UNews - Department of Neuroscience

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.

Unique research collaboration sees fine arts summer class support neuroscience project

trevor.kenney — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 17:33:57 +0000

Instead of preparing for the stage, students in drama instructor Dave Smith’s summer class are practicing for brain health research in an innovative research collaboration between the fine arts and the sciences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Smith’s course, Theatre for Scientific Purposes, is a hands-on class that has fine arts students writing, designing and executing structured scenes in support of Dr. Chelsea Ekstrand’s (neuroscience) research project.

Fine arts students run through a scene that will be viewed by study participants.

“What’s really cool about this class is we have students with all different focuses enrolled,” says Smith. “Some are designers/technicians, some are performers/directors but all of them are contributing to the project in every capacity. They come ready to work, and really show their dedication to the class, and more importantly, to the project.”

Ekstrand is studying how memories are formed and the processes used to retrieve memories in real-world environments. She received a $100,000 Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research grant in partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to support her work.

“This collaboration is an exciting step into a new kind of research, one where science and storytelling come together, and where we study the brain not in isolation, but in the richness of real life,” says Ekstrand. “By working together, we’re making the science feel more grounded, more powerful, and more deeply connected to what it means to be human.”

The goal of Ekstrand’s work is to better understand the neural processes behind memory formation in both healthy older adults and individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition that frequently precedes dementia.

Study participants wear body cameras to capture scenes played by drama students in Smith’s course. Participants then recall the scenes while in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine to compare brain activity during real-life experiences with passive viewing of the same scenes on a screen.

“If we really want to understand how people think, remember and connect, we need to move beyond the lab and into the kinds of everyday experiences that actually shape our lives,” says Ekstrand. “Working with the artists in this class has been a powerful reminder that human experience is more than what we can quantify. They bring emotional insight, nuance and a sense of narrative that challenges me to think differently about how we study memory and connection. For the students, I think it’s a rare opportunity to step into the world of science while using their creativity to create scenes that are both emotionally rich and scientifically rigorous.”

For multidisciplinary student Danica Sommer, contributing to leading-edge research and expanding the ways theatre can be utilized is something in which she feels lucky to contribute.

“This course has put me in a unique professional context that is both challenging and rewarding. Working as a team, being flexible and delivering results under a time crunch are experiences both theatre professionals and scientific researchers are familiar with.”

Smith adds that theatre and drama programs tend to be more cross-disciplinary than commonly thought.

“The number of students who leave our drama program and get jobs in all kinds of positions not just pertaining to theatre is remarkable,” he says. “Having courses like this help to articulate the need for creative minds to mix with analytical minds.”

Neuroscience student Zeth Stewart is bridging the educational gaps between art and science and bringing depth and meaning to the scientific method.

“We can’t forget that the arts are a fundamental part of life. This course brought those personal, lived experiences into the conversation in a meaningful way, while still grounding the discussion in the scientific method,” Stewart says. “As a student with a passion for both understanding human behaviour and theatrically expressing it, this class was a wonderful blend of empirical analysis and the subjective experience.”

“Collaborations like this spark the kind of innovation that just wouldn’t happen if we stayed in our separate lanes,” concludes Ekstrand. “It pushes us all, students and faculty alike, to get a little uncomfortable, take risks and discover new ways of thinking and creating.”

Once Ekstrand’s research has concluded, she anticipates sharing her results in scientific journals, presenting at research conferences and developing community resources to share with the public.

This research collaboration is an example of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Strategic Plan in action under the strategic direction to Challenge Boundaries and Inspire Curiosity. In teaching and learning, ULethbridge takes a liberal education approach that fosters valuable interdisciplinary exchanges, connections and discoveries.

This project has been made possible by the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada) and Brain Canada Foundation, in collaboration with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Prenatal maternal stress has lasting effects on offspring

caroline.zentner — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 16:39:36 +0000

A ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge research study has shown that the effects of prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) can last for generations.

Drs. Gerlinde Metz and Stephanie King and a team of researchers used a rat model to examine the consequences of PNMS across four generations.

Dr. Gerlinde Metz

“Prenatal maternal stress is a major driver of adverse pregnancy outcomes and a risk factor for chronic illness in adulthood,” says Metz. “The present study builds on our earlier finding that transgenerational and multigenerational PNMS causes adverse pregnancy outcomes and impaired development in offspring.”

The first- and second-generation mothers experienced shorter pregnancies and altered behaviours, and their pups had reduced weight and delayed sensorimotor development.

“In our new study, we found that the first generation of offspring revealed a moderate impact of PNMS, but we saw drastic changes in the second and third generations,” says Metz.

The disruption involved genes and biological pathways associated with neurological and psychiatric diseases, which may help explain why some non-genetic diseases carry a risk in some families. The placenta typically prevents fetal exposure to maternal stress hormones, but PNMS may affect the balance. If the stress occurs during a critical time of development, it can affect the eggs and sperm and potentially the health of future generations.

“Our study demonstrates the compounding consequences of PNMS across generations,” says Metz. “It also suggests the placenta could be a source of predictive biomarkers associated with neurodevelopmental health.”

