UNews - Lesley Brown

Skating therapy making significant difference for those living with Parkinson's disease

trevor.kenney — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 17:09:13 +0000

A ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge research group, led by Dr. Jon Doan (PhD '06), is taking a truly Canadian approach to developing symptom management strategies for people living with Parkinson’s disease – using skating and hockey stickhandling skills as forms of therapy.

Their preliminary results are encouraging enough to embark upon a host of parallel activities, including a biomechanically detailed comparison between skating and walking and the development of a skating exercise intervention tailored to people living with Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Jon Doan uses skating, along with other hockey-related skills such as dynamic stickhandling tasks, as therapy for Parkinson's patients.

“When we tested people living with PD, we found that they skated safely and skillfully, at significantly greater velocity than their walking and with significantly bigger arm swing,” says Doan. “Most interestingly, when these patients did some walking locomotion after an episode of skating, they also walked significantly faster than they did before the skating session.”

Doan and his group then added more hockey-related activity to their study, having people complete dynamic stickhandling tasks. They then compared fine motor and gross motor trials of subjects from before and after the tasks to track possible improvement. The discovered improvements in upper extremity motor performance following a period of exercise imply that sport-derived exercise programs may provide neurotherapeutic benefit to PD patients. Their findings have been presented at community patient-oriented events and international conferences, and were recently featured amongst the Hot Topics at the 3rd World Parkinson Congress in Montreal.

The study involves on-campus collaboration with Drs. Ian Whishaw (neuroscience), Lesley Brown (kinesiology & physical education), Claudia Steinke (health sciences) and Natalie de Bruin Nutley (kinesiology & physical education), and has been supported by the Emmy Droog Research Award and Alberta Innovates Health Solutions. A number of undergraduate students have also contributed to the research work that began after Doan and his colleagues saw a television spot with actor Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease.

“He did an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2009, during which he spent some time ice skating with Dr. Oz. He talked about how freeing he found the skating activity, so we decided to begin a pilot study to see if ice skating was safe and feasible amongst people living with PD, and to see how skating locomotion differed from walking locomotion,” says Doan.

The group is currently seeking further funding to test the utility of skating as vigorous exercise neurotherapy amongst Canadians living with early, mild or moderate PD. Reebok has agreed in principle to be in-kind partners on a grant proposal, wherein they would customize some of their BOA recreational skates (by featuring a more manipulable closure system and an embedded motion tracking/movement and music feedback system) for study participants.Specifically, the study proposes a 16-week program combining prescribed skating exercises with personally selected music.

“We’re particularly interested in the possible psychosocial benefits of exercise activity in an arena, which is the social epicentre of many Canadian communities, particularly for those patients who live in rural areas,” says Doan. “If we can get PD patients to the rink for therapy, it puts them in the hub of their community with strong potential to surround them with active family and friends.”

Heaton named manager of AGILITY Program

trevor.kenney — Tue, 05 Apr 2016 22:22:01 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s AGILITY program is off and running and it now has a new champion with the appointment of Tyler Heaton (BFA ’15) as manager.

Heaton moves into the role after spending close to nine years in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Teaching Centre, formerly the Curriculum Re-Development Centre. With a background that encompasses technology integration and instructional design, Heaton is enthused about taking his skills to the AGILITY platform and all the possibilities the new program provides.

With a background that encompasses technology integration and instructional design, Tyler Heaton is enthused about taking his skills to the AGILITY platform and all the possibilities the new program provides.

“I’m really excited about the potential of this program,” says Heaton, who was raised in Magrath and completed his new media degree at the U of L while working in the Teaching Centre. “We have the opportunity here to inspire students to have new ideas and through our program, we give them the skills to follow those ideas through. I think that’s pretty powerful.”

AGILITY is a university-wide initiative designed to nurture and support innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. Building on the strong foundation of liberal education, the program provides students access to knowledge about innovation within key sectors of the Canadian economy, and supports them through talks and mentorship by faculty and industry leaders, course work, scholarships and fellowships, and access to the latest technological tools and physical innovation and collaboration spaces.

