We’ve added some major new protocols to the protocol section. We know have a section on basic molecular biology, some protocols for 16s rRNA sequencing, some updates to our transfection and NF-kB reporter protocols, etc. Take a gander & enjoy.
The nose is the gateway to the soul… or the lungs at least… making it an important point of first contact between our fragile bodies and the hordes of superbugs attempting to take over the world. Only the brave immunologist has the power to save us from this dire threat. While it’s been known for a few years now that the inflammatory cytokine IL-17A is key to the control of many respiratory infections, no-one has been able to provide any information on the source of this cytokine in nasal infections or how this production is regulated. No more!
Post-doctoral fellow Chris Verschoor and Ph.D. Candidate Mike Dorrington, both trainees in Dr. Dawn Bowdish’s lab have recently had their manuscript “MicroRNA-155 is required for the clearance of Streptococcus pneumoniae from the nasopharynx” accepted for publication in Infection & Immunity. The paper, which was produced in collaboration with Dr. Param Nair of the Firestone Institute, outlines how microRNA- (miR-)155 regulates the immune response to S. pneumoniae colonization in the nasal passages of mice by stimulating the differentiation of Th17 cells. These cells then produce large amounts of IL-17A, which then acts as a chemotactic agent for macrophages, which have awesome swords and stuff that kill the bacteria and save the world! (macrophages are the best cells, by the way)
This paper is the first to show a direct connection between IL-17A-producing T cells and the clearance of a bacterial pathogen from the nasopharynx. It is also the first to show a phenotype of IL-17A deficiency without completely knocking out the cytokine itself. It represents a significant step forward in understanding the regulation of intranasal immune responses to bacterial colonization and how innate and adaptive immune networks collaborate in clearing these events. Way to go Bowdish Lab!
For more information please visit www.bowdish.ca/lab and check out the paper in an upcoming edition of Infection & Immunity.
Research in Lung health is not nearly as well funded as it should be considering the toll it takes on patients and our healthcare system. That’s why the Bowdish lab is involved in the Lung Association’s Breathing as One campaign to raise money for lung research. Click on the picture to read the insert that was delivered in a number of newspapers (including our own Hamilton Spectator) to launch the campaign.
Bowdish lab trainees Avee Naidoo and Netusha Thevaranjan were recognized for their research excellence at the fourth annual Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR) Trainee Research Day. The event was held at CIBC Hall on Friday, October 10th and featured a keynote address by Professor Quim Madrenas of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at McGill University. In addition to the keynote speach, the talented trainees at IIDR presented their latest research findings and accomplishments during the day.
A second-year Master’s student Avee Naidoo was awarded with the Michael Kamin Hart Memorial Scholarship at a reception held at the University Club at the end of the day. The $1,800 scholarphip is named in honour of a gifted Master’s student of IIDR who tragically passed away in 2011. Avee plans to use the scholarship to attend a Keystone meeting on inflammation and aging in Montreal next year. Another Master’s student in the Bowdish lab, Netusha Thevaranjan, was awarded with the IIDR Awards of Excellence for her poster presentation. Kyle Novakowski was the runner up for the PhD poster award.
Both Avee and Netusha are currently working to elucidate the mechanisms underlying age-associated deterioration of the innate immune response.
Congratulations to both Avee and Netusha!
Netusha Thevarnjan wins best MSc poster presentation and Avee Naidoo wins the Michael Kamin Hart Memorial scholarship at the 2014 IIDR trainee day. Dawn beams with pride.
The faculty at MIRC are doing some fundraising with the Lung Association to raise money for a studentship in Lung Health. MIRC has many researchers performing cutting edge research in lung disease (e.g. asthma, lung cancer, COPD, pneumonia) but lung research is seriously underfunded in Canada. We want to fix this by training more young people to contribute to lung health and this studentship is step one. Bring your friends & family, have dinner and support the important work our trainees are doing in lung health!
Thank you for your interest in our lab but unfortunately all undergraduate positions for the 2014/2015 school year have been filled. We do not take volunteers (see our FAQ page for a detailed explanation as to why). In general we fill positions about 6-12 mo in advance. Thank you for your interest and best of luck in your search.
This past month has been very productive in the Bowdish laboratory, with many triumphs achieved by it’s industrious members.
Firstly, a big congratulation goes to Kyle Novakowski, the Bowdish 
lab’s newest PhD student. Following a lot of hard work, determination and great dedication to his Masters project, Kyle successfully passed his transfer exam on July 7 and has officially begun his seemingly endless exciting pursuit for a PhD. Good luck to Kyle in continuing his interesting investigation on the regulation and function of MARCO!
Dessi Loukov presents her undergraduate work in the Bowdish lab at the 1st annual Perey Symposium, convinces everyone she’s a senior PhD student and brings home the Faculty choice award for best speed poster presentation.
Next up is Dessi Loukov, who is currently an undergraduate but come September will be the Bowdish lab’s 4th PhD student. At the 1st annual MIRC Perey Symposium held on June 19, Dessi impressed faculty and trainees with her educational and enthusiastic speed poster presentation on modulating the immune system to potentially reverse age-associated inflammation. Dessi was awarded a travel award as a result of her superb presentation skills. Kudos also to Fan Fei (PhD candidate) and Avee Naidoo (MSc candidate) who gave excellent speed poster talks and Dr. Chris Verschoor who gave an excellent oral presentation. Who knew that research in inflammation could be so exciting? The Bowdish lab, that’s who!
