UNews - Faculty of Arts & Science

Dr. Stacey Wetmore wins prestigious Montréal Medal

caroline.zentner — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:52:08 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge computational chemist Dr. Stacey Wetmore has been awarded the Montréal Medal by the Chemical Institute of Canada. The Montréal Medal is presented annually to an individual from among the thousands of chemists and chemical engineers across the country as a prestigious mark of distinction and honour for significant leadership and outstanding contributions to the chemistry profession.

Dr. Stacey Wetmore

“My first reaction was disbelief,” Wetmore says. “If you look at the list of previous recipients, they have been from big universities or companies. The fact that I could achieve everything here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and have the support to do so speaks volumes about the university. It was really humbling on one hand and rewarding on the other to know you can have an impact on a field, no matter where you are.”

Computational chemistry uses physics, mathematics, chemistry theories and computer programming to study chemical systems. Wetmore’s lab used computers to study the chemistry of biosystems, that is, the chemistry that happens inside our cells, including how DNA is damaged from exposure to toxins in the environment.

“We are also interested in how enzymes that repair DNA damage function or misfunction, which is related to human disease,” she says. “Additionally, we are investigating how to design drugs based on nucleic acids, where you introduce modifications. Many people understand mRNA vaccines now, after the pandemic. There are other types of RNA-based drugs, and we’re studying how those work and how to design better therapeutics.”

Because of the invaluable support she received from her supervisors when she was a student, mentorship has always been close to Wetmore’s heart. Beyond working with many students in her research lab, she was instrumental in establishing a student group devoted to inclusivity and creating a safe place for everyone in chemistry. The group brings in speakers who talk about the challenges they’ve faced as chemists and hosts events to build an inclusive environment.

Wetmore is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair and is highly sought after to serve on national and international research, policy and editorial boards, peer-review panels, society committees and conference panels. She also chairs national grant selection committees and holds leadership roles in scientific publishing. She advocates for equity, diversity and inclusion in all these roles.

As a high school student, Wetmore thought she’d become a math teacher. She enrolled in math classes at university, but also took chemistry. After her first year, the chemistry department sent her a letter, telling her she did well and asking if she’d consider doing a chemistry degree. The following year, she took as many math and chemistry courses as she could to continue her studies in either discipline, depending on her final decision. After a summer spent working with a mathematician, she knew she didn’t want to be a math teacher. The next summer, she worked in an experimental chemistry lab and found she wasn’t totally comfortable there either. But when she learned about doing chemistry by computer, she was immediately interested — and the rest is history.

Wetmore earned a BSc from Mount Allison, a PhD from Dalhousie and completed postdoctoral studies at the Australian National ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. She accepted a faculty position at Mount Allison and subsequently moved to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Wetmore will deliver a plenary lecture and receive the Montréal Medal at the Institute’s annual conference in Toronto in May.

Beyond the bounds of Earth — examining the effects of being in space

caroline.zentner — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:40:59 +0000

Travelling and living in space places extreme stress on the human body, with effects similar to those of aging on Earth, including loss of muscle, decreased bone density, vision problems and metabolic changes.

Most research has focused on the effects on male astronauts, but more female astronauts are going into space, and Dr. Gerlinde Metz, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge neuroscientist, and co-investigator Dr. Afshin Beheshti, a scientist at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Pittsburgh, in collaboration with Tony Montina, director of ULethbridge’s NMR Facility, want to find out if being in space affects men and women differently. They’ve been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) to answer the question.

“It’s critical to evaluate sex-specific responses to spaceflight to uncover shared and divergent biological pathways,” says Metz. “This project allows Canadian scientists to contribute to NASA’s first comprehensive analysis of the largest astronaut cohort to date.”

The researchers will determine how male and female biology adapts to spaceflight by integrating biochemical, hormonal, immune, environmental and exercise data from astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their analyses could lead to insights on how to improve health, both in space and on Earth.

