UNews - Department of Neuroscience

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.

Neuroscience takes centre stage during Brain Awareness Week

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:15:55 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's annual Brain Awareness Week will take place March 23 to 28 and include a number of activities. The community is invited to celebrate ULethbridge researchers, students, community partners and the significant advances in brain research that have increased our understanding of the brain and raised awareness and support for ongoing research.

Science Commons will host the activities for Brain Awareness Week, Mar. 23-28.

“Brain Awareness Week is an opportunity to highlight the research advances and contributions of our ULethbridge researchers, students and community partners toward ongoing study of the brain,” says Dr. Robbin Gibb (BASc (BSc) ‘77, MSc ‘01, PhD ‘04), Chair/Professor for the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN). “These events bring our community together to explore the latest discoveries in neuroscience and see how they shape our understanding of the brain.”

On Tuesday, March 24, in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's BMO Auditorium (Science Commons), Dr. Claudia Gonzalez (MSc ’00, PhD ’04) will provide a talk, From Action to Cognition: How the Body Shapes the Brain. The presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. and explore how everyday behaviours, from grasping a cup to reaching for something in the dark, reveal the deep links between action and cognition.

On Friday, March 27 at the Galt Museum, Dr. Gerlinde Metz will present, The Stressed Brain: Lessons from Earth and Space. This event will begin at 5:30 p.m. and examine how experiences such as stress and social isolation can shape how our brains function and influence both mental and physical health.

The week concludes with the always popular CCBN Open House event on Saturday, March 28, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Science Commons. Take a tour of the Department of Neuroscience and learn what the labs are researching, interact with a variety of community organizations that support brain and mental health, and explore the kids’ room for fun, engaging, brain-building activities. Free parking for the event is available in Lot S or K.

“During the open house, there will be tours of the department where the community can ask questions about the different research in the labs, a community booth fair to learn more about great local organizations that support brain and mental health, as well as a kids' room with fun brain-themed activities for the family,” says Jade Oldfield (BEd '18, MSc '25), a neuroscience graduate student and organizer of Brain Awareness Week. “This year brings a lot of great people and organizations together, and we're looking forward to engaging with the community!”

��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 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.

Can CBD help prevent cognitive decline in aging?

caroline.zentner — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 20:36:28 +0000

Neuroscientists at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge have gotten one step closer to a definitive answer in their research with mice.

Their study, Effects of cannabidiol (CBD) treatment on age-related cognitive decline in C57 mice, published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, has shown some promising results for certain types of cognitive functioning.

Drs. Rob McDonald (at left) and Behroo Mirza Agha are investigating the effects of CBD on the aging process in mice.

“There’s a lot of work to be done, but we’re very encouraged with this result,” says Dr. Rob McDonald, CCBN neuroscience professor and principal investigator on the study. “We need more studies; there are so many parameters that need to be worked out. And then, even when we get something that we’re very confident in, you have to go to humans and do double blind, randomized studies.”

Normal aging is associated with some cognitive decline, unlike Alzheimer’s disease where memory becomes increasingly impaired and cognitive abilities are lost. Lead researcher, Dr. Behroo Mirza Agha (BSc ’16, MSc ’18, PhD ’23), a postdoctoral fellow, and her team investigated the effects of CBD in the normal aging process of mice.

The research team took a group of ordinary mice and divided them into two groups when they reached 14 months of age (roughly equivalent to a human in their mid to late 40s). One group of mice received a daily dose (equivalent to a moderate amount) of CBD derived from Cannabis sativa obtained from ULethbridge biology professor Dr. Igor Kovalchuk’s lab. The control group received no CBD. The treatment continued daily for seven months.

Then both groups of mice were tested on several measures of functioning, including their ability to recognize a new object, walk on a balance beam, find a hidden platform in a pool of opaque water and remember in which of two environments they received a mild shock. These measures provided an indication of their object memory, motor function, emotional memory, spatial navigation and memory, which are linked to different networks in the brain, including ones centred on the perirhinal cortex, motor cortex, hippocampus and the amygdala.

