Tsushima, professor in 91亚色鈥檚 Department of Biology, holds a Career Investigator Award from the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario. His research program investigates the molecular and cellular basis of heart and pancreatic islet function, with implications for addressing heart disease and diabetes. He has been supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Heart聽& Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Robert Tsushima

Prior to joining 91亚色 in 2007, Professor Tsushima was a faculty member for eight years at the University of Toronto. He received his PhD in pharmacology from the University of Western Ontario, followed by postdoctoral training at Northwestern University in Chicago and Toronto General Hospital.

He has served on national and provincial grant review panels, including those of the CIHR, Heart聽& Stroke Foundation, Canadian Diabetes Association, Alberta Heritage Medical Research Foundation and Banting Foundation, and reviewed for numerous international granting agencies. He is currently on the editorial board of the American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism.

鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted to have an academic of Professor Tsushima鈥檚 distinction joining us in this role,鈥� said Don Hastie, interim dean, Faculty of Science & Engineering. 鈥淗e has already contributed much to the Faculty and to 91亚色 as a whole. We look forward to working with him as we continue to shape and build our research program.鈥�

Tsushima replaces Professor Imogen Coe, who will relocate to Ryerson University as the founding Dean of Science, effective Aug. 1.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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Physicians and clinicians from , and researchers from 91亚色, will speak at an open house Monday about how they are working together 鈥� in the hospital and in laboratories 鈥� to answer these types of questions.

The researchers, physicians and clinicians will be available to speak to reporters about their projects, which include:

• research with the chronic disease, emergency medicine and surgical departments at Southlake to understand how the brain controls complex movements, shedding light on topics ranging from dementia to concussion.
• improved surveillance of cardiovascular disease in 91亚色 Region through the use of geospatial analysis, which applies statistical analysis techniques to geographically-based data.
• investigation of the use of Blackberry smartphones and innovative software to help patients reduce health risks through exercise, diet and improve adherence to medication regimens.
• collaboration with cardiac care and oncology clinicians to develop a more personalized approach for targeting the drugs that are used by individuals with cancer and heart disease.

Four research scientists from 91亚色鈥檚 and have been designed to improve patient care and outcomes, and improve use of technology in the delivery of health care.

Southlake serves 1.5 million people through its regional programs and provides tertiary level care in many areas, offering almost unlimited opportunities for research collaboration between Southlake and 91亚色.

What:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Southlake Regional Health Centre welcomes 91亚色 research scientists in a celebration event that will highlight the efforts of this partnership.
When:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Monday, May 9, 2011, 5:30 鈥� 7:30
Where: 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Southlake Regional Health Centre, Auditorium, Level 1, East Building

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of Southlake Regional Health Centre's Corporate Communications department and Media Relations at 91亚色.

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It will not only ensure patients receive leading-edge care but help build a reputation for excellence at the hospital, the [91亚色 Central] chief of emergency medicine says. And that's why he is participating in the initiative.

Knowledge translation, Ghosh explains, makes that important link between research and its application in health care. "We know there is good evidence-based, science-based research that has not been translated into clinical practice," he says. "A gap exists."

To narrow that gap, 91亚色 Central Hospital made a decision to forge a collaborative effort with 91亚色 about two years ago. Researchers with a specialty in two of YCH's areas of focus, seniors' health and chronic disease management, now have offices at the hospital.

For example, Dr. William Gage, whose research focuses on seniors' health, has connected 91亚色 Central staff with a 91亚色 researcher examining changes in motor performance among patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Researcher Sherry Grace [] worked with Tiziana Rivera, chief practice officer at 91亚色 Central and others on publishing a review of studies on women and cardiac rehabilitation, program adherence and preference for alternative models of care. YCH staff can use the information when setting rehabilitation programs for their female cardiac patients.

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People who have had chest pain or angina could also benefit, she says, and congenital heart patients are being tested to see how much rehab can help them, too.

"Rehab itself costs only $1,500 per patient, whereas a bypass surgery, for example, can cost $40,000 and up," said Grace, director of research for the cardiovascular rehabilitation and prevention program at Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. "So if we are by this $1,500 preventing a lot more bypass surgeries and re-hospitalizations down the road, it's a real win-win in terms of the cost benefit and the health-economics of chronic disease management and cardiac rehab."