Metz and her team suspect that being in space disrupts how cells make energy, triggering pathways that drive vision problems, loss of bone density and muscle mass, akin to what happens to people as they age on Earth.

“This research will lead the way to identifying personalized protective measures for astronaut health and insights into how extreme stress accelerates the aging process,” says Metz. “Ultimately, this project could also lead to strategies that improve healthy aging on Earth.”

Metz is scheduled to deliver a public talk titled The Stressed Brain: Lessons from Earth and Space as part of Brain Awareness Week at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 27, at the Galt Museum.

Canada Foundation for Innovation invests in research infrastructure for major projects

caroline.zentner — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 20:28:29 +0000

Two ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge physicists are among the scientists in a Canada-wide collaboration focused on gravitational-wave (GW) astrophysics that has received infrastructure funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

Dr. Alexandra Tetarenko

The Government of Canada announced $552 million to provide researchers with the high-impact equipment they need for innovation. The funding supports 92 research infrastructure projects at 32 post-secondary institutions, including work from ULethbridge's Dr. Saurya Das, a theoretical physicist, and Dr. Alex Tetarenko, an astrophysicist.

ULethbridge is part of GRAIN (GRavitational wave Astrophysics Infrastructure Network), which also includes the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia, McGill ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Université de Montréal, Bishop’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba. GRAIN will contribute to two international mega-projects that will unveil distant black holes and enable precise tests of theories that push the boundaries of physics.

Gravitational-wave astrophysics is the study of ripples in spacetime generated when massive objects like black holes collide. Studying these ripples gives scientists insights into the structure and dynamics of the fabric of the universe.

Dr. Saurya Das

Gravitational waves are detected by LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory), which consists of two U.S.-based detectors, and LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna), a European Space Agency mission to build an observatory in space. As a space-based detector with three satellites and million-kilometre-long arms, LISA will observe low-frequency gravitational waves from events that ground-based detectors like LIGO can’t see, such as mergers of super-massive black holes and signals from the early Universe. GRAIN will ensure Canadian researchers have guaranteed access to LISA data once the mission launches. This access will enable scientists to test general relativity in new regimes and explore potential new physics beyond Einstein’s theory.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge plays a pivotal support role in ensuring Canada’s software readiness,” says Das, a theoretical physicist in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at ULethbridge. “My colleague, Dr. Tetarenko, and I will help develop GRAIN’s software and participate in data analysis, as well as coordinate with our national partners to obtain the high-performance computing resources we need.”

They’re also looking at hiring a developer to build and maintain the interface between Canada’s Arbutus supercomputing cluster and a new Canadian LISA data centre.

“By combining innovative hardware, sophisticated software and strong international partnerships with the European Space Agency, GRAIN will ensure that Canada remains at the forefront of gravitational-wave astronomy,” says Das.

Research grants focus on projects to revitalize and preserve ancestral knowledge

caroline.zentner — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 18:12:32 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers will look at strengthening Indigenous cultural continuity thanks to grants from the Wenner-Gren Foundation and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

“These grants highlight the breadth of expertise at ULethbridge and the meaningful work our researchers are leading,” says Dr. Dena McMartin, vice-president (research). “They directly advance our new Research and Creative Activities Plan by strengthening our foundation in Indigenous culture and supporting projects that make a difference here in southern Alberta, in Canada and around the world.”

Advancing the Indigenous Quijos Nation of Ecuador

Co-PI Dr. Patrick Wilson

Dr. Patrick Wilson, an associate professor in Modern Languages and Linguistics, will focus his research project on advancing the priorities of the Indigenous Quijos Nation of the Ecuadorian Amazon with nearly $35,000 from the Wenner-Gren Foundation, an organization dedicated to advancing anthropological research. The Engaged Research Grant was awarded to him and co-principal investigators Roxana Tanguila, Lourdes Jipa and Gonzalo Alvarado of Sacha Awana, the research arm of the Quijos Nation.

