Students: snap a pic of your day at Waterloo

A message from the Student Success Office

Today’s the day when we want you to post your photos to Instagram or Twitter (#uwaterloolife), load them on Facebook or email us as you go about your day at Waterloo. We’ll share the photos on Flickr to build a snapshot of a day in the life at Waterloo and give students a chance to win a $500 Retail Services gift card.

More information about the contest is available online.

Photograph by Steve Krysak.

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Seeing is believing for Alzheimer's detection

A University of Waterloo professor leads a team of researchers that has developed a new method of detecting Alzheimer's disease by looking into the eye. The discovery may lead to earlier, better and less expensive treatment for patients, and it was recognized with a significant government grant announced today.

Professor Melanie Campbell of the Department of Physics and Astronomy as well as the School of Optometry and Vision Science at Waterloo received a grant worth $490,000 from the Canada Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The grant will support Campbell's work into detecting amyloid beta in the neural tissue of the retina at the rear of the eye. Amyloid beta, a protein, forms deposits in the brain in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

"Millions of people around the world suffer from Alzheimer's disease, and I am pleased that Professor Campbell and the other researchers are working on an early detection mechanism that may benefit the world's aging population and eliminate the need for more expensive testing," said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president & vice-chancellor of Waterloo. "Health and aging is one of the key research areas at Waterloo, and I congratulate the whole the team on this deserved recognition."

Approximately one in every 17 people over the age of 65 in Canada has Alzheimer's disease. Within the next 30 years, the rate is expected to quadruple. Diagnostic guidelines suggest that a definite diagnosis is only possible after the patient dies. But this new method would enable detection earlier, using techniques that are more accessible to patients and less expensive than brain imaging.

"Current methods under study for objectively diagnosing Alzheimer's disease require invasive testing, the use of radiation or fluorescent dyes," said Campbell. "Using non-invasive methods, we will explore any association between the amount and distribution of amyloid beta in the retina and in the brain."

This research is in tandem with work taking place at the University of British Columbia, the local technology company P & P Optica, and TRIUMF, Canada's national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics that a consortium of Canadian universities jointly owns and operates. This project will help researchers understand the relationship between these amyloid beta deposits in the eye and the severity of the disease. Findings may lead to the development of a new instrument that will be available in optometrists' offices and other health-care settings.

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The Nex Generation

by Myles Tan, 3A Systems Design Engineering for the Inside sCo-op co-op student newsletter.

When it comes to working in Canada’s technology sector, it’s hard to get a better experience than working at NexJ Systems. Having spent three of my four co-op terms to date at NexJ, it’s given me the opportunity to work with the best and brightest, experience what it’s like to work at a truly innovative software company, and learn some important lessons along the way.

The most important lesson I’ve learned is that opportunity is always available if you are willing to pursue it. I started my first work term at NexJ as a Quality Assurance Analyst. After showing interest in mobile and health technology, I was given the opportunity to learn about marketing strategy from Bill Tatham personally, and ended up  writing my work term report on social networks in healthcare.

I spent my second term working under the VP of Healthcare, where I taught a lunch and learn on marketing strategy and presented a plan for incorporating game mechanics into wellness applications to the executive management team.

During my third term, I was responsible for designing product features in NexJ’s healthcare software solutions. People often ask me why I returned to the same company for three terms: when they’re willing to give you the kinds of opportunities and experiences which I have been able to accumulate, it would be crazy not to. (Check out the full story in the latest Inside sCo-op newsletter)

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Wednesday's notes

Tim Jackson, Vice-President, University Relations and Ken McGillivray, Vice-President, Advancement (pictured above) donned their aprons and served up soup on Wednesday, September 19 at the university’s United Way Leadership Lunch. Soup was served to over 50 people as a reminder that soup kitchens are the reality for some local community members.

Members of Executive Council and Leaders and Friends donors listened to stories from the Chair of the Board for the United Way Kitchener-Waterloo, Daniela Seskar-Hencic, the Executive Director of the Kitchener Waterloo Multicultural Centre, Lucia Harrison, and the Executive Director of the Food Bank of Waterloo Region Wendi Campbell.

“The messages from our speakers this year were very powerful,” noted Alex Lippert, co-chair for the university’s campaign. “We appreciate all of the support already shown and we know everyone left the lunch feeling inspired and ready to help the spread the word about the campaign.”

"The goal for this year’s campaign is $230,000 and thanks to Executive Council and Leaders and Friends donors the campaign has reached 33% of its goal," writes Kirsty Budd. " The university’s United Way campaign officially kicks off on October 1, visit our website for more information on how to get involved and how to donate."

Nominations for the University of Waterloo Staff Association Executive Committee are due today at noon. The open positions, with a term beginning October 25, include the President (2-year term) and five Directors (three 2-year and two 1-year terms). Nomination forms are available on the UWSA website.

The UW Retirees' Association's annual fall reception takes place tomorrow from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the University Club. The event will feature a meet and greet with new provost Sallie Keller. Complimentary cheese, cold canapés and hot hors d’oeuvres will be served. All paid-up members of the UWRA will receive two free tickets for “on-the-house” beverages (wine, beer, soft drinks) and additional drink tickets can be purchased at $5.00 each.

Administrative changes are afoot in the basement of the Student Life Centre, with the WatCard Office now reporting to the Director of Retail Services, effective immediately. The office has been operating without a manager for several months.

"To continue to evolve the WatCard as a valuable service to our campus community, we have decided that the best path forward is to have the WatCard Office move under the Retail Services organizational structure," wrote Chris Read in a memo distributed to WatCard and Retail Services staff earlier this month. "Retail Services has significant infrastructure in place that will support the staff and functions in the WatCard Office."

"I am very pleased to announce that Heather FitzGerald (right) has accepted the position of Executive Officer in the Faculty of Engineering," writes engineering dean Pearl Sullivan in a recent memo. "Heather has worked at Waterloo for 12 years, most recently as the Registrar of St. Jerome's University. She is a University of Waterloo science alumna and also holds an MBA and a Master of Education. Heather brings with her a wealth of knowledge about the University of Waterloo and its policies and procedures, along with professional experience in human resource administration, financial oversight, student relations, and conflict resolution." FitzGerald succeeds Linda Kenyon, who held the position for five years.

The family of longtime university employee Brad Vogt (left), who died in July of this year, has invited members of the campus community to a celebration of his life on Sunday, September 30. An informal drop-in gathering will be held at Kennedy's Restaurant (1750 Erb's Road, St. Agatha) from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

"Anyone with pictures or stories about Brad are encouraged to show and tell," writes Charlene Schumm of the Registrar's Office. "Looking forward to seeing all of our friends there that day!"

And finally, allow me to pour a little highlighter fluid out on the curb for the Diploma in Mennonite Studies that was "inactivated" at Monday's senate meeting, much in the same way that replicants are "retired." The five-course diploma falls under the late and unlamented category due to the fact pointed out by Associate Vice-President, Academic Geoff McBoyle that in the ten years since its introduction, no students have completed it. Godspeed, Diploma in Mennonite Studies.

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