2009 Calendar |
Ken Ng Chinatown, Calgary
Visiting Calgary's Chinatown is a way for AHFMR Senior Scholar Dr. Ken Ng to connect with his roots. Born in Hong Kong, he moved to Calgary with his family when he was four years old. "We go to Chinatown for the market, the restaurants, and the people. I enjoy both the culture and the activity." At the University of Calgary, part of Dr. Ng's research involves looking at viral diseases; in particular, positive-stranded RNA viruses such as the Norwalk virus. This commonly causes outbreaks of vomiting and diarrhea among people living in close quarters; on cruise ships, for example, and in university residences. The best that doctors can do right now is to treat the symptoms. But the situation may be changing. Dr. Ng led an international team that determined in detail the structure of the enzyme the Norwalk virus uses to replicate itself. "Knowing the structure of the enzyme is crucial to developing drugs that could be used to treat outbreaks of Norwalk," says Dr. Ng. "And what works for Norwalk may also be applied to related viruses such as hepatitis C. It's a step closer to effective treatments." |
