Professional Documents
Culture Documents
UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA
Immunologists:
Creating Cellular
Harmony
inside:
NSERC PRESIDENT
SUZANNE FORTIER
RESEARCHERS BACK ON
TRACK AFTER THE FIRE
ENDING THE VIOLENCE
36 ResearchLIFE | WINTER 2010
WITH RESOLVE
BOOKS New Titles From Leading Researchers
Message
FROM THE VICE-PRESIDENT
(RESEARCH)
Research impacts every aspect of our daily lives.
There are the immediate tangible benefits such
as vaccines and new drugs, and improving the
makeup of seeds so that farmers can produce
more and higher quality crops that feed us.
The less visible impacts of research include
the economic stimulus it provides to the local
and national economies of countries around the
world. The skilled team members that form the
research teams, the supplies and equipment, and
sometimes new space that require construction,
all provide the economic fuel for prosperity.
Two new research team members that have
recently joined me in leading the research activi-
ties of the University of Manitoba are Drs. Gary
Glavin and Janice Ristock. They assumed the
positions of Associate Vice-President (Research)
and bring years of experience and expertise in
medical and social sciences research, respectively.
The diversity of life is reflected in the research
conducted at the University of Manitoba. In this
issue, you will find many examples of this diver-
sity. From immunologists working on cells at the
microscopic level seeking answers to diseases like
leukemia and breast cancer, to the impact that
domestic violence has on women’s lives and the
creative work that is helping to mend the spirits
of Aboriginal female artists.
I invite you to turn the pages and get a glimpse
of what our researchers and students are doing to
make a difference in lives around the world.
Inside
11
IMMUNOLOGISTS: CREATING
CELLULAR HARMONY
The mysteries of why one person contracts a disease
18 25 29
or not, and why, when they do they respond differ-
ently to it, permeate the work of immunologists at the 9 ONE MIND MANY INSIGHTS
University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Suzanne Fortier, President of the Natural Sciences and
BY JANINE HARASYMCHUK Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
Happenings..................... 3 Viewpoint...................... 22
Kudos............................. 5 Spotlight on Students.... 23
Centres & Institutes........ 8 Creative Works............. 29
Hot off the Presses........ 15 On the Horizon.............. 33
Ideas to Innovation......... 17 Just the Facts............... 34
ResearchLIFE
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CONTRIBUTORS
CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: Katie Chalmers-Brooks
Lindsay Fagundes
UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA Janine Harasymchuk
Research Communications Kathryn Drepko
& Marketing Arezoo Emadi
540 Machray Hall Grace Nickel
Winnipeg, MB Canada R3T 2N2 Tara Reich
Tel 204-474-7300 • Fax 204-261-0325
ResearchLIFE@umanitoba.ca PHOTOGRAPHY
Katie Chalmers-Brooks
HARVESTING
IDEAS WITH INDIA
PEN WAS PUT TO PAPER in develop new programs and
New Delhi, this past July, courses; conduct research,
on a new memorandum lectures and training;
of understanding with share research materials;
the Indian Institute of and provide students and
Crop Processing Technol- faculty with exchange
Trio of
for Health Policy and pioneered the use of
administrative data to identify the health-
care use patterns of Manitobans over the
Fellows
past three decades.
Stewart, professor in the Clayton H.
Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth,
and Resources is a global leading expert
on precipitation processes within winter
storms.
Three University of Manitoba professors—Digvir Jayas, Noralou Standing, Professor Emeritus in the
Roos, Ronald Stewart—were elected to the Royal Society of Canada Faculty of Science, is internationally
(RSC), the country’s most prestigious association of scholars and renowned for innovations in time-of-flight
mass spectrometry that have provided
scientists. Election to the society is the highest honour a scholar
significant improvements in methods for
can achieve in the arts, humanities and sciences. Professor Emeritus characterizing large biomolecules.
Kenneth Standing received the Sir John William Dawson Medal.
The newly elected fellows, while coming and vice-president (research), is a world TOP ACHIEVER IN HEALTH RESEARCH
from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, renowned leader in grain storage research,
are all dedicated to achieving excellence in striving to reduce losses in grain quality PROFESSOR STEPHEN MOSES’
their own endeavours, and thus enhancing and quantity during storage in farm and research proving male circumcision re-
Canada’s competitiveness on a global basis. commercial systems. duces the risk of HIV infection was named
Jayas, Distinguished Professor in the Roos, professor in the Faculty of one of the ‘Top Canadian Achievements in
Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Medicine, founded the Manitoba Centre Health Research.’ Moses was one of eight
Katie Chalmers-Brooks
5 ResearchLIFE | WINTER
SUMMER2010
2009
“Top Canadian Achievement in
Health Research” award recipient,
Stephen Moses
HEALTHY?