“In the novel recognition task, both groups performed well; they could recognize the novel object,” says Mirza Agha. “However, when we did a one-month retention test, the mice in the CBD group could recognize the novel object, but mice in the control group didn’t.”

In the spatial navigation water task, both groups were slow to find the hidden platform in the pool during their seven training days. However, on the eighth day the CBD group found the platform faster than the control group. And when the platform was removed, the CBD group spent more time in the area where the platform had been located.

Both groups of mice performed equally well on the balance beam test, as well as remembering in which environment the shock was delivered and preferring the safe environment.

Researchers examined the brains of the mice for markers of inflammation, and they found the CBD group had less inflammation in the hippocampus, a central brain region crucial for spatial navigation and memory which has been shown to functionally deteriorate in aging and Alzheimer’s disease.

“Another take-home message from our study was that consumption of CBD for that long did not appear to have any negative effect on any of our animals,” says Mirza Agha. “However, it is important to note that not all potential effects were assessed like changes to internal organs and immune systems.”

The results clearly show that CBD improved long-term retention in the novel object recognition test and that it improved spatial memory consolidation. But does this mean that middle-aged people should start taking CBD? The researchers advise caution.

“This animal study doesn’t mean that now everybody should take CBD,” says Mirza Agha. “While it’s widely available, legal and affordable, we are now looking at its therapeutic potential and whether it’s safe to use widely as a medicine or not. Just because our study showed there were no clear negative effects of taking CBD on sensory, motor, motivational and cognitive functions at that dose doesn’t necessarily mean that everybody should take it. I think it needs to be supervised by a medical professional, and we need more research into the long-term effects of daily usage on both the brain and body.”

“Brainstorm” documentary wins Rosie Award

caroline.zentner — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 16:40:55 +0000

Brainstorm, the documentary film created and directed by Dr. Jenna Bailey, an adjunct professor of history and senior researcher with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Centre for Oral History and Tradition, won a Rosie at the Alberta Film & Television Awards ceremony on Oct. 25.

“I’m deeply honoured that Brainstorm has received the Rosie Award for Best Educational Production,” says Bailey. “This film was created to celebrate the remarkable contributions of Dr. Bryan Kolb and Dr. Ian Whishaw, whose groundbreaking research in neuroscience has shaped how we understand the human brain.”

The team behind the production includes co-producer Dr. Edgar Bermudez Contreras, adjunct professor at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), and editor Bryn Hewko (MFA - New Media '16), assistant professor of new media.

The 42-minute film delves into the history behind the establishment of the CCBN and its growth through the efforts of Kolb, Wishaw, Dr. Robert Sutherland and Dr. Robbin Gibb. The research results produced by CCBN scientists have provided insight into Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, strokes and early brain development, to name a few. As a result, prevention strategies for brain disorders and programs to improve brain health have been developed. Community programs have sprouted from their findings and have been key to launching such programs as Building Brains Together and the Early Years program through the Martin Family Initiative.

“It’s been a privilege to share their story with audiences and to highlight the incredible work happening right here in Lethbridge,” says Bailey. “This recognition is a tribute to our entire team and to the power of film as a way to inspire curiosity, learning and pride in our scientific and local heritage.”

The film had its Lethbridge premiere nearly a year ago to a sold-out crowd at the Yates Theatre. Since then, Brainstorm has been picked up by Amazon Prime in the United States and the United Kingdom and by Roku in the US.

The film has also been selected for several film festivals. The documentary was an Official Selection at the SCINEMA International Science Film Festival (Australia) and aired as a part of National Science Week in Australia, a semifinalist at the Raw Science Film Festival (USA), the Iris Global Health Film Festival (USA) and the USA Film Festival. In addition, Brainstorm was a nominee for the Best Science/Nature/Technology Doc at the Yorkton Film Festival (Saskatchewan).

