 posters on
topics ranging from the ethical debate around paid plasma donations to
innovative materials to stop bleeding in trauma patients. In this post, I'll
focus on the excellent contributions of trainees. Visit the Centre for Blood
Research blog to read about the day's invited talks (pages 18-19).
Kelsey Johnson, a social scientist and PhD candidate from the
Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia
presented research she is conducting in partnership with Canadian Blood
Services and the CBR on the ethical debates surrounding the history of
commercialization of donor plasma. Kelsey is a recipient of the prestigious
UBC Public Scholars Award, which supported a four-month research
term in Atlanta, Georgia, during which she studied the history of paid
plasma by trawling through media archives. Her findings highlight the
shifting public perception and stigmatization of paid plasma donors in the
southern US over the past several decades, research that is particularly
relevant as the debate over paid plasma continues to play out in Canada.
Innovative research to better manage bleeding
Kelsey Johnson (University of British
Over coffee during the trainee
Columbia)
poster session, I chatted to graduate
student, Wayne Zhao (Devine
Laboratory, University of British
Columbia), who has attended three
CBR symposia since he began his
graduate studies. He commented
on why he keeps coming back:
used to treat challenging or difficult-to-reach bleeds such as stomach
bleeds. Using a model of upper gastrointestinal bleeds in pigs, Massimo
found that treatment with self-propelling particles halted bleeding six-
times faster than a similar treatment that is FDA approved.
Understanding red blood cells
Another recipient of a graduate fellowship from Canadian Blood
Services, Emel Islamzada (Dr. Hongshen Ma Laboratory, University of
British Columbia) described a new method to monitor stored red blood
cell quality. She is using a microfluidic device developed by the Ma
Laboratory that sorts red blood cells based on how rigid or flexible they
are – a known marker of the cells’ quality. She hopes to use this method to
find “super-storers” – blood donors whose red blood cell quality remains
particularly high during the storage period.
Dr. Narges Hadjesfandiari, a postdoctoral fellow (Devine laboratory,
University of British Columbia) used product quality control data from
Canadian Blood Services to understand factors that influence the quality
of red blood cells. She showed that the time to production (i.e. the length
of time between collection of a whole blood donation and the production
of a red blood cell component from that donation) is important. Red blood
cell units that had a shorter time to production had lower hemolysis,
indicating better quality. She is also investigating factors in donors that
may impact quality.
“I am happy to be here! It is great that there’s an opportunity
for Canadian Blood Services trainees to travel to Vancouver
and present their work. Presenting here has been a great
conference experience; there are lots of opportunities for
dialogue with many high-profile investigators in my field.” –
Amhed Al Arnawoot, McMaster University
I've described here the work of the trainees who gave invited talks,
but trainees contributed much more to the 2019 Norman Bethune
symposium. Many trainees presented posters, and each one gave a
30-second summary of their research at a “shot-gun talk” session. The
brief snapshots presented covered research ranging from age-related
macular degeneration to factors that affect red blood cell lysis during
storage.
To culminate a day filled with valuable networking and knowledge
dissemination, poster award winners were announced: 3rd place went
to Wayne Zhao (Devine Laboratory, University of British Columbia), 2nd
to Aparna Gopal (Dr. Aly Karsan Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer
Research Centre), and 1st place to Emel Islamzada (Ma Laboratory,
University of British Columbia). Congratulations to award winners! C

20 21
 Events
H ave you ever wanted to learn about the cryopreservation of red blood
cells using novel polymers or the future of skin cancer detection?
How about social media tips or how many chop sticks get thrown out in
Vancouver every year? Then CBR Research Day was the place for you!
On Tuesday August 13th 2019, the Centre for Blood Research (CBR)
and the School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) communities gathered
to celebrate the work of over forty students who participated in this year’s
CBR-SBME Summer Studentship Program. This special program provides
CBR Research Day 2019 attendees
students with an opportunity to get hands-on lab experience during the
summer months. They also get to participate in tours of campus facilities,
social events, and workshops.
The day started off with lunch, which was followed by oral
presentations from the summer students. They all did a terrific job
of expressing their passion for their projects in brief yet informative
2.5-minute talks. Their work covered a wide range of topics, from the
development of tools for cellular engineering, to the investigation of
diseases and the elucidation of new diagnostic markers.
Meredith Clark from the Kizhakkedathu Lab, who spoke about her
CBR Research Day keynote speakcer Dave Ireland work investigating endothelial cell growth under shear stress, was this
year’s winner of best oral presentation as judged by her fellow students.