WITH H1N1 ON THE RISE IN MANITOBA it was important in health services, population, and public health research, in
for health officials to know as much as possible about the virus, addition to acknowledging the accomplishments that have
but more importantly how emergency departments and clinics helped keep MCHP at the forefront of its field.
could best treat patients and control the outbreak. The Manitoba MCHP is located within the Faculty of Medicine’s Department
Centre for Health Policy (MCHP) works to provide accurate of Community Health Sciences. Their team includes researchers,
and timely information to healthcare providers, analysts and graduate students, analysts and support staff who partner with
decision-makers on issues such as emergency room usage and experts from Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia.
immunization patterns so policy makers can help keep Manito- The team of specialists is directed by Patricia Martens, associate
bans healthy. professor and senior research scientist.
The team at MCHP have been tackling the big healthcare Researchers want to know what makes people healthy, and are
issues and making sense of scores of collected medical data for zeroing in on determinants like income, education, employment
two decades. Their research illustrates who visits emergency and social conditions. MCHP collects and maintains a world-
departments, why and how often, and in the process helps the class comprehensive data repository on behalf of the Province
healthcare system provide better care for patients while minimiz- of Manitoba that is used by the local, national and international
ing costs. The reports from MCHP also show the links between research community. MCHP’s aim is to learn the factors that in-
health, income and area of residence; as income level goes up, fluence peoples’ health and work with policy makers in Manitoba
so does health. This insight will help educate health and social to improve our healthcare and social systems.
policy makers with evidence-informed analysis to improve the “Our healthcare system is a very good one,” says Martens. “We
health of the population of Manitoba. need to preserve its best characteristics—effective care, universal
A leader in population and public health research, MCHP will access, public funding—while focusing less on illness and more
celebrate its 20th anniversary this spring with an international on what makes people healthy through various public health
conference at the Fort Garry Hotel. The two-day event, sched- and social programs. The centre’s work can play a part in that
uled for March 8 and 9, 2010 will bring together investigators future.” n
and policy-makers from around the world to explore innovations
9 Research
ResearchLIFE
LIFE | |SUMMER
WINTER 2009
2010
A crystallographer by training, she specializes in the development of mathematical and artificial intelligence
methodologies for protein structure determination and crystallographic data mining. Her work as an
academic has been recognized with many awards including the Clara Benson Award for distinguished
contributions to chemistry by a woman (1997), the Entrepreneurship Award from Communications and
Information Technology Ontario (1997), the Queen’s University Distinguished Service Award (2005), and
an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia (June 2006).
Immunologists:
CREATING CELLULAR
HARMONY
Antibiotic hand cleansers, face masks, coughing into
elbows, whether to get the ‘shot’ or not—these poten-
tial flu fighters have preoccupied conversations, media
stories and the world, for the past six months. The
mysteries of why one person contracts a disease or not,
and why, when they do they respond differently to it,
BY JANINE permeate the work of immunologists at the University
HARASYMCHUK of Manitoba’s Faculty of Medicine.
Katie Chalmers-Brooks
Katie Chalmers-Brooks
they approach problem solving—is one
of their unique strengths. “This diversity
creates a remarkable harmony within the
department,” says Redwan Moqbel, profes-
sor and, since 2008, head of the depart-
ment. “We are not a uniform department.
We are like an orchestra—made up of so tates that at the fundamental level. Not scientific processes. Funding for the new
many different instruments—yet produc- just faculty interacting with faculty, but immunology department space was pro-
ing a harmonious sound at the end, much students and technicians interacting with vided by a combination of support from
like the cells in our body working together each other and with faculty,” says Aaron the Winnipeg Partnership Agreement
in harmony to maintain health and well- Marshall, associate professor and Canada ($1.6 million), the University of Manitoba,
ness. But when they don’t, that’s where Research Chair in Molecular Immunology. the Faculty of Medicine, the private sector,
immunology comes into play: Finding the “A student can struggle with something a generous donation from the Olenick
answers.” for a long time but if they can step over to family plus contributions from faculty
Moqbel is an international authority on the next lab bench, talk to someone else or members within the Department of
the immunobiology of asthma and, in par- have someone show them, they can save Immunology.
ticular, human eosinophils (white blood so much time. Working in isolation on Afshin Raouf, assistant professor, stem
cells) and their role in airway disease. He your own specific issue you may think that cell biologist, and the newest member
investigates the roles and relationships you’re the only one in the world strug- of the team says, “I was attracted to this
of these cells in the immune response of gling with this: just having that support to position by the very strong scholarly work
individuals with allergic asthma, seeking consult with someone else a step away is of the department. The approaches taken
solutions that would regulate dysfunc- hugely important. Plus, not all collabora- in problem-solving are similar to my own
tioning cells and ultimately relieve their tions are initiated by professors; they are and this supportive environment allows
symptoms. The diverse areas of research often initiated by students. That’s a thing new faculty members to flourish, learn the
represented by the 25 faculty members of beauty when it happens.” ropes from senior faculty members who
(including cross-appointed faculty) and Moqbel emphasizes the impact of this can be a guiding beacon to students and
the more than 40 graduate students, post- unrestrictive environment on collabora- faculty alike.”
