UNews - dementia

U of L announces Dr. Athanasios Zovoilis as its newest Canada Research Chair

caroline.zentner — Tue, 16 May 2017 16:17:16 +0000

The federal government has named Dr. Athanasios Zovoilis, a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, a Tier II Canada Research Chair in RNA Bioinformatics and Genomics.

The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Canada’s minister of science, recently announced $125.9 million in funding for 142 chairholders. Along with the Canada Research Chairs, Duncan introduced a new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan to address the lack of diversity among Canada Research Chairs.

“Our government is committed to promoting equity and diversity within the sciences. We need to work harder to ensure that talented researchers have the opportunity to advance. The announcement of the action plan is an important step towards a more inclusive, open and diverse research environment in Canada,” says Duncan.

In addition to $500,000 in funding through the Canada Research Chair program, Zovoilis will receive more than $53,000 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund for laboratory tools and equipment.

Dr. Athan Zovoilis is the U of L's latest Canada Research Chair.

Zovoilis, a bioinformatician and genomicist, came to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge from Boston’s Harvard ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to establish and pursue a research program aimed at developing personalized treatments for diseases like cancer and dementia. Zovoilis joined the U of L's Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI), a research centre devoted to RNA research. During the last 10 years, the U of L has made a significant investment in the fast-developing field of RNA research by establishing ARRTI and attracting world-class scientists that develop cutting-edge research in understanding how RNA applications can support human health and biotechnology innovation.

“It was not a very difficult decision, I have to say,” says Zovoilis. “Having lived in Canada before, I know there’s support for science, for families and for integrating people to the society. It makes the perfect combination.”

Originally from Greece, Zovoilis began medical studies in his homeland and completed them in Germany. After witnessing the impact of diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer on members of his community, he knew he wanted a career where he could help people.

“I didn’t like this feeling of helplessness. That was one of the things that motivated me to go to medical school,” he says.

While in medical school, molecular biology captured his interest. The Human Genome Project was underway at the time and the research possibilities it presented were captivating.

“A new era was starting and I decided to specialize in it,” says Zovoilis. “I was convinced that if we want to fight Alzheimer’s and cancer we have to understand what’s happening at the molecular level in our cells. If we understand the basic mechanisms that underlie these diseases then we will be able to fight them more efficiently.”

He pursued a doctorate in molecular genetics and began working with breast cancer patients, looking for mutations in genes known to cause cancer. Studying only two out of tens of thousands of genes, coupled with the limitations of DNA sequencers, meant progress was slow. However, technological advances soon led to much faster DNA sequencing and produced larger amounts of data. Zovoilis determined to get training in bioinformatics, a new discipline that provides the computer programs that can read and analyze the data produced by modern sequencers. He went to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manchester in England to take further training and then joined the bioinformatics group at the Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre in Vancouver, an organization at the forefront of personalized medicine in Canada. There he joined other scientists who were interested in analyzing noncoding sections of the genome, or what was once known as junk DNA.

Because it was at the forefront of analyzing noncoding sections of a genome, Zovoilis then went to Harvard as a research fellow. His research there, recently published in the journal Cell, the top journal in molecular biosciences, revealed a connection between these noncoding sections of the genome and cancer. Now at the U of L, Zovoilis will continue this work with the eventual goal of bringing testing to everyday clinical practice.

“In this lab, we specialize in reading the book of life and we use this information to provide personalized medicine opportunities for patients in the near future,” says Zovoilis.

Such an approach is not as widely available in Canada as it is in the United States or through the Genome Science Centre in British Columbia but he hopes to launch a similar project in Alberta.

“We intend to find partners in this initiative,” says Zovoilis. “It has to be a pan-provincial initiative but southern Alberta can be part of this.”

Zovoilis adds that a personalized approach doesn’t perform miracles but many studies have shown that targeted therapies can help and genomics is the main tool to find them.

“I wanted to come back to Canada,” he says. “Canadians are very open minded and there has been, in recent years, significant investment in research. It is not advertised a lot but, especially here in Alberta, universities have improved substantially their capabilities. They have expanded their programs. I see a huge potential, especially at the U of L. That’s one of the main reasons why I decided to come here.”

