Health Data Research Network (HDRN) Canada will host a free webinar for researchers on July 17 at 2 pm AST for researchers who would like to better understand how to navigate multi-regional data access processes.

UPEI's Secure Island Data Repository (SIDR) is a research data repository that will allow researchers and graduate students to access PEI’s administrative health data for research purposes in a secure and controlled environment. 

Through SIDR’s partnership with Health Data Research Network Canada (HDRN Canada), local researchers who are interested in accessing administrative health data from multiple regions can do so via the HDRN Canada Data Access Support Hub (DASH).

To register, go to https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/accessing-data-through-dash-tickets-919601993317?aff=Cyberimpact

Presenter: Michael Kozma

Title: "Intranasal Theranostic Nanoparticle Treatment for Glioblastoma Multiforme”

Date/Time/Location: Thursday, June 27, 2024, 12:30 pm via web conference

If you wish to attend the public presentation, please contact the Graduate Studies Coordinator at gsc@upei.ca to receive the link.

Everyone is welcome.

The UPEI Offices of Student Affairs (5th floor Dalton Hall) and Accessibility Services (1st floor Dalton Hall) will be closed on Wednesday, June 26, for a staff meeting. The offices will re-open on Thursday, June 27, at 8:30 am.

To submit an inquiry or book an appointment with Student Affairs, please email studentserv@upei.ca. To submit an inquiry with Accessibility Services, please email accessibility@upei.ca or astesting@upei.ca (testing inquiries only). Messages received during the closure will be answered as soon as possible.

UPEI faculty and staff,

Your Healthy Campus Committee is pleased to invite you to participate in our first “Car Free to Campus” event on Wednesday, June 26!

Register here (https://forms.office.com/r/LfSfmM8294), and then bike, walk, bus, or roll to work on campus for…

• snacks!
• chances to win great prizes!
• fun, exercise, fresh air, and camaraderie!

Check in at the Quad between 7:30 and 9 am or by email (amarchbank@upei.ca) if you start earlier or later.

The buildings with the most participants and the most car kilometers saved get bragging rights, so be sure to pass this along to your colleagues and get them to sign up!

Are you thinking that you live too far from campus for this to work? Consider parking off campus and biking, walking, bussing, or rolling in from there. Problem solved!

Check out bus routes and schedules at https://www.t3transit.ca/ and charlottetown.ca/cycling for some great active transportation resources, including a bike map to help plan your route.

Troy Life & Fire Safety will perform the annual fire alarm inspections throughout campus beginning Monday, June 24, 2024. As part of these inspections, there will be testing of alarms. There will be an audible notification stating "This is a test" at the beginning and the end of each test. The building occupants are not required to evacuate during the testing period. The ringing of alarms is required to test their function and to ensure the speakers work throughout the building. This will be a small portion (up to two hours) of the total time they are in the building. The following is a list of testing dates:

• Duffy Science Centre, June 24
• SDU Main Building, June 25
• Steel Building, June 26
• Health Sciences Building, June 27
• Alumni Canada Games Place, July 2
• Alumni Hall, July 2
• W.A. Murphy Student Centre, July 3
• Campus Kids Child Care Centre, July 4
• Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation, July 5
• Cass Science Hall, July 16
• Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, July 17
• KC Irving Chemistry Centre, July 18
• Don and Marion McDougall Hall, July 19
• Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre, July 22
• Kelley Memorial Building, July 23
• Dalton Hall, July 24
• Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, July 25
• Central Utility Building, July 29
• Chaplaincy Centre, July 30
• Robertson Library, July 31
• Memorial Hall, August 1

Testing in the following buildings will take place at a later date. An updated notice will be sent out:

• Atlantic Veterinary College
• Bill and Denise Andrew Hall
• Bernardine Hall
• Blanchard Hall
• Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall
• Performing Arts Centre and Residence

If you have any questions or concerns please contact fmcapitalprojects@upei.ca

The Writing Centre will be available for appointments through the second summer session from June 24 to August 1.  To arrange an appointment, email tutor Jacob Durden at jdurden@upei.ca.

