UNews - strokes /unews/medical-condition/strokes en Added funding promotes epigenetic research /unews/article/added-funding-promotes-epigenetic-research <div class="field field-name-field-op-author field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="rnews:creator schema:creator"><div class="view view-openpublish-related-content view-id-openpublish_related_content view-display-id-block_1 view-dom-id-97c97b71a5ceda1f9f989a76500c861d"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="views-label views-label-title">by</span> <span class="field-content"><a href="/unews/profile/trevor-kenney">Trevor Kenney</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">December 7, 2009</span> </div> </div> </div> </div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even" property="rnews:articlebody schema:articleBody"> <p>A brain injury as a youth can make a person more likely to suffer from strokes, Parkinson's or other diseases of the brain later in life.<br> <br> The big question might be "why?" but the answer may be found by looking at something very, very small: understanding how an individual gene can go wrong or not work properly over a person's lifetime.<br> <br> The emerging research discipline that can help find that answer is called epigenetics, and thanks to a significant amount of recent funding, researchers at the U of L are poised to assume a significant leadership role in epigenetics research.<br> <br> Epigenetics (which means 'beyond genetics' in Latin) is the study of how individual genes and components of individual genes can change in response to environmental conditions or other factors.<br> <br> Nearly 20 U of L researchers from three academic departments (Neuroscience, Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Sciences) and up to 50 graduate and doctoral-level researchers will be involved in the initial phases of the research. Significant expansions are planned for future years of the research program.<br> <br> In addition to $3 million in start-up funding announced last summer from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, a recent funding announcement from the Government of Alberta's Alberta Science and Research Investments Program (ASRIP) has awarded a research team from the U of L more than $2.8 million.<br> <br> "This funding, along with our matching funds from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and support from the U of L and other granting agencies, will boost the U of L to a world-class level in terms of our ability to identify and work on new epigenetics projects," says Dr. Robert Sutherland, a neuroscience researcher and one of the driving forces behind the new epigenetics research program.<br> <br> Along with colleagues Drs. Olga and Igor Kovalchuk in Biological Sciences and collaborators in Chemistry and Biochemistry and other departments on campus &ndash; and a huge team of graduate and undergraduate students &ndash; Sutherland said the researchers are looking forward to a lot of work now and in the future to tease solutions to a number of health issues out of the complex genetics system that makes up the human body.<br> <br> "This funding will allow us to gather even more people and resources together in one place to learn about how individual genes can affect people's health and well-being," Sutherland says.<br> <br> "Education and science lie at the heart of our future prosperity," adds Doug Horner, Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. "These continued research awards help attract and retain the best and brightest researchers and, in turn, help improve the competitiveness of our industries. Our researchers are paving the way to bring about new products, services and treatments that can lead to a better quality of life for Albertans."<br> <br> Alberta's universities shared almost $44 million in awards for research into developing new treatments for diabetics, burn victims and lung disease patients, improving GPS accuracy and adding value to Alberta's traditional crops as well as the U of L's epigenetics research program.<br> <br> For 2009, Alberta Science and Research Investments Program awards provide up to 40 per cent of total project costs to 18 initiatives in priority areas of bioindustries, energy and the environment, and health. The projects will also receive $66 million from other sources, including the federal government and private sector partners. Since 2000, the program has provided more than $169 million for over 100 projects.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field-group-format group_related_topics field-group-div group-related-topics block-title-body speed-fast effect-none"><h2><span>Related Topics</span></h2><div class="field field-name-opencalais-industryterm-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">IndustryTerm:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/industry-term/energy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">energy</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-medicalconditio-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">MedicalCondition:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/medical-condition/parkinsons" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Parkinson&#039;s</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/medical-condition/strokes" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">strokes</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/medical-condition/lung-disease" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">lung disease</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/medical-condition/burn" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">burn</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/medical-condition/diseases" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">diseases</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/medical-condition/brain-injury" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">brain injury</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-organization-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Organization:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/organization/government-alberta" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Government of Alberta</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/organization/federal-government" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">federal government</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/organization/canada-foundation-innovation" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Canada Foundation for Innovation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-person-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Person:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/person/doug-horner" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Doug Horner</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/person/igor-kovalchuk" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Igor Kovalchuk</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/person/olga-kovalchuk" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Olga Kovalchuk</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/person/robert-sutherland" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Robert Sutherland</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-position-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Position:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/position/neuroscience-researcher" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Neuroscience Researcher</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/position/minister" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Minister</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/position/minister-advanced-education-and-technology" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Minister of Advanced Education and Technology</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-provinceorstate-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">ProvinceOrState:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/province-or-state/alberta" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Alberta</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-technology-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Technology:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/technology/neuroscience" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Neuroscience</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/technology/gps" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">GPS</a></div></div></div></div><span property="rnews:name schema:name" content="Added funding promotes epigenetic research" class="rdf-meta"></span> Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:48:49 +0000 trevor.kenney 4787 at /unews Unravelling the mystery of stress /unews/article/unravelling-mystery-stress <div class="field field-name-field-op-author field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="rnews:creator schema:creator"><div class="view view-openpublish-related-content view-id-openpublish_related_content view-display-id-block_1 view-dom-id-2c8f4960e3ea0952e3bd1af03ed830a9"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="views-label views-label-title">by</span> <span class="field-content"><a href="/unews/profile/trevor-kenney">Trevor Kenney</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">October 20, 2008</span> </div> </div> </div> </div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even" property="rnews:articlebody schema:articleBody"> <p>Plastering the pages of magazines and self-help books, stress is a hot topic for overworked North Americans &ndash; it's also a poorly understood concept, says neuroscientist Dr. Gerlinde Metz.