The team studied 2,635 patients with coronary artery disease at 11 Ontario hospitals. The patients filled out surveys while in the hospital, their medical charts were studied, and more than 1,800 patients completed a follow-up survey a year later.

The about the study is available in the Research News section.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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Researchers explored multiple strategies to increase referrals to cardiac rehabilitation programs at 11 hospitals across Ontario, including using a discharge checklist for doctors, electronic referral in medical records and talking with patients at the bedside.

According to the study, 鈥�Effect of Cardiac Rehabilitation Referral Strategies on Utilization Rates鈥�, published in the Feb. 14 edition of the journal , a combined approach 鈥� a checklist or electronic referral and talking with patients 鈥� can increase referrals by 45 per cent. By targeting both health care providers and patients,聽more than聽70 per cent of patients enrol in cardiac rehab.

鈥淓very patient discharged from the hospital with a heart condition should be referred to a cardiac rehab program,鈥� says聽91亚色 kinesiology &聽health science聽Professor Sherry Grace, principal investigator and director of research for the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation & Prevention Program at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, which is part of the聽University Health Network in Toronto.

鈥淐ardiac rehab is a key component of the continuum of cardiac care. We shouldn鈥檛 just discharge patients from the hospital without ensuring there is a link to these proven rehab services to support patients in their recovery,鈥� says Grace.

Cardiac rehabilitation offers a comprehensive approach to health by combining medical treatments and lifestyle modification.聽Patients are able to benefit from a variety of services, including: education sessions, nutritional assessment with a dietitian, risk factor treatment (hypertension, cholesterol and smoking cessation) by physicians and nurse practitioners, medication review with a pharmacist, targeted exercise prescription by an exercise physiologist, nurse or kinesiologist and supervised exercise.

indicate that participating in cardiac rehab after a cardiac illness, such as a heart attack, can reduce the risk of death by approximately 25 per cent, a reduction similar to that of other standard therapies such as cholesterol-lowering medications (statins) and aspirin. In spite of this evidence, only 20 to 30 per cent of patients are referred to a cardiac rehabilitation program after hospital discharge, a phenomenon observed in many countries.

Joe Walters, 55, lost 30 pounds through the centre鈥檚 Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Toronto Western Hospital (TWH) after having being diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat in August 2009.

鈥淭he cardiac rehab program was truly motivational. It opened my eyes to the number of people who have heart problems like me, and it was refreshing to know it came with a built-in support network,鈥� says聽Walters, who notes work-related stress contributed to his weight gain and heart trouble. 鈥淚 highly recommend a cardiac rehab program for anyone with a heart condition.鈥�

Walters graduated from the program in April 2010, but continues to attend classes to keep the weight off.

Dr. Caroline Chessex, medical doctor and clinical director of the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation聽& Prevention Program at the centre, is part of a multidisciplinary team who treats patients like聽Walters by developing a personalized exercise program tailored to each patient's cardiac risk profile.

鈥淥ur goal is to develop strategies for patients to reduce or eliminate their risk of coronary artery disease, prevent or minimize hospitalization, decrease mortality and improve quality of life,鈥� says Chessex, noting that patients can prolong their life and reduce their risk of having a second heart attack, or needing a second heart surgery.

Beyond the physical and psychological benefits, cardiac rehabilitation saves money.聽Cardiac bypass surgery, the most common type of open-heart surgery, costs approximately $23,000 for each patient, but rehabilitation costs $1,000 to 1,500 per patient.

鈥淭he return on investment is obvious. Focusing on expensive cardiac interventions and then discharging patients without a systematic approach for support just doesn鈥檛 make sense,鈥� says Grace. 聽鈥淐ardiac rehab is the right step towards prevention and it saves money.鈥�

The (CIHR) and the 聽 funded this study.

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The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has awarded 91亚色 $274,689 in infrastructure funding to support the research of three 91亚色 professors.

,聽professor in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science in 91亚色's Faculty of Health and a member of the Muscle Health Research Centre, will receive $79,260 to support his research on muscle microcirculation in health and diseases. Birot鈥檚 research examines how peripheral vascular disease (PVD) affects key molecular mechanisms that regulate the formation of blood vessels in muscles. PVD is characterized by insufficient blood supply in leg muscles, leading to suffering, reduced mob ility and eventually amputation. 聽PVD affects more than one million Canadians and is a frequent complication for patients with obesity, Type 2 diabetes or chronic heart failure.

