MI Weekly

You are invited to participate in a survey about the use of a portable low-field MRI in multiple sclerosis (MS) conducted by the MS/MRI Research Group at the University of British Columbia. This survey is being distributed to neurologists and radiologists within Canada.

The main objectives of this survey are to:

• Determine whether there is a need for increased access to MRI in remote communities for the diagnostic workup and monitoring of MS
• Determine the technical standards for portable low-field MRI to be of clinical use in MS 

The results of this survey will guide MRI sequence development and validation studies using portable low-field MRI for MS lesion detection.

Link to survey: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8uZytlpz2kCIc62
Survey password: ubcmsmri

Participation in this survey and the data collected is anonymous. If you agree to participate in this survey, you will be asked about your demographic information, clinical decision making, and interpretation of MRI quality indicators in the context of MS. The estimated time to complete this survey is about 10 minutes. 

If you have any questions, concerns or would like more information about this study at any time during your involvement, please contact Ramina Adam (radam4@student.ubc.ca) or Dr. Shannon Kolind (shannon.kolind@ubc.ca).

Principal Investigator: 
Shannon Kolind, PhD
Associate Professor
Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine
University of British Columbia
shannon.kolind@ubc.ca

Co-Investigators:
Ramina Adam, PhD
MD Student, Faculty of Medicine
University of British Columbia
radam4@student.ubc.ca

Anthony Traboulsee, MD
Professor
Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine
University of British Columbia
t.traboulsee@ubc.ca

Aditya Bharatha, MD 
Associate Professor
Neuroradiology, Department of Medical Imaging
University of Toronto
aditya.bharatha@unityhealth.to

David Li, MD
Professor Emeritus
Faculty of Radiology
University of British Columbia
david.li@ubc.ca

Cornelia Laule, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty of Radiology
University of British Columbia
claule@physics.ubc.ca

Research Assistant: 
Erin Gallinger, BSc
Research Assistant
Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine
University of British Columbia
erin.gallinger@ubc.ca

If you have any concerns or complaints about your rights as a research participant and/or your experiences while participating in this study, contact the Research Participant Complaint Line in the UBC Office of Research Ethics at 604-822-8598 or if long distance e-mail RSIL@ors.ubc.ca or call toll free 1-877-822-8598.

The 2024 RSNA Introduction to Academic Radiology for Scientists (ITARSc) program is available to select PhD postdoctoral fellows and junior researchers in the imaging sciences or biomedical engineering who received their PhDs within the past six years.

The program aims to:

• Introduce participants to the scope of research in the imaging sciences
• Highlight the important role of PhDs in the imaging sciences
• Identify keys to success for PhD scientists in imaging research
• Introduce participants to successful radiological researchers who may serve as future mentors

Topics include:

• Faculty tracks for imaging scientists
• Building and organizing a laboratory
• Commercial partnerships, intellectual property and technology transfer
• Importance and development of clinical collaborations

A $1000 award will be made to the selected participants through their respective departments to offset travel costs to attend the 2024 RSNA annual meeting. Complimentary meeting registration will also be provided.

Visit RSNA.org/ITARSc to access the application form and instructions or contact dor@rsna.org.

Know someone who could benefit? Extend this invitation to eligible postdoctoral fellows and junior researchers.

The University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain (UTCSP) is posting a call for the next UTCSP Scientist from the Temerty Faculty of Medicine. This opportunity aims to foster research excellence and scholarship that will further the work of UTCSP in advancing our understanding of the mechanisms of pain and its alleviation.

The successful candidate will receive one-time funding of $100,000. Funds will be administered by the Faculty and are intended to support the awardee’s research program and can also be used towards partial reimbursement for your salary and benefits (max 25% of award) to protect time for research. 

The successful candidates will be expected to be an active member of the UTCSP, contributing to and participating in the ongoing activities when possible. This includes actively serving on a UTCSP committee (e.g., Research, Education, Knowledge translation) and contributing to the Interfaculty Pain Curriculum through program development and delivery (e.g., steering committee, program development working group, pain case facilitator).

Eligibility Criteria:

• Applicants must be early career researchers (within 5 years of their first academic appointment) with a full-time Academic Appointment at the University of Toronto.
• Applicants must be actively engaged in pain research and demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing their research program and contributing to the work of the University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain.

 Timeline:

• Call for Application: June 6, 2024
• Deadline for Application: July 15, 2024
• Decision to be announced: September 2024

Application form
Call for applications

Acquire the tools you need to develop protocols and become a funded principal investigator for imaging clinical trials during the Clinical Trials Methodology Workshop Jan. 4-10, 2025, in Santa Monica, CA.

