Cover Story

1. Keep on moving

Features

1. REGAINing movement
2. Air pollution and the bowel
3. Taking apart infectious disease

In every issue

1. Voices from the community
2. Responding to the reader
3. Cool Tools
4. Researchers in the making
5. Following Up

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About the team leaders

Dr. Herman Barkema is a full professor and department head in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary.

Dr. Richard Fedorak is a full professor and the director of the Division of Gastroenterology, in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta.

Dr. Kris Chadee is a full professor in the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary.

Recommended websites

Alberta IBD Consortium

AHFMR Interdisciplinary Team Grant program

Following up

Reaching out to Albertans with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis

Story by Karen Thomas

A team of researchers and physicians from across Alberta has launched an ambitious new research program aimed at improving the lives of people with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and at reducing the cost of IBD for the health system.

The Alberta IBD Consortium, funded through the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research* Interdisciplinary Team Grant program, is reaching out to Albertans to participate in research to help IBD scientists and doctors better understand the root causes of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The team is looking for patients and family members to provide input into their key research questions and priorities to help direct future research directions.

Alberta has one of the highest rates of IBD per capita in the world. IBD is a devastating condition, striking people when they are young. Although not as well-known, it is as common as type 1 diabetes, and three times more common than multiple sclerosis and HIV.

"Our goal is to improve the health and quality of life for 15,000 Albertans with IBD," says Alberta IBD team leader Dr. Herman Barkema. "The team is made up of excellent scientists in medicine and veterinary medicine as well as world-known doctors. IBD is a complex problem, so we are bringing together immunologists and bacteriologists, along with people who suffer the debilitating symptoms of IBD every day."

IBD involves a complex interplay between genetics, the environment in which people live, and an imbalance of bacteria in the body. Team members are also exploring the interactions between gut bacteria, air pollution, and a western diet (high fat, high sugar) as potential triggers of IBD.

For more information on the study and how to get involved, please contact:
Christina Heinrich, Knowledge Transfer Specialist at

To see a video about the work of this team, go to
http://www.ahfmr.ab.ca/news/2010-02-23.php

*AHFMR is now Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions, funded by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Endowment Fund.