One PhD candidate who deserves great recognition for his recent successes is Mike Dorrington. Not only was Mike awarded with a prestigious and well-deserved Canadian Lung Association & Canadian Thoracic Studentship, but he additionally achieved received The Ruth and Wilson Tafts Prize for Immunology for having the best paper published in a peer-reviewed journal in 2013. Geez Mike, save some awards for the rest of us. These awards will be used to further fund his fascinating work on the role of macrophages – clearly, the best cell around – in recognition and clearance of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the upper respiratory tract. Congratulations Mike!
At the celebration of Mike’s first first author publication. Although Dawn is mostly happy for Mike, she is also slightly nervous that she might be about to lose an eye when the champagne is opened.
Then, there’s Dr. Chris Verschoor, the lab’s most productive and well-rounded member. Chris’ paper entitled, “Alterations to the frequency and function of peripheral blood monocytes and associations with chronic disease in the advanced-age, frail elderly“, was recently accepted into the PLoS one. If you’re interested in changes in monocyte populations with age – I mean, who isn’t? – keep a look out for Chris’ article in the next issue of PLoS one . Way to go Chris on this well-deserved publication!
<- Manuscipt accepted = happy post-doc.
And last, but definitely not least, the lab takes great pleasure in congratulating our passionate leader, Dr. Dawn Bowdish, who has been awarded tenure and a promotion to Associate Professor effective as of July 1, 2014. This accomplishment is a fitting acknowledgement of Dawn’s exceptional work, devotion and academic contributions to research in the field of macrophage biology. In addition to her promotion and tenure, Dawn recently received a Best Teacher Award in the Department of Pathology for excellence in undergraduate teaching and graduate supervision. Well-done Dawn!
Dawn receives the Pathology & Molecular Medicine Department’s best teacher award for her undergraduate and graduate supervision. Dr. Murray Potter, the education co-ordinator and Dr. Fiona Smaill, the chair, present her with the award.
Congratulations Bowdish lab on our successes!
Way to kill it, like young macrophages on pneumo 😉
A long overdue congratulations to Avee Naidoo(MSc candidate) for receiving the Frederick Banting and Charles Best Master’s Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS) from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
The award funds Avee’s research examining age-associated inflammation, impaired macrophage function and disease susceptibility in the elderly.
Way to go Avee!
On June 8-9, members of the Bowdish lab participating in a clinical pilot study with the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group (CCCTG) were able to put down the pipettes and head into the great outdoors for a retreat near Muskoka, Ontario. Aveshni Naidoo, Dessi Loukov, Kyle Novakowski, Dr. Chris Verschoor and Dawn were all excited to attend. Absent: Prospect “A-Team” member Netusha Thevaranjan.
The Bowdish lab has been in collaboration with a study run by Dr. Deborah Cook termed PROSPECT; Probiotics to prevent Severe Pneumonia and Endotracheal Colonization Trial since March 2013. Since then, the lab made an incredible effort to process hundreds of patient blood samples to measure levels of endotoxin and cytokines as part of a mechanistic sub study.
The purpose of this retreat was to share and translate knowledge, exchange ideas and gain an understanding of how the many nodes of a multi-center clinical study function together as a team. These goals were certainly achieved early, as Dawn provided an insightful presentation on what exactly is an endotoxin or a cytokine. Dr. Chris Verschoor followed up with some exciting preliminary data. Administrators, nurses and research coordinators all gained an appreciation for all the hard work members of the Bowdish lab have put into the clinical study thus far. Well done, team!
Following a social hour at the stunning main house, attendees returned to the equally amazing Breezy Ridge Retreat Center for an unforgettable meal, late night games and multiple “life chats”. Many bedtimes were well exceeded.
The following morning saw the administrators, nurses and research coordinators take the floor to discuss topics such as data validation, informed consent and future plans for the clinical study. It was now members of the Bowdish lab turn to learn about all the hard work put in by the clinical and administrative team members.
Following a quick lunch and trek down the 400/401, it was time to return to the lab bench – you never know when new patient samples might be heading our way!
The Bowdish lab would like to thank Dr. Deborah Cook and Dr. Bob Sheppard for sharing their beautiful house and retreat center with us. We’re excited to continue our collaboration and even more excited for what may be on the horizon.
For more information, see: http://www.prospectpilottrial.com/
By Kyle Novakowski
Jessica Wallace (Sept 2013-Apr 2014) was a Life Sciences student who took Dawn’s HTHSCI 4II3 (Advanced Immunology) class. She was such an engaged student that despite being full to the rafters, she became the Bowdish lab’s 7th undergraduate student in the 2013/14 school year. She worked with Dr. Chris Verschoor to study the role of circulating bacterial products in age-associated inflammation. She has been accepted to McMaster’s Medical Sciences Graduate Program and will be working with Dr. Deborah Sloboda (Biochemistry) as an MSc student in Sept 2014. Congratulations Jessica!