doctoral fellows and research associates, tion. “I believe that research is not only “Another significant thing that attracted
range from immune responses to parasitic an intellectual effort, it is a social process me to this position is this department’s
organisms, and diseases like asthma, also. When you have a group of people strong undergraduate and graduate pro-
allergy, leukemia, and breast cancer. who interact comfortably with each other gram. In this department, students receive
The collaborations that come out of you get a lot more ideas and you get a lot a very competitive cutting-edge training
such a varied pool of researchers are more done, because the collaboration is that makes them better students, and in
facilitated by the new space in the Apotex seamless. And when I say seamless, I actu- return, I get the benefit of that expertise,
Centre. The open concept, which many ally mean that; there are no minor barriers which makes my job as a researcher easier.
newer laboratories are moving towards that you have to cross to collaborate with Their expertise enhances the interactions
both nationally and internationally, anyone in our group. That, for me, makes I have with these students and allows us
provides the opportunity for researchers us a unique department.” to get into very difficult and complex
and student trainees to work side-by-side In addition to the 18,000-square-foot biological questions.”
and learn from each other. laboratory and teaching space, an For Raouf, those complex issues involve
“Our group has always interacted atrium area provides the place where breast cancer stem cells. Stem cells are our
so well. Now, we have space that facili- the social processes complement the body’s spare-part factories that are respon-
Katie Chalmers-Brooks
to study a parasitic subtropical disease is going to contribute to their reputation
like this? Because we can learn a lot about and ultimately provide the country with
host-pathogen interactions from these the people who will be finding cures and
parasites. Some people become very sick developing vaccines in the future,” he says.
from this disease and others do not. Why? The new physical space no doubt has
If we can find those connections it will an impact on the research happening at
lead us to a vaccine to prevent the develop- the centre. Marshall notes. “The new
ment of the disease. And this model could space and attention that has come with it
be applied to other insect-borne diseases, has, of course, provided a psychological
like West Nile Virus.” boost. But we’ve been doing what counts
“It would be easy to look at things from long before the success of this new space.
a narrow aspect, but I like the holistic What’s real is what we discover and the
approach we are using here by looking at contributions we make to moving the field
things from different areas of perspective.” forward. The space provides an advantage
Moqbel says the department puts a big to us but also raises the bar in terms of
emphasis on their trainees – both graduate what we will do in the future. Faculty and
students and postdoctoral fellows. The students alike are aware of this challenge
department is associated with the National and welcome and embrace the opportu-
Training Program in Allergy and Asthma, nity this presents.”
and they’re now creating their own Man- Uzonna echoes the sentiment. “One
itoba-based training program in allergy of the reasons I wake up every day, why I
and inflammation. “Students represent the want to come here to work, is to con-
next generation of immunologists. If they tinue the excellence that we have thus far
choose to come to this department, they achieved – and to surpass it.”
will experience the best three to five years
Botar
MONITORING IN CANADA lar at the enduring influence of political artist in Canada,
(LexisNexis Canada, 2009) geography and political culture, as well resulting in an
as the impact of leadership, campaign inventive, highly
Hungarian-born Andor Weininger (1899-1986) was a recognized figure at
TECHNOLOGY
an inventive, highly eclectic and often strikingly beautiful oeuvre. The recovery
of this oeuvre to Canadian art began when the foundation set up in his memory
donated important groups of his works to The Art Gallery of Ontario, The Robert
McLaughlin Gallery and Gallery One One One at the University of Manitoba.
In this volume, Oliver Botar both documents these donations and takes a close
look at Weininger in Canada, attempting to understand how the career of one A Bauhausler in Canada
PRINTEd IN HUNGARY
FOR MONITOR-
artists during an eventful period, thereby recovering a significant piece of the
still-laconic puzzle that is the history of Canadian Modernism.
ING employees
dESGIN
changes constantly. interviews with Manitobans, conducted this oeuvre to
Employers have between 1999 and 2007. He analyzes Canadian art began when the foundation
reason to worry about voter age, gender, income, education, and set up in his memory donated important
potential liability geographic location to determine how groups of his works to The Art Gallery of
for their employees’ Manitobans vote. In the process Adams Ontario, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery
actions. Recent cases and media reports dispels some commonly held beliefs and Gallery One One One at the Univer-
show that employees do sometimes break about party supporters and identifies sity of Manitoba.
