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More than 35,000 clinicians, scientists and allied health professionals from over 160 countries are part of the ERS community
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The Alberta Respiratory Centre (ARC) at the University of Alberta consists of over 120 members including clinical and academic faculties, trainees, and residents from several departments and faculties. We endeavour to advance respiratory research through an integrated, and collaborative way and in conjunction with international statutory bodies. With sustained funding, we undertake a panorama of respiratory research, from clinical to basic science and from epidemiology to molecular biology. Our vision is to maximize respiratory research through our state-of-the-art facilities and to minimize the burden of respiratory disease on the individual and society through extended scientific collaboration, promotion, and advocacy.
Asthma\Cell biology\COPD\Environmental medicine and lung diseases\Epidemiology
Global fellowships (outgoing initial phase only)
ARC has numerous sites dedicated to clinical and basic research across the campus at the University of Alberta, including the University of Alberta Hospital, one of the largest tertiary care hospitals in Canada. Our main research aims are focused on clinical and basic science aspects of respiratory health and disease and to support this, we have access to several state-of-the-art facilities for clinical, and cell and molecular biology research including advanced cardio-pulmonary and exercise labs, core facilities, BSL-2 and BSL-3 standard labs for virology and human sample processing, super-resolution microscopy, and high-throughput molecular biology techniques. In addition to our hospital-based patient database, we also established a long-term collaboration with Synergy Respiratory and Cardiac Care in Sherwood Park, Alberta where we have full access to their server-based patient database.
Laboratory equipment is available for cell cultures and human sample analysis in our labs and we use specialized instruments including a super-resolution microscope in nearby core imaging facilities on campus. Computers with advanced imaging and statistical software are available for image and data analysis. Funding for this program is provided by AstraZeneca Canada, as well as Synergy Respiratory and Cardiac Care and the Wellness of Workers (WoW) program run by a local union for insulators. Additional funding is provided by grants to the principal investigator from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Canada, and the Lung Association of Alberta & Northwest Territories.
Opportunities for collaboration and communication with industry are available in our shared labs through Nanostics Precision Health, a spin-off company from the University of Alberta that designs diagnostic tests for cancer and COVID-19, and Synergy Respiratory Care, a community-based medical clinic that provides specialized care to patients with respiratory diseases. We also present our findings at local, national, and international conferences to connect with other professionals and interested stakeholders.
We have an established track record of recruitment of outstanding international researchers and over 20 years of experience in supervising individuals from many countries around the world. We have opportunities for international researchers to present their work to our weekly ARC Seminar Series, our shared lab Friday morning meetings, and an annual ARC Research Day that showcases our advances in respiratory research. Trainees are encouraged to develop scientific and non-scientific skills through numerous interactions and presentations with others in our shared lab space as well as locally, nationally, and internationally. Our outreach activities include training of high school and undergraduate students through many programs (such as the Alberta Innovates Heritage Youth Researcher Summer [HYRS] Progam). Trainees are encouraged to attend international meetings such as the ERS and the ATS international congresses and local collaborative meetings across North America. Trainees also have the opportunity to apply for ARC Travel Awards.
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