Brainstorm was produced with the support of TELUS STORYHIVE and has been released on Telus Optik TV Channel 9. Additional funding was generously provided by the Alberta Medical Association, Government of Alberta, Alberta Media Fund, CCBN, Centre for Oral History and Tradition (COHT) and the Historical Society of Alberta.

Bailey’s next project focuses on the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra and the history of classical music making in southern Alberta. Learn more at www.baileyandsoda.com.

Canadian Space Agency grant will help further research into the health effects of space travel

caroline.zentner — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 16:35:05 +0000

Dr. Gerlinde Metz, a neuroscientist at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, and a team of researchers have received a $225,000 grant from the Canadian Space Agency to build a better understanding of how the human body adapts to life in space.

The grant was announced recently by the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, as part of $2.8 million in research grants to 14 Canadian post-secondary institutions.

“Canada’s investments in astronomy and planetary science are a powerful catalyst for scientific advancement and innovation,” said Joly. “These strategic commitments will empower Canadian researchers with the tools and opportunities they need to develop world-class expertise, driving cutting-edge discoveries and technological breakthroughs right here at home.”

“We are grateful for this funding, as it will allow us to determine the complex biological responses to long-duration spaceflight over time,” says Metz. “Our previous research has shown that space travel resulted in sex-specific changes in metabolites involved in energy metabolism, which may be linked to bone loss, muscle regulation and immunity dysfunction.”

Space travel imposes stresses on astronauts, including noise, vibration, loss of G forces and radiation exposure. Numerous studies have revealed physical complications from spaceflight, including loss of bone and muscle mass.

The grant enables the research team, including Tony Montina from ULethbridge’s Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and a collaborator from NASA/Pittsburgh, to participate in NASA’s first comprehensive multi-level analysis of the world’s largest existing group of astronauts.

The research project could also help identify protective factors and ways to counteract the negative effects of spaceflight.

Powerchair hockey tournament coming to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

caroline.zentner — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 21:09:12 +0000

Powerchair athletes will descend on Lethbridge for the first-ever Alberta Powerchair Hockey Tournament at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Centre for Sport and Wellness from Aug. 8 to 10.

Powerchair hockey players display their jerseys while coach Chase Petruska holds the trophy.

Chase Petruska (BSc ’23, MSc ’24), a doctoral student studying neuroscience under Dr. Gerlinde Metz, has organized the tournament, and he expects 32 athletes with physical disabilities from Grand Prairie, Calgary, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Ontario will participate in the tournament. Hosted at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, the tournament is being run by the Lethbridge Powerchair Sports Association. The Calgary Flames and the Lethbridge Hurricanes are supporting the tournament by supplying jerseys for two teams each, as well as MVP awards, like signed game pucks and water bottles. The Calgary Powerchair Hockey League and the Alberta Cerebral Palsy Sports Association are also behind the tournament as they endeavour to grow the sport of powerchair hockey.

Petruska became interested in powerchair sports because he wanted to help his brother, who has cerebral palsy. His brother plays in the Calgary Power Hockey League, which Petruska coaches. Seeing his brother and the other players smiling, laughing and having a good time inspired him to conduct research into finding ways to support people with physical disabilities in participating in team sports.

He established the Lethbridge Powersoccer Program nearly four years ago, after his research found that individuals with physical disabilities were more susceptible to stressful situations like social isolation.

“Since starting up Lethbridge Powerchair Soccer and while coaching powerchair hockey in Calgary, I’ve seen players gain confidence, form close friendships, and feel a stronger sense of purpose and inclusion,” says Petruska. “Team sports can offer life-changing benefits for people who are often excluded from traditional athletics. One of the biggest inspirations for me is seeing these players come out every week, and, even with all the adversity they have to battle through, their faces still light up with joy whenever they make a save, a block, a pass or score a goal.”

Petruska plans to conduct research on the tournament to examine the immediate effects of powerchair sports as part of his PhD thesis. Along with collecting heart rate data and saliva and urine samples, the athletes will be asked to complete a questionnaire to assess how powerchair sports affect their stress levels, mood, social well-being and physiological responses. The goal is to deepen understanding of how adaptive team sports influence the mental, social, and biological health of individuals with physical disabilities.