Right: Olivier Birot

Nicholas Cepeda, professor in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Health, will receive $100,777 to establish a developmental cognitive neuroscience laboratory for research on learning and memory, cognitive flexibility and musical training. His research has shown a 300 per cent improvement in students鈥� long-term recall of factual information, merely by changing the timing of when a particular curriculum item is taught and re-taught 鈭� with no increase in teaching time. The project鈥檚 musical training research will provide information about the brain functions of musicians and non-musicians, including processing speed, working memory, inhibition, attentional control and task-switching skills.

Left: Nicholas Cepeda

,聽professor and a Canadian Institutes聽of Health Research New Investigator in the聽Department of Biology in聽91亚色's , will receive $94,652 to support multi-faceted research in integrative neuroendocrinology and physiology. His research on the neuroendocrine regulation of growth, reproduction and body weight in fish could help aquaculture industry to improve the feeding, growth and reproduction of cultured fish. The funding also provides critical equipment for cutting-edge research on the neuroendocrine defects underlying diabetes and obesity, and may help to develop innovative pharmacological and cell-based therapies to help Canadians and others in their fight against these metabolic diseases.

Left: Suraj Unniappan

鈥淭hese projects demonstrate 91亚色鈥檚 excellence in health and science research,鈥� said Stan Shapson, vice-president research & innovation. 鈥淭he questions Professor Birot's and Cepeda's projects explore concerning muscle health and learning and cognition reflect the relevance and disciplinary strengths of our psychology and kinesiology researchers, while Professor Unniappan's project illustrates the industrial applications that may flow from support for basic research. We fully support the importance of the CFI鈥檚 investments in state-of-the-art infrastructure and the world-class research they enable at 91亚色.鈥�

91亚色鈥檚 projects were part of a in 's Leaders Opportunity Fund, which provides Canadian researchers with the necessary tools to carry out a range of frontier research. The funding supports 339 leading researchers and 245 projects at 48 Canadian research institutions.

Gary Goodyear, minister of state (science聽& technology), made the announcement in Ottawa, Ontario on Jan.聽21. 鈥淪upporting science is key to Canada鈥檚 future economic growth,鈥� said Goodyear. 鈥淥ur government's commitment to helping universities attract and retain world-leading research talent will lead to discoveries that improve Canadians' quality of life and create new jobs."

鈥淎ccess to modern, cutting-edge equipment and facilities is imperative in the 21st century," said Gilles聽Patry, president聽& CEO of the CFI. 鈥淔or more than a decade, the CFI has provided thousands of world-class researchers with the tools they need to do their work. Without the right infrastructure, they simply wouldn't be in Canada.鈥�

A complete list of CFI recipients is available on the website.

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of Janice Walls and Melissa Hughes

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That鈥檚 what several 91亚色 researchers are hoping to find out. If successful, their Pre-Diabetes Detection and Physical Activity Intervention Delivery (PRE-PAID) Program could become the model for provincewide intervention.

91亚色 Professors Michael Riddell, Norman Gledhill, Veronica Jamnik, Chris Ardern, Jennifer Kuk and Paul Ritvo in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science鈥檚 Physical Activity & Chronic Disease Unit in the Faculty of Health, along with 91亚色聽PhD candidate Chip Rowan, PRE-PAID project coordinator, are now deep into Phase聽2 of their study and so far the results are promising. They have found there is an overwhelming need for programs such as PRE-PAID, as a high percentage of the participants tested already had pre-diabetes. In addition, there is a real lack of close and聽affordable fitness programs.

Right: From left, Michael Riddell, Veronica Jamnik, Chip Rowan and 91亚色 students and certified exercise physiologists Ajay Rampersad and Thomas Bok

The聽researchers also found that to reach people in high-risk areas聽they need to tap into existing social networks and聽make community contacts, as traditional media campaigns are not that helpful. With community engagement, they were able to increase their visibility and build partnerships to fight diabetes.

The goal of the PRE-PAID program is to identify those individuals from the highest risk populations, including Chinese, South Asian, African and African-Caribbean, who have pre-diabetes, and to provide them with targeted, accessible and monitored fitness programs, and hopefully prevent them from developing Type 2 diabetes.

