Friday 16 December 2005

Winding up 2005 with our Annual End-of-Year-Party

We had another terrific year-end party catered by the ever-popular Daniel et Daniel. Great food, good company, a new game show, door prizes and live music made for a wonderful end to 2005.

For some photos of the party, click here

Friday 9 December 2005

Suzanne D'Alvise says farewell to the Biochemistry Department

Suzanne D'Alvise has accepted a promotion as Business Officer/Professional Manager in the Department of Medical Imaging effective January 1, 2006.

Suzanne has many years of invaluable administrative experience and has loyally served the Department of Biochemistry.

You can view pictures (PC: PowerPoint Presentation Mac:PowerPoint Download) of the farewell party held in her honour where we thanked her for all her support and effort over 21 years and wished her good luck for the future.

Wednesday 30 November 2005

David Williams completes term as Graduate Coordinator

David Williams completed an extended 4 year term as Graduate Coordinator on Nov. 1st. In appreciation of his efforts the graduate students surprised David with a signed group photo plus a most enjoyable wine and cheese reception (his oenophilic proclivities were well known!!).

Pictured is BGSU president Costin Antonescu holding the photo along with David holding the ........ usual.

Jim Rini has taken over as the current Graduate Coordinator.

Thursday 17 November 2005

Suzanne D'Alvise honoured for 25 years of service

Suzanne D'Alvise, Business Office of the Department of Biochemistry was honoured by the University today for 25 years of exceptional service.

In the photo, Biochemistry Chair Reinhart Reithmeier (right) is joined by previous Acting Chairs David Williams (left) and David Isenman to congratulate Suzanne.

Thanks Suzanne, from all of us!!!

Wednesday 11 November 2005

Trafficking in Drugs: the P glycoprotein efflux pump

Dr.Frances Sharom, Professor in the Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, presented the above titled seminar in our George Connell Lecture Series.

Frances Sharom relaxes after her seminar
with host Régis Pomès.

Friday 7 October 2005

Good Times in Biochemistry!

With champagne and delicious desserts we celebrated the arrival of new professors Angus McQuibban and Igor Stagljar, the award of tenure to Igor Stagljar and Walid Houry, and the award of CRCs to Liliana Attisano, Hue Sun Chan (renewal), Lynne Howell, Bill Trimble and Shoshana Wodak.

A great way to start the new academic year!!

For some photos, click here.

Igor Stagljar (left) and Angus McQuibban
enjoy a "calorific" start to their careers in the Department.

Tuesday 21 June 2005

Fore-get research! - 3rd Annual Biochemistry Golf Day

Click here to check out the highlights of the Third Annual Biochemistry Golf Day held at Dentonia Park Golf Couse.

The winners,
"Team Putterblast".

May 2005

Kit Man Wong wins the Advanced Biochemistry Laboratory Coordinators Award

Each year, this award goes to the top student in our very challenging BCH471advanced laboratory course. Kit Man Wong was the recipient of the award this year based on her keen intellect and her outstanding performance in all aspects of the course.

Congratulations Kit on a well-deserved accomplishment!

Kit Man Wong with
BCH471 Coordinator, David Isenman.

Tuesday 17 May 2005

Record turnout for the 2nd Annual Departmental Research Day

Our second research day, held at The Old Mill in Toronto, attracted more than 200 students, post-docs, faculty, and staff. The day included great meals!!, oral presentations by students and faculty, a poster session, and the Theo Hofmann lecture given by Lila Gierasch of U.Mass.- Amherst who kindly served double duty as a poster judge.

Click for photos of Research Day

So many biochemists!!

Tuesday 19 April 2005

Inaugural Benjamin Schachter Memorial Lectureship

From 1934-1939 Benjamin (Benny) Schachter worked in the Department of Biochemistry conducting research on female sex hormones, isolating and identifying conjugated oestrone sulphate (Premarin). He worked from 1939-1949 at Canada Packers, starting the Research and Development Department, researching hormones and vitamins and set up and headed a plant for the synthetic production of vitamin D3, essential to the war effort. From 1949-1950 he was an Associate of Biochemistry at the University of Saskatchewan. From 1951-1972 Dr. Schachter founded and then operated Superior Biochemicals producing cortisone and other pharmaceutical and industrial chemicals. In 1994 he received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Brandon. 

To honour Benny Schachter's memory, a donation was made to the Department by his wife, Dr. Ricky Schachter, a prominent Toronto Dermatologist, their son Dr. Dan Schachter (also a Dermatologist) and daughter Bonnie Druxerman, an Occupational Therapist working at the Blooview Children's Centre.  The funds are being used to support an annual lectureship in his memory.