the law or reveal confidential information recurring themes in voter behaviour. In this volume, Oliver Botar both
over the Internet – whether inadvertently documents these donations and takes
or deliberately. A BAUHAUSLER IN CANADA: a close look at Weininger in Canada,
Tracking employees’ activities can ANDOR WEININGER IN THE ‘50S attempting to understand how the career
seem like an ideal solution to protect (Gallery One One One, School of Art, of one of the most significant Modern-
company interests and prevent lawsuits, University of Manitoba and The ists ever to have settled here could have
along with avoiding damaging publicity Robert McLaughlin Gallery, 2009) gone so wrong. In doing so, he narrates
and loss of goodwill. But monitoring may the shifting loyalties of Canadian abstract
Curated by Oliver Botar • school of art
raise more issues than it resolves: Which artists during an eventful period, thereby
methods are reasonable? What activities recovering a significant piece of the
HUNGARIAN-BORN ANDOR
should be monitored? When can employ- still-laconic puzzle that is the history of
WEININGER (1899-1986) was a rec-
ees assert privacy rights? Who will review Canadian Modernism.
ognized figure at the Bauhaus, the most
the recorded data? Is the expense of influential art and design school of the
monitoring employees cost-efficient? 20th century. TALES FROM THE UNDERWORLD
The Law of Employee Monitoring In Weimar Germany he was known AND OTHER STORIES
in Canada is the first book to focus ex- for his innovative theatre design and (Heartland Associates, 2009)
clusively on this topic. Melanie Bueckert for the establishment of the celebrated Roland Penner • law
addresses concerns for both unionized Bauhaus Band. After his arrival to
and non-unionized workplaces in juris- Toronto in 1951, it seemed as though he TALES FROM THE
dictions across Canada. would integrate into the burgeoning city’s UNDERWORLD
emergent Modernist art scene, but after and Other Stories is a
POLITICS IN MANITOBA: PARTIES, initial successes, Weininger’s Canadian unique and fascinat-
LEADERS, AND VOTERS career faltered. His correspondence with ing collection of more
(University of Manitoba Press, 2008) Bauhaus figures such as Walter Gropius than 200 stories and
Christopher Adams and Xanti Schawinsky mirrored his anecdotes—some
• marketing (University of Manitoba frustration at this lack of acceptance. funny, some tragic,
and University of Winnipeg) Soon after receiving Canadian citizenship some bizarre, all
in 1957, Weininger and his family moved based on interviews and correspondence
POLITICS IN on to New York City. Since the 1960s his with 80 Manitoba lawyers and retired
MANITOBA IS the works have been included in many major judges. Included are chapters about the
first comprehensive international exhibitions. His art is rep- legendary Sam Freedman and Harry
review of the Mani- resented in the collections of the MOMA Walsh, the mysterious murder of a Win-
toba party system that and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in nipeg heiress in Florida, and a fatal duel
combines history and New York, the Busch-Reisinger Museum in a blizzard in Northern Manitoba—as
contemporary public at Harvard University, and in a number of well as anecdotes on the often humorous
opinion data to reveal European collections. and sometimes testy relationship between
the political and voter What this book reveals, is that judges and lawyers, and lawyers and their
trends that have shaped the province of despite his marginalization in Toronto, clients. n
Manitoba over the past 130 years. Weininger enjoyed his most produc-
Making waves
Katie Chalmers-Brooks
BY JANINE HARASYMCHUK
SMARTPARK, THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA’S research sion of Phase Two, Smartpark is set to make even more waves.
and technology park is the talk of the town, so to speak. Another one-of-a-kind research facility will begin construc-
There are currently 20 tenants in the park and new tion on the southeast corner of Smartpark in early 2010: the
construction and expansions abound. Monsanto is Sea-ice Environmental Research Facility (SERF). SERF is an out-
expanding, Cangene is renovating and expanding, and door sea-ice pond that will grow sea ice under semi-controlled
conditions. By adding various ingredients into artificial seawater
RTDS Technologies is building their new office space on
and with the help of the mighty Winnipeg winter, different types
stilts—over a retention pond.
of sea ice will be grown in the facility. This will allow the research
RTDS Technologies’ office space has presented some
team, led by Professor Feiyue Wang in the Clayton H. Riddell
construction challenges: the need to drain the pond to install the
Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources, to study the
steel piles across the basin that would hold up the space is just
processes associated with the growth and melting of sea ice and
one. But designers and engineers have been up to the task.
to develop satellite remote sensing techniques that can be used to
One unique design feature has been the floor to ceiling glass
forecast Arctic sea ice conditions.
windows. Placing them has required the use of a pontoon/barge
“We will be able to study the fundamental processes govern-
that carries the necessary scaffolding to reach the windows.
ing the cycling of greenhouse gases and chemical contaminants
There is a boat on hand to assist and be there should someone
in the sea ice environment. When integrated with field studies
fall off the scaffolding into the water and require assistance.
in the Arctic Ocean, these experiments conducted at SERF will
“As one looks at the building spanning the pond, the pan-
improve our ability to predict the impact of the rapid sea-ice loss
oramic view from the reflective glass curtain wall windows is
on climate, ecosystems and human use of sea ice,” says Wang.
amazing, the reflection provides an extension of the landscape
SERF is expected to
giving the appearance of a building floating over water,” says
be operational in the
Larry Paskaruk, Smartpark’s director of property development
fall of 2010. It is funded
and management. RTDS is set to take possession in early 2010.
