UNews - Alberta Ingenuity Fund

Iwaniuk named a Tier II Canada Research Chair

trevor.kenney — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:20:06 +0000

Leading neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk, one of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s emerging young researchers, has been awarded a Tier II Canada Research Chair for a research program aiming to understand how the brain evolves into different sizes and forms in different species.

One of the U of L's emerging young researchers, Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk's research program aims to understand how the brain evolves into different sizes and forms in different species

The Canada Research Chairs program announced a total of 137 new and renewed research Chairs at 34 post-secondary institutions Thursday, committing $118 million to the program, with an additional $7.9 million in infrastructure support provided by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). The Canada Research Chair program awards $500,000 over five years for Tier II awards.

“Since coming to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Dr. Iwaniuk has consistently advanced his research program, all the while providing exceptional training for undergraduate and graduate students as well as post-doctoral fellows,” says Dr. Lesley Brown, the U of L’s Interim Vice-President (Research). “His program is an excellent example of the interdisciplinary work conducted on campus and encouraged between faculty members because he combines methods of diverse disciplines, specifically evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology and neuroscience.”

Over the past five years, Iwaniuk, now a Canada Research Chair in Comparative Neuroanatomy, has secured over $1.2 million in funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Alberta Ingenuity Fund, CFI and matching funds.

Toronto born, Iwaniuk grew up in Edmonton, Alta. and completed his undergraduate studies at Monash ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Australia. He made his way back to Alberta to study under Drs. Sergio Pellis and Ian Whishaw at the U of L, completing a master’s degree in psychology, before earning his doctorate upon return to Monash. He then worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and Smithsonian Institution before joining the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as a faculty member in 2008.

Through his research work, Iwaniuk has received international recognition as an expert in evolutionary neurobiology. At over 500 specimens representing 160 species, he boasts the largest comparative brain collection in Canada and the largest collection of bird brains in the world. One of his more recent studies found that a single brain region that processes visual motion is greatly enlarged in hummingbirds, thus allowing them to maintain a stationary position while feeding. This was the first evidence that hummingbird flight involves neural adaptation.

He says that despite decades of intense neuroscience research, how the brain evolves into different sizes and forms in different species remains a mystery.

“My research aims to resolve this mystery by specifically examining how the brain evolves and why, using a series of cutting edge technologies and analytical methods,” says Iwaniuk. “The results of these studies will yield new information on how the brain evolves, what evolutionary changes in brain anatomy have occurred and why these changes are necessary, all of which are fundamental to understanding brain function in all animals, including humans.”

By better understanding how the brain evolves, Iwaniuk will be able to provide new insights into what makes the human brain unique and why.

Faculty members at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge consistently demonstrate that they are among the very best researchers in Canada. Iwaniuk’s appointment as a Canada Research Chair in Comparative Neuroanatomy brings to 33 the number of research Chair appointments at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. More information on U of L researchers is available on the U of L research website.

Grad students honoured

trevor.kenney — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:00:59 +0000

When the School of Graduate Studies and the Office of Research Services handed out their Research Excellence awards recently, there were no trophies, only cold hard cash to the tune of more than $700,000, which was shared by 36 student recipients of graduate, doctoral and post-doctoral studies awards.

The investment in research funding directed toward candidates in masters and doctoral programs is critical to help grow the U of L's research programs and its place as a comprehensive research university.

"These creative and highly intelligent people are the researchers of tomorrow. They are already working on world-class projects right here in Lethbridge, and this competitive funding shows that our graduate-level candidates are very successful in obtaining scarce research dollars at a national level," says Dr. Robert Wood, the Interim Head of the School of Graduate Studies.

The research funding was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Alberta-based agencies Alberta Ingenuity Fund, Alberta Innovates Health Solutions, the Alberta Cancer Foundation, and the Alberta government-funded Ralph Steinhauer Awards of Distinction.

There were also several new awards, including an Alberta Award for the Study of Human Rights and Multiculturalism won by Health Sciences master's candidate Ruksana Rashid. As well, more than $50,000 was received from three separate funds by chemistry and biochemistry candidate Cassandra Churchill.