</p> <p><div class="image-caption-container" style="width:450px;"><img src="http://www.uleth.ca/newsstand/sites/uleth.ca.newsstand.fiat/files/images/SweetNumberOne-(9).jpg" alt="&quot; /"></div></p> <p>"It's a very timely subject these days; people think about it a lot. But it's also a misused term," says Metz, a principal researcher at the 免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge's Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN).</p> <p>Stress isn't solely an emotional condition; it's also a physiological state related to the flight-or-fight response that can be both helpful and damaging. The release of stress hormones, like adrenaline, can help an organism flee a harmful situation, but unmanaged long-term stress can increase the likelihood of certain health conditions and diseases.</p> <p>"It's very complex. Stress affects so many different organs, so many different functions and the brain in so many different ways," she explains.</p> <p>In the context of brain injury, stress is relevant on two dimensions. "On one hand, stress is a predisposing factor," says Metz. "On the other hand, if you have a stroke, experiencing a loss of movement and cognitive functions is also a source of stress."</p> <p>Metz is systematically studying the impact of stress on normal motor system functions &ndash; including the complex interactions of hormones and their effects on the motor system &ndash; as well as how stress impacts the recovery of brain injury patients, particularly victims of 'silent' stroke, in which a stroke isn't immediately detected (these account for 70 per cent of all strokes).</p> <p>Traditional rehabilitation therapy for stroke patients takes a tremendous physical toll on them. Inte</p> <p>nse training, amounting to hours of exercise each day, is needed to enable patients to regain movement.</p> <p>The result is an accumulation of stress &ndash; not only from the loss of normal motor control and the adjustment to a major health condition, but from the treatment itself. By understanding the cellular processes at the heart of stress, and how these relate to different types of brain damage, Metz hopes to find ways to "optimize existing stroke treatments and maybe find ones that haven't been discovered yet."</p> <p><div class="image-caption-container" style="width:450px;"><img src="http://www.uleth.ca/newsstand/sites/uleth.ca.newsstand.fiat/files/images/SweetNumberOne.jpg" alt="&quot; /"></div></p> <p>For instance, non-traditional treatments like massage therapy, known for its ability to lower stress levels, may prove to be a helpful compliment to rehabilitation.</p> <p>Metz's work on stress is primarily funded by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) which recently renewed her status as an AHFMR Senior Scholar and provided funding of more than $1 million over the next seven years. Metz also receives funding from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.</p> <p>In addition to her work on stress and stroke, Metz is actively collaborating on a project for the Preterm Birth and Healthy Outcomes Team, a network of researchers and clinicians from across Alberta.</p> <p>Working with peers from the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Metz is studying an animal model of preterm birth in order to understand the physiological factors of the phenomenon, particularly hormones.</p> <p>"Pregnancy is regulated by a complex concert of hormones," says Metz. "Sometimes, something goes wrong at some point. Once we know what's not working, we can try to repair it."</p> <p>Metz explains that preterm birth is a complex occurrence, the causes of which have eluded scientists. It's a particularly relevant health concern in Alberta, where more than 9 per cent of babies are born prematurely &ndash; the highest rate in Canada.</p> <p>The Preterm Birth and Healthy Outcomes Team includes 20 principal investigators, including Metz, who recently earned a team grant from AHFMR, an award of $5 million over five years, to explore the issue from three main perspectives: the health of mothers, the health of infants and the long-term health outlook for people born prematurely.</p> <p>"The focus of the team grant is to bring many different people to the table and have them focus on a single topic," says Metz.</p> <p>Health-care professionals working with mothers and preterm babies comprise an important part of the network, allowing the collected data to immediately benefit those affected.</p> <p>"It's a great learning process for all of us and really motivating because you know where your results are going."</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field-group-format group_related_topics field-group-div group-related-topics block-title-body speed-fast effect-none"><h2><span>Related Topics</span></h2><div class="field field-name-opencalais-facility-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Facility:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/facility/university-lethbridges-canadian-centre" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge&#039;s Canadian Centre</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/facility/canadian-centre" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Canadian Centre</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-industryterm-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">IndustryTerm:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/industry-term/therapy-stroke" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">therapy for stroke</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-medicalconditio-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">MedicalCondition:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/medical-condition/strokes" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">strokes</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/medical-condition/diseases" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">diseases</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/medical-condition/brain-injury" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">brain injury</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/medical-condition/preterm-birth" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">preterm birth</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/medical-condition/stroke" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">stroke</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-medicaltreatmen-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">MedicalTreatment:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/medical-treatment/massage-therapy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">massage therapy</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-organization-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Organization:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/organization/university-lethbridges-canadian-centre-behavioural-neuroscience" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge&#039;s Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/organization/alberta-heritage-foundation-medical-research" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/organization/natural-sciences-and-engineering-research-council" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-person-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Person:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/person/gerlinde-metz" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Gerlinde Metz</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-position-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Position:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/position/principal-researcher" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">principal researcher</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/position/animal-model" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">animal model</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-provinceorstate-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">ProvinceOrState:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/province-or-state/alberta" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Alberta</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-technology-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Technology:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/technology/neuroscience" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Neuroscience</a></div></div></div></div><span property="rnews:name schema:name" content="Unravelling the mystery of stress" class="rdf-meta"></span> Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:14:11 +0000 trevor.kenney 5489 at /unews