by the Canada Founda-
There are 25 research and technology parks in Canada,
tion for Innovation, the
according to the Association of University Research Parks
Manitoba Research
Canada (AURP Canada). During its first five years, Smartpark
and Innovation Fund,
has stimulated over $100 million in capital developments and
and the University of
currently employs 1,000 people. With the recent injection of $2.5
Manitoba. n
million from the Knowledge Infrastructure Program for expan-
Katie Chalmers-Brooks
xxxxxx
Terry Dick visits the Duff Roblin Building for
the first time since the fire. He hasn’t looked
at any of the aftermath photos because, he
explains, he’s not the type of person “to
gawk at accidents.”
Katie Chalmers-Brooks
Terry Dick leans back in his office chair, his hands bracing his head, his left leg supporting his right. His
gaze fixes on the empty ceiling. As the 69-year-old researcher, a well-known expert in parasitology and
aquatic ecosystems, recounts what he lost in the Duff Roblin Building fire last March his voice weakens
and his eyes begin to tear. Dick admits he doesn’t like talking about its impact and even seven months
after his laboratory was incinerated has yet to do so, even with his closest colleagues or his wife.
The flames destroyed 37 years of The fire started in Dick’s fourth-floor “As a scientist it takes a lot of indi-
original data Dick had gathered in rivers lab. The culprit was a trivial item: an vidual effort. You’ve got to like yourself,”
and lakes and oceans across Canada, the overheated extension cord attached to a says the Ontario-born professor, who was
fodder of major studies and the building fridge. Damage to the 180,000 square- raised on a farm and received his first
blocks of an impressive career. Scores of foot building could reach $50 million and degree in forestry but was turned off by
samples of the endangered lake sturgeon is expected to result in the largest post- clear-cutting.
were also lost. His extensive personal secondary insurance claim in Canadian “I liked trees too much,” says Dick,
library—lovingly grown over three history. who eventually discovered ecology and
decades to include some 20 books in It happened on a Saturday, around zoology.
which he wrote chapters—are gone too. lunchtime, March 28. Dick was alone Dick smelled smoke but at first saw
To make matters worse, Dick’s lab served in a lab down the hall from his own. nothing. He called to report the odour
as a depository over the years for retiring His hobby was his work and he came in and within moments the fire alarm
and equally accomplished professors, in every weekend. The father of two adult sounded. He watched in horror as a mas-
addition to many graduate students. His children—both medical doctors as well sive black cloud swallowed the hallway
most recent master’s student left in his as professors, one of them at Harvard— and lowered like a heavy curtain. “I’ve
lab her collection of Arctic cephalopods liked that it was quiet enough to “really never seen anything like it,” he says, his
that within days was to be shipped to the concentrate” even when he left the door clasped hands resting on his chest.
Smithsonian Institute. All of it—gone. open. Research can be a lonely pursuit
••••
“It’s like somebody just put a bomb and but as Dick explains “I live for science.
blew your life up,” says Dick, who admits I really live for it.” As devoted as they Judy Anderson, head of the Department
his stomach now turns at the sound of come, he once intentionally ate parasitic of Biological Sciences, had spent the
fire truck sirens. “It’s hard to talk about fish to prove that a particular tapeworm morning volunteering at an orchid sale
what you’ve lost.” could be found locally. at the Assiniboine Park Conservatory.
Tamara Nathanie
Everyone made it out of the build- that we’ll never get back.” The restoration process to research ma-
ing safely; Dick was checked for smoke When Markham eventually got inside terials and other items is a massive under-
inhalation. The biological sciences area to check out the aftermath firsthand he taking, carried out in part by an assembly
of the west wing was the hardest hit by couldn’t make out what anything was line of cleaners hunkered down at tables
the flames but other areas had significant since a layer of soot had settled. It was in a corner of the warehouse. One woman
water, smoke and soot damage. The 1970s as though someone had come in with a is wiping soot marks off the pages of a
building is home to faculty from the gallon of black paint and brushed away psychology textbook using a dry sponge.
biological, human nutritional and textile any three-dimensionality. “It looked like a Another is scrubbing a plastic cover using
sciences; along with psychology; and completely black wall,” he says. a frayed toothbrush.
anthropology. Firefighters not only had Markham’s hydrogen gas tanks had If not cleaned properly the soot could
to deal with the flames but the building’s released their contents but fortunately eat away at materials over time, says fire
potentially explosive contents: all of the didn’t blow. He was also concerned about recovery project manager Mia Kinal, a
chemicals used in labs. his stored hydrochloric acid. Much of consultant who was brought in when it
Elements are carefully controlled what was in Markham’s lab is now tucked became clear the fire’s reach was broader
in a scientific setting so the heat from
flames and the resulting dousing and
power outages can be especially damag-
Katie Chalmers-Brooks
(Right) Within the gloom there is light. For Judy
Anderson that bright spot is encapsulated in a
leopard gecko, a tiny critter rescued from a lab
in the fire zone. She says the resolute reptile
means “We will survive.” (Below) Zoology
museum exhibit pieces from the main floor of
Duff Roblin, some of which had soot damage.