Dr. Stephanie King

Using the placenta to identify markers associated with prenatal stress could lead to therapeutic interventions in early life that could mitigate the impact of some psychological and neurological diseases.

King, the lead author of the study and now an assistant professor and research director at St. Matthews ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ School of Medicine in the Cayman Islands, states that one of the most exciting aspects of this study is the identification of the placenta as a potential noninvasive biomarker for predicting a child’s neurodevelopmental health.

“We saw many of the same shifts in the placenta mirrored in the brain,” says King. “By analyzing placental tissue, we can gain insights into how prenatal stress can predispose individuals to mental or physical health issues later in life.

“Our findings underscore the importance of considering environmental stressors, like maternal stress, as key contributors to the rising rates of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. This research opens new avenues for early intervention and prevention strategies, potentially helping to reduce the transgenerational transmission of these risks.”

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers part of a global team studying the effects of space travel

caroline.zentner — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 20:50:08 +0000

A global group of researchers, including Dr. Gerlinde Metz from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN) and Tony Montina from the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, is examining the long-term effects of spaceflight.

Dr. Gerlinde Metz, a neuroscientist, has expertise in metabolomics.

Headed by Dr. Afshin Beheshti, a scientist from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Pittsburgh, Metz and Montina, with their expertise in metabolomics, aging and the effects of stress, are the only Canadian researchers in the group. They and a team of ULethbridge students previously collaborated with NASA on analyzing blood samples from astronauts on International Space Station (ISS) missions.

“This groundbreaking work has the potential to significantly advance the understanding of the biological pathways that determine health outcomes associated with human spaceflight,” says Metz, who co-leads the Metabolomics Platform of the Southern Alberta Genome Sciences Centre (SAGSC) with Montina. “Considering the enormous physical and physiological strain induced on the human body by spaceflight, this research is both timely and necessary as societies prepare for longer periods of space travel.”

The Human Adaptation to Spaceflight study will look at a massive amount of data collected over 12 years on the ISS involving more than 70 astronauts. The researchers will determine the key factors that impact astronauts during spaceflight. The health impacts can include bone loss, cardiovascular disease, renal issues such as kidney stones, disruption of circadian rhythms, potential cancer risks and eye disorders.

“Understanding the integrated human system response to spaceflight will exponentially increase our understanding of the risks and potential countermeasures for space travellers,” says Beheshti, director of the Center of Space Biomedicine, associate director of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine and professor of surgery at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Pittsburgh.

Spaceflight affects mitochondria, which generate energy to power the cell, as well as other tasks like cellular differentiation and controlling the cycle, growth and death of a cell. The researchers suspect that spaceflight disrupts mitochondrial activity, which in turn affects many aspects of the health of astronauts.

The project will use the largest available amount of astronaut data in one analysis and produce new insight into the human response to spaceflight. Various disciplines will collaborate in an unprecedented collaborative effort to make groundbreaking discoveries about the impacts of long-term spaceflight on the human body. In addition, the researchers will use a new machine-learning technique to predict possible drugs that could target the key factors affected by spaceflight and diminish the metabolic changes that occur.

“We are excited to conduct research as part of this international group,” says Metz. “The work we are doing will help us understand how spaceflight affects our bodies and, in addition, how stress can affect those of us who never leave the bounds of Earth.”

Studying the effects of maternal social isolation on the health of offspring

caroline.zentner — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 19:20:53 +0000

Dr. Gerlinde Metz, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge neuroscientist, Dr. Gerald Giesbrecht from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and Dr. David Olson from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta have received a One Child Every Child Strategic Catalyst Award worth $50,000 to look at maternal social isolation as a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes and developmental trajectories in their offspring.

“We are extremely pleased to have received this award,” says Metz. “The more we know about the negative effects of prenatal stress on mothers and their children the better we can develop targeted strategies to mitigate those effects.”

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted an urgent need to improve mental health during an extremely stressful time. Recent studies have shown that pregnant mothers are at higher risk of experiencing social isolation as a stressor, with potential effects on their offspring.

“Our work in rat models has confirmed these findings,” says Metz. “Pregnant female rats are especially vulnerable to social isolation, with lasting impacts on their mental and physical health and that of their offspring.”

Metz and her collaborators will use a rat model to identify the physiological and behavioural consequences of social isolation in rat mothers and their male and female offspring. They plan to study the effects of oxytocin, the bonding hormone, in interaction with sex hormones and how it changes during pregnancy. They’ll also look at the development and behaviours of their offspring. A second goal of the study is to determine if social enrichment in offspring can help build resilience against prenatal stress.

Women in rural and remote areas may face more social isolation, especially in northern communities. If they have to travel long distances to access prenatal care and deliver their babies, they experience significant social distancing from their families and communities.

“While we are not working with human populations, our study can help identify new ways to build resilience to stress through social supports,” says Metz. “Like rats, humans are a social species and the biomarkers we find using a rat model can be translated to human populations at risk.”

In addition, the research will provide transdisciplinary training in the field of developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), including virtual-reality and online tools for community engagement and the design and implementation of social support programs.

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Studying the effects of maternal social isolation on the health of offspring

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

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers part of a global team studying the effects of space travel