A complete listing of all recipients can be found on the School of Graduate Studies website: www.uleth.ca/sgs

Grad students honoured

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 21:09:52 +0000

A complete listing of all recipients can be found on the School of Graduate Studies website: www.uleth.ca/sgs

Graduate student research award winners

trevor.kenney — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:29:04 +0000

Following are the 2010 Student Research Awards for graduate students. Please note that some awards might not be listed because the granting agency has not yet given the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ permission to publicly release the information.

SSHRC
(Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council)

Kent Aardse, English (literature, American – literary movements) $17,500
Jeffrey Doherty, Arts & Science (environmental history) $17,500
Deanna Forrester, Psychology & Neuroscience (sexology) $17,500
Michael Frank, Native American Studies (interdisciplinary studies) $17,500
Lindsey Garner-Knapp, Anthropology (interdisciplinary studies) $17,500
Vanessa Hanel, Management (marketing) $17,500
Ainslee Kimmel, Education (psychology) $17,500
Danille Lazzaretto-Green, Education (counselling) $17,500
Kasey-Leigh Martin, Management (management-business-administrative Studies) $17,500
Michelle Morris, History (natural resources geography) $17,500
Patrick O'Sullivan, Management (business ethics) $17,500
Kelly Pasolli, Political Science (political science) $17,500
James Stanger, Anthropology (cultural anthropology) $17,500
Lorraine Nicol, Geography (resource management) $35,000 (3 years)

AIF
(Alberta Ingenuity Fund)

Chad Laing, Chemistry & Biochemistry (molecular biology) $7,000 (3 years)
Cassandra Churchill, Chemistry & Biochemistry (physical chemistry) $7,000
Kimberley Dohm, Biological Sciences (biological sciences) $26,000 (3 years)

AIHS
(Alberta Innovates: Health Solutions)

Jenni Karl, Neuroscience (neuroscience) $20,000
Daniela Schwindel, Neuroscience (neuroscience) $20,000
Fraser Sparks, Neuroscience (neuroscience) $20,000

NSERC
(Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada)

Jessica Erickson, Biological Sciences (genetics)
Andrew Hudson, Biological sciences (molecular biology) $17,500
Cassandra Churchill, Chemistry & Biochemistry (physical chemistry) $25,000
Benjamin Ireland, Chemistry & Biochemistry (inorganic chemistry) $35,000 (3 years)
Chad Laing, Chemistry & Biochemistry (molecular biology) $21,000 (3 years)
Evan Mercier, Chemistry & Biochemistry (biochemistry) $35,000 (2 years)
Jennifer Przybylski, Chemistry & Biochemistry (physical chemistry) $21,000 (3 years)
Anthony Schmieder, Mathematics & Computer Science (information technology) $17,500
Mark Thom, Mathematics & Computer Science (pure mathematics) $17,500
Gregory Christie, Neuroscience (cognitive science, fundamental) $17,500 (3 years)
Erin Zelinski, Neuroscience (neurophysiology) $21,000 (3 years)
April Dawn Takahashi, Psychology (psychology) $17,500

NSERC IPS

Will Warnock

Steinhauer

Cassandra Churchill, Chemistry & Biochemistry (physical chemistry) $15,000
Linda Lait, Biological Sciences (biological sciences) $15,000
Sandeep Mishra, Evolution & Behaviour (evolution and behaviour) $20,000
Douglas Vanderlaan, Evolution & Behaviour (evolution and behaviour) $20,000

2010 student research awards (graduate)

trevor.kenney — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:34:40 +0000

SSHRC
(Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council)

AIF
(Alberta Ingenuity Fund)

AIHS
(Alberta Innovates: Health Solutions)

Jenni Karl, Neuroscience (neuroscience) $20,000
Daniela Schwindel, Neuroscience (neuroscience) $20,000
Fraser Sparks, Neuroscience (neuroscience) $20,000

NSERC
(Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada)

NSERC IPS

Will Warnock

Steinhauer

UNews - Alberta Ingenuity Fund

Iwaniuk named a Tier II Canada Research Chair

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