The people’s choice award went to Sia Cecilia Jan-Abu, who thoroughly
CBR Research Day 2019: In Review enjoyed her summer working in the McNagny Lab investigating the
modulation of innate immune responses as a therapy for muscular
dystrophy.
By SARAH BOWERS, Undergraduate Student, Brown Lab
“I can’t believe how fast the time has gone,”
she said, “It has been a really, really positive
experience.”
The talks were followed by the presentation of the 2019 Neil
Mackenzie Mentorship Excellence Award. This award is given annually
to honour the memory of Dr. Neil Mackenzie, a passionate and dedicated
mentor who touched the lives of many through his generosity and
enthusiasm for helping others to reach their goals. This year’s award
Poster presentations at CBR Research Day 2019
22
CBR-SBME Summer Students with Dave Ireland
Events
recipient was Dr. Georgina Butler from the Overall Lab. Dr. Butler spoke
fondly of not only being a part of her mentees’ successes, but also their
failures. The CBR community is grateful for individuals like Dr. Butler who
go above and beyond to share their knowledge and passion for science
with others. Congratulations to all the nominees.
This year’s keynote address was given by Dave Ireland, a speaker
with years of experience studying, conducting research, teaching, and
working in conservation biology and ecology. His talk tied together
elements of storytelling, the scientific process and how it can be applied
to real-world situations. Mr. Ireland shared stories that emphasized the
interconnectedness of the natural world. Who would’ve thought that
whale poo might even help save the planet by contributing significantly
to carbon sequestration by phytoplankton?
The keynote address was followed by the poster session, where
the summer students were enthusiastic to cover what didn’t fit into
their oral presentations. The session was judged by graduate students,
post-doctoral fellows, and research staff. The best undergraduate poster
award went to Jessica Ha from the Conway Lab, who presented her work
investigating the role of CD248 in the differentiation of 3D matrix-free
pre-adipocytes. The best graduate poster award went to Tanya Bennet
from the Cheung Lab, who presented her work towards the development
of a vascularized airway-on-a-chip.
And of course, it wouldn’t be a CBR Research Day without the
delicious refreshments and BBQ dinner that were enjoyed at the end of
the evening. Many thanks go to the sponsors of the CBR-SBME Summer
Studentship Program for making this event possible, and the volunteers
and staff who made this day a success, especially Hana Kim, Dr. Stefanie
Mak, and Cristyn Fung.
If you missed this year’s Research Day, you can find an archived video
of the talks on the CBR website. Or better yet, find a summer student to
tell you about their bleeding-edge research. C
Research Day summer student presentation winners with Dr. Ed Conway.
Left to right: Jessica Ha; Meredith Clark; Sia Cecilia Jan-Abu.
23
 Awards
2019 Neil Mackenzie Mentorship Excellence Award
Thank you to all of our nominees, as well as the nominators who took the time to submit nominations!
T he Neil Mackenzie Mentorship Excellence Award is given annually
to a Centre for Blood Research (CBR) member in memory of Dr. Neil
Mackenzie, a former postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Dieter Brömme’s lab. Dr.
This year, we received 14 nominations applauding 12 CBR mentors for
making an impact in and out of the lab. These nominees were recognized
and celebrated at CBR Research Day on Tuesday, August 13th, 2019.
Mackenzie served as an outstanding mentor and inspired others with his Congratulations to Dr. Georgina (George) Butler, this year’s award winner!
enthusiasm, kindness, and selflessness. Upon accepting the award, George spoke of the joy of mentorship:
Since 2015, CBR has recognized individuals who demonstrated building trust with young scientists; watching them gain confidence;
significant contributions and excellence in mentorship through this encouraging them to persevere through challenges; and seeing them
special award. CBR members submit a 500-word essay nominating eventually make discoveries that “nobody else in the whole world knows”.
colleagues and supervisors (excluding PIs) who inspire and empower Thank you to all of the nominators who took the time to put together
others within the CBR community. Nominations are then reviewed by thoughtful nominations and show their appreciation for their fellow CBR
a committee of Dr. Mackenzie’s former colleagues, who have a deep mentors. CBR is truly fortunate and proud to have many members who
understanding of Neil’s mentorship qualities. Selecting the award winner make a difference to those around the research centre every day.
is always challenging, as there are many dedicated mentors at the CBR.