The ancestral territory of the Quijos Nation lies in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest, an area of rich biodiversity. Traditional Indigenous practices included subsistence gardens or chakras that are the foundation of the domestic economy. They are managed primarily by women and not only produce food but also medicine and fibres. Beginning in the 1960s, the forest has been the site of mining, logging, African palm production and cattle production, leading to ecological degradation and the loss

Co-PI Roxana Tanguila is pictured with cacao husks at a chakra workshop.

of biodiversity. This has led to deepening socio-economic marginalization and the erosion of food security and sovereignty for the Quijos people, while compromising their traditional chakra practices and the knowledge systems associated with them.

“This proposed research seeks to invert this historical power imbalance around land use and forest management practices by formulating a Quijos-centred chakra and forest management plan,” says Wilson.

The project is led by Quijos researchers and Western ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and involves establishing a Mama Chakra as a model forest garden for research, teaching and learning.

Indigenous Girls’ and Women’s Hockey

Victoria Bach, a member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte First Nation and former member of the Ottawa Charge and the Canadian women's national hockey team, works with a young Mi'kmaw athlete.

Dr. Jason Laurendeau, a sociology professor, working in collaboration with Dr. Carly Adams (Professor of Kinesiology and Physical Education and co-director of ULethbridge’s Centre for Oral History & Tradition), was awarded a SSHRC Connection Grant of $25,000 to examine the past, present and future of Indigenous girls’ and women’s hockey. The Indigenous Girls’ & Women’s Hockey Gathering is in partnership with the Indigenous Girls Hockey Program (IGHP) led by Mi’kmaw hockey organizer Ryan Francis, and the Indigenous Hockey Research Network, funded by a $2.5 million SSHRC Partnership Grant. The Gathering will bring representatives of Indigenous sport organizations, Indigenous athletes, coaches and administrators, and Indigenous and settler-allied students, faculty and community researchers together to foster connections, strengthen directions, address the needs and well-being of Indigenous girls’ and women’s hockey communities and envision the way forward for Indigenous girls’ and women’s hockey programming. The Gathering will take place in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), on lands and in communities where stick-and-ball games have long traditions.

“For three days, the Gathering will bring members of diverse Indigenous girls’ and women’s hockey communities into dialogue with an array of interdisciplinary researchers involved in community-engaged research on Indigenous hockey,” says Laurendeau. “At the heart of the work is a hockey jamboree for Indigenous girls between the ages of six and 14, led by Indigenous women, many of whom experienced the IGHP themselves as participants.”

The aim of the Gathering is to curate a co-created vision for the future of Indigenous girls’ and women’s hockey programming on lands claimed by Canada and how it can be supported through research. The Gathering will also contribute to an anthology that will amplify and follow the desires of Indigenous Elders, communities, athletes and organizers.

Blackfoot language revitalization

From left to right are Caroline Russell, Mary Fox, Inge Genee, Annabelle Chatsis and Alex Smith.

The Blackfoot language group in the Department of Indigenous Studies, consisting of Annabelle Chatsis, Mary Fox, Inge Genee, Caroline Russell and Alexandra Smith has received a $49,000 SSHRC Connection Grant for a project on revitalizing the Blackfoot language.

While Blackfoot is taught in schools, tribal colleges and post-secondary institutions on the reserve and in Lethbridge, Calgary and Missoula, Montana, the Blackfoot language is at a crisis point. Fluent speakers are passing away with no one to replace them.

The project, titled A’tsimaani: An invitation to Niitsi’powahsini (Blackfoot language), will bring those working on Blackfoot language revitalization, from tribal governments and teachers to community activists and non-Indigenous allies, together at a conference to develop an action plan.

“A’tsimaani means invitation, and this name was given to us by Elders Dr. Francis First Charger (LLD ’24) and Dr. Leroy Little Bear (BASc (BA) ’72, DASc ’04),” says Genee. “It underscores that, at this critical juncture, everyone is invited to participate in whatever way they see fit and with whatever skills and knowledge they have. We need all hands on deck.”