“Tyler Heaton is an absolutely great fit for this position,” says Dr. Lesley Brown, Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President (Academic). “He was an advocate for the program through the early stages of our development and planning, and he brings a genuine enthusiasm, passion and understanding of liberal education, and about the U of L, that is exactly what we need to continue to build a program that resonates with who we are as an institution. I am incredibly pleased that he has joined the AGILITY team.”

Heaton says his priorities include raising the profile of the program both internally at the U of L and in the broader southern Alberta community; helping to develop programming, curriculum and bridging opportunities between courses; creating maker spaces and innovation zones within which students can work and collaborate ideas; and continuing to secure funding that will eventually make the program self-sustainable.

“This is an entrepreneurship and innovation program, and when we say entrepreneurship, we don’t just mean preparing students to run their own business or to commercialize an idea, we also mean that entrepreneurship is about opportunity,” he says. “You don’t have to have a business idea, you just need to have an imagination. We’ll help you work through your idea, and if it becomes a business, great, but if it doesn’t, that’s OK too because it’s the skills you learn along the way that are also important outcomes for the AGILITY program.”

Find out more about AGILITY at the program website.

AGILITY Innovation Series hosting panel of leaders from agricultural sector for two-day event

trevor.kenney — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 21:09:17 +0000

The AGILITY program, an experiential program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge that fosters innovation and nurtures entrepreneurial thinking, will be hosting business leaders from the Canadian agricultural sector for a two-day event March 2 and 3, 2016, at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Lethbridge and Calgary campuses.

Innovation in Agriculture, Where’s the Smart Money Going, is the fourth event in the 2015-16 AGILITY Innovation Series and features a panel of agriculture and finance leaders who will discuss the role that innovation, rapid changes in technology and finance are playing in exposing and developing new agribusiness opportunities that place Canada at the forefront of meeting changing global food demands.

“Global food demand will double in the next 35 years and Canada is one of only six countries in the world with the capacity to increase food and nutrition experts,” says Dr. Lesley Brown, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President (Academic). “Agribusiness and the opportunities it presents are a key theme of the AGILITY program and by bringing together leading agribusiness experts as part of our Innovation Series, we are giving our students the chance to engage with people who have pushed innovation in the province and across the country.”

Tom Burke, Senior Investment Advisor for Canaccord Genuity, is the moderator for both the Lethbridge and Calgary events. He says that the broader financial market, while always being aware of agriculture, has taken full notice of the potential and scope of agribusiness over the last decade.

“The growth trends that we are seeing are over and above anything we’ve seen before and it just continues to heat up,” he says from the Canaccord offices in Montreal. “Obviously, if people are seriously considering career options in this field and want to get a sense of what is going on out there, this will be an eye-opening experience for them.”

Among the panelists are Wade Barnes, president and CEO of Farmer’s Edge; Brad Farquhar, director, executive vice-president and CFO at Input Capital; Graeme Lempriere, CEO at Clean Seed Capital Group; and Remi Schmaltz, CEO of Decisive Farming.

Burke marvels at how fast the world of agribusiness is changing.

“Who would have thought we would be talking about setting up financial structures where you can actually finance a farmer’s production and get paid back in canola. This is all new, cutting-edge stuff,” he says.

The Lethbridge session takes place Wednesday, March 2, 2016, at the U of L’s Students’ Union Ballrooms, beginning with a networking event at 4:30 p.m. and followed by the panel discussion at 5 p.m.

On Thursday, March 3, the U of L’s Calgary campus at Bow Valley College (Room N231) will host a networking event beginning at 4 p.m., followed by the panel discussion at 4:30 p.m.

Both events are free to students and interested members of the business community. For more information, or to register, visit the AGILITY website.

Open Mike - 2015 was a year of change

trevor.kenney — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 16:58:55 +0000

The holiday season offers us the opportunity to take pause and reflect on the past year, one that can be classified as a year of great change, both in our province and in our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

At the forefront are the sweeping changes to government and the election of a new governing party and a host of new ministers with which we are now engaging. The transition is still in its early stages and we remain very optimistic for the future of post-secondary education under this new leadership structure.