Neil Mackenzie Mentorship recipient Dr. Georgina Butler
2019 Neil Mackenzie Mentorship Excellence Award Nominees:
Amy Glenwright Michael Sutherland
Amy Lee Narges Hadjesfandiari
Daniel Pletzer Nathanael Caveney
Georgina Butler Peter Bell
Hashem Etayash Scott Meixner
Marie-Soleil Smith Tanya Bennet
Dr. Neil Mackenzie was a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Bromme’s lab at the CBR. Neil was a dedicated and caring mentor whose encouraging and motivating words
and actions were sincerely appreciated by all those whom he touched – colleagues, friends, and students. To honour his legacy and the impact he has made on the
people within and outside the Centre for Blood Research, you can make a donation to the Neil Mackenzie in Memoriam Fund (http://memorial.supporting.ubc.
ca/neil-mackenzie). Your donation will support the CBR mentorship initiatives, promoting mentorship excellence throughout our research community. C
24
Events
37th World Congress of the International Society of
Hematology
By HAISLE MOON, PhD Student, Kizhakkedathu Lab
T he 37th World Congress of the International Society of Hematology
(ISH) was hosted by the Canadian Hematology Society in Vancouver,
British Columbia on Canada’s magnificent west coast, from September
technology will hopefully increase transfusion safety, and was of interest
to many attendees at the congress. My Kizhakkedathu lab mate Usama
Abbasi also presented his work on developing novel macromolecular
13 to 16, 2018. therapeutics for the treatment of iron overload.
The ISH World Congress is a highly-regarded forum in the field of Overall, the ISH World Congress had a strong sense of community
hematology for new information, technology, interactions and exchange based on scientific networking and was dedicated to providing an
of innovative ideas between world-renowned scientists and practitioners international education source and forum for hematology professionals.
from all parts of the world. The congress took place in the award- It served to strengthen communication between basic research and the
winning Vancouver Convention Centre located in the heart of downtown latest advances in clinical management to ensure progress toward better
Vancouver’s waterfront, which features spectacular scenery and fabulous health care delivery. C
cuisines inspired by diverse neighbourhoods.
The congress started with symposia on various topics, dedicated Left to right: Dr. Gail Rock (Chair, ISH Organizing Committee); Dr. Piyush
to the education of professionals in all areas of hematology, followed by Kapopara (Gold medal winner for best abstract); Dr. Tom Nevill (Chair,
a plenary session. Our own CBR postdoctoral fellow Dr. Piyushkumar Scientific Program Committee).
Kapopara from the Conway lab won the best abstract award in the
plenary session (congratulations Piyush!!) for his talk on the identification
of CD248 as a novel cofactor for tissue factor-mediated activation of
coagulation. After the plenary session, we were welcomed by an enjoyable
First Nations performance in an opening ceremony that really portrayed
the remarkable and unique images of Canada.
The next day I had an opportunity to present my work, which was
briefly mentioned during the opening ceremony (YAY!). My poster
described the generation of universal donor red blood cells (RBCs) by
enzymatic conversion of A-type RBC to O-type. Enzymatic conversion
of group A RBCs is difficult due to the lack of active, specific glycosidases
and the complex nature of the A antigen. I studied two novel glycosidases
with improved kinetic properties and high specificities for A antigen
that efficiently convert A group RBCs to universal O group RBCs. This
25
 Opinion
F inally conquered that PhD? Your paper just got accepted? Is
your manuscript weeks away from being published? Now what?
Marketing Your
Postdoctoral researcher and free lance science writer Dr. Anthea Lacchia,
who previously worked in the Nature Press Office, and former University
of British Columbia (UBC) Medicine Communications Officer Brian
Published-To-Be Paper Kladko have an array of tips on how to market your publication to its
fullest potential.
Anthea and Brian stress the importance of marketing research
B y F E N N I E E A S T O N VA N D E R G R A A F,
because it is our scientific duty to ensure that our findings are made
Jefferies Lab
accessible for a general audience, such that we can advance modern
healthcare for the better. They also explain how the researcher will
benefit:
“Scientists do not operate in a
vacuum…a lot of research is funded
by taxpayers' money, so the general public
ought to, at the very least, be able access the
findings of that research, and I would argue,
also have a say about what research is needed.
Marketing your research will also make you a better
scientist, because it will force you to communicate
your ideas in new ways, to pitch them at different
levels and to look at your research from fresh
perspectives.” —Anthea
“First off, your funders might
require it; CIHR grants come with
a knowledge translation component.
