LRG graduate students receive five competitive scholarships

Congratulations to Maryam Mapar, Dimitri Desmonts de Lamache, and Rajni Pushkper for their recent awards!

Maryam Mapar - Faculty of Graduate Studies Doctoral Scholarship, Bettina Bahlsen, Memorial Graduate Scholarship, and P. June Rock Memorial Graduate Scholarship

Rajni Pushpker - Faculty of Graduate Studies Doctoral Scholarship

Dimitri Desmonts de Lamache - Eyes High International Doctoral Scholarship

Minister Vandal visits the Lewis Research Group

We were thrilled to host the Honorable Dan Vandal, who visited the Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics and met with many of our SMEs that have grown out of the program. We are thrilled to have partnered with PrairiesCan to make these developments possible.

Launch of the Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics

The new ACAD centre. Photo: Soren Wacker

The Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics (ACAD) is a new initiative dedicated to fast-tracking health technology implementation at the University of Calgary. ACAD builds on the previous successes of the Alberta Precision Exchange (APEX) and the Alberta Diagnostic Ecosystem Platform for Translation (ADEPT) and is funded by PrairiesCan, Genome Canada, DynaLIFE Medical Labs, Alberta Innovates, the University of Calgary, and the Canada Foundation for Innovation, with support from Thermo Fisher Scientific. ACAD will provide academic and industry diagnostic innovators with the resources needed to prototype, test, and evaluate new testing tools and bring them to market. Read about the launch of this exciting new facility in the links below.

LRG's metabolomics-based BSI test featured by UCalgary News

For patients suffering from bacterial infections of the blood, identifying microbes and measuring their antibiotic susceptibility as quickly as possible is essential. The Lewis Research Group has developed a new metabolomics-based test that delivers this critical information 2.5 times faster than existing testing methods. Check out the article by UCalgary’s Mark Lowey featuring this revolutionary, life-saving technology, and read up on the approach in the recently published Nature Communications article.

LRG fabrication facilities to mitigate COVID-19 test swab shortages

The Lewis Research Group’s unique engineering and prototyping facilities are being leveraged to develop nasopharyngeal swabs for use in point-of-care COVID-19 testing.  Shortages in existing stocks of test swabs have been identified as a critical issue in the response to the pandemic. The LRG’s state-of-the-art 3D printers will be used to rapidly develop and test a suitable alternative swab. These will be produced in conjunction with a local manufacturing facility for rapid deployment at sites where they are most urgently needed.   

Lewis Research Group COVID-19 Update

In response to urgent calls from regional, provincial, and federal authorities, the Lewis Research Group is redirecting its expertise in rapid diagnostic testing and device development/fabrication to address critical needs in the fight against COVID-19. Our facilities include microbiology labs, engineering/prototyping facilities, and advanced mass spectrometry instrumentation. We will be using these resources to:

  • Fast-track the development of a 10 minute mass spectrometry assay to detect COVID-19

  • Develop a new virus culture system that can be used in labs without high-level biosecurity clearance to accelerate nation-wide research on COVID-19 antiviral drugs

  • Leverage our fabrication capabilities to develop and prototype nasopharyngeal swabs to help mitigate the critical shortage of these swabs.

Our facilities are in operation under the strictest adherence to social distancing guidelines and we are complying closely with all directives from the University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services.

Stay tuned for further updates!