Grant for prof’s osteoporosis studies

from the UW media relations office

People suffering from osteoporosis will benefit from work carried out by a researcher in the faculty of applied health sciences. Lora Giangregorio (left), an assistant professor of kinesiology, has been awarded a grant from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation's leaders opportunity fund, which provides universities with “added flexibility to attract and retain scientists in a time of intense international competition for top researchers”.

Giangregorio's project, entitled Optimizing Osteoporosis Diagnosis and Management: A Multi-Faceted Osteoporosis Research Centre, has a total budget of $238,800, with $95,521 coming from CFI and the remainder from provincial and industry sources.

The new award will provide infrastructure to conduct research aimed at understanding changes in bone geometry and structure with aging and immobility. As well, the research seeks to determine how to improve physical function and prevent future fracture in individuals at risk.

"My overall research focus is the promotion of health in individuals with chronic conditions," said Giangregorio, who earned her PhD in kinesiology at McMaster University. "I am particularly interested in investigating ways to prevent fracture and improve mobility and quality of life in individuals with osteoporosis."

Osteoporosis, a disease characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue, leads to increased bone fragility and risk of fracture, especially the hip, spine and wrist. The disease is often known as "the silent thief" because bone loss occurs without symptoms. Osteoporosis-related fractures, sometimes called fragility fractures, have serious consequences -- up to 20 per cent of individuals who suffer a hip fracture die and 50 per cent of those who survive do not recover their pre-fracture mobility.

Giangregorio's research team recently published a systematic review revealing that many individuals who suffer fragility fractures are not assessed or treated for osteoporosis.

She said that another expert review highlighted the need for research in post-hip fracture rehabilitation. As well, she said, research in the area of spinal cord injury and exercise is limited and the impact of exercise on secondary complications associated with spinal cord injury, such as muscle atrophy, decubitus ulcers (pressure sores) or osteoporosis, has not been well established.

Giangregorio said she's also interested in work that aims to improve the evaluation of skeletal health using techniques such as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (which measures bone density) and computed tomography (a medical imaging method).

Her ongoing research projects include studying the effects of a new rehabilitation technique in patients with acute hip fracture; evaluating the impact of electrically stimulated walking on mobility and secondary complications in individuals with spinal cord injury; and understanding how to improve osteoporosis management in individuals who have had fractures.

Back to top

Faculty going on six-month sabbaticals

A new crop of faculty members are preparing to start sabbatical leaves on September 1 — some preparing to apply for tenure, others further into their careers who are pausing for full-time research or investigation of a new area of study.

These individuals are all taking six-month sabbaticals. Their plans are quoted from material that was submitted to UW’s board of governors, which has to give approval for all sabbatical leaves.

Claudio Cañizares, electrical and computer engineering: “I plan to spend this leave as a Visiting Professor in ETH, Zurich, Switzerland, the Universities of Casatilla-La Mancha and Seville in Spain, and the Politenico di Milano, Italy, primarily to continue with my research work in stability-constrained optimization techniques and their application to dispatch and pricing in competitive electricity markets.”

Brian E. Forrest, pure mathematics: “My sabbatical will primarily be devoted to a series of ongoing research projects in the field of abstract harmonic analysis. I intend to visit collaborators in a number of universities within Canada and abroad. I will also spend a portion of the leave developing both print and online material for various courses.”

Robert E. Gorbet, electrical and computer engineering: “I intend to use this sabbatical as a much-needed period to focus on research, writing, and submitting several journal papers. I will focus my research plan for the short term and plan for an upcoming increase in research activity due to the expected success of several outstanding research grants.”

Scott Jeffrey, management sciences: “This leave will allow me to prepare my tenure and promotion file as well as get additional articles into press and under review.”

Weidong Tian, statistics and actuarial science: “During my sabbatical leave I plan to remain in Waterloo to work with Professor Phelim Boyle on some joint projects. However, there will be some short-term visits to collaborate with researchers at Boston University, MIT and Beijing. I also plan to attend the annual meeting of the AIA.”

According to UW’s Policy 3, “The granting of a leave, with or without pay, depends on the University's assessment of the value of such leave to the institution as well as to the individual, and on whether teaching and other responsibilities of the applicant can be adequately provided for in her/his absence. A faculty member who is granted a sabbatical or other leave is expected to return to duties in the University for at least one year and upon return will be expected to submit a brief report to the Department Chair regarding scholarly activities while on leave.

“The purpose of a sabbatical leave is to contribute to professional development, enabling members to keep abreast of emerging developments in their particular fields and enhancing their effectiveness as teachers, researchers and scholars. Such leaves also help to prevent the development of closed or parochial environments by making it possible for faculty members to travel to differing locales where special research equipment may be available or specific discipline advances have been accomplished. Sabbaticals provide an opportunity for intellectual growth and enrichment as well as for scholarly renewal and reassessment.

“The granting of sabbatical leave is contingent upon the faculty member's department being able to make the necessary arrangements to accommodate such an absence, and also upon the financial resources of the University in any given year. Should problems arise in any of the above, it may be necessary to postpone individual requests until such time as all the conditions can be satisfied.”

Back to top

Things to come

There is still time to register for the Power of Ideas conference being held next Tuesday in J.R. Coutts Engineering Lecture Hall. The conference explores “how innovative design and delivery engenders access and academic success,” and is being co-sponsored by UW’s Office for Persons with Disabilities, the Centre for Learning and Teaching Through Technology, Information Systems and Technology, and the office of the associate provost, human resources and student services. Registrations will be taken until Friday evening. Go here for more information and to register.

A note from Sean Van Koughnett, graphics director, reminds us that fall is coming up fast. Instructors are encouraged to order their courseware now, “to avoid the pre-term rush and increasing CanCopy fees at the end of August!” Access Copyright (as CanCopy is now called) has an agreement with the University of Waterloo covering the payment of copyright fees that goes to the end of August 2007, with small fee increases scheduled each year.

UW will more than meet its target for year-one student enrolment this fall, according to recent information from the Office of the Registrar. Reports prepared by Institutional Analysis and Planning estimate that 5,748 first-year students will have registered by November 1. That would put us at 105 per cent of our target of 5,467. The figures include continuing students as well as new ones. Within that group, we would be at 103 per cent of target for domestic students and 128 per cent for international students. Broken down by faculty, the highest expected registration is in applied health sciences (116 per cent of target) and the lowest in environmental studies (84 per cent).

The first living-learning community in the UW residences, a program to be launched this fall, will see 107 accountancy students living together in clusters of 16. “In addition to living together,” writes Pamela Charbonneau, director of academic and business development for housing and residences, “these students will participate in an integrated and intentional enrichment program (open to all accountancy students)” to be led by upper-year accountancy students. The goal is to help students grow academically and socially by developing relationships with mentors, enhancing what’s learned in class, and involving them in activities with people from a variety of backgrounds. Charbonneau invites inquiries from other faculties or departments interested in creating similar communities: please contact her (ext. 37221 or pkcharbo@uwaterloo.ca) by August 28.

Back to top