Previous Grants

In 2009, grants have been provided to:

Drs Ellie Haddad, Aubert Lavoie and Reza Alizadehfar for the Physician’s formation of Primary Immunodeficiency. This symposium intends to build awareness and education on the identification and diagnosis of PID among Quebec physicians. This event is open to every Quebec physician with an interest in treating PID and is scheduled to take place in the spring of 2010.

 Dr. Reza Alizadehfar hosted a Kids Picnic in Montreal, Quebec on Sunday, June 9th, 2009. Over 50 participants attended including patients, their relatives, nurses and physicians. Patients and their families greatly appreciated the opportunity to interact with each other, providing them with a sense of community.

Drs. Elie Haddad & Marie-Clause Levasseur hosted St Justine’s Kids day to promote interaction among patients and families with immune disorders on June 28th, 2009. This year’s event took place at d’Arbre en Arbre Resort in Mirabel, with close to 150 attendees. This day replaced feelings of solitude among patients and families, with those of companionship and joy.

The CI Society’s What is PID booklet which is currently in the production phase, will aid patients and physicians in understanding how the immune system works, what PID is, and how it is diagnosed and treated in Canada. Distribution to hospitals across Canada is scheduled for 2010.

This CI Society continues to support The JMF Canadian Network PID Video Conference series in 2009. This has been a highly valuable medium to discuss difficult cases as it allows expert physicians across the country to communicate and care for patients. With eleven telehealth national sites and webcasting, we continue to ensure that physicians in isolated areas can listen in to our JMCIN Canadian experts, enhancing their own personal knowledge on PID patients. For more information click here.

In 2008, grants have been provided to:

Dr. Christine McCusker of Montreal’s Children Hospital for Immunology rounds. This seminar series aids in the education of staff and trainees by discussing specific primarily immunodeficiencies and  the genetic basis and management of immune disorders.

The CI Society to spearhead the development of a national PID Video Conference Series. Immunologists across Canada will rotate hosting video presentations in which case studies are presented and discussed across the country. Case studies will be archived on the CI Society physician's only webpage.

The CI Society to develop a physician's only webpage comprised of resources on diagnostic tools and an educational section on Primary Immunodeficiency Disease. It will be accessible through a username and password.

Dr. Amin Kanani to hold Immunodeficiency Rounds to promote new developments in understanding and treating Primary Immunodeficiency Disease. Rounds will be targeted to clinical immunologists, allergist and other sub-specialists from across Vancouver lower mainland.

Dr. Reza Alizadehfar to host a Kids Picnic in Montreal to help break the isolation that patients and their families feel. Participants will include patients, their relatives, nurses and physicians.

In 2007, grants have been provided to:

Drs. Amin Kanani and Stuart Carr for a joint project, Do Bugs Need Drugs, which raised awareness of the 10 warning signs of Primary Immunodeficiency Disease (25,000 copies of pamphlet distributed across British Columbia and Alberta).

Drs. Adelle Atkinson and Reza Alizadehfar for a 2nd Conference on Host Defense held during the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting in Edmonton, Alberta. Hosted by the CI Society, opening comments, Dr. Chaim Roifman, Plenary lecture: Dr. Richard Stiehm, Moderators Drs. Adelle Atkinson & Reza Alizadehfar. Presentations: Dr. F. Le Deist - CD3 zeta deficiency, Dr. E. Grunebaum - Purine Immunodeficiency- novel treatments, Dr. S. Turvey - the emerging role of innate immunity. Followed by six short case presentations by fellows/network members, Moderators Drs. S Carr and A. Kanani.

Dr. Reza Alizadehfar to coordinate and host the first CI Society's Montreal Kids Picnic.

Dr. Amin Kanani for immunodeficiency rounds to promote new developments in understanding and treating primary immune deficiencies targeted to clinical immunologists, allergists and other sub-specialists from across Vancouver lower mainland.

In 2006, grants have been provided to:

Dr. Adelle Atkinson, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada, to provide a series of lectures on primary immunodeficiencies, their diagnosis, work-up and management. These lectures would take place in the community as well as other healthcare institutions both community and university based.

Dr. Amin Kanani, University of British Columbia/St. Paul’s Hospital, Canada to provide two events for Primary Care Practitioners and three events for specialists during the 2006 year. Topics will include new developments in our understanding, recognizing, investigating and managing primary immune deficiencies. Discussion will also be held on challenging immunodeficiency cases.

Dr. Bruce Mazer, Montreal Children’s Hospital to host a symposium as part of the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in Montreal, October 2006.

Dr. Adelle Atkinson and Dr. Reza Alizadehfar, Co-Chairs of the Network for a national physician awareness project aimed at educating physicians on the 10 warning signs of PID and raising awareness of the Network among physicians for support and consultations. Approximately 10, 500 physicians across Canada, within paediatrics and family practice, will be provided resource and referral materials.