Secondly, exposure in the media enhances
both your reputation and the reputation of
your institution. And most important of all, that
exposure could benefit patients – just because
you’ve done work that you think will benefit
patients, doesn’t mean it will unless the right
people find out about it. Publications in
journals are not enough.” —Brian
With the help of your departmental communicator, your study could be turned into
a video or press release on the UBC News and beyond
26
Opinion
While landing your research on the CBC may be the ultimate publicity, there
are other ways to get your research noticed. The first hurdle is often convincing your
unit’s communications office that your accomplishment is groundbreaking, and
doing so a few weeks ahead of the publication date. Even before contacting them,
it is a good idea to try explaining your findings to members of the non-scientific
community. Brian looks for concrete reasons for your research to engage wider
audiences; he pays special interest to clinical trials and results that diverge from the
original hypothesis, and appreciates visual aids that complement your explanation.
Brian also values when the researcher brings a sense of humour and candidness to
the interview, although nothing personal will pass through his writing without your
permission.
Anthea comments that if you feel you can’t reach wider audiences, your project Check out your
may be better suited to science specific outlets such as Chemistry World, Physics departmental
magazine for fresh
World, etc. Anthea and Brian both advocate for the use of Twitter to promote your
research!
findings, but be cautious if your work poses controversial or ethical concerns.
“One word of advice: do check your e-mails in the weeks leading to publication, as
media deadlines are very tight. Other options to promote your research in general
include writing a blog post for a lay audience about your findings, recording a How to market your research to your
podcast about your work, or organizing a public engagement event around your departmental communicator
research, such as a school visit or workshop at a festival.” —Anthea
Anthea also reminds us that “If your paper is in press, some journals ask that
you respect an embargo until it is published. This means that there is a date before
which your research cannot be published in the media (usually the publication Send a 1-2 paragraph lay
date). Just be aware of this in case you get requests for interviews before your summary of research and a
research is published.” recent version of paper to your
Overall there have been several success stories from UBC researchers who departmental communicator
have marketed their findings. (media.relations@ubc.ca).
“I wrote a news release about an existing drug that had dramatically positive results
with a rare eye disease. Someone saw it on our website. She had a sister whose son
had this condition and as a result of that, the mother got in touch with the scientists; The communicator
her son was one of those people enrolled in their clinical trial.”—Brian responds, and if
interested, they will
In February 2019, Michael Smith Labs (UBC) published a report about schedule an interview. Interview includes
Dr. Leonard Foster (Centre for Blood Research) and his Genome Canada award, Bring visual aids! mostly questions that
which was boosted by STEMCELL Technologies’ Science in the City newsletter. Dr. weren't mentioned in
Foster, the Head of UBC’s Biochemistry Department and Core Proteomics Facility, the paper (challenges,
was awarded the funding in collaboration with Dr. David Wishart (University of mistakes made, personal
Alberta) for their project entitled “Illuminating the dark matter of the metabolome connections, etc.).
with convolutional neural networks”. Leonard is very active on Twitter regarding
his honeybee high-throughput genetics research which has been covered by the Communicator
Vancouver Sun: He is constantly debunking myths about honeybees to the general reaches out to news media
public through his research. inside and outside Canada
If you have a discovery – or are working towards a potential discovery – that (e.g. The Vancouver Sun, The
deserves more exposure, contact UBC Media Relations at media.relations@ubc.ca. Globe and Mail, CBC, National
Contact Anthea at anthea.lacchia@icrag-centre.org and follow her on Twitter Public Radio, STATNews, The
@AntheaLacchia to read her latest articles. C Guardian).
27
 Research
Creating Platelets 2.0: Stronger, Faster, and with
Twice the Life-saving Power
B y D R . S T E FA N I E N O VA K O W S K S I , K a s t r u p L a b
The 2018 Canadian Blood Services Lay Science Writing Competition was
organized by the Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation with
welcome support from Science Borealis and the Centre for Blood Research
at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Stefanie Novakowski was the joint
3rd place winner of the inaugural competition. Below is her prize-winning
entry. Originally posted on the Canadian Blood Services R.E.D. blog.
T he ability to genetically modify a cell is a powerful tool. Genetically
modified cells have advanced our understanding of how the
body works and how diseases develop. They are currently used as
treatments for a range of diseases, from cancers to bleeding disorders.
Yet not all cells are easily modified. This is true of small cells that are
indispensable for stopping blood flow during injury.
Why modify platelets? Platelets are currently used in the clinic to
stop ongoing bleeding, caused by trauma or surgery. However, during
28
Platelet apheresis. Photo credit: Canadian Blood Services
severe bleeding platelets become dysfunctional, and these platelet
transfusions no longer work. Correcting platelet dysfunction during
trauma could be addressed by modifying platelets. For example,
platelets could be engineered to produce proteins that activate
clotting or stabilize blood clots after they form. Platelets are also
given to patients with low platelet counts, which can be caused by
a variety of factors, including certain cancers. While the platelets are
given to patients to prevent bleeding, platelets also naturally interact
and communicate with cancer cells. Modified platelets have the
potential to deliver cancer-fighting materials to tumour cells, while
also preventing bleeding.