For additional updates, visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UPEIWC

Welcome to the following new employees who joined the University of Prince Edward Island community in May 2024:

• George Essam Abou Rashed, Facilities Management
• Sobia Farheen Ali-Faisal, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Human Rights 
• Jasmine Nana Adjoa Famanyame Brown, Ancillary Services
• Annie Olivia Compton, Nursing
• Peter Doiron, Facilities Management
• Margaret Ann Hancock, UPEI Health and Wellness Centre
• Seyyed Ebrahim Hashemi Garmdareh, Climate Change and Adaptation, Science
• Amanda Georgette Keefe, Diagnostic Services
• Patrick Maurice Kelly, Security Services
• Pooja Kumar, Institute of Island Studies
• Mariah Lynn Marchbank, Nursing
• Stephen J. Muise, Security Services
• Alicia Louisa Muttart, Indigenous Knowledge, Education, Research, and Applied Studies
• Aminat Adetutut Okerinde, Facilities Management
• Khanh Pham, UPEI Health and Wellness Centre
• Anna Megan Smith, UPEI Health and Wellness Centre
• Lacy Webster, UPEI Health and Wellness Centre

We are excited to have you join the UPEI team!

Attention Alumni on campus!

UPEI Summer Reunion is fast approaching! Join your fellow UPEI, SDU, and PWC classmates to reminisce and make new memories in celebration of your milestone anniversaries! As a highlight, all are welcome to register for our Milestone Reunion Celebration event on Friday, July 26, featuring music entertainment by Ryan Merry (BA’10), and a comedy performance by the very funny Patrick Ledwell.

Please register online by Thursday, July 18 (July 4 for reunion golf outing) for this year’s reunion events (including free events). If you need assistance with your registration, please contact the UPEI Alumni Office by email at alumni@upei.ca or telephone at 902-566-0687. 

FULL SCHEDULE

REGISTER ONLINE

Presenter: Nauman Nazeer

Title: “Design, Synthesis, and Secondary Structure Stabilization of Self-Assembling Antimicrobial Peptides”

Synthetic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) possess broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, immunomodulatory properties, and the ability to self-assemble into various nanostructures. However, many synthetic AMPs display secondary structure instability which leads to host toxicity, low selectivity, and aggregation that limits their application in clinical settings. This thesis investigates the use of rational approaches to design synthetic self-assembling AMPs that can address these issues. A library of peptides was designed based on chicken Angiogenin-4 (chAng4) protein as a template. From this library, a macrocyclic mini-peptide derived from chAng4 (mCA4-5) was found to be effective against a variety of pathogenic Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. To obtain more stable secondary structures, analogues of mCA4-5 with varying hydrophobicity, net charge, chirality, and modes of cyclization were synthesized. Lactam-cyclized analogues of mCA4-5 were found to have more stable secondary structures with improved antibacterial activity, bacterial flocculation, proteolytic stability, and proinflammatory activity. Therefore, the techniques described in these studies could be useful for the rational design of novel AMP-based nanomaterials with constrained and stabilized secondary structures for applications such as drug delivery, antimicrobial coatings, wound healing, and immunotherapy.

Date/Time/Location: Friday, June 28, 2024, 1:30 pm in AVC 287N

Everyone is welcome.

The 2024 Atlantic Learning Exchange (ALE) Conference, titled “The Power of Patients: Safety, Equity, and Engagement,” will bring together national, and regional leaders to foster inspirational and thought-provoking dialogue surrounding the quality and safety of patient and family healthcare. The conference will be held at the Delta Beausejour in Moncton, New Brunswick, on October 22 and 23, 2024.

The conference will include a Showcase and Learning Exchange, where successful applicants will have the opportunity to showcase their work and engage with participants in an interactive learning exchange environment which includes time for questions, simulation, and hands-on demonstration. Attendees will be given ample time over a two-day period to meet with selected applicants and learn all about their new and exciting work.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: 
The portal to submit applications is now open. Submissions will be accepted until Monday, July 15, 2024, at 5:00 pm AST. For more information about the application process, please refer to the Showcase and Learning Exchange Guidelines.