In addition to contributing to the scholarship on community-based Indigenous language revitalization work, the conference will aid the sustainability of the Blackfoot ancestral language and respond to the TRC Calls to Action.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers uncover new insights that could impact future cancer research

caroline.zentner — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 21:56:45 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge biochemistry researchers, Drs. Trushar Patel and Higor Sette Pereira, in partnership with Dr. Harpreet Singh from The Ohio State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, have gained new insights about a ribonucleic acid (RNA) known as RMRP that could lead to improved treatments for cancer patients.

RMRP has emerged as a major factor in cancer biology, with elevated levels found in breast, lung, prostate and colorectal cancers. These elevated levels correlate with poor patient outcomes. In their recent study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Patel and Pereira have made important strides in understanding how RMRP functions.

RMRP is classified as a long non-coding RNA. Once regarded as cellular "junk," the long non-coding RNAs are now recognized as important regulators of cell function, although the underpinning mechanisms remain poorly understood.

"For the first time, we were able to visualize RMRP's three-dimensional shape and identify new protein-interacting partners that influence its location and function within cells," says Patel, a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and a Canada Research Chair. "We discovered that RMRP plays a crucial role in maintaining the health and proper functioning of mitochondria — the powerhouses of our cells."

“We found that when RMRP is removed from cells, mitochondria experience stress and produce harmful reactive oxygen species, which can damage cells and contribute to disease,” says Singh.

"Our findings help explain why cancer cells with high levels of RMRP may have a survival advantage," says Patel. "By keeping mitochondria healthier, these cells may be better equipped to survive and grow. Understanding this connection provides potential new targets for therapy aimed at constricting RMRP function."

Cancer cells are known to rewire their energy production to support rapid growth, making mitochondrial function a critical factor in tumour development and survival.

"By comprehending the basic biology of how RMRP operates, we contribute to the foundational knowledge that may, in the long term, support therapeutic strategies," says Sette Pereira. "If we can alternate RMRP's function in cancer cells, we may be able to weaken them and make them more vulnerable to existing therapies."

Because RMRP is required for normal mitochondrial RNA processing but is also aberrantly upregulated in many cancers, targeted therapies that dampen its expression in tumour cells could be advantageous.

Dr. Paul Hayes named a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada

caroline.zentner — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 21:21:25 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge chemistry professor Dr. Paul Hayes has received the distinction of being named a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC).

“It’s a real honour, particularly given how highly selective the CIC is with their fellowships,” says Hayes.

Each year, between two and six people are elected as fellows, no small feat, considering there are thousands of chemists, chemical engineers and chemical technologists in the country.

CIC Fellowship is a prestigious honour that recognizes outstanding contributions of CIC members across multiple areas, including service to the CIC; teaching, mentorship and public awareness; scientific management; and scientific and technical contributions.

“There’s only been one other Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada at ULethbridge, Dr. Stacey Wetmore,” he says. “That’s humbling company to be in.”

Hayes completed a BSc Honours at Mount Allison ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in New Brunswick and came west to do his doctoral degree at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary. Following an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of California, Berkeley, Hayes joined ULethbridge in 2006. He was promoted to the rank of Professor in 2015 and was a Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair.

“My success is largely due to my supportive environment,” Hayes says. “I work with a fabulous group of students in a remarkable building with incredible facilities. I’m extremely lucky to be surrounded by such great departmental colleagues who excel in teaching, service and research. I’m proud to be part of that team.”

Hayes, who has been the Chair of the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry since 2022, has received numerous accolades for his research program in organometallic chemistry and catalysis. An innovative teacher, promoter of access to education and international student exchanges, Hayes has given numerous talks to government officials and the public and always looks for ways to get school students excited about the chemical sciences.

Hayes will be honoured at the CIC’s annual conference in Toronto in May.