Unfortunately, commonly used methods for delivering genetic
material to platelets either don’t work well or induce unwanted
changes to the platelets. Currently, the best method for creating
modified platelets is to modify the cells they develop from, called
hemopoietic stem cells. These stem cells can be grown inside of a
laboratory, modified, and then transplanted back into an individual.
This approach has been used to treat inherited diseases. However,
this method permanently changes a person’s platelets, and would
not be useful in scenarios where only temporary modifications to
the platelets are required, such as during active bleeding. Platelet
BioGenesis, a company based in the United States, has recently
developed a technology for growing large numbers of platelets from
modified hemopoietic stem cells, but it will be years these laboratory-
grown platelets can be used in hospitals.
To address this problem, the Kastrup Laboratory at the University
of British Columbia is taking a novel approach to directly modifying
platelets. Using small, synthetic spheres called lipid nanoparticles, we
successfully delivered genetic material into platelets without inducing
unwanted changes to the platelets. By using specific lipids, or fats,
to build the nanoparticles, we identified nanoparticles that deliver
messenger RNA to the platelets. Like DNA, messenger RNA is a
type of genetic material that is read by a cell to create new proteins.
Unlike most cells, platelets do not have their own DNA, so genetically
modifying platelets requires delivery of messenger RNA.
Microscope images of platelets (red) that have taken up foreign genetic
material (green). Adapted from: Novakowski et al: Delivery of mRNA to
platelets using lipid nanoparticles. Scientific Reports 2019: 9; 552.
By testing various classes of these nanoparticles, we determined
characteristics of the nanoparticles that are important for uptake.
These characteristics included a small size for the particle, and
positive charge on its surface. Platelets treated with nanoparticles still
had the ability to aggregate and spread, processes that are important
to their ability to stop blood flow. We also found that the RNA
taken up by the platelets was then released back out under certain
conditions, indicating that modified platelets have the potential to be
used a delivery vehicle for RNA-based drugs. This might be useful for
creating cancer-fighting platelets, as RNA that promotes cancer cell
death could be delivered to tumours by the RNA-treated platelets.
Research
Delivery of RNA to the platelets is only the first step in creating
genetically modified platelets. To modify a platelet, the RNA has to
be read by the cell, creating a new protein that alters the platelet’s
function. Unfortunately, the RNA that we delivered could not be read
by the platelets. To address this, we are now varying the composition
of the nanoparticles, using different types of lipids to build the
particles. This may alter where the RNA is delivered within the platelet
and allow the RNA to be read by the platelets. Further experiments
are also needed to see whether RNA-treated platelets can function
once they are placed back into a patient. Currently, the platelets are
modified after they have been isolated from whole blood from healthy
individuals, and their function has only been assessed in a test tube.
Whether these platelets still circulate and respond to signals within
circulating blood remains to be seen.
Platelets are involved in bleeding, cancer, and even immune
and inflammatory disorders. The ability to directly modify platelets
would extend our knowledge of platelet biology, and hopefully lead
to improved therapeutics for a range of diseases. Platelet transfusions
are already essential to treating bleeding. If researchers are successful
in creating modified platelets that can be used in hospitals, there may
be even more opportunities for platelets to act as a life-saving therapy
in Canada and the throughout entire world.
In January 2019, Dr. Stefanie Novakowski completed her PhD at the
University of British Columbia in the laboratory of Dr. Christian Kastrup.
There, she developed new tools for modifying platelets – small cells found
within the blood that are responsible for blood clotting. As a graduate
student, Stefanie discovered a passion for knowledge translation, and
the Canadian Blood Service’s inaugural writing competition provided the
perfect opportunity for her to hone her writing skills. Stefanie’s own work
provided the perfect inspiration for her writing, since it was a story she
knew but rarely shared outside of academia. Now that she has completed
her degree, Stefanie hopes to start a career in science communication. C
Dr. Stefanie Novakowski
29
 Opinion
A Plug for the Leaky Pipeline
B y B R O N W Y N LY O N S , P h D S t u d e n t , S t r y n a d k a L a b
D r. Donna Strickland — the first Canadian female scientist to win a
Nobel Prize within the sciences categories1; the first female in over
50 years to win within Physics; only the third in its 107-year history;
and one in the eye for Alessandro Strumia, a recently suspended
scientist at CERN who stated at a presentation on gender and higher
energy physics that ‘physics was invented and built by men’2. Prof.