Thank you for your service in 2015 and I wish you all the best throughout the holiday season and into an exciting new year.

On campus, we have also seen a great deal of change. Dr. Claudia Malacrida, recently appointed as Associate Vice-President (Research), has joined the Office of Research and Innovation Services (ORIS), working closely with Vice-President (Research) Dr. Erasmus Okine. I’d like to thank personally the efforts of Dr. Matthew Letts in his role as Acting Associate Vice-President (Research) under both Dr. Leslie Brown and Dr. Okine as substantial change and transition took place in ORIS. The work he put in was invaluable and points to a great future as a senior administrator.

I’d also like to acknowledge the significant contributions of our outgoing Board of Governors Chair Gordon E. Jong and his wife Elizabeth Martin Jong (BFA ’81). Gordon has been a part of the U of L family since graduating with Bachelor of Science (1980) and Bachelor of Management (1982) degrees and has served as a member of our board since 2006. His commitment to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is remarkable and I know he will continue to champion the U of L going forward.

I would like to thank Richard Masson, who will be stepping into the role of Acting Board Chair during this time of transition, as well as Patrick Forrest, who will serve as Acting Vice-Chair.

We’ve realized some important milestones over the past year, from achieving the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s greatest increase in enrollment numbers, to realizing a new benchmark in student retention rates. The U of L once again was ranked third nationally in the annual Maclean’s rankings and garnered a top-five ranking from Research Infosource.

Pronghorn Athletics also underwent significant change over the past year and I’m excited for the future of our athletic programs under our new Director of Sport & Recreation Services, Ken McInnes.

It has been a very positive start to the 2015-16 season with the women’s soccer program qualifying for playoffs, the women’s rugby team earning a berth in the national championship tournament and both our men’s and women’s hockey teams getting off to hot starts in Canada West play. Meanwhile, the men’s basketball program is on top of the Pioneer Division at the holiday break and looks poised for a big season.

In speaking both with coaches and athletes, it’s quite evident that they are feeling much better about their place at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and I believe that stability and enthusiasm has translated into great results.

I have always believed that having a vibrant athletics program is an essential aspect of an engaged campus, much in the same way our Faculty of Fine Arts adds to the campus experience. Both athletics and the arts contribute so much to the campus experience, and likewise to the southern Alberta community.

I thank everyone for the roles they played in helping the U of L achieve these accolades. From great teaching to important research and terrific service to our students and the southern Alberta community, everyone on campus has played a part in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s successes.

As I look ahead to 2016, I’m optimistic even more good news is on the horizon. We are looking forward to further development of the Destination Project and with our 50th Anniversary just a year away, plans continue to take shape for that significant milestone in our university’s history. Please engage with the anniversary committee should you have any ideas on how the U of L should mark the occasion.

Thank you for your service in 2015 and I wish you all the best throughout the holiday season and into an exciting new year.

AGILITY Innovation Series to feature business leaders, experts

trevor.kenney — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 22:22:05 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s new experiential learning program, AGILITY, is off and running this fall and with it comes a new speaker series that will give students the opportunity to learn from renowned business leaders and industry experts.

“Our goal is to provide opportunities for our students to engage with people whose entrepreneurial ambition has pushed innovation in the province and across the country,” says Dr. Lesley Brown, Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President (Academic), who is leading the establishment of the AGILITY program.

The AGILITY Innovation Series features a highly engaging set of lectures and workshops that showcase industry experts with a track record of innovation and entrepreneurship across a range of sectors, including agribusiness and agri-tech, energy, small and family-owned businesses and public service.

“Through this series, we will be bringing in some of the leading innovators and entrepreneurs in the province who have started and grown very successful businesses,” says Anil Pereira (BMgt ’87), U of L alumnus and advisor to the AGILITY program. “Their experiences provide invaluable learning opportunities for our students.”

Skyridge Capital Corporation CEO Steve Cloutier will kick off the series with presentations at both the U of L’s Calgary and Lethbridge campuses respectively, October 27 and 28, 2015.