CCBN research capabilities expand with state-of-the-art optical imaging lab

caroline.zentner — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 16:29:03 +0000

A state-of-the-art optical imaging lab in the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN) is giving ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge scientists a leg up in unlocking the secrets of how our brains function. Two-and-a-half years in the making, Mohajerani's lab is hoping to map, with outstanding precision, how the brain repairs itself after a stroke and also provide new insight into neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Having an optical imaging facility, along with the establishment of a population of transgenic mice, will allow Dr. Majid Mohajerani and his colleagues to study the mouse brain in action. This modern rodent-imaging facility is the result of a collective effort that began in 2008 with a major investment of Polaris funds from Alberta Innovates: Health Solutions and the U of L to Dr. Bruce McNaughton and with two infrastructure grants from the Canada Foundation for Innovation to Dr. Rob Sutherland.

Transgenic mice look like ordinary mice but they have been genetically modified. They are used in research because they carry many of the same genes as humans and can be used to study many illnesses, including neurological diseases.

“We know that some of the human brain disorders are caused by a variation or a mutation in a gene or group of genes. In the past 30 years, researchers began to insert human genes into the brain cells of living mice," says Mohajerani. "Using transgenic animals, scientists like me can now try to discover the cause of many diseases, and this may point the way to better treatment of those brain disorders."

With these developments, CCBN researchers will now be able to answer more complicated and detailed questions about what goes on in the brain after an injury like a stroke or in neurological diseases like Alzheimer's.

“One of the topics we are interested in studying is the effect of tiny, ischemic (resulting from inadequate blood supply) strokes on cognitive impairment and dementia. This type of stroke is a common feature of the aging brain. In collaboration with Dr. Rob McDonald's lab, we are studying how these small strokes could potentially drive the progression of Alzheimer's pathology and cognitive impairment. Having a transgenic animal model of Alzheimer's disease is essential to address this question," he says. "This work might potentially lead to new understanding of the link between stroke and Alzheimer's disease."

Neurons can be manipulated using genetic tools to fluoresce in different colours when exposed to light, allowing researchers to gain a better picture of what’s happening in the brain.

"Using this novel combination of genetics, optical imaging and bioengineering, we can watch thousands of neurons over the course of days and months. This will allow us to study how different parts of the brain communicate and work with each other, and how changes in brain circuitry can lead to mental disorders like Alzheimer's disease," says Mohajerani. “I have invested a lot of effort to bring our infrastructure to acceptable levels. We can consider ourselves a world-class neuroscience institution."

The equipment allows researchers to shine a light on a specific area in the brain of a transgenic mouse and activate the neurons involved in a particular function or behaviour, such as running or recalling a familiar memory. Not only will Mohajerani’s research program reveal more information about how the brain functions, but the results will also improve treatments for human patients.

“We don’t know whether the findings we make with mice are necessarily translatable to humans but we don’t have any other choice. We have to try different things and hope to see one of them get translated into actual use in humans,” he says.

Mohajerani can now see how the efforts of the past two-and-a-half years are coming together.

“This would not be possible without the talented people who work with me in this department—my colleagues who are very knowledgeable about brain function, our hard-working students and trainees, and our wonderful animal care staff.

Dr. Michael Kyweriga’s auditory research study details some of the work being done in Mohajerani’s lab.

Study reveals nursing and care staff experience distress in caring for residents with dementia

caroline.zentner — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 15:11:49 +0000

A majority of surveyed registered nurses, practical nurses and health-care aides working in 30 continuing care facilities in southern Alberta reported experiencing moral distress daily or weekly, a new study led by Dr. Shannon Spenceley, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge nursing professor, has revealed.

“Moral distress is what a health-care provider feels when he or she knows the right thing to do but is constrained from doing it, for some reason,” says Spenceley.

Dr. Shannon Spencely and her fellow researchers surveyed nearly 400 nursing caregivers in 30 care facilities in southern Alberta between 2013 and 2015.

For example, in one instance a survey respondent reported being told mealtimes had to take less time and that she should blend one resident’s dinner so he could drink it because there was no time for her to sit and feed him.

“We had a hunch there was a lot of moral distress for professional caregivers who care for people with dementia, but it hadn’t been researched before,” she says. “Our study shows moral distress is a prominent feature of the care of persons with dementia in residential care settings.”

