Search Results for The Science Olympiads

Grant category: Research Grants in open competition

Year: 2023

Geography: Canada

Ivan Litvinov’s project aims to co-create with Indigenous partners and implement a culturally sensitive dermatological care system in the Cree territories in Quebec, one of Canada’s First Nations. Dermatologic care for Canadian Indigenous populations is severely lacking currently. While many safe advanced treatments are available for debilitating diseases, including atopic dermatitis that affects ~15-20% of First Nations in Quebec, these treatments are not accessible in the Northern remote regions due to a lack of established care.

Ivan Litvinov’s proposed implementation science project will be centered on meaningful engagement of patients, health care providers (HCPs) and wider communities, continuous monitoring, analysis, and feedback based on collected data to the members of the steering committee and to the Cree Health Board/Elders overseeing the effort with the goal of achieving the Quintuple Aim (improved patient experience, better outcomes, lower costs, clinician well-being and health equity) for the region.

Ivan Litvinov’s project will leverage the existing RUISSS (Réseau Universitaire Intégré de Santé et de Services Sociaux) infrastructure to establish in-person care in 3 key Cree communities and will 1) establish a Learning Healthcare System (LHS); 2) collect quantitative and qualitative data on skin diseases, barriers and treatments; 3) recruit and support healthcare professionals to the region to foster a community of practice and promote a community of concern amongst patients through Patient and Public Involvement, knowledge mobilization and educational activities.

The impact of the project will be a co-creation of a culturally sensitive sustainable dermatologic care in the region. Results of this work will be shared with other specialties working in the region, other First Nation communities in Quebec in Canada and in other countries (e.g., Greenland).

Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants

Year: 2023

Geography: Denmark

The project supports the 2023 Biotech Academy Camp which is a week-long science camp for 30 high school students in October. The camp combines theory and lab work, and this year’s program is focused on societal challenges. It is free of charge and also covers participants’ transportation to the camp, has been executed annually since 2008, and is run by master’s and bachelor students from the Technical University of Denmark and the University of Copenhagen.

Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants

Year: 2024

Geography: Denmark

Biotech Academy Camp is an annual recurring event where 30 high school students from all over Denmark attend a week-long science camp. The purpose of the camp is to introduce potential students to theory and laboratory work and to spur young people’s interest in STEM in an engaging and practical way.

This year the theme is microbiology, and it is free for high school students to participate. Biotech Academy Camp is run by students at the Technical University of Denmark – DTU and the University of Copenhagen.

Visit Biotech Academy Camp’s website

Grant category: Research Grants in open competition

Year: 2024

Geography: Israel

Eran Elinav’s project explores the role of circadian rhythm in regulating host-microbiome interactions in the skin, and the impact of abnormal circadian rhythm on the microbiota of the gut, with a potential link to skin inflammation, psoriasis in particular.

While the exact cause of psoriasis remains elusive, it is believed to stem from a combination of genetic and environmental factors, including dietary and biological clock-related influences. The mechanism by which these factors impact psoriasis is closely tied to the circadian rhythm, as evidenced by the abnormal circadian rhythms observed in psoriasis patients. In recent years, the pivotal role of the microbiota – the trillions of indigenous microorganisms inhabiting the human body – has come to the forefront. Eran Elinav’s group has recently uncovered that circadian disruption can exacerbate inflammatory diseases by disrupting the diurnal oscillations of the gut microbiota. His project explores how the circadian clock may also orchestrate fluctuations in the dermal microbiome, which could be crucial in understanding skin diseases such as psoriasis.

Eran Elinav’s project aims to identify novel host-microbiome interactions in the skin and generate a novel framework for microbiome-based interventions for psoriasis.