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Going Further for Cystic Fibrosis Research

Cardona Lab

APRIL 20, 2021

Under the mentorship of Dr. Silvia T. Cardona, professor and Associate Head of Microbiology (Graduate Affairs) at the University of Manitoba, we are a small but mighty team of determined researchers who are interested in producing knowledge and scientific breakthroughs that can improve the lives of people living with cystic fibrosis.

Through our work, we aim to understand what controls bacterial growth in different settings. Our research is centred on a specific group of bacteria called Burkholderia. Some species of this bacteria can cause worrisome infections in individuals living with cystic fibrosis. 

Infections caused by this bacteria are very difficult to treat due to their high antibiotic resistance. So part of our research is dedicated to building tools and better understanding the bacteria, and eventually finding new antibiotics to treat infections. 

A few years ago, our lab was part of an international team with other labs from Italy and Russia. We found a synthetic compound that could kill many types of bacteria, including species of Burkholderia. One thing that’s really interesting to note is that our collaborators in Italy have been working hard to build treatment that may one day enter clinical trials as a new antibiotic.

Accomplishments like these really motivate us to do more, and to go further, in our research so that people with cystic fibrosis can remain hopeful that better and more effective treatments are on the way. It also shows us how important fundraising and events like the Walk to Make Cystic Fibrosis History can be to support this vital work, and the larger cystic fibrosis community. 

Participating in the Walk to Make Cystic Fibrosis History has become an annual tradition for our team. We’ve come back every year since 2018, to show our support of Cystic Fibrosis Canada and everyone who is living with, or impacted by, cystic fibrosis. 

Going into our fourth year of the Walk is incredibly special for us, but it also means that the fight against cystic fibrosis is not over. 

Being part of this event is so important to each of us in different ways, but it’s especially meaningful as a team because it’s an opportunity for us to come together with other like-minded people who want to make a positive impact for the cystic fibrosis community. 

We’ve also been incredibly lucky to be supported by our families, partners, friends and other graduate students, as they have helped to spread the message of our story and the work that we do at the Cardona Lab.

Last year, our Walk team (which we named the “Science Nerd Herd”), raised $1,000. We hope to make an even greater positive impact by beating this goal for the 2021 virtual Walk. Once again, our team will be challenging ourselves to walk one kilometer for every $50 raised (doing so while maintaining distance and wearing our masks).

For over 15 years, the CF community has come together every year at the Walk to Make Cystic Fibrosis History, united in the pursuit of a cure. Due to the ongoing global situation caused by COVID-19, the walk will remain virtual format in an effort to keep our community safe.

We also would like to thank our National partner, Kin Canada, and sponsor of the Walk to Make CF History, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, for their generous support.