Quantum expertise boosted by addition of QHA Research Chair Dr. Heliudson Bernardo

trevor.kenney — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 22:01:14 +0000

Alberta is quickly becoming a hub of excellence for quantum research and one of the key nodes responsible for driving that reputation is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Anchored by established theoretical physicists such as Dr. Saurya Das and boosted by the collaborative provincial network of Quantum Horizons Alberta (QHA), ULethbridge further bolstered its strength as a research powerhouse by recently adding QHA Research Chair Dr. Heliudson Bernardo. Das, who has been at the forefront of quantum research initiatives for years, calls the 33-year-old Bernardo a rising star in the field.

Dr. Heliudson Bernardo sees the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as a bold driver of quantum research.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to now have Heliudson as part of our group,” says Das. “He has a very strong record of top-notch, international quality research, and he’s come here and already hit the ground running. He’s created a strong research team and is continuing to add to it, so we couldn’t have found a better chair.”

Bernardo was trained in his native Brazil and earned his Bachelor of Science in Physics at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Brasília, before master’s and PhD studies at São Paulo State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. He then had graduate and postdoctoral postings at Montreal’s McGill ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ before a move to the vaunted Ivy League, with a postdoctoral stint at Brown ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

As he explains, it’s not a surprise he turned his sights to southern Alberta.

“Just looking at this building (Science Commons), I feel the university is very bold in terms of stepping up and trying to shape the future of science in general,” says Bernardo. “Since quantum is so popular and gaining the attention of many people internationally, it’s natural for such a bold university to invest in that field.”

So, just what is quantum and why is it so important?

“We use the results of theoretical research in quantum in our daily lives. Your smartphone is only working because of quantum theory. The GPS that you use in your car also works just because of quantum theory. Medical imaging is also something that requires quantum to work,” says Bernardo. “All those devices, which are essentially the foundation of the modern society in terms of technology, are based on quantum theory.”

His particular research expertise is focused on theories of quantum gravity, which he describes as the physics that’s required to solve theoretical problems such as black hole singularities and what happened to the universe close to the Big Bang.

“I build new quantum theories and use cosmology as a laboratory to test them — by confronting them with real observations of the universe,” he says.

What he, his colleagues and trainees are working on won’t be found on a store shelf tomorrow or in your Amazon cart, but the theoretical work they are doing lays the foundation for these technological advances. The strength of QHA and Canadian quantum research is that it is at the forefront of what Das refers to as the second quantum revolution.

“It’s hard to predict a revolution, but what we can do is read the signs and create the infrastructure and build the foundations for it and hope it works,” he says. “Canada, in particular, is putting in a lot of resources, and you can see the signs that things are happening.”

One of the exciting aspects of quantum research, says Heliudson, is that it has no boundaries, and the students he is training are well equipped to succeed in a vast array of careers.

“I feel Alberta wants to shape the future of quantum research and the application of quantum research, and we are right in the middle of that,” says Bernardo. “The training of students is very important, because researching the foundations of quantum theory gives them valuable skills like problem solving, skills that can be used in industry and fields like finance, financial markets and multiple other places.”

Initiated by a $12-million gift from a group of visionary donors, QHA will grow Alberta’s considerable capacity in quantum research through a partnership with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Bernardo’s QHA appointment is for five years with the possibility of renewal.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge PhD student leads international study of extinct Hawaiian bird

trevor.kenney — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 16:23:22 +0000

Islands are famous for producing some of the world’s strangest creatures, and a new study shows that evolution on islands can push birds into even more unexpected directions than previously recognized.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge PhD student Sara Citron led an international team from Canada, the United States and Australia that discovered how an extinct Hawaiian ibis evolved unusually small eyes and a dramatically reduced visual system, traits seen only in a handful of bird species alive today.

ULethbridge PhD student Sara Citron led the international study.

The team made the discovery while examining the skull of Apteribis, a flightless ibis that once inhabited the Hawaiian Islands.

