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Day of Immunology - April 29, 2012
The goal of the Day of Immunology is to strengthen
public awareness of immunology by combining activities globally on the
Day of Immunology (DOI). They hope to create a global forum of
information exchange announcing ideas and activities and bringing
immunology
and
health
to all people. Visit: www.dayofimmunology.org
Vancouver organized DOI 2012 events :
Following on CSI's promotion of Day of Immunology and the
activities in Toronto, Montreal and elsewhere, we held the first ever
Day of Immunology outreach in Vancouver. The Infection, Inflammation
and Immunity (I3) research group at UBC Life Sciences Institute had 22
faculty, staff, post doc and graduate student trainees go out to 4
elementary schools in Vancouver and North Vancouver this past week. We
spent an hour in each of several classes in each school, reaching ~290
students ranging from grade 2 to grade 7 with 15 minute talks on
microbes and the immune system. We followed this with hands on
workshops showing them hematopoietic cell colonies, bacterial colonies
and viral plaque assays under microscopes. We illustrated how prevalent
the microbial world was around them by helping them take sample swabs
then finished by showing them how unwitting contact with "GloGerm", a
harmless, invisible fluorescent teaching aid, can spread from surface
to their hands. We left them information postcards we designed that had
intriguing immune facts and weblinks to useful sites including CSI and
EFIS's web exhibits. We sought this age group which is the target
vaccination age and took the opportunity to illustrate the immune
system has memory and that vaccines enhance immune responses. We had
numerous queries and compliments from students, teachers and parents
after the fact and are happy the first event here was so successful. We
plan to continue these activities in coming years.
The CSI applauds this initiative and would
like to encourage our members to get involved in their local
areas. To facilitate involvement, we have created powerpoint
presentation slides adapted from European Day of Immunology
materials. These outreach materials have been made available
on our website for use by CSI members (in English or French).
The slides are intended as a resource for explaining the principles and
importance of immunology to the public, and can be freely modified or
adapted in any way. Examples of public outreach activities
can include public lectures in a university or primary / secondary
school setting, media announcements of research successes, or
publication of newspaper articles. With the support of our
membership, the CSI looks forward to introducing the Day of Immunology
to
North
America!
View powerpoint presentation here
(note: you must hold a current CSI membership to access this
presentation)
Let's Talk Science and Day of Immunology
Graduate
students in Toronto are participating in Let's Talk Science, a country
wide program of science outreach. Let's talk science and the Department
of Immunology at the University of Toronto are planning a series of
science outreach events in highschools for Day of Immunology
Let's
Talk Science (http://www.letstalkscience.ca/) is a
national science outreach initiative that is run out of university and
college campuses in all ten Canadian provinces. Let's Talk Science
strives to improve Science literacy through leadership, innovative
educational programs, research and advocacy. We motivate and empower
youth to use science, technology and engineering to develop critical
skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to thrive in our world. Graduate
student volunteers from the University of Toronto St. George campus
site have reached over 2500 children and youth from kindergarten to
grade 12 this academic year.
This year,
Let's Talk Science is partnering with the Department of Immunology at
the University of Toronto to run an Immunology Outreach day in high
school classrooms across the greater Toronto area. Over 30 faculty,
students and post-doctoral fellows of the Immunology Department have
been planning the event and will be working first hand in the classroom
to help commemorate International Immunology Day on April 29th(
http://www.dayofimmunology.org) For the event we have planned two
activities. The first is a basic introduction to immunology for grade 9
students. In this activity, the students will learn basic knowledge
about the immune system and how it applies to infection and disease.
The second activity for grade 12 students is a more in depth look into
immune development. The students will take a look at "a day in the life
of an immune cell" and understand where the cells come from and how
they function specifically during infection. With huge success in
volunteer turn out and enthusiasm from high schools across the board,
we in the Department of Immunology are looking forward to bringing our
love of science and the immune system to the students, and empowering
them to pursue the field further in their undergraduate
degrees.
Seminars of General Interest
Public
education
seminar
on
Immune responses to Hepatitis C virus in First
Nations people. Prepared and provided by Julia
Rempel, University of
Manitoba
The
authors of this presentation have graciously given permission for CSI
members to use this presentation in whole or part. British Society for
Immunology:
"Nature's Self Defence" presentation for
secondary students.
The American
Society for Cell Biology offer seminars on science for general
audiences. A few of the seminars are relevant to the study of
immunology. Visit: http://ascb.org/ibioseminars/
to access these seminars. Below is a list of the seminars most
relevant:
- Norma Andrews - Leishmania and T cruzi infections
- David Baltimore - HIV
- Joe DeRisi - Malaria
- Stan Falkow - Host-Pathogen interations
- John McKinney - Tuberculosis
Immunological Research in Canada
Immunology
1930-1980: Essays on the History of Immunology, Pauline
Mazumdar, ed., Toronto: Wall and Thompson, 1989, ix + 307 p.,
CBMH/BCHM, Vol. 7: 1990, p. 109-10. Immunology has a
long pre-history, but its history as a separate discipline is quite
short.
Read this
article.
Links to Canadian Immunology Departments
CIHR National Training Program in Allergy and
Asthma
Dalhousie University, Department of Microbiology and
Immunology
McGill
University, Microbiology and Immunology Department
Memorial University of Newfoundland, Immunology and
Infectious Diseases
Queen's
University, Department of Microbiology &
Immunology
Université
Laval, Département de biochimie et de
microbiologie
University of
Alberta Department of Medical Microbiology and
Immunology
University of Alberta Immunology Network
University of
British Columbia, Microbiology & Immunology
University of Calgary, CIHR Training
Program
University of
Calgary, Immunology Research Group
University of Manitoba, Immunology
Department
University of
Montreal, Microbiology and Immunology Department
University
of Ottawa, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology
University of Saskatchewan, Immunology Research
Group
University of Saskatchewan, Medicine
University of Saskatchewan, Veterinary Medicine
University of Toronto Immunology
Department
University of Western Ontario, Department of
Microbiology and Immunology
Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization
Canadian Research Centres
BC Cancer
Agency's Trev & Joyce Deeley Research Centre,
Victoria
The Biomedical Research Centre, UBC
Research Programs of Interest
Anaphylaxis Canada (outlining
some clinical immunology research and how the public can
participate)
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