The first year of the study focused on understanding the experience of moral distress and the situations that triggered it. Researchers interviewed nursing caregivers and used the information to design a survey that captured the frequency and level of moral distress.

In the second phase of the study, Spenceley and her fellow researchers surveyed nearly 400 nursing caregivers in 30 care facilities in southern Alberta between 2013 and 2015. The facilities that agreed to participate included both Alberta Health Services (AHS) facilities and those contracted by AHS to provide services.

The study showed nearly 76 per cent of respondents reported experiencing situations that caused at least a moderate degree of moral distress on a weekly or daily basis over the past year.

“The staff caring for residents with dementia are dedicated, compassionate professionals who provide good care. Research like this is crucial to helping us understand how we can better support those staff,” says Colin Zieber, AHS South Zone executive director of seniors health. “We need to ensure they have the proper training, management supports and tools, and are working to the full scope of their practice to provide even better care for residents with dementia.”

“For all survey respondents, the number one source of moral distress was seeing the care impacted for residents with dementia because of the perception that there are not enough staff to do the work,” says Spenceley.

As a result, nearly half of those surveyed reported that moral distress left them feeling frustrated and physically exhausted on at least a weekly basis. About 40 per cent reported effects of moral distress such as feeling emotionally drained and powerless. Moral distress was also related to a significant drop in job satisfaction for three-quarters of the respondents and a quarter of the respondents said the moral distress they experienced figured prominently in their thoughts about quitting work. About 85 per cent said they wouldn’t quit their jobs in the next year.

“We heard many stories about how committed these caregivers were to the residents they care for. They felt a real emotional connection to them and didn’t want to abandon them,” she says.

Survey participants also shared ways to reduce their moral distress, including being able to share a laugh with colleagues, have a manager who will listen to concerns and look for possible solutions, and more training in caring for people with dementia.

“We continue to work on ways to support high-quality care in facilities for people with dementia,” says Zieber. “That includes ensuring that staff have specialized training in dementia care, including staff in our contracted facilities.”

Although Spenceley cautions about jumping to conclusions from a single descriptive study, she says leaders in continuing care should take note of the findings and consider what they mean within their own context.

“We committed to studying this important topic as an organization that is dedicated to supporting safe and quality care,” says Zieber. “Our provincial Strategic Clinical Network, Continuing Care Quality Committee and families and patients all view dementia care as a priority.”

“More research is definitely needed. About 66 per cent of respondents suggested having more staff to provide good care,” says Spenceley. “It’s hard to imagine the downside of exploring some of the supportive strategies suggested by this work, including leadership development, opportunities to team-build and express value in people’s contributions to the work place, and exploring ways to increase knowledge in dementia care.”

Canada Foundation for Innovation investment to support creation of cutting-edge cellular imaging research centre

trevor.kenney — Fri, 29 May 2015 17:24:48 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will embark on the creation of a new interdisciplinary research facility that promises to be Canada’s leading cellular imaging research centre thanks to a $2 million investment from the Government of Canada’s Canada Foundation for Innovation.

The Cell Signaling Interdisciplinary Research Centre (CSIRC) is a facility that will bring together researchers from neuroscience, biochemistry and biological sciences.

Today, the Honourable Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology), announced more than $333 million for new research infrastructure that Canadian researchers will use to advance Canadian knowledge in areas ranging from mood disorders and robotics to food security and the search for new planets.

At the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, the $2,098,277 investment towards Dynamic Brain Mapping: Cell signaling to systems function, will create the Cell Signaling Interdisciplinary Research Centre (CSIRC), a facility that will bring together researchers from neuroscience, biochemistry and biological sciences.

“We plan to create Canada’s leading cellular imaging research centre to make fundamental discoveries on how dynamic regulation of brain and other systems activity determines risk for important diseases,” says lead investigator Dr. Robert Sutherland, Board of Governors Research Chair in Neuroscience. “These discoveries will provide new, key targets for developing prevention and therapy strategies.”

Sutherland, who will work closely with fellow neuroscientists Drs. Aaron Gruber, Andrew Iwaniuk, Bryan Kolb, Robert McDonald, Bruce McNaughton, Gerlinde Metz and Majid Mohajerani as well as Drs. Olga Kovalchuk (biological sciences) and HJ Wieden (biochemistry), explains how the new facility will extend the scope of researchers who are currently studying basic processes regulating brain health, degenerative disorders, infective agents and cancer.

