Happening Now - News and Events at the Zane Cohen Centre

ZCC Network Newsletter - Fall 2023
November 2023

This has been a challenging year in the after effects of Covid, but I am very proud of the commitment and productivity that has been achieved in the Zane Cohen Centre. Many positive things have occurred this past year in our two main programs, the IBD and the Inherited Cancer Programs.
 
We have worked on the transition of care for adolescent IBD patients from the Sick Children’s Hospital, and we have also continued the work towards building an Ontario Best Practices in Research Program. In the GEM program, we are getting much closer to being able to identify patients in families that will develop Crohn's disease. The Preconception and Pregnancy in IBD Program is expanding exponentially as well as the PACE Program promotes access of care to our IBD patients.

Surgical studies have continued in the areas of ulcerative colitis along with collaborative multi-institutional international randomized trials. In addition, an education night for families with Lynch syndrome was hosted by our Centre in June, and the IBD Support Network has been reinstated to meet on a monthly basis with a guest speaker.
 
As we push the boundaries to achieve goals of excellence in patient care, education and research, I wish to personally thank all donors and in particular, the Hennick family, the Gitlin family and the de Gasperis families for the generous contributions.
 
I hope that you will have the chance to browse through the Newsletter and of course, any comments are very welcome.

Wishing you all well for the coming year, with peace, compassion and health in your future endeavors.

Dr. Zane Cohen
Read about it here.

4th Annual Spin for Spin for Sinai in support of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Spin for Sinai is on a mission to make a difference in the lives of those living with IBD. Together, we’ll ride towards discovering the causes and cures for IBD while enhancing the lives of those living with the condition.
 
Since 2019, the Spin for Sinai community has raised over $1.1 million, supporting vital IBD care, fellowships, and groundbreaking research at Sinai Health.
 
Get ready to pedal for a purpose!
 
Join us for an afternoon spin class supporting an important cause. The energy will be electrifying as we equip each participant with all they need to conquer the ride. After the ride, join us in celebration for a hydrating array of refreshments and snacks. We hope you will continue to support us on this journey, as our goal this year is to raise $500,000 and we can't do this without you. If you are not able to join us but would still like to support us, please use the link below to donate (www.spinforsinai.ca)

Date: Sunday, October 1, 2023

Place: Altea Active Toronto, 25 Ordnance St, Toronto, ON M6K 0E9

For reservation, please register: www.spinforsinai.ca

9th Lynch Syndrome Education Night for families

who want to learn the latest on Lynch Syndrome formerly known as Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC)

Date: Tuesday, June 13th, 2023

Place: Zoom Virtual Event

For reservation, please register: here

IBD Support group evening Lecture

Speaker: Ms. Luxin Ye, IBD Pharmacist

Date: Monday, May 29th, 2023

Crohn's and Colitis Awards 2022

Please join us to congratulate members from Sinai Health and The Zane Cohen Centre who have been recently awarded by Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation

Physician of the Year 2022 Award awarded to Dr. Adam Weizman

The Physician of the Year Award recognizes a physician who has made exceptional contributions to the clinical care of patients with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Congratulations Dr. Weisman!

Finkelstein 2022 Awarded to Brenda O’Connor

The Finkelstein Award recognizes an individual whose contributions reflect excellence, either through a particular accomplishment or through continuous efforts over time. Congratulations Brenda!

ZCC Network Newsletter - Fall 2022
November 2022

This continues to be an extraordinary two and a half years for all of us - our staff and students, and in particular, all of you, who I hope will be reading this issue of the Network Newsletter from the Zane Cohen Centre. I would like to thank everyone who has worked at the Centre, or who has taken an interest in the Centre for ongoing support and cooperation.

I am very proud that we remained productive in forwarding our goals for our patients.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our multiple donors, and in particular, Barb & Jay Hennick and family, for a transformational gift that they have given for inflammatory bowel disease research and education. I would also like to thank Stacey & Jonathan Gitlin for a very successful Spin for Sinai event, which will allow a very significant further donation to research and education in inflammatory bowel disease.

We will continue to push the boundaries as we influence patient care through our clinical research.

Wishing you well during 2022/2023

Dr. Zane Cohen
Read about it here.

How one family’s gifts to research is saving lives from cancer

In 2015 Eddie Mullin was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was only 32 years old. “It wasn’t the first time Eddie was diagnosed with cancer,” says Dr. Carol Durno. “He’d had lymphoma as a child, colon cancer in his twenties and then died of a brain tumour in his thirties.” Dr. Durno never met or treated Eddie, who was an American living in Minneapolis when he was diagnosed with brain cancer. She’s a gastroenterologist and clinician-researcher at the Zane Cohen Centre for Digestive Diseases at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Read More

ZCC Network Newsletter - Fall 2021
September 2021

This has been an extraordinary 18 months for all of us – our staff, our students, and in particular, all of you who are reading this issue of the Network Newsletter of the Zane Cohen Centre. I would like to thank everyone for their patience, persistence, support and cooperation as we still navigate through difficult times of the pandemic. While working mainly virtually, we continue to be productive in accomplishing the goals for our patients. Holding a successful virtual Polyposis Education Night, furthering our genetic counselling to patients with hereditary cancer syndromes, providing information tools for our Lynch patients, providing a mobile app for patient discharge planning, providing tips for healthy outcomes for pregnancy, and expanding our telehealth reach, increasing the scope of our IBD clinical trials network, getting closer to truly understanding the cause of Crohn's disease, bettering management of sarcomas and providing state of the art innovative surgical techniques for our patients, are just a few examples of the work we are doing. You can read further details in the pages below, and I hope you will take that opportunity. As we continue to work during these difficult times, we will continue to push the boundaries forward.

Wishing you well during 2021/2022

Dr. Zane Cohen
Read about it here.

New Study: ICARUS-IBD: International study of COVID-19 Antibody Response Under Sustained immune suppression in IBD
June 2021

Objective: This is a global research effort to follow IBD patients at infusion centers around the world. We will measure the baseline prevalence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, exposure by antibody testing (involves taking a blood sample) and follow with scheduled testing (blood sample at each of the visits) every 8 weeks over a 48-week period. . Through analysis of clinical data and patients’ social behaviors(questionnaire), we will be able to identify social, treatment-related, and biological factors that determine whether patients acquire mild, asymptomatic, or severe disease. Read More

3rd Familial Polyposis Education Night, May 11, 2021

For families who want to learn the latest on FAP & MAP

Date: Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Place: Zoom Webinar

Time: 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.