“I learned a lot from the CTMW workshop and am incredibly thankful to all the amazing faculty for their input and suggestions that helped me create successful NIH grant proposals. In the last year, I received two NIH awards, an R03 and an R01, that are both related to the research proposal that I developed at the CTMW workshop.”
— Rupa Radhakrishnan, MD, MS (Class of 2020)

Visit RSNA.org/CTMW for more information.

The Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation (SIRF) provides up to four travel awards for selected interventional radiology participants (sponsored applicants must be SIR members).

Apply here
Applications due July 15, 2024

The RSNA's 2024-24 AGW is now open for applications for department members who have no previous funding as a principal investigator on an NIH- or NSF-funded project and hold an MD or PhD. 

The 2024-25 AGW is a four-part course as listed below: Sessions I and IV will take place in Oak Brook, IL at RSNA headquarters; Sessions II and III will be held virtually. The deadline for applications is July 15, 2024. Application details, instructions, and additional information can be found at: RSNA.org/AGW.

Session I: Sept. 19–20, 2024 (In person)
Session II: Nov. 7–8, 2024 (Virtual)
Session III: Jan. 30–31, 2025 (Virtual)
Session IV: April 24–25, 2025 (In person)

Previous participants of AGW have secured grant funding after attending the workshop, crediting part of their success to the skills gained during the program.

“The RSNA Advanced Grant Writing Course was a great experience. The course improved my grant on the topic of lung ultrasound, and it was later funded by the American Lung Association COVID-19 and Emerging Respiratory Viruses Research Award. I am very thankful for the insights this course provided.” - Hersh Sagreiya, MD

If you or a colleague have any questions about the program, please contact us at dor@rsna.org. See the flyer here for more information.

The Canadian Cancer Society and Lotte & John Hecht Memorial Foundation have launched a new funding opportunity, "Disruptive Innovation Grants in Cancer Research." 

Deadlines:
Letter of Intent: due March 21, 2024
Full application: due August 1, 2024
Anticipated funding start date: January 15, 2025

Visit the grant webpage here for more information. 

Set up your fall semester for success by joining the Faculty Writing Accelerator: 12 Weeks to Publication!

Do you have research to write up after a busy summer of archival work, conducting fieldwork, or being in the lab? Or did you present at a conference and now need to prepare for publication? The Centre for Research & Innovation Support (CRIS) is pleased to offer our cohort-based program supporting faculty writing. In this program, each week has a 1 hour facilitated session paired with a 1 hour co-writing session to push your scholarly writing, editing, and revising forward. By the end of the 12 weeks, you’ll have a complete article ready for submission.

Using the bestselling textbook, Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks (Belcher, 2019), the program, capped at 30 participants, builds comradery and accountability among peers to create practical, concrete steps towards scholarly writing projects. Learn approaches to balancing your scholarly writing practice during the term, experiment with revision plans that respond to reviewer feedback—including reviewer two’s comments—and learn to better estimate the time to submission as you build your research and publishing programs.

Check out these enthusiastic testimonials from our past participants:
“...motivated by the idea of group accountability and structured writing activities"
“It was great, and it really worked for me"
“I successfully submitted my article for review”

If this program sounds like it will support your scholarly publishing goals for this fall semester then register your interest by August 2nd, 2024.

Learning Objectives:
At the end of the Faculty Writing Accelerator: 12 Weeks to Publication participants will have three tangible, written scholarly outcomes:

• A finished article ready for submission to a scholarly peer-reviewed journal
• A writing schedule that works for during the term
• Completed abstract and title optimized for keyword searches and discoverability

Additionally, participants will have these longitudinal outcomes:

• Develop peer-to-peer, cross disciplinary networks at UofT
• Build awareness of editorial process for getting articles accepted in scholarly journals
• Understand how to create, run, and maintain future faculty writing groups

Program Schedule:
Fridays, 10:00pm – 12:00pm EST (Zoom)
September 13 – November 29, 2024
Registration: https://cris.eve.utoronto.ca/home/events/4493

Questions about registration can be directed to cris@utoronto.ca. For additional program and event information visit our Programs Page.

Take advantage of the final opportunity to showcase your groundbreaking research at RSNA 2024 and submit your work by Aug. 7, noon CT. 

We’re accepting research on the following topics: 

• Multiomic and Multicenter Radiology AI 
  • Clinical integration of multiomic and multicenter radiology AI for diagnosis, risk stratification and clinical decision-making 

• Theranostics 
  • Emerging theranostics techniques, clinical applications and patient outcomes 

• Low-Field and Mobile MRI 
  • Technical development and clinical applications of low-field and mobile MRI, including diagnostic performance and comparative effectiveness 

• Value Based, Equitable and Sustainable Radiology  
  • Quantification of the relationship between the environment, imaging and the impact of efficiency, sustainability and health-equity strategies in radiology  

Submission Deadline
Submit your work to the Cutting-Edge Research call for abstracts by Aug. 7, noon CT.
Find more information here

Want to make your clinical teaching more efficient and effective? Come join us for INTAPT.
In two, five-day sessions you'll learn practical applications of educational theory designed specifically for clinicians in teacher and educator roles. Come away with new ideas for improving the delivery of clinical education programs.