Katie Chalmers-Brooks
WHEN YOU SEE SOMEONE BEING TREATED of witnessing aggression may lead observers to develop negative
BADLY at work, what effect does that have on you? Do you attitudes towards targets. The result may be that observers also
feel bad or want to defend the target? Do you think he or she may victimize targets, which could ultimately spiral into an overall
have done something to deserve it? How does your relationship negative organizational climate.
with each of the perpetrator and the target affect this reaction? In response to this issue, my research focusses on how
These are the questions I am addressing in my doctoral observers’ attitudes and behaviours towards both the perpetrator
research on observing aggression at work, which I am currently and the target are affected by witnessed aggression. Along with
undertaking at the Asper School of Business. my academic advisor, Dr. Sandy Hershcovis, I am conducting
My predecessors in the area of workplace aggression have experimental and field research to find answers to important
made a lot of progress with respect to what we know about questions about observers of aggression.
perpetrators and targets of workplace aggression. What hasn’t Specifically, how are observers’ attitudes and behaviours affect-
received a lot of attention, however, is how aggression can ed after witnessing aggression? How do observers’ relationships
influence other people at work. This perspective is important with each of the perpetrator and the target—be they a supervisor
because aggressive interactions—more than half of which or a co-worker; a friend or a foe—affect the same? Dr. Hershcovis
occur in the presence of others—are bound to affect many and I believe the answers to these questions will speak directly
people beyond the perpetrator-target dyad. to intervention efforts that currently focus almost exclusively on
When there are witnesses to aggression in the workplace, perpetrators and targets, often ignoring the wider social context
the situation changes for all parties. An altercation within a in which aggression occurs.
dyadic interaction can potentially be resolved between the direct This research is important to me because it will uncover how
participants, but the perpetrator and target may not be able to aggression can spread in the workplace, as well as how it can be
control the wider impact of the incident (or even be aware of how contained. I am excited by the potential for this research to have a
their altercation has affected others). For example, the mere act positive impact on the well-being of Canadian workers. n
SHOWCASING
STUDENT
RESEARCH
Janine Harasymchuk
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS REPRESENTING Associate Dean (Research), Faculty of Dentistry, and judge in
SEVEN FACULTIES at the University of Manitoba showed the applied sciences category. “From hypothetical mathematical
their research wares at the Fourth Annual Student Poster Com- modelling of whale shark feeding behaviour to studies of forensic
petition on Monday, November 9, 2009. This year’s competition dentistry, the scope of research was amazing.”
marked a change and expansion to four categories—applied Research by Maneesh Sud, Faculty of Medicine, was awarded
sciences, health sciences, natural sciences—by adding the new first prize in the health sciences category. His project focussed
category of social sciences/humanities. on “Upregulation of the mTOR and proteasome pathways in evil
“We are thrilled with the participation across campus,” said acute myeloid leukemias.” Jarret Woodmass also from the Faculty
Janice Ristock, Associate Vice-President (Research). “We’re of Medicine, took second place for his research on “Treatment
working on a further expansion in the categories to include patterns and outcomes of pancreatic cancer.”
creative works next year, to make it truly representative of the Elizabeth Skovopata, Faculty of Science, took first place in the
breadth of research and scholarly work conducted at the natural sciences category for her research titled “Surface moment
University of Manitoba.” pining in iron-oxide-copper core-shell nanoparticles.” Fellow
“I think it’s great for the university to provide such a platform science student Alexandra Hrabowych was second place
to showcase our work,” said Tiffany Cheung, Faculty of winner for her research on “Purification and characterization
Dentistry. “Students put a lot of time and effort into research of tocopherol cyclase.” Tocopherol cyclase is a critical enzyme in
and we are proud of that.” the biosynthesis of vitamin E.
Budding forensic scientists or avid CSI fans would be inter- In the newly added category of social sciences/humanities,
ested in Cheung’s project that reviewed her “Preliminary analysis Karen Delichte, Faculty of Arts, took first place for her project
of dental materials before and after incineration.” Cheung took on “Gender differences in factors that prompt heavy gambling.”
first prize in the applied sciences category for the project. Mylene Gamache, Faculty of Arts, took second place for her
“Identification of victims in fires often rely on forensic odon- research on the “Subversion et l’é(cri)ts des guérrières: The Cry
tology,” said Cheung. “My research found that there is no signifi- of the Hysteric in French Fiction.”
