University Of Alberta Presents at Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioenergy, Oct-11-2012 02:00 PM. Venue: Westin Bayshore, 1601 Bayshore Drive, Vancouver, BC, V6G 2V4, Canada. Speakers: Houston Brown.

Hamilton has resigned from his new job as department chair at the University of Alberta. Dr. Claudio Soares was hired to head up the university's psychiatry department effective Sept. 1, but was placed on leave.

Sernova Corp. and University of Alberta announced the treatment of the first patient with insulin-producing islets transplanted into Sernova's Cell Pouch(TM) in a Phase I/II clinical study to treat Type-1 diabetes led by Dr. James Shapiro, Professor of Surgery and Medicine, University of Alberta and Director, Clinical Islet Transplant Program. The objectives of the human clinical trial are to assess the safety and efficacy of the Cell Pouch(TM) with transplanted islets in up to 20 patients with Type-1 diabetes. The study is sponsored by Sernova Corp. and the University of Alberta. In the study, patients who have met the enrolment criteria and provided informed consent are implanted with the Cell Pouch(TM) prior to transplantation of donor human islets. To prevent islet graft rejection, patients in this study are treated with the best in class standard of care immunosuppression protocol. Interim analysis of the data from this clinical study is expected during first half of 2013.