It could save lives and millions of health-care dollars. Health-care costs for the treatment of persons with diabetes in Canada amounts to聽$9 billion annually. In recognition of this burden, the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care has made the treatment and management of diabetes a priority.

鈥淭he costs are聽anywhere between聽$2,000 and $15,000聽a year per person with diabetes in direct and indirect costs, but if we can get that down to around $200 a year in investment for those with pre-diabetes to prevent the disease, that would save a lot. Not only that, but we can probably prevent six cases out of 10,鈥� says Riddell. 鈥淲e have to show this model will work and will save money in the long run over the health-care costs caused by the complications of diabetes. If we invest now in treating pre-diabetes, it will cost less in the future.鈥�

Left: A participant undergoes a聽finger prick blood test to check sugar levels

The PRE-PAID Program has screened some 428 people, aged 35 to 64, from the communities of 91亚色, Jane and Finch, Malvern in Scarborough,聽and Agincourt for high risk, and are looking for more participants. A further 350 were given a finger-prick blood test, which measures the amount of sugar coating on red blood cells as a measure of average blood sugar control over the last three months. Of these, 238 were found to be pre-diabetic 鈥� all of whom were previously undiagnosed.

Right now, there is no outreach screening or treatment program in the province for people with pre-diabetes. This study, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and the Ontario Trillium Foundation, is an important step toward changing that, say Riddell and Rowan.

Through community partnerships, all of those screened through the PRE-PAID Program with pre-diabetes are being given educational training on diabetes prevention and are聽provided with accessible and culturally preferred exercise sessions for six months.

Right:聽PRE-PAID participants聽in a聽bollyfit class

鈥淭he advantage of having the study at 91亚色 is they can use the students from the School of Kinesiology to hold the classes and many of them are of the same ethnicity as the participants, so we鈥檙e breaking down some of the cultural and language barriers,鈥� says Rowan. 鈥淏ecause we are so multicultural here, that really works.鈥�

So instead of expecting study participants to join a gym and run on the treadmill for half an hour a day, the project聽offers things like bollyfit, socasize, reggaerobics, line dancing and tai chi in easily accessible community centres with certified exercise physiologists, for free. The participants are also asked to incorporate walking into their weekly routine.

Through the PRE-PAID Program, participants who have been identified as pre-diabetic are 鈥減rovided with the opportunity and the encouragement. Then we track them to see how they comply,鈥� says Rowan. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 going to be sustainable, they really have to make that decision and that commitment.鈥� The participants are assessed at the beginning, at three months and again at six months.

Some of the factors that stand in the way of participating in fitness programs are cost, time and priorities. 鈥淧eople are busy and have other pressing priorities, priorities we can鈥檛 even imagine,鈥� says Riddell. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to alleviate some of these barriers.鈥�

By looking at studies done in the United States, India and China, 鈥渨e know that by doing 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week, about 30 minutes a day, five days a week, we can lower the risk of developing diabetes from a state of pre-diabetes by about 50 per cent,鈥� says Riddell. 鈥淲hat is novel about this approach is we want to give them physical exercise that taps into culturally preferred activities. This is the first study I鈥檓 aware of that has done that.鈥�

The incidence of pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes continues to rise in Canada. It is estimated that about seven per cent (two million) of Canadians have diabetes with about half of them undiagnosed, while another five to seven per cent have pre-diabetes.

鈥淎ll the research has shown that exercise is the most effective preventative tool, even independent of dietary change,鈥� says Riddell. So it makes sense that people at the highest risk of becoming pre-diabetic would be caught early on.

The researchers are currently seeking funding for Phase聽3 of the project. In Phase聽3, the team will recruit an additional 500 to 1,000 subjects and will extend the eligible age range to 18 to 64, as recent findings have shown there is an increasing incidence of diabetes in young people.

The group is presenting some of their preliminary results at the International Congress聽on Physical Activity & Public Health, May 5 to 8 in Toronto.

For more information, visit the Diabetes Prevention Program Web site or contact Chip Rowan at 647-378-6777 or stopdiab@yorku.ca. For more information about diabetes, visit the Web site.

By Sandra McLean, YFile writer

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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