News Releases

Devoted to making education accessible to all types of learners, Dr. Chris Mattatall has been named the University of Lethbridge’s 2023 Board of Governors Teaching Chair. Image

A research leader in RNA and protein biophysics who regularly uses his expertise to engage in science outreach and communication activities, Dr. Trushar Patel has been named the 2023 winner of the University of Lethbridge’s Speaker Research Award.

Back in 1747, James Lind, a surgeon, started a clinical trial with sailors sick with scurvy aboard a Royal Navy ship. He gave them a variety of dietary supplements and saw a remarkable recovery in those who were treated with citrus fruits. Lind’s work not only saved the lives of sailors, but laid the foundation for modern clinical trials.

Known for being a risk-taker in the classroom, Dr. Devon Smither encourages her students to do the same.

Published paper details the importance of the dawn chorus for the Adelaide’s warbler

Not only are post-secondary students facing increased costs for their education, they’re also facing higher costs for food and housing. Chancellor Emerita Dr. Janice Varzari (BN ’90, MEd ’02, LLD ’21) and her husband Glenn understand those challenges and have donated $50,000 to the University of Lethbridge to create the Varzari Family Bursary Fund. The fund will support students in need with a variety of flexible bursaries.

Dr. Esther Tailfeathers (BA ’84), a member of the Kainai First Nation, persevered in her education and became a medical doctor at a time when there were few Indigenous physicians, and throughout her career, she has improved Indigenous health care and inspired other generations of Indigenous doctors.

The Collaborative Health Research Institute of Southern Alberta (CHRISA) Unconference on Cultivating Solutions drew a diverse group of participants from across Alberta, including researchers, patients, health practitioners, program administrators, advocates and health-care professionals. The Unconference prioritized conversation over presentation and focused on topics that were relevant to attendees, who decided on the agenda, discussion items and topics of sessions.

Exploring the uses of digital health technologies in nursing education The theme of this year’s National Nursing Week is Our Nurses. Our Future. — one that resonates with Dr. Laura Vogelsang (BN ’11), an assistant professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Lethbridge. “Working as a nurse in an educational institution, what better theme to have,” says Vogelsang. “I truly believe education is health care and health care is education.”

Most of the research into Alzheimer’s disease has focused on the familial type where the disease has a strong genetic component. What might come as a surprise is that 90 to 95 per cent of cases are late-onset or sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (SAD), an area where researchers at the University of Lethbridge are focusing their efforts.