Cloutier is an entrepreneur with 30 years of experience in the law, investment and upstream oil and gas industries. After relocating to Calgary, Cloutier began his career in oil and gas, ultimately participating in the start-up of seven oil and gas companies, leading teams of up to 200 employees. He has more than $2 billion of direct experience in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures.

On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Cloutier will be at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Calgary location on the campus of Bow Valley College presenting a talk entitled From Liberal Arts BA to Energy Startup CEO: Lessons for Tomorrow’s Entrepreneur. The presentation runs from 5 to 7 p.m.

On Wednesday, Oct. 28, Cloutier will make his presentation to students on the Lethbridge campus, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Markin Hall Atrium.

The AGILITY Innovation Series is free and open to everyone but seating is limited and attendees must register in advance. For more information on the series and to register for Steve Cloutier’s events in both Calgary and Lethbridge, visit the AGILITY website (agility-ulethbridge.ca).

“Steve Cloutier is an amazingly skilled businessperson and entrepreneur who will walk students through his own case studies, increasing their understanding of the skills and steps needed to launch a successful startup enterprise,” says Pereira. “This is a really great opportunity for students to learn how to shape their skillset, expand their vision and engage in a dialogue with a highly successful and experienced entrepreneur.”

Pereira will also play a key part in the opening of the AGILITY Innovation Series, offering workshops in Lethbridge in advance of Cloutier’s presentations. Pereira will demonstrate 3D virtual reality experiences during a workshop entitled The Virtual Reality Works of Félix & Paul Studios at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 27 and 10:30 a.m. on October 28.

“We are really excited to be highlighting innovations in agriculture and agribusiness as a theme for many of the upcoming talks and workshops in the 2015-16 AGILITY Innovation Series,” says Brown, who credits a gift from Mr. Cor Van Raay of Cor Van Raay Farms for supporting many of these initiatives.

In November, Chris Perry, president of CKP Farms Ltd. and Grow the Energy Circle Ltd., will present along with Harold Perry, president of Perry Quest Ltd. Subsequent sessions will be held in January, February and March 2016.

The format of each session will include a half-hour mix and mingle with free refreshments, followed by a 45-minute talk and conclude with a 30-minute open question-and-answer period.

“We want to engage our attendees as much as possible, to really bring them into the presentations and allow them to get the most out of the sessions,” says Pereira.

AGILITY Innovation Series (agility-ulethbridge.ca)

- Steve Cloutier, CEO, Skyridge Capital Corporation
From Liberal Arts BA to Energy Start-up CEO – Lessons for Tomorrow’s Entrepreneur
October 27, 2015, 5 p.m. (Calgary) and October 28, 2015, 11 a.m. (Lethbridge)

- Anil Pereira, Startup Advisor
Virtual Reality Works of Félix & Paul Studios
October 27, 2015, 2:30 p.m. and October 28, 2015, 10:30 a.m. (Lethbridge)

- Chris Perry, President of CKP Farms Ltd. and Grow the Energy Circle Ltd., and Harold Perry, President of Perry Quest Ltd.
Integrating Environmental Stewardship and Innovative Technology into Agriculture
November 2015

- Paul Oss, Public Affairs Officer, Ministry of Innovation and Advanced Education, Province of Alberta
Keeping Pace with Technological Change
January 2016

- Tom Burke, Senior Investment Advisor, Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management
Canadian Agriculture in the 21st Century: Technology, Finance, and Sustainability (roundtable discussion with agribusiness and agri-tech leaders)
February 2016

- Danny Martin, Director Business Development, Engenium Chemicals
March 2016

- Chris Perry, President of CKP Farms Ltd. and Grow the Energy Circle Ltd., and Harold Perry, President of Perry Quest Ltd.
How CKP Farms Ltd Integrates Environmental Stewardship and Innovative Technology into Agriculture
March 2016

Conference marks U of L as leader in sexuality studies

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 16:27:59 +0000

It was billed as one of the highest-profile conferences to ever grace the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, and yet it was intentionally given no profile in advance.