“Anyone who has spent time birdwatching or visiting a zoo is familiar with ibises. These are very distinct birds: they have exceptionally long, elegant beaks and many of them have striking colors that set them apart from other shorebirds,” says Citron. “Their elongated beaks are key to how they feed. By inserting the beak into mud, shallow water, or soft ground, they probe for subtle vibrations that reveal the presence of hidden prey, such as small invertebrates.”

Citron’s supervisor, Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk, explains that the team targeted the Hawaiian species because island evolution often produces bizarre anatomies.

“From the moment we looked at the skull, we could see that the orbits, the spaces where the eyes sit, were far smaller than they should have been,” says Iwaniuk.

The extinct Hawaiian Apteribis and its distinctive elongated beak and unusually small eyes.

In an international effort, the researchers examined skulls from 25 of the 28 living ibis species, using museum specimens from all over the world. With advanced imaging technology, they created 3D reconstructions of the birds’ brains and compared them with the fossil species.

“What we found was astonishing,” says Citron. “The eyes and all parts of the visual system that we can measure from the skull were dramatically reduced in Apteribis compared to its living relatives.”

Co‑author Aubrey Keirnan, a PhD student at Australia’s Flinders ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, says that such extreme reductions in vision are known only in a few birds, including the New Zealand kiwi and the world’s two nocturnal parrots, the critically endangered kākāpō and the elusive night parrot.

“What all of these species have in common is that they rely very little on sight and are active mainly at night,” says Keirnan.

The findings strongly suggest that Apteribis was also nocturnal, roaming the Hawaiian landscape under cover of darkness to feed and possibly breed, while resting during the heat of the day.

Dr. Vera Weisbecker from Flinders ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, explains that this then brings the question “why were they nocturnal?” The answer likely lies in Hawaii’s unique ecology.

“Hawaii is the most isolated archipelago on Earth and originally had no mammalian predators. Similar to the situation in New Zealand, large birds like ibises were safe on the ground and eventually lost the ability to fly,” she says. “Highly acute vision would not have been a particular advantage.”

However, Weisbecker adds that other factors must have existed to push Apteribis into the dark.

That missing piece may come from their prey. Helen James, Curator of Birds at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, explains that the Hawaiian Islands were once home to an extraordinary diversity of snails and flightless crickets.

“Flightless crickets and snails are nocturnal and would have been more abundant then, exactly the kind of prey that could drive a bird like Apteribis to adopt night‑time foraging,” she says.

Why Apteribis became extinct remains a mystery, Citron explains.

“Possible causes of extinction are changes to the climate and vegetation on the Hawaiian Islands and the first arrival of humans. We may never know the true cause of the extinction of this wonderfully strange species.”

Iwaniuk emphasizes the broader implications of the discovery.

“The New Zealand Kiwi is often seen as a one‑of‑a‑kind oddity among modern birds, but this extinct ibis shows that similar forms evolved elsewhere,” he says. “It reminds us how much diversity has been lost, and how many ecological roles disappeared, before we ever had the chance to study them.”

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge undergraduate leads study published in top-tier journal

caroline.zentner — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 17:32:51 +0000

A groundbreaking study led by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge undergraduate Sophia Bird is advancing vaccine development while highlighting the national importance of the Canadian Center for Hydrodynamics, which offers access to analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC).

The study, High-Resolution Characterization of Protein-Conjugated, mRNA-Loaded Lipid Nanoparticles by Analytical Ultracentrifugation, was recently published in Advanced Functional Materials, a leading journal in the field.

Sophia Bird

Pharmaceutical companies use the AUC to assess the purity of their vaccine formulations during development. Bird and the research team, working under the supervision of Dr. Borries Demeler, developed a new technique to measure the purity. Purity is critical in vaccine development because contaminants can reduce effectiveness or trigger unwanted immune responses.

“The method and software we created to analyze the data are really novel because they can identify contaminants that other methods were unable to detect,” she says. “This ultimately helps pharmaceutical companies and researchers create pure vaccine products.”