“Gene expression and epigenetics play a key role in answering how cells learn, how they process, store and distribute information acquired during development,” he says. “CSIRC will enable us to make new discoveries in gene expression, epigenetics and therapeutics in cancer, dementia, developmental brain disorders, stroke and infections.”

Dr. Lesley Brown, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Interim Vice-President (Research), says the CFI investment recognizes the research expertise present at the U of L.

“Our researchers are respected as leaders in their field and the work they do is of great relevance to important areas of public concern such as health care,” says Brown. “This investment from the federal government is an endorsement of the world-class research being conducted here on campus.”

Nearly all of the infrastructure will enable the usersof the CSIRC group to conduct brain-imaging projects with viral vectors and genetically modified rodents. It will allow the group to move forward their activities, such as health-related research, training and partnering with non-academic collaborators, to that of a world leader.

“Today’s announcement will strengthen Canada’s reputation in science and technology by supporting research infrastructure that will attract world-class talent, train a new generation of students and make discoveries that benefit Canadians in remarkable ways,” says Holder.

Exploring How The Brain Recovers From A Stroke

david.kirby — Thu, 27 Nov 2014 20:30:12 +0000

“Neuroscience today is like how physics was in the 17th century. We are living in an era that is rapidly changing the way we think about the brain and its ability to process and remember information and recover from injury, just like 400 years ago when we had a rapid advancement in our understanding of the universe. It is an exciting time as we really are just beginning to understand how the brain works and what we can do to improve its functioning.”

Dr. Majid Mohajerani is the U of L's Campus Alberta Innovation Program Chair in Brain Health and Dementia.

That’s how Dr. Majid Mohajerani describes what to him is both the challenge and the thrill of his work as a neuroscientist at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. And now as the university’s Campus Alberta Innovation Program Chair in Brain Health and Dementia, Mohajerani is diving deeper into the mysteries of the brain by studying what happens after it is injured.

Specifically, Mohajerani is researching how the brain is affected by micro stroke, also referred to as a transient ischemic attack, or the transient disruption of blood flow in the brain resulting in neurological dysfunction. He wants to understand how such an event impacts the structural and functional changes in the brain circuit that affect neuroplasticity, the processes involved in human development, learning and memory formation.

“After a stroke happens in the brain, not only motor deficits, it also causes problems in cognitive function and memory, and results in dementia,” says Mohajerani. “We really don’t know how this phenomenon or process works, but it is an important question to answer because dementia is a huge problem in Canadian society.”

Indeed, a 2012 study commissioned by the Alzheimer Society of Canada found that the number of Canadians living with cognitive impairment, including dementia, stands at 747,000, and will double to 1.4 million by 2031.

Mohajerani originally trained to become a biomedical engineer, but while completing his master’s degree at Amirkabir ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Technology in Iran, where he learned how to use artificial neural networks to analyse brain functional activity. The subject got him fascinated with the brain’s complex processes, including how it learns and how it heals after an assault, and he ultimately switch into the field of neuroscience.

In his lab at the U of L’s Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Mohajerani is studying the details of brain activity right before, during and right after a stroke occurs in the brains of mice. He is conducting these experiments using narrow band imaging technology, a cutting-edge research tool that provides an in-depth picture of the brain, the underlying neural circuits of the brain and how the brain uses its own plasticity mechanism to recover from neural damage.

He will also share his passion for better understanding the brain with U of L students through a new fourth-year elective undergraduate course he is developing in neural technology that he will start teaching next semester. And starting in 2016, he will teach another new course that he will create, a mandatory undergraduate course for neuroscience students about molecular cellular neuroscience.

By the end of his seven-year term, Mohajerani hopes his brain mapping and stroke recovery research will yield insights into how to more effectively address stroke-related symptoms such as dementia.

“My ultimate goal is to contribute to the development of tools and pharmacology therapies that help improve the quality of life for people who have dementia, and provide preventative treatment to those who don’t.”

Spotlight on Research - 50 x 50

david.kirby — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 23:27:16 +0000

50 Research Chairs by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's 50th Anniversary in 2017

It's ambitious. It's aspirational. And above all it affirms the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's commitment to continuing to build one of Canada's leading research environments.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is aiming for 50 Research Chairs by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's 50th Anniversary in 2017.