Conference co-organizer Dr. Paul Vasey says what draws researchers to Lethbridge is the U of L’s solid support for sexual orientation research. PHOTO by Mary Kavanagh

The Puzzle of Sexual Orientation conference that ran July 20-23 at the U of L attracted more than 50 of the world’s leading authorities on sexual orientation to campus. Experts from throughout the United States, Canada and even as far off as Europe and Brazil made their way to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, attending on an invite-only basis, to discuss a broad range of topics related to sexual orientation.

“The Puzzle conference is renowned as the venue worldwide at which a group of preeminent sexual orientation researchers convene once every five years to assess the state of our science and talk about the way forward. Not surprisingly, invitations are highly coveted,” says Dr. Paul Vasey (professor & Board of Governor’s Research Chair in Psychology), one of the conference co-organizers.

What draws them here is the U of L’s solid support for sexual orientation research and the groundbreaking work that Vasey and his students have been conducting for the past 15 years.

“Conference attendees were extremely impressed that understanding the genesis of sexual orientation is embedded in the U of L's Strategic Research Plan,” says Vasey. “Many attendees were blown away that the Vice-Provost & Associate VP (Academic), Dr. Lesley Brown, took time out of her busy schedule to open the meeting and declared that "understanding sexual orientation is key to understanding human nature".”

Among those who were favorably impressed was Dr. Michael Bailey from Chicago’s Northwestern ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, a world-renowned researcher who spoke about his work on male bisexuality.

“We have many cities that are much (larger) than Lethbridge but none of them are as high profile as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge for the studying of sexual orientation,” Bailey told the Lethbridge Herald upon completion of the conference. “It’s really an international treasure.”

The conference did not allow media access prior to or during the event as Vasey wanted to ensure that researchers could openly discuss their findings, some of which might be considered controversial or taboo. Select researchers were made available to media once the event wrapped up and garnered significant interest.

“There is an enormous amount of public debate about the nature of sexual diversity. All too often these discussions occur in an information vacuum that is driven by personal politics and morality, but divorced from any evidence," says Vasey. "The Puzzle of Sexual Orientation conference is a key event at which evidence is brought to the table, which helps inform these public debates.”

One exception to the no media rule was an invitation to Boston Globe writer Neil Swidey who was given exclusive access to the researchers and their presentations throughout the conference. A respected journalist who 10 years ago created one of the most-read Boston Globe stories in its web history (What makes people gay?), Swidey chose the conference as an opportunity to revisit and update his seminal piece. It has just now been released on the Globe website.

“Going forward, I believe that all of the conference attendees will sing the praises of the U of L, thereby contributing to my goal of promoting our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as a destination research institution for sexuality studies,” adds Vasey.

The next conference is scheduled to take place at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 2020.

Curriculum Design Challenge Day Inspires Innovation Among Master of Education Students

caroline.zentner — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 20:17:36 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Master of Education in Curriculum and Assessment Program held its first annual Curriculum Design Challenge Day on Wednesday, July 15, 2015. The event, co-hosted by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge AGILITY Program, challenged participants to propose a new vision for the curriculum of the first professional semester (PSI) in the Faculty of Education.

Dr. David Slomp and Dr. Amy von Heyking (Faculty of Education) organized the Challenge Day with the intention of providing participants the opportunity to propose new solutions to a specific and real-world curriculum challenge. Partnering with the U of L AGILITY Program, which focuses on providing innovative and entrepreneurial learning experiences for students, the Curriculum Design exercise allowed 45 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge master's students to apply their knowledge and experience to offer creative and innovative solutions for post-secondary curriculum.

“The enthusiasm was infectious and the students shared creative and inspiring solutions for the problem presented,” says Dr. Lesley Brown, Vice-Provost & Associate VP Academic. “The event reinforced that opportunities for innovation span many disciplines, and that students are well-equipped to bring unique, varied ideas to the table in a real-world approach.”

Aaron Stout was one of 45 master's students to participate in the Curriculum Design Challenge.

The idea behind Challenge Day and the Inspiring Education initiative isn’t radical.

“In many ways, the event focused on answering perennial questions about how to make education relevant for kids, and how we are connecting with learners so they see that there are authentic ways to demonstrate what they have learned and why it matters,” says von Heyking.

