UNews - Neuroscience Researcher

South Venture winners await patent approval

trevor.kenney — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 22:29:42 +0000

Not every third-year neuroscience student at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has a patent lawyer on speed dial – but Isaac Ward does.

As the CEO of Synbiologica, Inc., Ward and his team (chemistry and biochemistry masters students Mackenzie Coatham (BSc '12) and Harland Brandon, and first-year biochemistry student Erin Kelly) have developed a new method of detecting hormones, and are in the process of patenting their idea. Their proposed biomedical device technology is expected to bring next-generation hormone detection to the research, agriculture and medical markets.

Their idea and business plan recently landed them $10,000 as the first-place winners in the 2013 South Venture Business Plan Competition, and they are now looking to the next phase of the challenge – a trip to Edmonton in April to face off in the provincial arena, with even more money and networking opportunities on the table.

Pictured left to right are Mackenzie Coatham, Dr. HJ Wieden (team advisor), Erin Kelly, Harland Brandon and Isaac Ward.

While he has to be a bit cautious about revealing details because of the patent process (an expected six to eight-month timeline), Ward says their idea will significantly improve the way in which hormones are detected.

"Hormones, and hormone imbalances, play very important roles in understanding behaviour and mental health, pregnancy, as well as development and aging of all populations," says Ward. "We are pursuing new technology for the detection of hormones that provides rapid results that are 93 per cent more cost effective than traditional antibody technology."

The team's market analysis shows diverse applications and projections for growth, with a two to three-year timeline to produce a marketable device. The first test runs of this device will occur this summer at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience in collaboration with neuroscience researcher
Dr. Gerlinde Metz.

Ward says the team came up with the idea to develop the company and the new biomedical device by using the skills they learned through the iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) program.

"The internationally competitive program allows undergraduate students to gain hands-on experience in science," says Ward. "iGEM is run out of a student-operated lab provided by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and co-ordinated by Dr. HJ Wieden. We have been encouraged at every turn by our professors and others to move this idea forward, especially by the people at Alberta Innovates Technology Futures (AITF) who promote entrepreneurial engagement from scientific innovation."

Ward says the group will not just run off into the biomedical business world once the ink is dry on their patent documents – they need to finish school first. "Education is one of the team's top values and we will be working on this business while we complete our degrees. This is a learning process that will, we hope, carry us far beyond the classroom, and we are very pleased to have received the South Venture prize, because otherwise it would not be possible for our company to pursue funding opportunities and further develop our project."

Ward cites advisors Dr. Gerlinde Metz (Department of Neuroscience), Dr. HJ Wieden (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry), Dr. Roy Golsteyn (Department of Biological Sciences) and Michael Kelly (Erin Kelly's father and manager of Real Estate and Land Development, City of Lethbridge) as being particularly helpful as they refined their idea.

Meeting of the Minds Conference

trevor.kenney — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:35:28 +0000

What is genetic fingerprinting? Why do bears wear pants? Will a person change their risky behaviour after exposure to frightening information? What is voluntourism, and how can it affect developing countries? Is there a more efficient way to distribute wireless services? Who are the people asking all of these questions, anyway?

Join the best and brightest undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral researchers at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge for a Meeting of the Minds and get answers to these –and more – questions on Saturday, Mar. 10 in Markin Hall.

The Meeting of the Minds Conference, hosted by the U of L Graduate Students' Association and sponsored by the School of Graduate Studies, is geared to bring research to an external community audience, and all presentations are open to the general public and free to attend.

The day concludes with a reception and poster presentation display at 5 p.m., a cocktail dinner and a 7 p.m. talk by pioneering U of L neuroscience researcher Dr. Bryan Kolb.

Meeting of the Minds promises to deliver a surprising and educational day of more than 30 talks and poster presentations which represent the wide variety of research taking place on campus at the undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral level. This is the sixth annual event of its type on campus.

"It is extremely important as a researcher to be able to present your work in a way that is understandable to an external audience," says spokesperson Samantha Dawson. We are looking at this event as a way to not only explain what we do, but to gain experience in public presentation skills and networking."

With more than 500 people conducting research and taking graduate studies at the U of L, Dawson says the opportunity to learn from each other is also extremely valuable.