“Research Chairs are high-profile academic appointments that enable the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to attract and retain accomplished and promising scholars to lead research programs that confirm our strength and shape our future,” says U of L interim Vice President (Research) Dr. Lesley Brown. “This initiative signals our commitment and strength as a comprehensive university.”

As of October 2014, the U of L’s research roster boasts 33 research Chair appointments, sponsored either through external agency support (24) or through institutional appointment as U of L Board of Governors Research Chairs (9).

In two short years, that number will increase to 50.

The new appointments will come from diverse disciplines. They will be leaders in their fields, nationally and internationally renowned for their research programs. They will come from afar and from within the institution.

“The 50 X 50 initiative will enable us to grow, strengthen and build upon our existing research portfolio across the breadth of the institution,” says Brown. “It will enable us to diversify in more established areas as well as recognize our current U of L faculty members who are already conducting high-profile research and creative performance.”

In two short years, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will increase its research Chair count to over 50.

And with each research Chair appointment comes protected time devoted to research, sharing outcomes and translating knowledge, and mentoring graduate and undergraduate students.

As a result, graduate programs will grow, and there will be even more opportunities to enrich the undergraduate experience by including students in research programs.

“This initiative will build exceptional capacity across all disciplines and will continue to enhance the student experience,” say Brown. “The results will extend well beyond campus, impacting communities across Alberta and around the world.”

Meet four new recent research Chair appointments:

Dr. Brenda Leung - Faculty of Health Sciences Emmy Droog Chair in Complementary and Alternative Health Care.

Dr. Nehalkumar Thakor - Campus Alberta Innovates Program Chair of Synthetic Biology and RNA-based Systems.

Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk (MSc '00) - Canada Research Chair in Comparative Neuroanatomy in the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience.

Dr. Majid Mohajerani - Campus Alberta Innovation Program Chair in Brain Health and Dementia.

Neuroscience research capacity boosted by addition of Mohajerani

trevor.kenney — Mon, 12 May 2014 20:16:47 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has added to its internationally recognized research capacity in neuroscience by appointing Dr. Majid H. Mohajerani as the new CAIP Chair in Brain Health and Dementia.

Dr. Majid Mohajerani comes to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ after serving as a research associate at the International School for Advanced Studies in Trieste, Italy.

Mohajerani is the third of four new research Chairs being added to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as part of the Government of Alberta's Campus Alberta Innovation Program (CAIP) Chairs plan. Last year, aquatic health expert Dr. Greg Pyle and remote sensing researcher Dr. Chris Hopkinson were attracted to the U of L through the program.

The government is contributing $1 million for four Chairs, over the course of seven years, for a total investment of $7 million.

Vice-President (Research) Dr. Dan Weeks says this latest CAIP Chair is a tremendous addition for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ that will compliment the world class research currently undertaken at the U of L’s Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN).

“The work that Dr. Mohajerani has undertaken in brain mapping, and in stroke research, is groundbreaking and has been recognized nationally,” says Weeks. “This expertise, combined with the world-class talent that already resides at the U of L, will ensure that important discoveries continue to be made on our campus that will improve the quality of local, national and international communities.”

In 2010, Mohajerani received the New Investigator Award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Additionally, he received the Henry J.M. Barnett Award –presented annually to the highest rated investigator working in the area of stroke research.

Mohajerani comes to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ after serving as a research associate at the International School for Advanced Studies in Trieste, Italy, where he received his PhD, and at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia.

“I had offers from several institutions within Canada, the United States and Europe and chose to work in the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge because the CCBN is a world class research facility including some of the top researchers in the system and behavioural neuroscience,” says Mohajerani.

Mohajerani’s lab employs in vivo microscopic imaging technologies such as two-photon microscopy and functional imaging to study neural activity on the subcellular, cellular, and circuit level in real-time. A central goal of Mohajerani's research program is to use these experimental approaches to study the neurophysiological mechanisms that allow the cerebral cortex to develop normally and change throughout life in response to new experiences (eg. learning) or diseases such as stroke.

The CAIP Chairs plan is part of the Government of Alberta's Campus Alberta collaborative initiative and will provide research Chairs to Alberta's four Comprehensive Academic and Research Intensive (CARI) institutions: the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Athabasca ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary.