The panel of judges for the event was selected based on their expertise and involvement in developing education:

· Dr. Lesley Brown, Vice-Provost & Associate Vice-President (Academic), ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

· Amber Darroch, Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Horizon School Division

· Dr. Dawn Burleigh, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

· Melissa Gough, Education Undergraduate Student Association Executive Committee Member, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

Challenge Day participants commented on how the biggest challenge of the day, besides the five-hour time limit, was throwing away preconceived ideas and structures that the Faculty of Education has for students entering their PSI.

“For me, it was interesting to think about what is education, what is its purpose and from that, what should a teacher look like. It was cool to just throw away everything that you know already and just create a whole new vision,” says Calvin de Haan, first year Master of Education in Curriculum and Assessment student.

Participants were encouraged to use their personal experiences to propose changes to the current PSI structure based on problems that they encountered as student teachers and as current education professionals mentoring student teachers.

“One of the things that stood out to me was that our opinions were being valued. I really felt that they were interested in what we had to say,” says Lisa Paton, first year Master of Education in Curriculum and Assessment student.

The winning team of Curriculum Design Challenge Day consisted of Sara Jans, Heidi Paterson, Bob Vanderbeek, Josie Hammond, Fleur Sweetman, Kaeli New and Morgan Schaufele. Their solution to innovating PSI was to develop competent education professionals by focusing on relational intelligence, self-awareness and regulation, and sensitivity to context and situation.

The ideas and visions generated from the event will be presented to faculty members to provide different perspectives on how U of L Faculty of Education Professional Semesters will be done in the future.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge awarded record $3.9 million in NSERC funding

trevor.kenney — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 22:04:26 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge was awarded a record $3.9 million of funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) this year, with U of L researchers earning support for projects in neuroscience, biological sciences, psychology, chemistry & biochemistry, physics & astronomy, geography and mathematics & computer science.

This unprecedented level of support was announced earlier today by Canada’s Minister of State (Science and Technology), the Honourable Ed Holder, at a national funding announcement in Oshawa, Ont.

Dr. Robert McDonald’s base grant of $355,000 (over five years) is the largest NSERC grant awarded to the U of L this year.

“This latest round of NSERC funding clearly demonstrates the outstanding research our faculty and students are undertaking,” says Interim Vice-President (Research) Dr. Lesley Brown. “That our research portfolio continues to grow as it does is testament to the quality of the work being done and also speaks to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ striking the right balance as a comprehensive teaching and research institution.”

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers receiving NSERC Discovery Grant funding include: Dr. Gerlinde Metz (neuroscience); Dr. Aaron Gruber (neuroscience); Dr. Alice Hontela (biological sciences); Dr. Jean-Baptiste Leca (psychology); Dr. David Logue (psychology); Dr. Artur Luczak (neuroscience); Dr. Robert McDonald (neuroscience); Dr. Majid Mohajerani (neuroscience); Dr. Gregory Pyle (biological sciences); Dr. Masami Tatsuno (neuroscience); Dr. Paul Vasey (psychology); Dr. Robert Laird (biological sciences); Dr. René Boeré (chemistry & biochemistry); Dr. Paul Hayes (chemistry & biochemistry); Dr. Locke Spencer (physics & astronomy); Dr. Mark Walton (physics & astronomy); Dr. Christopher Hopkinson (geography); Dr. Robert Benkoczi (mathematics & computer science); Dr. Shahadat Hossain (mathematics & computer science); Dr. Habiba Kadiri (mathematics & computer science); Dr. Nathan Ng (mathematics & computer science).

In addition, Drs. John Zhang and Olga Kovalchuk were each awarded NSERC Discovery Development Grants.