You'll learn to

1. Integrate teaching and learning theory into practice
2. Work with learners who are experiencing difficulties
3. Give more effective feedback and use a range of assessment methods
4. Create and run interactive workshops
5. Present with confidence and impact

When & Where
Sessions are in person at DFCM,
500 University Ave,
Toronto M5G 1V7

Week 1: October 21–25, 2024
Week 2: February 24–28, 2025

Apply by September 15, 2024

Who can apply
Practising clinicians from any discipline, including nurses, physicians, pharmacists, dentists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, midwives, social workers, lab technologists, optometrists, and other health care practitioners.
INTAPT is designed for both new and experienced teachers.

Learn more and Apply here

Call for Members: 
We are excited to invite Temerty Medicine faculty, learners and staff who identify as Southeast Asian to participate in a working group to plan an upcoming event as part of the Temerty Medicine Community Connection (TMCC) series. 

About TMCC:
Temerty Medicine Community Connection (TMCC) is an event series developed by community and for community, with learners, faculty, and staff at Temerty Medicine. We aim to host a safe space for attendees to (re)connect with each other as an introductory effort to building a culturally relevant community of support within the Faculty. TMCC aims to create an environment that will foster a sense of belonging and an opportunity to share data from the ‘Voices of …’ surveys back to communities.

We Need Your Voice:
Sociodemographic data from the ‘Voices of’ surveys and feedback from community members has highlighted the need for events that respect and reflect the diverse and intersectional identities within Asian communities. Your participation as a member of this working group would involve helping to shape the structure and content for a TMCC event for the Southeast Asian community that resonates with community-specific needs and aspirations.

How to Join: 
If you are interested in joining as a working group member, please contact Shari Thompson at shari.thompsonricci@utoronto.ca and Tibyan Ahmed at tibyan.ahmed@mail.utoronto.ca.

As the Department of Medical Imaging continues to find new ways to recognize the incredible work of our faculty, residents and fellows, beginning this year we will be promoting UofT-affiliated published papers co-authored by faculty and/or trainees in our monthly newsletters and on social media.

To have your work showcased in our communications, please submit all recently published UofT-affiliated papers to mi.communications@utoronto.ca, with the following information:

• Link to UofT-affiliated published paper
• Your role in the paper
• Any pertinent information that needs to be included in the mention of the paper
• Headshot or photo of yourself

We will be including published papers in our monthly newsletters on an ongoing basis throughout the year. Please feel free to send your published papers as they come in.

Institute of Medical Science: Advancing Health through Graduate Research
Learn about undergrad and graduate research programs in Temerty Faculty of Medicine. 
Presentation slides

Research Security - CIHR Implementation
See new CIHR policies and implementations here.

UofT Library Resources
https://gerstein.library.utoronto.ca/systematic-scoping-review-service-ssrs
https://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/copyright/oa-agreements-apc-discounts
https://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/copyright/oa-publishing-options
https://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/copyright/open-access-investment
https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/?refresh=true
https://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/researchdata/research-data-management

Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC)
On January 16^th 2024, the Minister of Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) announced the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC). The new policy aims to enhance Canada’s research security by ensuring Federal grant applications (NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR and CFI) that involve conducting research that may advance a sensitive technology research area will not be funded if any of the researchers involved in activities supported by the grant are affiliated with, or in receipt of funding or in-kind support, from a university, research institute or laboratory connected to a military, national defence or state security entities of foreign state actors that pose a risk to Canada’s national security.

The policy includes two lists, both of which will be updated regularly to address evolving threats to Canada’s national security. The policy will come into effect in early 2024.

• Sensitive Technology Research Areas (STRA) List
• Named Research Organization (NRO) List
  
  For faculty/principal investigators whose research is not on the STRA list, no further action is required. 
  
  For researchers whose work is in a Sensitive Technology Research Area, there are new requirements when applying for grant funding from the federal Tri-council agencies and CFI:
• All researchers listed on an application must provide an attestation that they do not have any affiliation with entities on the Named Research Organization list and they have “read, understood, agree with, and are compliant with this policy. They and their research team(s) will be required to comply with the policy for the duration of the federal grant.”
• If any of the researchers named on the application are receiving funding or in-kind support from an organization on the NRO list, the application would be ineligible.
  