“The success of this research reflects a powerful convergence of student excellence, unique infrastructure and strong industry collaboration,” says Demeler, professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. “At its core is the exceptional academic ability, biophysical research skill and dedication of our students — exemplified by Sophia — who work at a level comparable to researchers at much larger institutions while tackling critical challenges in biomedicine.”

The achievement was made possible with the support of AUC Solutions, ULethbridge and a MITACS grant.

“It’s an incredible experience as an undergraduate student to become a first author on a paper, especially in such a prestigious journal,” says Bird, a fourth-year biochemistry student. “Being a first author means that I had a significant role in designing the experiment, writing the paper and collecting and analyzing the results. I had the opportunity to collaborate with a lot of great people who helped me understand the system, improve my research and interpret the results.”

Being first author on a research paper will help Bird with applications to graduate school and show future employers that she’s capable of leading a research investigation and collaborating with scientists at other institutions. In Bird’s case, it has also helped her land a six-month internship with Roche, a health-care biotech company, at their facility in Penzberg, Germany.

“I have the opportunity to go there and work in their gene therapy department and teach them some of the AUC techniques I use here and work in tandem with their researchers who are developing new vaccines,” she says.

Bird’s path to this achievement began in high school through iGEM, where Dr. Laura Keffer-Wilkes introduced her to wet lab research. Since then, she has completed multiple independent studies, worked with international collaborators, attended conferences and workshops, and even spent a semester at a research lab in Christchurch, New Zealand. Following her internship at Roche, Bird is looking at graduate studies.

For Bird, the publication marks both a milestone and a beginning. As she prepares for her next steps, her work stands as a reminder of what young scientists can achieve when curiosity meets opportunity — and of the vital role ULethbridge plays in nurturing that potential.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researcher to examine how social instability affects patients with Alzheimer's disease

caroline.zentner — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 18:26:09 +0000

For most people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, moving into a care facility becomes necessary at some point. Such a big change disrupts all aspects of a patient’s life, including their social life.

Dr. Jackson Ham

These changes to their social network have been associated with increased cognitive decline and memory loss; however, the reasons for this association are not well understood.

Dr. Jackson Ham (BSc ’19, MSc ’21, PhD ’25), a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Rob McDonald’s lab at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, has received $150,000 in funding from the Alzheimer Society of Canada to learn more about the association between cognitive decline and disruption to someone’s social network.

Using a mouse model, Ham seeks to understand what’s happening to neurons inside the brain when the social group is stable and when it’s unstable, and how that affects mood and behaviour.

“Mood changes and feeling anxious or depressed are often reported when people with Alzheimer’s or dementia move into a care facility,” says Ham. “That’s definitely one of the things we’re going to be investigating.”

To simulate social network disruption, aged mice and mouse models of dementia will be kept in either stable or unstable social groups. Mice in the unstable groups will be housed with new cage mates every three days, while mice in the stable groups will stay with the same cage mates.

Ham will test the memory, cognition and emotional regulation of both groups in real time to see what’s happening in the brain.

“This research will increase our understanding of the neural processes underlying cognitive decline and memory loss associated with social behaviours, but could also inform policy,” he says. “Humans are fundamentally social beings, and understanding the importance of the social network for those with dementia could help us optimize the care facility environment to slow the progression of the disease.”

Apart from moving into a care facility, changes in a social network often happen naturally as people age. One’s spouse may pass away, or one can no longer drive, or longtime friends move or pass away. Knowing how these experiences can change mood, behaviour, and the progression of Alzheimer’s disease could ultimately lead to better treatments and programs. The research is becoming increasingly relevant as cases of dementia in Canada are projected to be around one million by 2030.

The study is underway, and Ham expects to have results by early 2027.

UNews - Faculty of Arts & Science

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��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers uncover new insights that could impact future cancer research

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge PhD student leads international study of extinct Hawaiian bird

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge undergraduate leads study published in top-tier journal

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researcher to examine how social instability affects patients with Alzheimer's disease