Strickland was awarded the Nobel Prize for her Doctoral thesis work
on chirped pulse amplification, a methodology now used in corrective
eye surgery and medical imaging1.
Unfortunately, the statistics of successful women in science are
so bleak that a woman winning the Nobel prize in a science category
is big news. The leaky pipeline of science refers to the drastic drop-
off of female scientists from academia between post-doctoral
fellowships and academic positions3,4, despite the roughly equivalent
representation of women and men earning PhDs in a STEM-related
field. Why are women underrepresented in academia despite steps
being taken towards inclusion and equality?
A contributing factor may be that women put their careers on
hold to raise children; however, in today’s modern society, this is not
necessarily the case. A shocking study published in PNAS by Moss-
Racusin et al. (2012) explored gender bias during the hiring process5:
The applicants were all undergraduate level students, which authors
considered a critical time in a young scientist’s career. Interviewers
(professors across biology, chemistry and physics) were assigned
an application package for a laboratory manager position that was
labelled with a name randomly identifiable as either male or female,
with the only variable between the applications being the gender.
Interviewers were asked to rate the applicants on whether they
would be hired, receive mentorship, their competence, and provide a
starting salary, with the knowledge that the applicant would receive
this feedback. Female applicants were deemed less competent, less
hireable, provided a lower starting salary and offered less mentorship
(Figure 1). Both female and male professors, regardless of age, field
of study and tenure status, equally viewed female applicants as
being less qualified than the equivalent male applicant. The authors
concluded that being viewed in this manner could lead to a withdrawal
of females from a future academic career5. A similar study revealed
that women are directly excluded from influential laboratories: Male
faculty who were funded by large granting agencies or had won a
30
major award, hired fewer female graduate students and post-doctoral
fellows in their laboratories6.
Young researchers need to see that there are strong female-
identifying scientists out there, role models like Dr. Donna Strickland,
to perceive themselves capable of pursuing their dreams and pushing
for cutting edge discoveries in STEM research. So, how do we know
when we have reached equality between genders in the sciences
and ‘plugged’ the so-called leaky pipeline? Perhaps we’ll know we’re
headed in the right direction when the headlines stop reading ‘Female
Scientist Wins Nobel Prize’ in future award seasons.
1
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-canadian-scientist-
donna-strickland-shares-nobel-physics-prize/
2
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45709205
3
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (2011) 108(8):3157-3162.
4
PLoS One (2017) 12: e0187285.
5
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (2012) 109(41):16474-16479.
6
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (2014) 111(28): 10107–10112. C
Figure 1. From Moss-Racusin et al. (2012); depicting differences in
competence, hireability and mentoring of female student applicants5. Error
bars are standard errors; nmale=63 and nfemale=64.
Events
CBR Postdoc and Research Associate Retreat at
Loon Lake
By DR. GEORGINA BUTLER, Research Associate, Overall Lab
If you didn’t go, you missed groping around in the dark with a dozen
RAs and postdocs from the CBR. Perhaps I should explain …… this
year’s Postdoc and Research Associate Retreat at Loon Lake near
game in the world”, or “Joey Tribbiani” — of course, “macrophage”
was a piece of cake!
Maple Ridge, BC, included a scavenger hunt that culminated in an After breaking the ice, we ventured out for a walk in the forest.
escape room. None of the teams managed to open the final door The only disappointment of the day was that the hand-drawn ferry
(except the first team because the organisers had left the door open), was broken — even though we overloaded it last year (http://cbr.
but that was through lack of time, not brains ….. really. ubc.ca/how-many-scientists-does-it-take-to-sink-a-ferry/), I don’t
think it was us! After lunch, we paired up for a scavenger hunt which
was won by team “George Michael”, RAs George Butler (Overall
Lab) and Michael Hughes (McNagny Lab). We ended the day with
a survival task in the forest — constructing overnight shelters from
tarps or a hollow tree (top tip: use what’s available) and using flints
to make a fire to toast marshmallows (my friend Hugo’s first toasted
marshmallow!).
It was a fun day getting to know our peers and working out how
we might collaborate by combining our expertise. Join us next time?
C
No hand-drawn ferry this time Hugo enjoying his first toasted
around! marshmallow
RAs and Postdocs from the Conway, Hancock, Ma, McNagny
and Overall Labs plus our Education Program Manager Stefanie Mak,
carpooled from Vancouver and met at Loon Lake for ice breakers
and muffins. First we had to introduce a “new friend” to the group.