In his previous research, Petruska has found heartening results. A study soon to be published, which examined the impact of powerchair sports over four months of participation, revealed a trend in increased social support and a significant metabolomic change with promising biological markers for positive social support and mental health outcomes.

The findings are confirmed by what Petruska sees on the court and the possibilities he envisions for powerchair sports.

“Seeing every player’s resilience, how they work together, encourage one another, and help each other grow both on and off the court, has made a significant impact on me,” he says. “As a result, we’ve begun expanding to other sports through my non-profit Lethbridge Powerchair Sports Association. We are running powerchair hockey in the fall, soccer in the spring and boccia in the summer. All events will be hosted at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and directly tied to my research."

The tournament begins Friday, Aug. 8, with an optional practice at 4 p.m., dinner from 5 to 6 p.m. and the first game at 6 p.m. between the Flames and Blasty. The tournament continues Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The finals are scheduled for Sunday, with the gold medal game from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. All games will be held in the north gym at the Centre for Sport and Wellness.

Comparative neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk revels in unlocking the what, how and why of bird behaviour

trevor.kenney — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 20:49:02 +0000

Have you ever wondered how hummingbirds can hover in place or fly backward; seen chickadees and blue jays tucking away food for winter snacks; or questioned the ability of birds to problem solve their way into garbage and food containers?

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge professor Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk (Department of Neuroscience), a Board of Governors Research Chair in Comparative Neuroscience, has seen it all when it comes to bird behaviour — but more importantly, he’s studied the brains of these incredible animals to understand why and how they perform these remarkable tasks.

Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk with a wedge-tailed eagle at Lamington National Park in Queensland, Australia.

It was the lack of information on bird brains that intrigued Iwaniuk when he first took up studying the creatures. He originally had done extensive research work on the feeding behaviour of wallabies, kangaroos and their relatives while completing an honours thesis at Monash ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Australia and then on the feeding behaviour of carnivores for his Master of Science at ULethbridge.

“I realized we knew all these things about the anatomy of mammal brains but there was this whole group of other animals that shared a number of behaviours with mammals,” he says. “Birds have complex social relationships, they have biparental care, they use tools, they can solve problems and then they have other behaviours that are entirely unique like migrating between the poles, being able to fly and being able to survive in a range of different conditions that essentially mammals just cannot.”

Birds, and their behaviours, have been experiencing a surge in popularity in recent years, born out of the pandemic when people, confined to their homes, started to notice their surroundings more — and one commonality was the presence of birds.

“There’s a lot more citizen science happening now than ever before,” says Iwaniuk, who says he is regularly asked questions about birds by community members if he’s observing them or taking pictures while walking his dogs.

“We’ve also seen a lot of public media campaigns in recent years about our effects on birds, which has raised awareness. There’s a lot more concern about window collisions and what happens with birds landing in tailing ponds, as well as the efforts of wildlife rehabilitation centres.”

Iwaniuk and colleague Dr. Georg F. Striedter (professor of neurobiology and behavior, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of California, Irvine) have co-authored a new book that “marries the enthusiasm of bird enthusiasts for the what, how and why of avian behavior with the scientific literature on avian biology, offering the newest research in an accessible manner.”

Bird Brains and Behaviour is published by MIT Press and available Aug. 5.

“We’ve tried to aim for people with some science background, people who are keenly interested in birds and who may have some familiarity with the basics of evolutionary biology or bird behaviour,” says Iwaniuk.

The book delves into the process of how birds have evolved, what makes them different from other types of invertebrate animals and then examines the components of the bird brain and how it differs from the mammalian brain.

“What’s the most quintessential feature of a hummingbird — hovering. There's obviously a motor component to that, but in order to maintain that really stable position is dependent on their vision, and that is dependent on a very specific brain region that responds to how an animal is moving through space,” explains Iwaniuk.