Luczak and McDonald will also both receive an additional $120,000 in funds through the Discovery Accelerator Supplements program (over a three-year period), while McDonald’s base grant of $355,000 (over five years) is the largest NSERC grant awarded to the U of L this year. He is studying neural circuits and mechanisms of context-specific conditioned inhibition.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s doctoral students were extremely successful in the NSERC Doctoral Scholarship competitions, led by Katie Wilson (chemistry & biochemistry), who was named a Canada Vanier Scholar, demonstrating leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies. Jason Flindall (neuroscience) was awarded a Canadian Doctoral Scholarship, while Kayla Stone (neuroscience), Allonna Harker (neuroscience) and Stefan Lenz (chemistry & biochemistry) were awarded NSERC Postgraduate Doctoral Scholarships. Additionally, five masters students were awarded the NSERC Canadian Graduate Scholarship, including: Justin Lee (neuroscience), Serena Shandik (neuroscience), Matthew Robbins (physics & astronomy), Rhys Hakstol (chemistry & biochemistry) and Douglas Turnbull (chemistry & biochemistry).

“We are pleased with the amount of money invested in our researchers and what this could yield in terms of the results they will achieve and the benefits their work will bring to society,” adds Brown. “Our continuing success with the federal research funding agencies is testament to our researchers’ ability to compete on the national stage.”

NSERC grants aim to develop, attract and retain the world’s most talented researchers at Canadian universities who are working in a multitude of scientific and engineering disciplines.

Board approves multiple faculty, staff and administrative appointments

trevor.kenney — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 17:32:07 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors recently convened and approved a number of faculty, staff and administrative appointments that are scheduled to officially take effect July 1, 2015.

Following is a summary of these appointments.

Vice-Provost & Associate Vice-President (Academic) - Dr. Lesley Brown

Dr. Lesley Brown has been appointed for a five-year term as the Vice-Provost & Associate Vice-President (Academic).

Currently the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Interim Vice-President (Research) and a professor of kinesiology, Brown first came to the U of L in 1997 as an assistant professor in the department of Kinesiology and Physical Education following her post-doctoral studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Oregon. Brown's research portfolio has been focused on the aging process, balance, falling, fear of falling and Parkinson's Disease.

Brown was appointed Associate Vice-President (Research) in 2011 and served in that role until 2014 when she assumed responsibility as the Interim Vice-President (Research). She has led some very important initiatives while serving in that role, including being the driving force behind the development of AGILITY and its subsequent launch. Her passion for entrepreneurship and innovation will see her play a lead role in the continued development of AGILITY as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ moves forward.

Dean, Health Sciences - Dr. Christopher Hosgood

Dr. Chris Hosgood has been reappointed as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences for a further five-year term.

Hosgood, the former Chair of the Department of History, will be taking on his third term as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences as he presided over the transition of the Faculty from a School in 2009. He played a major role in the expansion of both student enrolments and Faculty programs, including the recent introduction of the Bachelor of Therapeutic Recreation program, and saw the Faculty through its move into Markin Hall.

A Co-Chair on the Health Sciences Placement Network Management Committee as well as a member of the Alberta SPOR Steering Committee, Hosgood was recently appointed to the Alberta Health Research Task Force.

Dean, Graduate Studies - Dr. Robert Wood

Dr. Robert Wood has been reappointed as Dean, Graduate Studies for a further five-year term.

Wood had served in the role of Dean since January 2011 and was previously the Interim Head of the School of Graduate Studies and Chair of the Department of Sociology.

A sociology researcher and faculty member since 2000, Wood is the author or co-author of two books and numerous research articles on gambling issues, and has recently produced a trio of journal articles examining various aspects of problem gambling. He is currently the President of the Western Canadian Deans of Graduate Studies, a post he accepted February 1, 2015 after serving the previous two years as the organization's vice-president.

Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Organizations, Culture, and Society) - Dr. Paul Vasey

Dr. Paul Vasey, a professor in the Department of Psychology, conducts cross-species and cross-cultural research to answer the question: If reproduction is the engine that drives evolution, why engage in non-conceptive sex?

For the past decade he has done research on the development and evolution of female homosexual behaviour in free-ranging Japanese monkeys at various sites in Japan. He also studies the development and evolution of male same-sex sexual attraction in humans at field sites in Samoa, Japan and Canada.

Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Organizations, Culture, and Society) - Dr. Claudia Malacrida

Dr. Claudia Malacrida is a sociologist and oral historian well-known for her investigations on power and the construction of difference historically and in the present. This focus has led to investigations of eugenics and institutionalization abuses in Alberta at the Michener Centre; comparative projects examining the challenges disabled women face in their sexual, relational and family lives; and, questions of power and medicalization in local childbirth practices.

In each area, she is concerned about how seemingly personal and embodied experiences are constrained and produced through public policy, social attitudes and professional practice.

Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Earth and Environment) - Dr. Larry Flanagan

Dr. Larry Flanagan, a faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences, is being reappointed as a Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair. He gained international recognition for his contributions to addressing carbon cycling and climate change.

His research program involves applying a range of techniques from eco-physiology and ecosystem ecology to study how plants and ecosystems acclimate to environmental change. This includes field studies with plants growing in their native habitats, in addition to lab and controlled environment studies.

Understanding these fundamental processes provides the basis for modelling and predicting plant and ecosystem response to global climate change.

Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Healthy Futures) - Dr. Gerlinde Metz

Dr. Gerlinde Metz is a researcher in the Department of Neuroscience, and is being appointed as a Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Health Futures) for a period of five years.

Her research program focuses on the influence of experience and environment on behaviour and brain plasticity. Her work showed that stress affects motor system function, risk of Parkinson's disease and recovery from stroke. This research indicated that adverse experience at any time in life can become a predisposing or precipitating factor of disease. More recently, her laboratory has developed unique models to explore transgenerational inheritance of stress responses. Through transgenerational programming, experience in parents, grandparents and beyond can influence health and disease from early development to old age.

Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Origins and Explorations) - Dr. Stacey Wetmore

Dr. Stacey Wetmore is a recognized leader in computational chemistry, and has been appointed a Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair (Origins and Explorations) for the period April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2022.

She has successfully established a vigorous and prolific research program exploring the reactions between DNA and various harmful chemicals in order to understand how DNA is damaged, and how enzymes in our body repair DNA by chemically removing the damaged sections of DNA.

An understanding of DNA damage and repair processes in our bodies will aid the design of new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent disease. No other Canadian researcher is studying these important (health-related) areas using computational methods. The range of approaches, close collaborations with experimental labs, and systematic attack of entire classes of biomolecules has distinguished Wetmore's research on the international stage.

Assistant Dean, Northern Campuses - Lorne Williams

Lorne Williams has been reappointed to serve as the Assistant Dean (Northern Campuses) for a further three-year term.

A respected alumnus and member of the U of L Honour Society, Williams was first named Acting Assistant Dean (Northern Campuses) in 2012. He has more than 20 years of U of L experience, including more than a decade of work in the Calgary market as a director, instructor and co-ordinator at the U of L Calgary campus. During his time there, he has won six teaching awards.

Williams consults widely on team building, leadership and corporate culture for public, private and not-for-profit organizations of all sizes. In the past year, he has served as the opening speaker at both the Faculty of Management Student PD Conference and the Canada/China Trade and Investment Forum, and was invited to give the keynote address at the Keeping People Important - MacEwan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ PD Day.

Associate Vice-President (Research) - Dr. Matthew Letts

Dr. Matthew Letts has been extended as the Associate Vice-President (Research) for a period of six months, June 30, 2015 to December 31, 2015.

A faculty member in the Department of Geography, Letts is an accomplished researcher who is currently working on two projects. One, sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is studying plant physiological response to environmental stress in semiarid ecosystems. He is also part of the team that is currently working on Functional flows: a practical strategy for healthy rivers, as sponsored by Alberta Innovates - Environmental Solutions.

Chancellor Emerita - Dr. Shirley McClellan

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's 12th Chancellor, Dr. Shirley McClellan was named Chancellor Emerita.

McClellan served as Chancellor from 2011 to 2015 and was a strong advocate for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge over that time.

A veteran Alberta politician and former deputy premier of the Province of Alberta, McClellan had long been involved in bringing further education to rural areas, serving on the board of directors for the Alberta Association of Continuing Education and the Canadian Association for Continuing Education.

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.

UNews - Lesley Brown

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