News and gallery
World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) Event at the Saskatchewan Science Centre - 23 November 2024
Thanks to all volunteers from the El-Halfawy lab, the BCSA, and the Faculty of Science
(Only few appear in the photos below)
Agar plates from the Agar Art Activity. More photos can be found here.
Media coverage of WAAW and this event
Lab symposium - August 2024
Celebrating Joshua's first first-authored paper during lab symposium 2024
The lab receives funding from CIHR - July 2024
We are excited to receive a one-year priority announcement funding from CIHR to support our studies on antibiotic response & virulence under infection-mimetic conditions to tackle the AMR crisis!
Many thanks to the reviewers for their positive & constructive feedback!
We are excited to continue our work that builds on recent progress supported by an NFRF-Exploration grant and a SHRF establishment grant.
Joshua Adams receives a CIHR Strategic Master's Scholarship - July 2024
Congratulations, Josh! Well deserved.
Graduate students represent the lab at ASM Microbe 2024 in Atlanta - June 2024
Joshua Adams gave an oral presentation and Colin Rieger presented a poster. Both gave excellent presentations. Well done, Josh and Colin!
MAY 23, 2024
Omar El-Halfawy joined our Jenelle Lippai Global Regina Morning News to talk about new funding into Cystic Fibrosis research.
MAY 1, 2024
UofR Discourse Magazine. Article by Krista Baliko. New research holds life-changing potential for CF patients.
Adams et al. ACS Infectious Diseases Paper - May 2024
Joshua's first first-author paper was published in ACS Infectious diseases, describing the discovery of new macrolide adjuvants against K. pneumoniae inspired by studying the natural polyamine sensitization of these Gram-negative bacteria to macrolides. Excellent contribution from Peri.
This is the first primary research article from the lab!
Coverage by nature middle east (Arabic edition)
The paper selected as ACS Editors' Choice.
Congratulations Josh and Peri!
'From basic science to the clinic' Experiential learning exercise & funding from the CESL
Basic scientific research is essential to enable clinical breakthroughs. I asked undergrad students in my Drug Discovery & Development course (BIOC390AF) to find examples of curiosity-based research that eventually led to the development of drugs used in the clinic. Students prepared animated videos that illustrate their findings. I am proud of all students for the effort they put into this assignment!
April 19, 2024
UofR News – Stories
Your Assignment: combine curiosity-based research, creativity, and technology
Graduate students, Joshua Adams and Colin Rieger, win second place at Startup Bootcamp - April 12, 2024
Congratulations to Josh & Colin on a winning pitch at the Startup Bootcamp Pitch Finale! They pitched new antimicrobial solutions we recently filed for a US Provisional Patent on. Well done!
Tyler Hamelin receives a CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarship - Master's (CGS-M) - April 1, 2024
Congratulations, Tyler! Well deserved.
Dr. Ahmed Soliman featured in the Discourse Magazine coverage of the National Postdoc Appreciation Week - September 2023
Graduate students represent the lab at PIIN2023 and receive poster awards - September 2023
Joshua Adams and Colin Rieger win poster awards at the Prairie Infectious Immunology Network (PIIN) 2023 conference at Hecla Resort, Manitoba. Congratulations, Josh and Colin!
Also, excellent poster presentation by Peri Moulding at this meeting as well; well done!
Group photo (during Lab Symposium 2023) - August 2023
UofR President Dr. Jeff Keshen visits the lab - May 2023
The lab participates at Science Odyssey at the UofR - May 2023
CIHR President Dr. Michael Strong visits the lab - May 2023
Participation at Science Meets Parliament in Ottawa - May 2023
Omar joined Science Meets Parliament (SMP) in Ottawa for the second time to share his experience as a former SMP delegate and some tips with new delegates. He also met MP Warren Steinley on Parliament Hill to discuss our team’s work to tackle the antibiotic crisis and research that matters for SK & Canada.
Colin Rieger receives a CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarship - Master's (CGS-M) - April 2023
Congratulations, Colin! Well deserved.
Science Meets Parliament CSPC Editorial - December 2022
Omar shares experience at the interface between Science and Policymaking and some key lessons from the Science Meets Parliament program, organized by the Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC) and the office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada, Dr. Mona Nemer, in an editorial for the CSPC Magazine.
Honouring the legacy of Dr. R.G.E. Murray at the Murray Symposium at Western University - October 2022
The legacy and lifetime of achievements of Dr. R.G.E. Murray (1919 - 2022) was celebrated at Western Univeristy in October 2022. Dr. Murray remained active in his later years He was active in his later years as a Professor Emeritus, including when Omar completed his PhD at the Microbiology and Immunology Department at Western, and never failed to ask stimulating questions at department seminars. Omar was invited to speak at this symposium. A tribute to Dr. Murray can be found here.
MP Michael Kram visits the lab - October 2022
FGSR Dean visits the lab - September 2022
Group photos (during Lab Symposium 2022) - August 2022
Science Meets Parliament in Ottawa - May 2022
Omar was selected as a delegate in the Science Meets Parliament Program organized by the Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC) and the office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada, Dr. Mona Nemer. This program aims to connect scientists and politicians and policymakers. Omar attended various networking events on Parliament Hill and had meetings with MP Michael Kram and MP Damien Kurek, discussing antibiotic resistance, pandemics and how science and policy interface. He shared our work addressing the antimicrobial resistance crisis.
Peri Moulding receives a CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarship - Master's (CGS-M) - April 2022
Congratulations, Peri! Well deserved.
The lab secures federal funding: NFRF-Exploration (2 years) and NSERC Discovery Grant (5 years) & a Discovery Launch Supplement - April 2022
We are thrilled to receive an NFRF exploration grant to look for novel bacterial virulence factors required under wound conditions and explore Indigenous remedies to treat wound infections in collaboration with Vincent Ziffle and Fidji Gendron from First Nations University of Canada. We are grateful for the opportunity this project brings to collaborate with multiple Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers across Canada to work towards co-creating new knowledge!
We are also excited to receive a 5-year Discovery Grant from NSERC to support our work on antibiotic resistance and bacterial response to small molecules.
The lab receives a SHRF Establishment Grant (3 years) - June 2021
The Canada Research Chair in Chemogenomics and Antimicrobial Chair award announcement - December 2020