“The Campus Alberta Innovation Program brings some of the world’s best research talent to Alberta to discover and create new knowledge in priority areas including human health,” says Dave Hancock, Premier of Alberta and Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education. “I welcome Dr. Mohajerani to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and to Alberta. His leadership and expertise will bring the original and innovative thinking that CAIP research chair recipients are renowned for. CAIP and Campus Alberta’s research facilities are making important discoveries right here in Alberta and those discoveries will have benefits that reach far beyond our borders.”

Alumnus Clark returns to CCBN in search of answers to brain's puzzle

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 17:41:02 +0000

Every time you turn your head one way or another, the nerve cells in your brain, called neurons, keep you oriented in space.

Scientists have clues about how this brain-based compass works. But the nuts and bolts of the system, and its possible role in the way memories form and fade, are still a puzzle that researchers such as Dr. Ben Clark (BSc '05), are trying to solve.

In particular, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge postdoctoral researcher and Alberta Innovates -- Health Solutions postgraduate fellowship recipient is working to understand if and how the brain circuits that deal with directional information may also impact both memory formation and dementia.

Dauphin, Man.-born Clark began looking at the brain's direction-sensing systems as a graduate student in Jeffrey Taube's lab at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.

Now back in Canada and working as a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Bruce McNaughton's Lethbridge Brain Dynamics lab at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), Clark, who also holds an honours bachelor of science degree in neuroscience from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge (2005), is interested in figuring out whether the same sorts of brain maps are also used to commit new information or situations to memory.

If so, he and others speculate that the breakdown of these maps could also contribute to memory-related conditions, such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Ben Clark earned his undergraduate degree at the U of L in 2005.

The potential links between these two neural functions are complex, Clark explains, but the idea is that the memories rely, at least in part, on the brain's ability to determine direction.

In animals, spatial mapping seems to centre on sets of so-called 'head direction' neurons, brain cells that are electrically active when an animal's head is pointing in one direction but not another -- and 'grid cells,' which contribute to a broader brain-based map of the surrounding environment.

Together, this brain cell activity produces something of an internal compass for understanding our place in the world around us.

The neurons communicating these direction-dependent signals are spread throughout the brain's temporal lobes, which are found just behind each ear, Clark explains.

But past studies suggest that their signals come together in a part of that brain region known as the entorhinal cortex, which also deals with information the brain uses to recognize objects.

There are hints that the entorhinal cortex is among the first parts of the brain to show changes during Alzheimer's disease too, which is consistent with the notion that object recognition and spatial cues may be crucial to memory.

To explore these potential connections, Clark plans to follow the activity of grid cells and head direction neurons, those direction-sensitive brain cells, using a system that lets him physically see neurons' activation.

That's possible because when neurons fire they turn on specific genes. And with a bit of genetic engineering, researchers can couple the gene activation to the production of proteins that glows fluorescent green or red under certain wavelengths of light.

Working with esteemed researcher Dr. Bruce McNaughton, right, the team is searching for ways to combat symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

For the current project, Clark and his collaborators will use two such genes as a means of tracking spatial mapping and head direction neurons in rats as they encounter new objects or spatial situations, for instance.

With slightly different experimental techniques in other experiments, they also plan to follow the neurons that stretch from the entorhinal cortex into other memory-related parts of the brain.

The researchers have done preliminary experiments to ensure that their fluorescent gene scheme will be able to measure neuron activity. Next, they're gearing up to use these tools to test normal rats as well as rat models of disease that show some of the symptoms associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Over the longer term, Clark explains, researchers intend to create functional maps of the these animal brains during disease, looking not only at the entorhinal cortex but also at other brain areas that are thought to contribute to dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Story by Andrea Anderson, photos by Trudie Lee. Re-printed with permission from Alberta Innovates -- Health Solutions. This story appeared in the most recent issue of Health Solutions magazine.

Groundbreaking study to focus on moral distress

trevor.kenney — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 21:59:54 +0000

Knowing the right thing to do is one thing. Actually being able to do it, quite another.

In fact, many nurses experience that dilemma every day, according to ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researcher Dr. Shannon Spenceley. She is exploring ways to lessen this source of moral stress among nurses in the workplace.