  U of T has a dedicated Research Security Team within the Division of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation to provide support and information to the research community regarding developments relating to safeguarding research and developing research relationships and grant applications in alignment with best practices, guidelines, and requirements. Further information is available at https://research.utoronto.ca/safeguarding-research/safeguarding-research.
  
  Researchers who have questions or concerns are strongly encouraged to contact the Research Security Team researchsecurity@utoronto.ca. That team is available to help the research community understand the application of this new government requirement and other existing government requirements.
  
  Specifically:
• Is my area of research covered under the STRA?
• Would I be considered to have an affiliation with an NRO?   
• How do I provide an attestation?
• How do I prove that my previous affiliation has ended?
  
  We appreciate that this adds additional requirements and responsibilities for our research community and will share additional information as it becomes available. The University of Toronto continues to work closely with the Government of Canada, the U15, and Universities Canada to ensure that the needs of the research community are reflected in the implementation of this new policy. 

McMaster University: Free EMB Services for Residents & Fellows
The McMaster University Health Information Research Unit (HiRU) offers 3 free McMaster PLUS products to help residents & fellows keep up to date with current best evidence for patient care (EMB).
Here's how you can use content from McMaster PLUS to stay current on evidence-based health care:
 

1. Sign up for personalized free alerts on new high-quality studies within your discipline of interest on EvidenceAlerts. https://www.evidencealerts.com/
2. Have a point-of-care question? Search the literature for high-quality studies, reviews, and evidence-based guidelines according to the pyramid of evidence using ACCESSSS. https://www.accessss.org/
3. Ready to practice your critical appraisal skills? Sign up to be a McMaster Online Rating of Evidence (MORE) rater to contribute your rating of hot-off-the-press articles and keep track of what you read for maintaining CME. https://hiru.mcmaster.ca/MORE/physicians/contact_us.html
   
   MORE raters receive notifications about new articles within their specified areas of clinical interest that have passed McMaster PLUS criteria. They vote on the relevance and newsworthiness of the article for clinical practice in their disciplines of interest using two simple Likert scales. This takes less than 5 minutes. You can receive as many or as few articles as you would like.
   
   Benefits to becoming a MORE rater:

• Stay current with the best clinical care evidence as it matures.
• See what your peers are saying about the same article.
• Provide insightful comments and you may be selected to write a formal Commentary on the article for ACP Journal Club, published monthly in Annals of Internal Medicine.
• Articles reviewed are tracked and can be used to qualify for CME credits where permitted (e.g., MAINPORT Section 2 credits in Ontario)

• Congratulations to Dr. Kamaldine Oudjhane who was recently awarded the 2022 Reviewer Award with Distinction from Skeletal Radiology for his exceptional service to the journal. 
• Congratulations to Dr. Michael Patlas who was recently recognized by several associations, including:
  Honorary Membership with the Association of Radiologists of Ukraine for his humanitarian work during the ongoing war;
  Appointed as Fellow of the American College of Radiology (CAR) for his many contributions to the profession of radiology throughout his career;
  And invited to sit on the Governance Committee for the Toronto Addis Ababa Acadmic Collaboration (TAAAC). Congratulations on these incredible achievements, Dr. Patlas!
• Congratulations to Dr. Vivianne Freitas who was recently appointed as Assistant Editor for the American Journal of Roentgenology from January 2024 - December 2025, as well as Associate Editor on the Radiology Advances Editorial Board from October 2023 - December 2024.
• Congratulations to Dr. Karl Narvacan on his recent appointment as Editor-in-Training with the Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal (CARJ) for the January 2024 - December 2024 term. He will also serve on the CARJ Editorial Board. 
• Congratulations to Drs. Birgit Ertl-Wagner, Ania Kielar, and Sebastian Mafeld, who were recently awarded the 2023 CARJ Outstanding Reviewer Awards.

• Congratulations to Drs. Pejman Maralani, Roger Smith and Viviane Freitas for their recent recognition from Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)!

Dr. Pejman Maralani was recognized for his contributions to the Program in Evidence-Based Care (PEBC) from Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), for authoring "Organizational guideline for planning and delivery of spine stereotactic body radiotherapy treatment in Ontario."

Dr. Roger Smith was recognized for his contributions to the Program in Evidence-Based Care (PEBC) from Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), for participating as expert panel member for "Organizational guideline for planning and delivery of spine stereotactic body radiotherapy treatment in Ontario."

Dr. Viviane Freitas was recognized for her contributions to the Program in Evidence-Based Care (PEBC) from Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), for participating as expert panel member on "Preoperative Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging Guideline." 

Published papers to be posted here. 

Grants received to be posted here.