Researcher “gets” the common cold
By Colleen Donahue
Dr. Suzanne Traves has come to U of C to catch a cold—of sorts. Her research is looking at asthma and the virus suspected of causing it—the common cold.
 A new recruit to the Faculty of Medicine from Imperial College
in London, England, she joins the Airway Inflammation Group
as a post-doctoral fellow, in large part thanks to the ALTANA
Fellowship in Airway Inflammation. The grant of $46,400 from
ALTANA Pharma Inc. is part of the company’s commitment to respiratory
research.
On the job, Traves’s research explores how common respiratory viruses, such as HRV and the common cold virus, trigger acute attacks of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Off the job, she is the mother of a busy preschooler and a
five-month-old, sports a black belt in karate, and a performer’s certificate on the piano.
Dr. David Proud, head of the department of physiology and
biophysics, and head of the Airway Inflammation Group, is pleased
to have the collaboration of both Traves and ALTANA.
“Suzanne is terrific, and ALTANA’s commitment to research and funding will help us gain a better understanding of the signaling mechanisms HRV uses to alter the function of epithelial cells (the cells lining the airways) in a way that makes airway inflammation worse. Understanding these pathways could lead to new therapeutic approaches to treat viral exacerbations of asthma and COPD.”
“The fellowship attracted me for several reasons,” says Traves. “Personally,
Calgary provides a better quality of life for my young family.
Professionally, the University of Calgary has a good reputation,
attracting leaders in the field of respiratory research, such
as [Dr. Proud] and other members of his team. This gives me
the opportunity to develop my career by researching a number
of different respiratory diseases.”
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