Congratulations to the following members of the Neuroscience Research Cluster for being approved for 2017 CoMRAD Awards. These 6 successful projects from the Cluster represent almost 1 out of 5 successful CoMRAD Awards, which is a terrific outcome from our Cluster.
Congratulations to all recipients!
2017 CoMRAD Awards from Neuroscience Research Cluster:
Lane Bekar, Department of Pharmacology
“Modeling late-onset neurodegeneration in wild-type mice using common lifestyle stressors”
Francisco Cayabyab (PI), Department of Surgery, and Yanbo Zhang (Co-Applicant), Department of Psychiatry
“Therapeutic potential of low-field magnetic stimulation in stroke”
Darrell Mousseau, Department of Psychiatry
“Using pH-sensitive probes to monitor flipping behaviour of the mitochondrial MAO protein”
Lissa Peeling, Department of Surgery
“Clot analyses in acute ischemic stroke”
Changiz Taghibiglou, Department of Pharmacology
“Cellular prion protein (PrPC)-dependent brain insulin resistance: A missing molecular link between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and neurodegenerative diseases”
Yanbo Zhang, Department of Psychiatry,
“Double-blind proof-of-concept trial of intermittent theta burst low field magnetic stimulation augmentation of antidepressant therapy in treatment-resistant depression”
Congratulations to the following trainees in Dr. Cayabyab's lab for the following recognitions/awards:
Jocelyn Stockwell (PhD Candidate)
Recipient of the 2017 Society for Neuroscience Nancy Rutledge Zahniser Trainee Professional Development Travel Award to attend SFN Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.
University Graduate Scholarship Recipient (Doctoral), Graduate Program in Health Sciences
Yuncheng Lv (PDF)
SHRF Postdoctoral Fellowship for project entitled "Lipid and alpha-synuclein accumulation in substantia nigra contributes to Parkinson's disease: role of ABCA1 cholesterol transporter and adenosine A1 receptor"
Michael Zaki (MSc Candidate)
University Graduate Scholarship Recipient (MSc), Graduate Program in Health Sciences
Jasleen Saini (Honours Student)
Third Place in Pharmacy and Nutrition Summer Research Poster Day
The CIHR Project Grant Review Panels met in Ottawa in late November to early December to adjudicate grants submitted to the CIHR Project Grant Fall 2017 Competition.
We are pleased to acknowledge the important contributions of our Neuroscience Research Cluster Members, Dr. Darrell Mousseau (CIHR Project Grant - Aging Panel) and Dr. Francisco Cayabyab (CIHR Project Grant- Cell Biology & Mechanisms of Disease Panel), for their volunteer participation and commitment to advancing excellence in the peer review process.
http://thestarphoenix.com/life/bridges/feels-like-a-miracle-dr-tellez-zentanos-landmark-work-on-seizures
Drs. J.N.K. Nyarko and M.O. Quartey were awarded departmental funding (Psychiatry) through the Laura E. Chapman Award and the Aruna and Kripa Thakur Trust for their project titled: “The Alzheimer disease-related Amyloid Protein Precursor (APP) alters neurotransmitter metabolite clearance from the brain: implications for neuronal pruning and Autism-like behaviours”
Alicia Mah (PHPY 432 honors student: supervisor, D.D. Mousseau) won an ward for her "poster design and research conducted' (march 21, 2017)
Kaeli Knudsen (MSc student: supervisors, D.D. Mousseau and C. de Carvalho) was the recipient of a two-yaer CoMGRAD MSc Scholarship (2017-2019) for her project: "A metabolite contributes to the toxic profile of a routinely prescribed antidepressant drug.
Lisa Poon (MSc student: supervisor D.D. Mousseau) was recognized by a great write-up in 'Campus news' (march 10 2017) for all of her work with Brain Blast. https://news.usask.ca/media-release-pages/2017/u-of-s-students-offer-neuroscience-fun-during-brain-awareness-week.php
Swarna Emayavaramban (Evan Hardy Collegiate institute: academic placement supervisor, M.O. Quartey and D.D. Mouseeau) won the Silver Level for her poster at the Regional Science Fairl (April 4, 2017) and the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation Canda-Wide Science Fair Travel Grant (to travel to the Nationals in Ottawa). She presented on works relating to: " Paving the Path Towards a Cure for Alzheimer's Disease (AD): Aβ-oriented therapy for AD".
Our late Neuroscience cluster leader, Dr. Adil Nazarali and co-Investigators Drs. Kendra Furber and Ian McQuillan were successful in getting one-year Bridge Funding Support from CIHR. The Project is titled "Integrated transcriptome analysis of de novo myelination and remyelination efficiency in the aging CNS."
Abstract:
Oligodendrocytes (OLs) are a cell type in the central nervous system (CNS) that wrap the long processes extending from nerve cells (i.e. axons) in a fatty, membranous sheath called myelin. Myelin insulates the axon, protecting nerve cells and ensuring fast, efficient signaling. Thus, proper myelination of axons is critical for coordinated movement and cognitive functions (such as memory). The myelinating ability of OLs is essential to prevent CNS degeneration, and to promote repair from injury or under pathological conditions, but the efficiency of OL remyelination declines with age. This age-related impairment of remyelination is relevant to cognitive impairments accompanying several neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and dementia, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. Little is known about the genes that govern myelin stability and repair in the aging CNS. The goal of our research is to determine how myelination and remyelination is affected by age-related alterations in gene networks. We will study how specific factors interact to regulate the expression of OL genes and proteins that are important for efficient remyelination of axons. Based on our previous studies, we hypothesize that two transcription factors (Hoxd1 and Nkx2.2) and a deacetylase enzyme (SIRT2) play important roles in controlling the progression of OLs from immature cells to mature cells that have assembled a myelin sheath. Establishing how specific factors regulate this process is important for understanding how to overcome the age-related decline in the ability of OLs to myelinate / remyelinate the axons of nerve cells. This research is the groundwork for developing therapeutic approaches to reverse CNS damage caused by several age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
