2024

November 2024
Our collaborative research project led by Dr. Denys Khaperskyy, and involving Drs. McCormick and Pringle, received a CIHR Catalyst Grant for Avian Influenza One Health Research. The project is focused on functional characterization of cross-reactive and specific antibodies against highly pathogenic avian influenza at human/wildlife interface, and will involve co-applicants Drs. Lisa Barrett at Dalhousie University, Lisanework Ayalew at the University of Prince Edward Island, and Andrew Lang at the Memorial University of Newfoundland.

September 2024
Alexa finishes in 2nd place in the Falling Walls Lab Atlantic Canada science communication event at Dalhousie University, in which participants have 3 minutes to pitch their idea to topple an obstacle that is holding back global progress. All 3 finalists were from the Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine, and MSc student Dina Rogers went on to compete in the Falling Walls Science Summit in November, where she won in the Emerging Talents category.

September 2024
Adriana and Taylor joined our Institute for Comparative Genomics (ICG) colleagues for a volunteer science outreach event “MicroScape Microorganism Day” at the Discovery Centre in Halifax, NS. This event was supported by an PromoScience Grant from NSERC, and was held on the occasion of International Microorganism Day.

July 2024
Our team, including Co-Applicants Sultan Darvesh, Ian Pottie, Eric Pringle and Brett Duguay, was awarded a CIHR Project Grant (Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies Research Priority Announcement) for our research into GTPase enzymes as antiviral drug targets.

May 2024
Taylor and Adriana joined our Institute for Comparative Genomics (ICG) colleagues for a volunteer science outreach event “MicroScape Biodiversity Day” at the Discovery Centre in Halifax, NS. This event was supported by an PromoScience Grant from NSERC.

April 2024
Our interdisciplinary team, led by Canadian Center for Vaccinology Director Scott Halperin, was awarded a 3-year $4.6M CIHR Clinical Trials Fund grant to establish a Controlled Human Infection Model (CHIM) for seasonal H3N2 Influenza A viruses. This research will take place at the Canadian Center for Vaccinology and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC). Learn more about Challenge Studies here.

January 2024
Craig is featured on ‘What do Scientists Do?’: SuperNOVA’s family-friendly STEM podcast for curious kids and inquisitive adults.
”In this episode, we dive into the wild world of viruses with Dr. Craig McCormick, a professor of virology in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Dr. McCormick (petri) dishes on virology: unlocking the mysteries of coronaviruses and influenza viruses, what makes these microscopic troublemakers tick, and how scientists like Dr. McCormick can crack their genetic codes”

2021

December 2021
Craig and Roy Duncan and the team supporting the development of the Entos Pharmaceuticals Covigenix COVID-19 vaccine are featured in the Dalhousie Medical Alumni Magazine, VoxMeDAL. The article, written by Melanie Starr, found on page 28, is titled “The scientists’ eye view: Dal Virologists share what’s on the horizon for COVID vaccines”. The team includes Dr. Eric Pringle, Dr. Anna Greenshields, Adam Nelson, Nichole McMullen and Mark Charman.

2020

August 2020
Taylor and Pat receive I3V Graduate Studentships. 

With support of the Nova Scotia Business Inc. Productivity and Innovation Voucher Program, we are initiating a new phase of collaborative research with Photodynamic Inc.

June 2020
Taylor and Pat receive Mitacs Research Training Awards to support their COVID-19 research

Eric receives a Mitacs Elevate Postdoctoral Fellowship sponsored by Entos Pharmaceuticals Inc.

May 2020
Taylor receives a Scotia Scholar Award from Research Nova Scotia to support her graduate research, to begin in September 2020

We are awarded a Nova Scotia COVID-19 Health Research Coalition grant application to study temperature effects on coronavirus replication. This grant was conceived and written by Eric Pringle.

April 2020
Craig and his 12 year old daughter Sophie share a conversation about coronaviruses, as part of a series of interviews arranged by the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation.

2018

November 2018
Craig and Sue Duncan are interviewed about the Molly Appeal by the Chronicle Herald

October 2018
Dr. Francesca Di Cara and Craig are interviewed about the Molly Appeal for DalNews.

September 2018
Craig and John Archibald are interviewed on Global Television (video) and CTV News (video) about the Molly Appeal.

August 2018
Think of the PLOSibilities blog collaborators Emma Finlayson-Trick and Craig McCormick profiled in The Star Halifax.

March 2018
Former PhD student Drew Leidal interviewed by Novus Biologicals: "From a Postdoc's Perspective: Andrew Leidal"  

January 2018
Media darling Denys Khaperskyy on CTV News again (video). 

2017

December 2017
Denys discusses influenza vaccine effectiveness with the legendary Bruce Frisko on CTV News (video). 

October 2017
A $14.7 M CFI Innovation Fund Award is announced, to support a proposal for 'Infrastructure to Support the Discovery and Development of Innovative Viroceuticals'. This infrastructure grant supports the work of virologists, immunologists and vaccine researchers from the University of Ottawa (lead), Dalhousie University, and the University of Alberta. Drs. Roy Duncan and Craig McCormick led the team of Dalhousie researchers, who will benefit from new super-resolution microscopy and flow cytometry infrastructure. 
"CFI INVESTS IN DISCOVERY AND INNOVATION AT DAL" - DalNews, October 17, 2017

October 2017
Viroceutical researchers featured in the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation Magazine, The Philanthropist

2016

April 2016
Denys publishes a paper in PLoS Pathogens describing the mechanism of selective host mRNA destruction by influenza virus PA-X endonuclease. Data suggests that PA-X works in nucleus at some early step of mRNA biogenesis. A very productive (and speedy!) collaboration with our colleagues in Marta Gaglia’s lab at Tufts U.
media links:  
“Dal’s Flu Fighters” - DalNews, April 1, 2016
“Dalhousie Medical School making big breaks in influenza research” - Global News, April 1, 2016
“Dalhousie University researchers make flu discoveries” - CBC News, April 6, 2016
“Influenza Discoveries at Dal” - Dal Alumni News, April 6, 2016

2014

December 2014
Brittany Graham is named Dalhousie University’s 89th Rhodes Scholar
http://www.dal.ca/news/2014/12/02/converging-rhodes--dal-student-s-inquisitive-interests-lead-to-o.html

July 2014
Denys publishes a paper in PLoS Pathogens on three influenza virus proteins that prevent translation arrest and stress granule formation during infection, thereby supporting viral gene expression. This study identifies a window of opportunity early during infection during which stress granule-inducing drugs effectively block viral replication.
media links:  
“Finding new weapons to fight flu” - Dalhousie Medical School Media Centre
CTV News Interview with Kayla Hounsell, July 14, 2014
“A Natural Solution to the Flu?” - The Chronicle Herald, July 17, 2014
CBC-Radio Halifax - Information Morning, July 18, 2014
CBC-Radio Sydney - Information Morning, July 21, 2014