He compares how the hummingbird moves to that of humans as they walk or ride a bike.

“We’re tracking our movement through space, feeding that information into spatial memory networks so we can work out where we are and where we’re going. This allows us to figure out whether we’re accelerating, decelerating, turning, all that essential feedback for how our eyes are moving and how we’re detecting things with our semicircular canals, which gives us a sense of balance. When you compare that to the brain of a hummingbird, you find that region of their brains is hugely enlarged and that’s what is allowing them to maintain their position.”

This, of course, is incredibly important because if hummingbirds could not maintain their position while feeding, they would pierce the flowers they feed on and lose the nectar they need to survive.

This is just one example of the fascinating behaviours his research has detailed and opens the door to many more explored in depth within the book.

“We started talking about putting this book together in 2022 and it took us a while to write up the first few chapters but when we shopped that around, MIT Press was very interested,” says Iwaniuk. “It’s exciting to have it finished and we’re really happy with MIT Press because they allowed us to add some features like QR codes throughout the book where you can scan them to link to videos that highlight specific behaviours and interviews with neuroscientists who actually work on bird brains.”

The ebook is available for free from MIT Press and the hard copy is available through most online and local bookstores.

Dr. Gerlinde Metz honoured with Chair in Neuroscience

caroline.zentner — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 19:57:34 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge neuroscience professor Dr. Gerlinde Metz has been named the Dr. Bryan Kolb Chair in Neuroscience.

The professorship honours the legacy of Kolb (DSc '15), one of the most influential figures in establishing the study of neuroscience and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience. The chair provides a seven-year, research-focused term with the option for reappointment once to a second seven-year term.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is thrilled to bestow this tremendous honour on Dr. Gerlinde Metz,” says Dr. Dena McMartin, vice-president (research). “Gerlinde’s research is making impacts on both fundamental understandings of the brain, as well as applied analyses and identification of key biomarkers regarding stress impacts and how intergenerational trauma response is transmitted across generations. She is widely viewed as a leader in her field and a highly sought-after expert worldwide.”

“I am deeply honoured to be named the Dr. Bryan Kolb Chair in Neuroscience,” says Metz. “This recognition is especially meaningful to me, given Dr. Kolb’s extraordinary legacy in shaping the field of neuroscience and his role in building the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience. I am humbled to carry forward this legacy through research that advances innovation and translational impact in neuroscience, both in Canada and internationally.”

Metz’s research investigates the influence of experience and environment on behaviour and brain plasticity, and how the effects of stress can be effectively prevented. Her work has shown that stress affects the motor system, and that adverse experiences can become predisposing factors for motor system diseases such as Parkinson’s and stroke.

Many groundbreaking insights have emerged from her research, including a study that found touch therapy helped the brain recover from stroke and that male experimenters make female rats uneasy.

Working with a rat model, Metz and her team have become internationally recognized as pioneers in studying how prenatal stress can affect health over a lifetime. Metz discovered that the effects of prenatal stress can also be transmitted from one generation to the next, influencing the health of future generations. Her research has examined the impact of war trauma on biological health in the next generation, and the long-term health effects of natural disasters like Quebec’s ice storm in 1998 and the Calgary flood in 2013. Recently, she has been studying the effects of space flight on astronauts. This research is leading to the discovery of chemical signatures for risk prediction and early diagnosis of common human diseases.

Metz is also an adjunct professor with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta. In 2023, she was named a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, a first for a ULethbridge professor. In addition to being a neuroscience professor, Metz held a Board of Governors Research Chair in Healthy Futures and is one of the founders of the Southern Alberta Genome Sciences Centre.

After completing a BSc at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Giessen in Germany, she pursued graduate studies, earning a PhD from ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in Switzerland. She also completed her habilitation in medicine at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Jena in Germany. Habilitation is the top level of higher education in Germany and some other countries; it qualifies individuals to independently teach and conduct research in the context of a university professorship.

UNews - Department of Neuroscience

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