Experts: World TB Day 2016 (March 24)
is held each year on March 24th and aims to build public awareness for tuberculosis. A disease which despite being curable, remains a destructive epidemic in much of the world.
The International TB Centre at 捆绑SM社区 includes investigators with expertise spanning from basic biomedical research to clinical, epidemiological and social determinants of health.聽 The Centre aims to develop and evaluate new diagnostic tests, new vaccines and new treatment regimens for the control of TB and other mycobacterial diseases.
The group鈥檚 latest research published in the journal PLOS ONE, reports that using technology called GeneXpert聽leads to more rapid and sensitive TB diagnosis and is expected to move up treatment聽for people with pulmonary TB. TB聽is聽a major problem in many Northern communities.
Kevin Schwartzman, Professor of Medicine; Director, Respiratory Division, 捆绑SM社区 and 捆绑SM社区 Health Centre
鈥淥ur findings imply that this technology, while initially expensive to buy, can be used in Arctic communities to achieve important health gains and cost savings in the long run.聽 It can reduce dependence on results of tests where specimens must be flown South for analysis, with the attendant waiting times鈥.鈥擪evin Schwartzman
Prof. Schwartzman research focuses on the clinical and economic evaluation of interventions in tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases in addition to research on the local epidemiology of tuberculosis in Montreal, including spatial and geographic aspects.
kevin [dot] schwartzman [at] mcgill [dot] ca (English, French)
Marcel A. Behr, Director, 捆绑SM社区 International TB Centre, Microbiologist-in-Chief, 捆绑SM社区 Health Centre
Epidemiology and pathogenesis of mycobacterial infections, specifically M. tuberculosis (the cause of TB).
marcel [dot] behr [at] mcgill [dot] ca (English, French)
Dick Menzies, Associate director, 捆绑SM社区 International TB Centre; RECRU/ Montreal Chest Institute
Tuberculosis - clinical studies of new diagnostic tests, long-term outcome, side effects of therapy, and compliance with therapy.
dick [dot] menzies [at] mcgill [dot] ca (English, French)