The BGSU and graduate students select and host the speaker who is a graduate from our Department. This year's speaker is Dr. Matthew Moyle, who was a graduate student with Dr. James Ingles and graduated in 1989. Dr. Moyle is now Vice-President of Research at Tanox Inc., Houston, Texas.

Dr. Moyle's Schachter lecture was entitled: "From Asthma to Osteoporosis: The Discovery and Development of New Monoclonal Antibody Therapeutics"

From left, BGSU President Lellean Jebailey, Chair Reinhart Reithmeier, Dr. Ricky Schachter, and Schachter Lecturer Dr. Matthew Moyle

Matthew Moyle (far left) with the Schachter family, (from left) Dr. Ricky Schachter, son Dr. Dan Schachter, daughter Bonnie Druxerman with husband Peter Druxerman

Thursday 31 March 2005

PENCE draws to a close after 15 productive years!

The Protein Engineering Network of Centres of Excellence (PENCE) - now completing the final year of it's mandate - was established in 1990 as part of the NCE program designed to foster partnerships between university, government and industry. In the course of it's three phases, PENCE was consistently ranked one of the top NCE's, a reflection of it's strong performance in research, training and the commercialization of protein related technologies.

For those in Toronto, the "PENCE seminar" has long been an important forum for not only hosting Internationally recognized speakers, but as a means of bringing together local scientist and trainees working in the broad area of protein science.

Fittingly, the final PENCE seminar (March 31, 2005) was given by Dr. Harry Schachter of the Research Institute of Sick Children's Hospital and the University of Toronto, an Internationally recognized leader in glycoprotein structure and one of the founding members of PENCE.

Harry's seminar was entitled: "N-glycan function in worm and fly development"

A full house was on hand to hear the final PENCE seminar in Toronto given by Dr. Harry Schachter. Harry, ever the natty dresser, sported a PENCE cap and golf shirt for the occasion (red oval).

Monday 15 March 2005

Sergio Grinstein honoured for 25 years of service

Dr.Sergio Grinstein, Professor Dept. of Biochemistry and Pitblado Chair of Cell Biology at Sick Children's Hospital, was honoured by both the University and the Hosiptal for 25 years of exceptional service.

In the photo, Biochemistry Chair Reinhart Reithmeier (left) presents Sergio with the University's 25 Year Service Award.

Congratulations Sergio!
May you publish another 225 papers in the next 25 years!

Bibudhendra Sarkar wins first Mehrotra Award

Bibudhendra Sarkar (Professor Emeritus, Department of Biochemistry) received the inaugural R. C. Mehrotra Award in New Delhi, India, in November.

In receiving this Award, Dr. Sarkar was recognized for his interdisciplinary research, his discovery of a life-saving drug treatment used worldwide for Menkes disease, a fatal neurodegenerative genetic disease in children, and for his humanitarian work to alleviate the human suffering caused by arsenic contamination of drinking water in South and Southeast Asia. Dr. Sarkar was the first person to bring this issue to the attention of the international community.  By raising international awareness of the crisis, his work contributed to arsenic mitigation efforts by international agencies including the World Health Organization.

Bibudhendra (Amu) Sarkar.

Wednesday 16 February 2005

Department Ski Day

The BGSU took advantage of Reading Week to organize the Departmental ski trip to Blue Mountain in Collingwood (no, it's not Tremblant or Banff - but what it lacks in vertical it makes up for in spectacular scenery!)

Click here for some photos.

Enjoying a great day at Blue Mountain.

Tuesday 08 February 2005

Four to the fore - forever!

The Department gathered to celebrate the exceptional event of four of our Faculty members receiving tenure in the same year. Our congratulations to Grant Brown, John Glover, Craig Smibert and Boris Steipe on a great accomplishment!!

Click here for some photos.

(left to right) John Glover, Craig Smibert, Grant Brown
and Boris Steipe get used to idea of being together for a long time.

25 Year Service Awards

Saturday 15 January 2005

Department of Biochemistry Graduate Open House

The Open House was a great success, welcoming 75 students from various universities in Ontario and Quebec. Attendees learned about the admissions process, had many opportunities to discuss graduate life over lunch and dinner, and toured research facilities both on campus and in hospital research institutes.

Click here for some photos.

Grad. student Jeff Lee shows visitors
how to mount a protein crystal on an X-ray diffractometer.