cant change in the elemental content when dental materials are Gamache described the poster as a representation of her
incinerated at a temperature that simulates cremation. In addi- undergraduate thesis work in the Women’s and Gender Studies
tion, I found that composite-resin, also known as tooth-coloured Program. “I am exploring the aim to rewrite the hysteric—as an
fillings, from five of the seven manufacturers in this project can example of subversive feminine subjectivity—in contemporary
be distinguished based on the elemental content. This project French fiction. I have read three French novels and within each
creates a known reference spectra for the brands analyzed and of them, I have identified characters who seem to be talking back
that can be used to match against samples from future forensic to the historical, medical, and patriarchal discourse of hysteria
odontolgy cases.” (which endorses the notion that hysteria has generally been
Other student research in the applied sciences category categorized as a “female” disorder associated with uterine or
included a look at Manitoba’s Indigenous population and rheu- otherwise neurological systems).” Gamache adds, “Furthermore,
matoid arthritis by Gabriela Montes-Aldana, Faculty of Science, these characters seem to exceed the boundaries to which the
and a look at third generation biofuels using clostridium thermo- hysteric has been historically circumscribed by virtue of their
cellum (a bacteria) with local hemp feedstock by second place individual states of resistance and respective appeals to flight,
winner Warren Blunt, a biosystems engineering student. fidelity, and desire.”
“This year’s competition again successfully show-cased the Watch for further details coming on the 2010 Poster
wide variety of research undertaken by undergraduate students Competition, set for October 14, 2010. n
at the University of Manitoba,” said Elliott Scott, Professor &
ENDING
THE
VIOLENCE RESEARCHERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Katie Chalmers-Brooks
Hard to believe, says Ursel, now an The murder led Ursel to believe there from various supporters, involves women
internationally-recognized expert in was no way to predict who would become in 39 communities both rural and urban.
domestic violence, that decades later that a victim of domestic violence; Brooksbank “One of the hopes is that by hearing the
home—the scene of their innocent hijinks was raised in a loving home by caring stories of all of these women—across three
—would become the setting for a truly sin- parents. Often, family violence is intergen- provinces, in small towns, on reserves, in
ister event. As an adult, Brooksbank (who erational. “This tragedy made me confront cities—we can begin to document and
became Reid once married) had moved all of the stereotypes about victims.” says articulate some of the complexities of
back into her parent’s house to raise her Ursel. “There are two kinds of learning, those experiences,” Ursel says.
own family. It was there that she was mur- cognitive (head) learning and empathic RESOLVE’s other longitudinal study
dered by her husband. He also killed their (heart) learning. Maryann’s murder taught has researchers analyzing Winnipeg’s
two young sons before taking his own life. me that domestic violence is not just a Family Violence Court, the first special-
By this time, in the late 1980s, Ursel was police issue or a social service issue, it is ized court of its kind in Canada. The study
entrenched academically in the complex everybody’s issue. Being safe in one’s own indicated early on that court specialization
world of family violence but despite all the home is a fundamental human right.” had changed sentencing dramatically. In
research she had accumulated, she was It is particularly important to do exten- the past, the most frequent sentence for
unprepared for the shock of losing her sive longitudinal studies on domestic vio- a convicted offender was a conditional
childhood friend in such a brutal manner. lence given its complexity, Ursel says. The discharge—which means no punishment,
As kids, they spent their summers swim- RESOLVE team is currently conducting no treatment, no consequences. Today the
ming at the neighborhood pool and their two such projects, no easy feat given how most frequent sentence is probation and
winters skating at the local rink. costly and difficult these are to sustain. But court-mandated treatment, and the second
“I don’t think that any kind of academic the resulting data—years and years worth is jail. The team has been gathering data
knowledge prepares you for that type of —are providing new insight on the topic and identifying trends for a staggering two
psychological impact. It doesn’t matter and will result in better programming and decades thanks to funding from several
who you are. It doesn’t matter how much policies that directly affect abused women. sources. They have received three SSHRC
you’ve studied. If it happens to someone Every six months for the last four and a grants, and support from a number of
that you knew, that you grew up with half years, interviewers have sat down with contributors including the Prairie Action
and cared for, it’s overwhelming,” says 670 abused women in Manitoba, Saskatch- Foundation, the Max Bell Foundation and
Ursel, who is the director of RESOLVE, ewan, and Alberta, posing questions about the Manitoba Law Foundation. “You can
a research network focussed on family vio- the services they sought, what worked for imagine trying to keep a project alive for
lence, based at the University of Manitoba them and what didn’t. The Healing Journey 20 years. You have to be creative about
with sister centres at the Universities of Study, funded by a $1 million grant from finding funders over that length of time,”
Regina and Calgary. the Social Sciences and Humanities Ursel says.
