TD/AMA Scholarship winner to study immune system disorders
July 12, 2013
Dr. Jennifer K. Grossman is the 2013 recipient of the TD Insurance Meloche Monnex/Alberta Medical Association (AMA) Scholarship.
Join us in congratulating Dr. Grossman, who was granted $5,000 for further clinical training. She recently completed specialty training as a hematologist at the University of Calgary and will be undertaking a fellowship in primary immune deficiencies at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland.
She intends to study the less-well-known disorders of the immune system, such as Wiskott Aldrich syndrome, chronic granulomatous disease and severe combined immune deficiency. Dr. Grossman is fascinated by these deficiencies not only because of their pathology, but because of what they can tell us about more common diseases including cancer and autoimmune syndromes.
The NIH has one of largest adult primary immune deficiency (PID) patient populations in North America. Dr. Grossman will be undertaking a combined clinical and research fellowship, focusing on acquiring the knowledge and developing the skills to be able to diagnose and manage immune deficiencies. Her goal is to return to Calgary to establish a comprehensive care clinic for adult PID patients. This will:
- Provide a place where pediatric patients can continue to be followed up once they turn 18.
- Improve the identification of primary immune deficiencies in adults.
- Increase awareness of these disorders in the local medical community.
Dr. Grossman envisions Calgary becoming a referral center for PID in Western Canada.
Visit the TD Insurance Meloche Monnex/AMA Scholarship webpage for more information about the scholarship and other recipients who have been recognized for their tremendous work.
