Thursday, March 30, 2017

Pharmacists Support people with HIV around the world

The Pharmacists Support series is issued by the School of Pharmacy for #PAM2017. It runs every Tuesday and Thursday in March. 

Alumni Denise Kreutzwiser first shadowed an HIV pharmacist on co-op. Since then, she’s travelled to Zimbabwe, Australia, and throughout Canada working with HIV-infected people.

People with HIV have complex medication needs. “There’s a clear need for pharmacist involvement to ensure effective and safe drug therapy management and that’s what first drew me to this clinical area,” explains Denise. 

But it was making a difference for patients around the world that what persuaded her to stay: “As I gained more experience, I realized it was actually the unique interaction with patients that made me look forward to going to work every day."

WISE celebrates Energy Day 2017 today

The Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) is hosting Energy Day 2017 all day today, billed as a meet-up of academic, industry and government experts who have come together to share insights and new ideas for our energy future.

Attendees will meet and mingle with WISE researchers, talented young Waterloo entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders.

Panel presentations and discussions focus on:

• Energy Transitions For a Decarbonized Economy: How Fast and at What Cost?
• Low Energy Green Buildings: What Can Innovation Do?
• Energy Access for Canada's Remote First Nations Communities: If Not Now, When?

Waterloo speakers and panelists include:

• Neil Craik, director and an Associate Professor of Law in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development;

• Heather Douglas, associate professor in Philosophy and Waterloo Chair in Science and Society;

• Sarah Burch, Canada Research Chair in Sustainability Governance and Innovation and an assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management;

• Paul Parker, professor and associate dean of strategic initiatives in the Faculty of Environment;

• Jennifer Lynes, associate professor and director of the University of Waterloo’s environment and business program; and

• Claudio Cañizares, Professor and Hydro One Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

This event supports larger efforts by the University of Waterloo and the Waterloo Global Science Initiative (a partnership between the University and the Perimeter Institute), to spur global conversations about energy access and sustainability.

The OpenAccess Energy Blueprint, based on recommendation from the 2016 WGSI Summit, was officially launched this week.

Student teams win funding to turn projects into startups

Two teams of engineering students at the University of Waterloo have been awarded $50,000 each to turn their fourth-year projects into startup companies after graduation.

The funding is provided by celebrated Waterloo Engineering graduates Chamath Palihapitiya and his wife Brigette Lau, founders of Social Capital, a Silicon Valley venture capital fund dedicated to solving some of the world’s most difficult problems.

Established in 2014, the Palihapitiya/Lau Venture Creation Fund at Waterloo backs students with promising Capstone Design projects who want to try to commercialize their ideas post-graduation.

This year’s winning projects involve concepts for an endoscope for use in arteries and a much smaller, lighter device for people requiring portable oxygen therapy.

The endoscope – called SWIRVE, an acronym for ‘short wave infrared vascular endoscope’ – is the brainchild of mechanical engineering students Phil Cooper, 22, of Pembroke, Ontario, and Michael Phillips, 22, of Sussex, New Brunswick , who plan to call their startup Vena Medical.

They are developing a system involving a fibre optic bundle and infrared light that would allow surgeons to see inside arteries while positioning catheters for interventional procedures. Capable of seeing through blood, it would replace the two-dimensional x-ray images now used to snake guidewires through arteries.

“Navigation is our objective,” said Phillips. “We want doctors to be in the right spot.”

The other project is the work of nanotechnology engineering students Mostafa Saquib, 21, of Kitchener, John Grousopoulos, 22, of Kitchener, and Chris Hajduk, 22, of Guelph. Pablo Enrique was also a member of the student team, but will not be part of the startup, which is called VivaSpire.

It seeks to replace heavy, bulky devices to supply oxygen to people with conditions including chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, cystic fibrosis and lung cancer when they leave home.

Its “secret sauce” is a nanoscale powder (a nanometre is one billionth of a metre) that absorbs oxygen from unpressurized air and releases it again when heated, eliminating the need for heavy compressors and batteries to power them.

In the short term, VivaSpire hopes to produce much lighter, longer-lasting devices. Ultimately, the goal is a thin, flexible device patients could wear like clothing.

“We want to give people their freedom back if they’re in need of oxygen therapy,” said Saquib.

To be eligible for support from the fund, Waterloo Engineering teams must commit to working full-time on commercialization of their student projects in Kitchener-Waterloo for at least four months after graduation.

Translating for the People: Did Martin Luther Invent Standard German?

by Lori Straus

In the 16^th century, Martin Luther was a monk who dared attempt to translate the Bible – until then only available in Latin – into German, a vernacular. However, German was a very fractured language, with dialects abounding and no documented standard available for such an endeavour. So, does this mean Martin Luther invented High (standard) German when he translated the Bible?

On Tuesday, April 4, at 7:00 p.m., Mat Schulze, Director of the Waterloo Centre for German Studies, is giving a lecture entitled “Did Luther Invent High German?” at the Kitchener Public Library. He will talk about the German Luther spoke, his innovative approach to translating, and the distribution and reception of the Luther Bible and the many other pamphlets, essays, and speeches he published in German.

The lecture will be presented in English. For more information check out the Waterloo Centre for German Studies website.

Vigil of Lament and Consolation and other notes

A Vigil of Lament and Consolation will be taking place on Friday, March 31 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Student Life Centre Great Hall to remember students lost to suicide.

The event is a collaboration between students and University chaplains and will be attended by senior administrators. The vigil will include instrumental music, multi-faith readings and prayers, a participatory ‘Act of Grief,’ a moment of silence and a hymn of consolation.

Student mental health petition organizers will give a bound copy of the document to the University as part of the ceremony.

More information about the vigil can be found on the event’s Facebook page.

It's camp season for Athletics and Recreation, and there are a number of PD Day and summer break camps available for people of all ages. Check out the full list of camps on the Athletics website.

Here's today's Nutrition Month "myth vs. fact" supplied by Health Services Dietician Sandra Ace:

Myth: Most leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week.

Fact: The length of time you can safely keep leftovers will vary according to the food. However most shouldn’t be stored more than two to four days. FoodKeeper is a free App for both Apple and Android devices, courtesy of the US Department of Agriculture and Cornell University, with great information on how to store an extensive list of foods and beverages to ensure both safety and quality. You can check storage times for most types of leftovers by clicking on the Deli & Prepared Foods link.  Be Food Safe Canada has a short, printable food storage chart you can find here.