APPLICANT SELECTIONS: 
Twelve applications (three per Atlantic province) will be selected to receive full support (registration, travel, meals, and accommodations) for the ALE Conference. If a province lacks qualified applicants, slots may be reallocated to other provinces, maintaining the same monetary value. Acceptance notifications will be sent out on Thursday, August 8, 2024.

For more information, contact ALE@hostmanagement.ca
 

Presenter: Vineet Kumar Mishra

Title: “Role of Peptide Architecture and Composition in Folic Acid Delivery”

Folate is an essential component of many metabolic processes, including the synthesis of nucleoproteins, purines, and pyrimidines, and is a recommended supplement to lower the incidence of various disorders, including neural tube birth defect formation in pregnant females. To meet the requirement of folic acid, several carriers including nanoparticles are developed and studied to overcome folic acid deficiency in vitro and in vivo. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are broadly recognized as efficient non-viral vectors for the internalization of essential macro and micronutrients, therapeutic oligonucleotides, and drugs in the living cells. These peptides can be cationic, amphipathic, or hydrophobic in nature. This study aims to investigate the role of peptide composition and architecture on folic acid delivery efficacies and their immunomodulatory outcomes in the presence of bacteria and virus challenges in vitro. For this purpose, a library of linear and cyclic peptides with cationic (TAT), amphipathic (KALA) and hydrophobic (C105Y) nature was synthesized and conjugated with folic acid. The successful synthesis of linear and cyclic peptides and corresponding conjugates was confirmed by mass spectrometry. CPPs were tested for their cellular uptake, enzymatic stability and bioavailability of folic acid in intestinal cells and macrophages. The results indicate that compared to linear CPPs, cyclic CPPs are better internalized in cells and showed higher bioavailability than folic acid as was demonstrated by the downregulation of folate receptors and by the evaluation of immunomodulatory activities of the conjugates.

Date/Time/Location: Monday, June 24, 12:30 pm, AVC 287N

Everyone is welcome.

A new small group training program will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30-5:15 pm with UPEI personal trainer Derek Smith. This ten-class session runs from June 25 to July 16 and August 6 to 14. Note: There are no classes between July 17 and August 5.

Fees:  UPEI students, $65/person; UPEI faculty/staff/retirees, $75/person; all others, $150/person.

To register and pay, please visit the Panther Central desk at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, or log into recreation.upei.ca and click on the fitness programming icon and then on small group training to find the class. Then click on select and follow all the prompts. You are not registered until the system sends you a receipt. Be sure to follow all the prompts. If you have questions about the program or registering, please contact Angela Marchbank at amarchbank@upei.ca   

The UPEI Office of Study Abroad & International Partnerships would like to invite any UPEI faculty interested in leading a group of students to an international location for academic credit to fill out an expression of interest (EOI) Google form: https://forms.gle/i4Yj6npV49zUokXb6. The deadline is July 31, 2024.

If your expression of interest is approved by the committee, you will be invited to apply with a formal proposal that will include further details.

The short faculty-led programs are generally held in May, and advertised as Maymester Courses, but courses can run any time of the academic year.

Questions? Contact: studyabroad@upei.ca

Dr. Paul Lessard, a candidate for a tenure-track position in the Department of Music, will give a public research presentation entitled “Big Ideas and the Crossover Trajectory: Compositional Philosophy and Practice behind the Music of Paul Alexander Lessard.” The presentation will take place on Monday, June 24, at 1:00 pm in the Dr. Steel Recital Hall (Room 224), Steel Building.

Using excerpts, recordings, and live performances of several of his compositions as examples, composer and performer Paul Alexander Lessard explores his compositional process from its guiding principles of versatility, problem-solving, and performer engagement, along with a discussion of his history and future working with the blending of elements from the vernacular genres of jazz and funk with the art music tradition to create a unique crossover voice.

The No Room for Hate BBQ, planned for today at the UPEI Chaplaincy Centre, is going ahead rain or shine. The campus community is invited to gather at the Chaplaincy Centre from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm for fun and food. If it is raining, the food will be served inside the Centre. Please join us as we celebrate inclusion and hospitality.  