My friend was Hugo Cesar Ramos De Jesus who recently joined the
Overall Lab from Brazil where he worked on degradomics of the ant
Atta sexdens. Then we played “Blood Bingo”, where we had to fill in
a chart, “bingo style” which had small descriptions of CBR research
topics in each box. We had to talk to others and find someone who
was working on that topic. Houra Loghmani (Conway lab) won that
game. Finally, we played “word salad” where everyone wrote a random
word or phrase on a piece of
paper and our 2 teams took
turns picking and guessing Houra showing off her team's survival shelter
what was on the paper from:
round (1) a description not
including the word/phrase
itself; (2) a single word; (3)
charades – not so easy with
random thoughts like “jumpy
little flea”, “soccer is the best
31
 Events
Career Night 2019 organizers
Where Will Your Future Take You? Career Night
2019 Gives Students and Postdocs Insights into
Science Careers
By CORRIE BELANGER, PhD Candidate, Hancock Lab
O n June 13, the Centre for Blood Research (CBR) and the
Department of Microbiology and Immunology teamed up to
host another successful career night for UBC students, postdocs
and staff. UBC trainees had the opportunity to interact with 10 guest
mentors who are currently working in various scientific careers. The
visiting scientists introduced themselves to the trainees in small
groups and participated in a productive hour of speed mentoring,
followed by refreshments and the chance to network more closely.
Comprising mainly graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, the
casual yet informative event was well attended with >50 enthusiastic
young scientists, all of whom sparked enthusiastic conversation and
networking. For the night’s professional participants, the organizers
did a fantastic job in selecting mentors with insight into many different
career paths. Representatives from occupations involving design and
instruction of education programs, biotechnology positions and policy
and government were all present. If you didn’t make it to the event
this year but want to know what you missed out on, here is a sneak
peak of the professional representatives from our science community
and the knowledge they had to share.
Many mentors attending the event hold jobs in assorted
areas of science education, and provided diverse perspectives and
advice. The interesting trajectory that Kate Campbell took to get
to her position in Continuing Professional Development at UBC for
instance, might encourage researchers to gain skills outside of their
main area of expertise. Having pursued her interest in zoology as an
32
Attendees networking with guest mentors
undergraduate, Kate later switched fields altogether and took fine arts
before finding a Masters of Science in Biomedical Communications.
She has identified a way to meld these fields in her current position
as a professional biomedical communicator and instructional course
designer where she creates textbook illustrations as well as visual
tools to help healthcare practitioners understand and communicate
medical and science topics. Kate’s experience of using her interests
both in science and elsewhere to find a unique education position at
UBC highlights how diverse skill sets and interests can be an asset to
finding careers in science.
Drs. David Oliver, Prashant Kumar, Deborah Chen and Alex
Chattwood also work at different levels to develop course content
and teach science. David is an instructor in the department of
Microbiology and Immunology where he teaches and develops
undergraduate courses. He has a wealth of knowledge for individuals
interested in this area. Prashant and Deborah are two mentors who
fast-tracked their careers early on in graduate school. Deborah
currently works for the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
(CTLT) at UBC, while Prashant is a biology instructor and researcher
at Langara College. Both started teaching/ mentoring while they
were still in graduate school. Deborah’s advice to graduate students
thinking about their future is to “set aside two hours every day for job
search activities” whether this is to research jobs available, update
resumés or network and connect with others in the field.
If you’re looking for a more traditional position in industry, this
year’s career night also had some great representatives from biotech.
Akshita Puri from Merieux Nutrisciences, Dr. Ismael Samudio from
Virogen Biotech Ltd and Dr. Marta Szabat from AbCellera Biologics
attended the evening to share their experiences in the biotech
industry. After a decade following her research interests, Akshita
moved into the biotech industry where she was able to find a career
managing operations of a microbiology lab at Merieux. Ismael has
a wide range of experiences from genetics to pharmacology and
toxicology to immunotherapy and drug development. He currently
works as the Senior Director of R&D for Virogen. Marta is an alumna
of UBC, who used to study pancreatic beta cell biology in diabetes.
She started working for AbCellera as a senior scientist in 2015 and
now leads several development and partner projects.
