8th Annual Obesity Bootcamp



delta lodge at kananaskis

Kananaskis, Alberta

Regular readers will recall that for the past eight years, I have had the pleasure of spending about ten days each year with a select group of the brightest and best of students and new professionals working in the field of obesity research from across Canada.

The annual “bootcamp”, run by the Canadian Obesity Network, has in the past been held in Duschesnay, a small resort in Quebec, and has so far trained over 175 trainees in all aspects or obesity research.

This year’s bootcamp, which began yesterday, adds a twist as it is the first time that the Canadian Obesity Network has partnered with the University of Leipzig, a major centre of obesity research in Germany.

Not only does the class of 2013 include eight German trainees but also several faculty from Leipzig, who have travelled all the way to Canada to teach at this summer school.

And of course, the Canadian trainees come from universities across Canada including, UBC, York, McMaster, U Ottawa, U Alberta, Memorial, McGill, Laurentian, U Waterloo, U Saskatchewan and U Manitoba (with one trainee attending from Harvard Medical School).

The 10 days of training are designed to provide a broad overview of all aspects of obesity research (from basic neuroscience, cell biology and genetics to epidemiology, nutrition and clinical research) to the next generation of obesity researchers and health professionals.

For me, spending 10 days with this elite group of trainees is always a thought-provoking and stimulating experience, from which I continue to benefit year after year.

This year’s international mix is sure to make this event even more engaging and challenging.

I certainly look forward to an exciting ten days at this year’s bootcamp in the Canadian rockies.

@DrSharma
Kananaskis, AB