Debra Watterworth MRSc’16

While the Master of Rehabilitation Science program enables more leadership opportunities and career growth for graduates; few witness a newly created position within their field as Debra Watterworth MRSc’16 has.

As a Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist for the Chatham Kent Health Alliance, Watterworth is responsible for the development, implementation and delivery of the inpatient recovery program and champions the transformation to a recovery oriented model of care. This newly created position is directly a result of the pursuit of Watterworth’s dream of completing her Master’s degree.

Prior to undergoing her Master’s degree, Watterworth was working in a management position for the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) where she supervised crisis response teams, mental health and justice programs, central intake, and case management to name a few. Despite feeling nervous about returning to school after close to thirty years of being in the workforce, Watterworth decided to return to school and embark on her Master’s studies via the UBC Online Master of Rehabilitation Science program – a program that is designed for working health professionals, like Watterworth who wish to gain the knowledge to impact care and shape future practice.

Since completing her post-graduate degree, Watterworth has witnessed huge strides in herself both personally and professionally, gaining confidence in her contributions and credibility in her voice. While undergoing her studies, Watterworth completed a directed study, Recovery Practices: Opportunities for acute mental health. A literature review, which examines the current status of recovery oriented practices in acute mental health settings internationally. She is hopeful that this study will provide guidance to Canadian practitioners who are just beginning to implement recovery oriented practice within this setting. Learning to utilize research has allowed for Watterworth to provide support for new approaches and ideas, as well as negotiate ways to incorporate these into practice. Watterworth has since won the 2016 Canada Pioneer Ambassador Award for her work, speaking at conferences nationwide.

When reflecting on challenges faced during her studies, Watterworth recalls having to take a leave of absence and delay graduation due to health reasons. Nonetheless, Watterworth was able to transition back to her studies successfully. ‘The MRSc program has a very strong sense of community and I never felt alone or unaccompanied during my time as a learner.’ Watterworth overcame these obstacles, and now holds a position that did not previously exist in her workplace.

Watterworth finds true meaning in her work and hopes to do something significant that will improve the lives of those with mental illness during her lifetime. Her personal interests and hobbies include spending time with her new grandson, swimming and preserving memories through digital books and scrapbooking. When asked about her bucket list, she commented ‘I don’t actually have a bucket list, I just want to fill that bucket with as many happy memories as possible.’

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Greg Guilcher MedRes’07

Paediatric oncologist and UBC Medical Resident alumnus, Dr. Greg Guilcher leads the sickle cell blood and marrow transplant (BMT) program at the Alberta Children’s Hospital and is the founding Vice Chair of the newly created Sickle Transplant Alliance for Research (STAR). A non-profit organization dedicated to research on blood and marrow transplantation to cure sickle cell disease, with a mission ‘to enhance the lives of children suffering from sickle cell disease through blood and marrow transplantation,” STAR is making significant strides in bone marrow transplant treatments. Under the leadership of Guilcher, the Alberta Children’s Hospital plays a key role in the development and execution of sickle cell disease clinical trials, offering innovating therapies including bone marrow transplant options for those without sibling matches. The only Canadian team participating in STAR, Guilcher is placing the Alberta Children’s Hospital on the map as an internationally recognized leader for sickle cell research.

Looking back at his time completing his three year medical residency at BC Children’s Hospital, Guilcher recalls his time at UBC as poignant and impactful, which continues to influence his clinical work on bone marrow transplant (BMT) to this day. ‘The residency program at UBC is a world leader in both the respect and responsibility given to residents in their training. More than a place of learning, UBC was a place of collegiality, where I built lifelong personal and professional connections.’ When asked if there was anyone in particular who was influential during his time as a medical resident, without hesitation Guilcher identified sickle cell and bone marrow transplant leaders, Dr. John Wu and Dr. Jeffrey Davis as clinical faculty who inspired and fueled his passion for BMT research. ‘Both Wu and Davis gave me an opportunity to become involved as a resident and really develop my passion and interest in the areas of oncology and hematology.’

Through Guilcher’s leadership within BMT research and the STAR program, the Alberta Children’s Hospital has successfully cured sickle cell anaemia in thirteen children, which involves a bone marrow donation from a sibling match. The odds a patient has such a sibling are one in five. In partnership through STAR, Guilcher is working among other pediatric haematologists across North America to improve the transplant process, reduce potential side effects and track long term impacts of therapy.

Guilcher attributes the foundation of the STAR program in Canada and working with his team at the Alberta Children’s Hospital amongst his greatest achievements to date (aside from his three children). When he’s not working to cure sickle cell disease, Guilcher enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and family, curling and following rugby. Items on his bucket list include travelling the Trans-Siberian Railway and expanding accessibility of BMT therapies for sickle cell disease to developing countries.

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CBR Research Day

CBR Research Day took place on August 16 at UBC Point Grey Campus to celebrate the end of the CBR Summer Studentship Program, where undergraduate students undertake a summer project in a clinic or a lab under the supervision of one of the CBR PIs or postdoctoral fellows. All program participants presented their summer work with a powerpoint or a poster presentation. This day was an amazing training opportunity for undergraduate students involved in the CBR research to practice their presentation skills and for CBR trainees to learn about each others work.

Videos

Watch recordings of the talks by clicking here

Photos

Photos from the event are available on our Facebook Page

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Dr. Steven Narod, MD’79 wins prestigious Killam Prize for Health Sciences

Photo credit: Credit: MCpl Vincent Carbonneau, Rideau Hall © OSGG, 2016

Dr. Steven Narod MD’79, Women’s College Hospital senior scientist and a Tier One Canada Research Chair in Breast Cancer, has been awarded the prestigious Killam Prize for Health Sciences by the Canadian Council for the Arts. Each year, the Council recognizes leading Canadian scholars who demonstrate exceptional career achievements. This award is in recognition of Dr. Narod’s revolutionary contributions to advancing our global understanding of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers through his more than 20 years of research. Dr. Narod proudly accepted his award on May 3 from the Governor General, The Right Honourable David Johnston, in Ottawa at Rideau Hall.

“I am honoured to be recognized by the Canadian Council for the Arts with this award,” said Dr. Steven Narod, Women’s College Hospital senior scientist. “I have spent the last 30 years trying to understand hereditary breast and ovarian cancer by studying generations of affected women. We have had some successes in the prevention and treatment of these cancers but there is more to be done. Over the next few years I hope to focus on early stages of breast cancer and breast cancer in young women.”

For more than 20 years at Women’s College Hospital, Dr. Narod has dedicated himself to advancing the health of women. His groundbreaking, innovative research has led to numerous discoveries – including the BRCA 1 and 2 mutations. He studies various aspects of cancer genetics, including prevention, screening and treatment. Dr. Narod has identified genetic mutations in a number of ethnic populations, including people of French-Canadian, Bahamian and Ashkenazi Jewish descent. His database of over 15,000 women with mutations from 30 countries supports numerous international collaborations. He has leadership roles in genetic cancer studies in North America, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. Currently, his studies focus on chemoprevention and MRI surveillance as an alternative to preventive surgeries as a means of reducing breast cancer risk and mortality.

With more than 700 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Narod is one of the most published and highly cited cancer researchers in the world. In 2012, Dr. Narod was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

“We are very proud of Dr. Narod’s work in deepening our knowledge about hereditary breast and ovarian cancer,” said Dr. Paula Rochon, vice president, research, at Women’s College Hospital. “His work has undoubtedly saved the lives of countless women in Canada and around the world. To be named a Killam Laureate is truly a prestigious honour and one well-deserved by Steven.”

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