Policy and government positions are also options for trainees
in science. Niniane Tozzi works for the UK Science and Innovation
Network, in a job that might appeal to those either with or without
a background in this field. Although her graduate degree was a
Masters in Global Policy with a concentration in Natural Resource
Management, Niniane now engages local science and innovation
communities to facilitate international collaborations. She has a
great deal of experience working with researchers and connecting
the private sector to industrial associations, and works closely with
scientists in similar positions to her own. Niniane recommends
anyone interested in policy or science communication to take a
look at government organizations where they can apply their PhD
to improve international relations and collaboration. From a very
different perspective of government employment, Dr. Simon Cowell
Events
from Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) provided an insightful
look at the transition from academia to government research. Simon
completed his postdoctoral research in genetic regulation of steroid
pathways, transitioned into a position at a Vancouver Biotech, QLT,
and then landed in a job at Health Canada as a lab specialist in the BC
food safety laboratory. Simon’s perspective moving through academia,
biotech and government has led him to conclude that, although the
research can be similar, the atmosphere in these career positions
is quite different. He says that biotech and government research
positions often worry a lot less about funding and publications
compared to academia, but there is an inevitable tradeoff for freedom
of project design and execution. Ultimately, Simon believes working
for CFIA is the best fit for his research interests, and provides a unique
opportunity to explore other science routes.
Whether you are interested in science communication and
education, industry, or policy and government, career night proved
that there are many options out there for science professionals.
Some common themes to be taken from the mentors’ advice
include; diversifying your skill set, taking positions in different areas
of science to discover what appeals to you, and becoming active in
networking or skill-enhancing activities that can help you get noticed
by professionals in careers that interest you. Please come to the next
event to learn what interests you about careers in science. Thank you
to the organizers from the CBR and the Department of Microbiology
and Immunology who made this event possible, and to all of the
mentors for taking the time to give us their perspectives on careers
in science. C
Roundtable discussions at Career Night
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 Events
From Scientists to Dragons
By CRISTYN FUNG, CBR Education Program Assistant
F riday, July 26th, a fine summer day at 29 degrees Celsius, we saw
more than 40 of our Centre for Blood Research (CBR) & School of
Biomedical Engineering members travel to Granville Island for a fun
afternoon that would set the tone for their weekend. They weren’t
headed to a fancy restaurant, art show or extravagant mall though. So,
what would tear these dedicated scientists away from the lab?
It was the annual Dragon Boating event, organized by the CBR
Health & Wellness Committee, based at False Creek Community
Centre. This event, designed to de-stress and gain experience of a new
sport, allowed everyone to take in the fresh air, admire the scenery…
and paddle until they could do no more! And so begins the story of a
fierce and fiery competition.
The afternoon began with a thorough tutorial on how to
paddle properly and safely. Although it was a beginner’s course, the
participants demonstrated expert form and grip. They paired up and
amazingly, completely filled three large dragon boats (compared to
last year’s half-filled boat)! Each boat had a good mix of summer
students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who were ready
to learn and determined to win.
In our respective teams, we boated around False Creek and in the
first 30 minutes, learnt paddling techniques from the instructors and
rowed vigorously with small breaks to recover. During these breaks,
34
Events
CBR Cover Art Contest
Amy Strilchuk, Kastrup Lab
we got to take in the beautiful view of yachts, Science World and
Granville Island. The synchronized rowing required enormous team
work so it provided a great bonding opportunity. Just like in the lab,
we worked amazingly well together!
Finally, all three boats met up and the competitors had a stare
down, scanning for any signs of weakness. The desire to win welled
up in everyone’s eyes as the race started. Our first race lasted for an
intense minute. Mild mannered scientists became dragons, yelling
from the top of their lungs, chanting “one, two” to keep track of the
rowing. Water splashed from the oars, soaking people in the row
In September, CBR challenged our
behind. The clattering of paddles could be heard from miles away. members to use their imagination and
After much chaos, a winning boat prevailed (you know who you are). design a cover art for the November
The other two boats felt disappointed so, after much pondering, we issue of our magazine. The cover art can
decided to race again! In the second race, we had a different winner. be figurative or abstract, and can be in
To the third boat that didn’t win: don’t worry, you’re a winner in our any medium.
hearts.
It was an unforgettable afternoon for everyone full of laughter,
y heart Check out the wonderful artwork from
exercise, joy, oh and sore muscles the next day. Thank you to the a h e a lt h
a path to our talented and creative members!
Health & Wellness team for organizing this wonderful activity and
Clearing m i e t z , B rown Lab
e
special thanks to the instructors at False Creek Community Centre for
their informative lessons. Join in on the fun next year! C
Iwona Ni
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We thank all our donors from academia, industry, and
the private sector for your generous contributions. cbr.ubc.ca