On June 24, 2024, ITSS will begin updating the sign-in page for Robertson Library vendors that utilize the Shibboleth sign-in page. 

When this change is complete, you will be presented with the standard Microsoft sign-in page. You would then enter your complete UPEI email address as the username and your account password. You will then receive the MFA prompt. Note the change from just using your username to using your entire UPEI email address.

This change will occur over 48 hours so some vendors will still present with the current Shibboleth login page after June 24. All vendors that use the Shibboleth sign-in screen should be changed to the new sign-in page by June 26, 2024.

This will primarily impact off-campus users. Users on the campus network, including campus wifi, should not see any of this but should be able to access the products directly without login.

The Library continues to support the "Ezproxy" method of authentication as well, so if you experience a temporary inability to access a Library resource off campus through SSO, you should be able to do so using the appropriate "proxied" link on the library website. Ask Library Staff (in person, by email to reference@upei.ca, or via the Library's Ask Us chat service) for help finding the link you need. For other non-urgent questions, contact librarian Melissa Belvadi, at mbelvadi@upei.ca

The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications, including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments, is Friday, June 28, 2024. These applications will be reviewed at the July 19 meeting.

All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the UPEI researcher portal. Information about the researcher portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Research Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the researcher portal, or about the biosafety application, review, and approval process.

Troy Life & Fire Safety will perform the annual fire alarm inspections throughout campus beginning Monday, June 24, 2024. As part of these inspections, there will be testing of alarms. There will be an audible notification stating "This is a test" at the beginning and the end of each test. The building occupants are not required to evacuate during the testing period. The ringing of alarms is required to test their function and to ensure the speakers work throughout the building. This will be a small portion (up to two hours) of the total time they are in the building. The following is a list of testing dates:

• Duffy Science Centre, June 24
• SDU Main Building, June 25
• Steel Building, June 26
• Health Sciences Building, June 27
• Alumni Canada Games Place, July 2
• Alumni Hall, July 2
• W.A. Murphy Student Centre, July 3
• Campus Kids Child Care Centre, July 4
• Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation, July 5
• Cass Science Hall, July 16
• Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, July 17
• KC Irving Chemistry Centre, July 18
• Don and Marion McDougall Hall, July 19
• Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre, July 22
• Kelley Memorial Building, July 23
• Dalton Hall, July 24
• Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, July 25
• Central Utility Building, July 29
• Chaplaincy Centre, July 30
• Robertson Library, July 31
• Memorial Hall, August 1

Testing in the following buildings will take place at a later date. An updated notice will be sent out:

• Atlantic Veterinary College
• Bill and Denise Andrew Hall
• Bernardine Hall
• Blanchard Hall
• Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall
• Performing Arts Centre and Residence

If you have any questions or concerns please contact fmcapitalprojects@upei.ca

The flags near Kelley Memorial Building and at UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place will be flown at half-mast on Sunday, June 23, 2024, to mark the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism.

Welcome to the following new employees who joined the University of Prince Edward Island community in May 2024:

• George Essam Abou Rashed, Facilities Management
• Sobia Farheen Ali-Faisal, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Human Rights 
• Jasmine Nana Adjoa Famanyame Brown, Ancillary Services
• Annie Olivia Compton, Nursing
• Peter Doiron, Facilities Management
• Margaret Ann Hancock, UPEI Health and Wellness Centre
• Seyyed Ebrahim Hashemi Garmdareh, Climate Change and Adaptation, Science
• Amanda Georgette Keefe, Diagnostic Services
• Patrick Maurice Kelly, Security Services
• Pooja Kumar, Institute of Island Studies
• Mariah Lynn Marchbank, Nursing
• Stephen J. Muise, Security Services
• Alicia Louisa Muttart, Indigenous Knowledge, Education, Research, and Applied Studies
• Aminat Adetutut Okerinde, Facilities Management
• Khanh Pham, UPEI Health and Wellness Centre
• Anna Megan Smith, UPEI Health and Wellness Centre
• Lacy Webster, UPEI Health and Wellness Centre

We are excited to have you join the UPEI team!