UNews - Department of Neuroscience

New NSERC-funded study to examine how ingesting microplastic particles can affect brain health

trevor.kenney — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:50:27 +0000

Plastics are a part of our daily lives, and most Canadians perceive plastics as inert and hygienic necessities, unaware of their toxicity or damaging effects on the health of wildlife and ourselves. A new ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge study, supported by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) grant in partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada, proposes to examine how chronic ingestion of microplastic particles affects brain health.

Plastics are perceived as safe, inert necessities in our daily lives, but researchers are only now beginning to understand how chronic ingestion of microplastics is affecting our lives.

“Microplastics increasingly contaminate our food and water. Despite how common microplastics have become in our environment, we still understand very little about how chronic ingestion of these particles affects our behaviour and brain health,” says principal investigator Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk of the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN). “Over the next couple of years, we will address this large knowledge gap by examining how the brain and behaviour of rats is affected by ingestion of microplastics at similar levels to that found in bottled water.”

The study will address one of the key themes of the federal government’s initiative on Plastics science and innovation for a cleaner and more sustainable future.

“The proliferation of plastics and the resulting contamination of our food, water and environment by plastics has become a major environmental and political issue, but we need more research on how plastics affect the brain to develop better regulations,” says Dr. Rob McDonald (CCBN).

Iwaniuk and McDonald received a $300,000 NSERC grant for their project, Neurobehavioural effects of chronic PET exposure. Their research focuses on the effects of polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, a clear, strong, lightweight polyester plastic that is widely used in fabrics and water bottles and one of the most common microplastics found in our water.

PET can occur at relatively high levels in saltwater, freshwater and sediments, resulting in chronic exposure to animals living in those environments. In humans, PET occurs in drinking water and can reach high levels in bottled water. There is even evidence that PET can accumulate in our brains, so the need to study the health effects of PET is critically important.

“Despite the prevalence of PET in water and its significant potential to affect brain function, there are few studies on the neurobehavioural effects of PET exposure,” Iwaniuk says. “A few published studies focused on only a few markers of dysfunction and use large, acute doses that do not accurately reflect how humans or wildlife are exposed to PET. We see a clear need for research on chronic PET exposure at environmentally relevant levels that address behavioural and neural effects.”

Microplastics ingestion causes damage to wildlife, as well as endocrine disruption, inflammation and stress effects that can result in poor reproduction and higher mortality rates. While there is some evidence that microplastics negatively affect brain function, data on how our brains are affected and if cognition and behaviour are impaired remains largely unknown.

“The chronic ingestion of microplastics, plastic particles smaller than 5 millimetres in size, is considered a significant health risk to both humans and wildlife, but what those health risks are have remained unclear,” adds McDonald. “The brain is extremely sensitive to most toxicants and compromised brain function can result in behavioural dysfunction, impaired physiological functions and increase the risk of diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease.”

A research team assembled by Iwaniuk and McDonald will provide rats with water containing levels of microplastics like that found in bottled water for many months to simulate exposure levels humans experience. They will then test the rats’ learning, memory, fear and other behaviours and examine their brains for evidence of neurological damage.

“We know that environmental conditions can affect the brain, but we lack sufficient data on how contaminants in our environment affect brain health. Our research represents a critical step in understanding how microplastics affect brain health. Without this information, we could be damaging ourselves, and local wildlife, far more than we thought,” concludes Iwaniuk.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge neuroscientist receives Canada Research Chair

caroline.zentner — Tue, 19 May 2026 16:54:27 +0000

Dr. Roberto Budzinski, assistant professor at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, has been named a Tier II Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Neural Computation — one of 25 chairs recently announced across the country.

The five-year appointment comes with $100,000 in annual funding, plus approximately $39,000 in infrastructure support through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund.

“I am deeply honoured to receive this award,” says Budzinski. “The support I have received from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the Department of Neuroscience has been invaluable, and I look forward to building my research team and advancing our understanding of how artificial and biological brains work.”

Budzinski is an emerging international leader in network theory, complex systems, computational neuroscience and artificial intelligence (AI). His research tackles one of the biggest challenges in modern AI: opening the “black box” of neural networks to understand not just what they do, but how they do it.

Neural networks — the machine learning models that power everything from medical diagnostics to financial tools — are remarkably good at recognizing patterns and solving complex problems. But their inner workings often remain opaque, even to the researchers who build them. Budzinski’s work develops new mathematical tools to investigate these internal processes, which could increase trust in AI outputs and help researchers build more reliable and transparent systems.

Beyond AI, his research bridges the gap between artificial and biological brains. While scientists have a broad understanding of which areas of the brain govern which functions, individuals can vary significantly in how their brains are organized. Current models don’t always capture this variability. Budzinski’s approach is designed to work at the individual level, a step toward building personalized brain models that could open new doors in neurological health and treatment.

His CRC project will develop mathematical frameworks for studying how both biological and artificial networks organize their activity, with the goal of solving longstanding problems in neuroscience and AI that stem from this individual-level variability.

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.

The Government of Canada’s Research Support Fund is an important source of funding that supports the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s research enterprise, including maintenance and operations of research facilities, administrative staff salaries, and workplace health and safety training. This research was conducted within the Rodent Research Facility and supported by Animal Care Services, both of which are supported by the Research Support Fund.

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.

UNews - Department of Neuroscience

New NSERC-funded study to examine how ingesting microplastic particles can affect brain health

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��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge neuroscientist receives Canada Research Chair

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

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

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

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“Brainstorm” documentary wins Rosie Award

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��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge neuroscientist receives Canada Research Chair

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

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