The Governing Council of the University of Toronto

The New Science Building at University of Toronto Mississauga, opened on September 20, enhances life science innovation with state-of-the-art labs and a high-performance computing data centre, positioning UTM as a global research leader.

Simple clinical scores like NEWS outperform sophisticated AI-based models in predicting hospital patient deterioration, with eCARTv5 being the most predictive among AI tools.

A compound developed at the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery (MIDD) is set to enter clinical trials at the FDA, aiming to treat depression and Alzheimer's disease. The drug, GL-Damonia, shows promise in restoring brain cell growth in mice, with no toxicity observed. If successful, it could lead to a new treatment option, though the path through FDA trials is challenging and costly.

Dr. Tarek Rajji, named Chair and Professor of Psychiatry at UT Southwestern, focuses on restoring brain function in older patients with severe mental illness and Alzheimer’s through brain stimulation. His vision is to expand clinical research and integrate it with clinical care, aiming to innovate and develop new models of care at the Texas Behavioral Health Center.

Weekly online MR-Linac adaptive radiotherapy with temozolomide reduced CTV margins and normal brain tissue exposure in high-grade glioma patients, with 4% marginal failure and 40% CTV margin reduction compared to EORTC methods. Median PFS and OS were 11.6 and 18.5 months for long-course radiotherapy, and 6.8 and 10.6 months for short-course radiotherapy, respectively.

Smith, dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences since 2019, continues as vice president of education affairs and professor of molecular and cellular biology. Her research focuses on estrogen receptors, gene expression regulation, tamoxifen resistance, and steroid hormone action. Smith values BCM's collaborative environment and looks forward to its research growth.

2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to David Baker for computational protein design and to Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for AlphaFold's protein structure prediction, marking significant advancements in the field.

NUHS developed a CD7 CAR-T cell therapy showing promise in treating relapsed or refractory T-ALL, with 16 out of 17 patients achieving complete remission within one month.

No one can predict pharma R&D winners; success involves luck, overcoming skepticism, and intensive effort to realize potential. R&D leaders must balance conviction with uncertainty, avoiding false precision and recognizing the role of chance.

The 55th RANZCO Congress in Adelaide, 1-4 November 2024, features a dynamic speaker lineup addressing eye transplant feasibility, uveitis insights, and sustainability. Early registrations are up 10% from last year, promising a vibrant event. Key speakers include Prof. Justine Smith on uveitis, Prof. Robyn Jamieson on precision medicine, and Prof. Jeffrey Goldberg on eye transplantation. The congress emphasizes sustainability and offers both in-person and online experiences.