Research Council (SSHRC) and $500,000
And despite everything they’re going could benefit from taking part in sup- RESOLVE team (from left to right): Judy Kienas
(research assistant), Lydia Worobec (office
through, these women are acting as a port groups, which in turn would help assistant), Cyndi Porcher (office manager),
support for friends and loved ones with them better support the abused woman Cheryl Fraehlich (research associate), and
Jane Ursel (director).
other sorts of problems. Ursel says this in their life. Ursel doesn’t believe any such
was “another opportunity to shatter groups exist in Winnipeg but would like
stereotypes.” to see them introduced. “We don’t want to
“I was seeing these women in one way neglect the very people women turn to for merging data from successive years and
only and that was as service users, as need- support,” she says. are excited about the potential outcomes.
ers of support. I never realized the extent It is findings like these that Ursel and “It’s when you see the whole pattern put
to which these women are also informal her colleagues are continuing to analyze together that you’re going to see some very
service providers. In the midst of this and anticipate doing so for years to come. interesting results,” Ursel says. “You just
huge set of complex realities that they’re They hope to provide concrete strate- learn so much from these women.”
trying to negotiate, they’re also finding the gies for agencies and policy makers, and And, unfortunately, there is no shortage
time to help people, which was a real eye ultimately save lives. There is something to of abused women from whom to learn.
opener.” be learned not only from the tragedies but As Fraehlich notes, domestic violence is
Also surprising was the emotional from the success stories. Some of the study “very far-reaching.”
rollercoaster friends and family members participants have safely left their abusive “It crosses all boundaries in society,
ride when they are close to someone who spouses and gone on to pursue an educa- all socioeconomic classes. Everyone is
is being abused. Ursel says they go through tion and a career; researchers want to affected. No group is excluded from this
the same ups and downs as the victim and know what worked for them. They are still phenomenon.” n
Northern
Lights
Southern
Exposure
BY GRACE NICKEL
Steve Farmer
In Australia, I responded immediately area. The old banksia trees were among of the exhibit. Of my contribution to the
to the lush and often oddly alien vegeta- them. I made another new grouping exhibition he observes, “In Fremantle she
tion of Western Australia. I was struck by called Palm Pod Vases, informed by some was intrigued by press reports of com-
how frequently issues with the preser- of the weird and wonderful Western munity concerns about environmental
vation of indigenous plants (especially Australian vegetation I collected there. In issues and the loss of native vegetation. In
trees) appeared in the local papers. This addition to these new solo works, Sandra her richly layered depiction of the bark
meshed with the work I had already Black and I developed several collabora- surfaces of WA trees she has used text
begun in Halifax and in Winnipeg, in tive bodies of work, including a series from the reports in the Fremantle Herald
reference to the destruction of trees, and of pieces assembled from a mix of her to transfer her concern from the Cana-
with my attempts at rescuing them by forms and mine that we called Hybrids, dian situation to Western Australia. These
making moulds of the fragments and and a series called Branch Lights, which personal and public expressions of com-
rebuilding them in porcelain (see inset combined one of my cast branch forms passion have lead to a new series, made
Devastatus Rememorari ), shown recently with Sandra’s exquisite piercing tech- in Sandra Black’s South Fremantle studio,
at Gallery One One One in the School of nique. The perforated patterns she created with the title Save the Banksias, uniting
Art, University of Manitoba. are resonant of the tracks left by boring the functional tradition of the vase with
In Perth, I created a new series of beetles which infest trees and branches. that of sculpture. Her Bamboo series
porcelain trees called Save the Banksias, These natural “drawings” are beautiful but perhaps reflects her recent visit to China
inspired by the many articles and letters often fatal. and is in a lighter vein while her Hybrid
to the editor in the local newspaper which David Walker, renowned sculptor– series, carried out in collaboration with
addressed environmental issues such as metalsmith from South-Eastern Australia Sandra Black, is gently playful suggesting
saving the ancient indigenous trees in the has written the forward for the catalogue the easygoing spirit of their friendship.”
Victor France
Grace Nickel
William Pura
CAFÉ SCIENTIFIQUE
Interested in talking and learning more about different health topics
and related research? Café Scientifiques bring together experts with
non-researchers (you, me, neighbours, friends, etc.) in a relaxed
atmosphere to talk about their work and the questions it raises.
Come and join the discussion!
More people die of heart attacks every year in Canada than from
any other cause. Researchers around the world continue to work
on learning what makes our tickers keep on ticking and what fac-
tors play a role in our hearts’ health. Things like what we eat, how
often we move, and lifestyle choices like smoking, play a major role.
Come hear what our heart health researchers at the University of
Manitoba are up to and how you can keep your heart happy.
umanitoba.ca/research
30
FEDERAL
2004/05
2005/06
2006/07
2007/08
2008/09
GOVERNMENT
43% 0
PROVINICAL
GOVERNMENT
OTHER 11%
46%
CIHR
(CANADIAN INSTITUTES
OF HEALTH RESEARCH)
$22
SSHRC
(SOCIAL SCIENCES AND
HUMANITIES RESEARCH
NSERC COUNCIL)
(NATURAL SCIENCES $6
AND ENGINEERING
RESEARCH COUNCIL)
$24
TOTAL: $51 MILLION
Works in Progess in Sandra Black’s Perth studio, 2009. See story on page 29.