The study, which is funded by the national Alzheimer Society Research Program, is the first in Canada to focus on moral distress in continuing care settings, such as long-term care or supportive living facilities.

A nursing professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Spenceley is the principal investigator on a study that is examining moral distress among nurses who care for those with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other forms of dementia.

The Alzheimer Society of Canada reports that more than 747,000 Canadians are living with AD or other types of dementia – and that figure is expected to more than double in 25 years (by 2038).

In Alberta, there are more than 46,000 people with Alzheimer's or related dementias, and over the next 25 years, that figure is expected to reach more than 100,000. Seventeen per cent of new cases are 'early onset', where people are diagnosed before age 65, and 72 per cent of those are women.

A fatal and progressive disease that destroys brain cells, AD affects one's ability to remember things, make decisions and perform routine activities. Most people living in residential care facilities have some form of dementia, including AD.

Nursing caregivers can find themselves in difficult, and ethically complex, situations when trying to provide the best care for residents with dementia.

"It may be that a nurse who is caring for a confused and agitated resident can either use a prescription drug to reduce the agitation or simply sit with a resident until the resident calms down," says Spenceley. "The nurse knows that while the former option may cause undesirable side effects, the latter one will require extra time. In a situation where staffing is short and there are many competing demands, the nurse may feel that the choice he/she feels is right is simply not possible. Such situations create feelings of moral distress, which has been linked over time to nurse burnout, and to nurses leaving a job or even the profession."

To better understand the triggers and effects of moral distress, and to help residential-care managers address staff recruitment and retention challenges, Spenceley's team will interview and survey nursing caregivers in several facilities across southern Alberta.

"Ultimately, we want to develop strategies to mitigate moral distress," says Spenceley. "By understanding such issues, and working to create solutions, it creates the opportunity to address some of the recruitment and retention issues faced in this sector of care. Finally, anything that can be done to create a healthier and happier workforce caring for this complex population is a step in the right direction in terms of providing high-quality residential care."

The two-year project also involves U of L health sciences co-investigators Dr. Bradley Hagen and Dr. Olu Awosoga, as well as Dr. Barry Hall of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Faculty of Social Work (Lethbridge Campus) and Dr. Roland Ikuta, the medical director of Seniors Health, Alberta Health Services (AHS) South Zone. Colin Zeiber, executive director of Seniors Health for Alberta Health Services (AHS) South Zone, is the AHS community partner liaison for the project.

New Chair in Aquatic Health Appointed

trevor.kenney — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 23:05:57 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has added to its internationally recognized expertise in water research with the addition of a new Chair in Aquatic Health, Dr. Greg Pyle.

Pyle is the first of four new research Chairs being added to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ this year as part of the Government of Alberta's Campus Alberta Innovation Program (CAIP) Chairs plan. The government is contributing $1-million for four Chairs, over the course of seven years, for a total investment of $7 million.

"It's exciting to be able to bring in an outstanding research talent such as Dr. Pyle," says Dr. Dan Weeks, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's vice-president (research). "His established expertise in the effects of environmental contaminants on the chemical communication systems in aquatic animals will greatly add to the already comprehensive research portfolio that has been established by our researchers in the Water Institute for Sustainable Environments (WISE)."

Pyle comes to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ after spending the previous five years as head of the Aquatic Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory at Lakehead ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Thunder Bay, Ont. His research program is considered unique because he is able to study several aquatic species, including both vertebrate and invertebrate animals, representing different positions within a typical freshwater food web and thereby better understanding the subtle effects of environmental contamination.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has been building a strong reputation in research over the past several years, especially in the aquatic sciences," says Pyle. "I am thrilled to be part of that growing research culture, and excited by the prospects afforded by the university and surrounding region."

Prior to taking up a Canada Research Chair in Environmental Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology at Lakehead, Pyle helped establish and build the Department of Biology at Nipissing ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. He earned both his bachelor and master's degrees from Laurentian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and received his PhD from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan.

The U of L will also welcome CAIP Chairs in the areas of brain health and dementia, synthetic biology, and terrestrial ecosystems and remote sensing later this year. Pyle's appointment at the U of L is funded for seven years.

"The program is designed to recruit new research leaders to Alberta in specific areas of study," says Weeks. "Not only do these areas align with the Government of Alberta's strategic priorities, but they also reflect the core strengths of our institution."

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