"We don't have time to drop into someone else's lab and ask them what they are up to, so our event also gives us a chance to learn even more about what our colleagues are working on," she says. "We hope that this sparks collaboration between people who might not have previously thought of working together."

Dawson says that conference organizers have worked hard to encourage participation from all areas of campus.

"We had people from different faculties review papers – for example, a biological sciences presentation might have been reviewed by someone from fine arts or management, and vice versa. This ensured that there was a good level of external review and requests for clarity. If the reviewer didn't understand it, it was unlikely a broader community audience would understand it."

This year's conference promises to be the largest to date.

"With the Meeting of the Minds theme and external focus, hopefully we will draw more people to campus to learn about graduate studies and the diversity of work taking place here," says Dawson.

For a complete list of presentations, check the Notice Board.

New MEd Neuroscience program debuts

trevor.kenney — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:05:28 +0000

Brain-based neuroscience research will soon be applied in the classroom through a first-of-its-kind Master of Education program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Combining inclusive education and neuroscience principles, the new Inclusive Education and Neuroscience MEd program offers teachers the opportunity to become their school's expert on children with varying learning and behavioural challenges.

"This unique collaboration between two of the U of L's well-respected academic units brings the experience for the candidates in this program to a whole new level," says Dr. Jane O'Dea, the former dean of the Faculty of Education.

"The candidates receive the best of our Faculty's nationally-respected programming and the benefits of the cutting-edge research that has brought the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN) to a position of leadership in neuroscience research in North America."

"This is a school-based initiative," adds Dr. Nancy Grigg, associate professor and program co-ordinator.

"We're putting our research directly into the classroom. Our neuroscience partners bring data to show us, conclusively, that all kids learn differently – which means we have to develop a wide variety of teaching methods in order to meet their needs. Our goal is to have a direct impact on improving how teachers can help their students."

Grigg says there is a huge level of excitement within the Faculty of Education because of the new partnership.

"Neuroscientists know how the brain works in the critical areas that define how people learn. Educators know about instruction, how schools work, what teachers need. Bringing these fields together is critical."

A key component of this area of study is recognizing how the brain develops and how experiences and genetics work together, says Dr. Bryan Kolb, a world-leading neuroscience researcher at the U of L's CCBN.

Kolb and more than 100 researchers at the CCBN have worked for more than 30 years on revolutionary treatments in brain injury, drug addiction and conditions such as stroke and Alzheimer's Disease.

"Most of the body develops from a genetic blueprint, but the brain develops in response to experiences. So you are your brain," says Kolb.

"Teachers need to know about the principles of brain development in order to understand the impact these processes have on behaviours. Although this particular program is geared towards experienced teachers, down the road it would be useful to have all education students taking neuropsychology courses."

Alberta Minister of Education, Dave Hancock, says that the concept of changing the classroom environment to be more inclusive raises important questions that the U of L's new program will help to address.

"We anticipate that teachers will adapt their curriculum to differentiate instruction based on student needs, but what about students with additional needs," he asks. "How do we provide the tools to further adapt the curriculum so that teachers have a body of resources to draw on when personalizing learning?"

Sue Bengry, director of Student Services for Lethbridge School District 51 (and currently seconded by the U of L Faculty of Education) says the entire premise of the program is to take the research and apply it to teaching practices in the classroom.

"Classes are different today in that they now include an ever growing number of students with diverse skill and ability levels," says Bengry. "The challenge for teachers is to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to meet the needs of all students. I know from experience that teachers really want to do a great job to help students, but they've had to seek out professional development opportunities to meet their growing need."

Bengry's role is to consult with U of L program developers to insure the curriculum meets the needs of frontline educators.

"Administrators and teachers alike can now enhance their knowledge and understanding of diverse needs through this innovative program that explores current research in neuroscience and how it can improve teaching and learning in inclusive classrooms within our schools."

Sutherland makes top 50 list

trevor.kenney — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:17:34 +0000

Dr. Robert Sutherland, a neuroscience researcher at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), is among 50 people named by Alberta Venture Magazine as their 50 Most Influential Albertans for 2011.

Sutherland made the list for a breakthrough discovery last year in which he and his team confirmed the re-generation of cerebral cortex cells in adult mammals.

The research focused on a part of the brain called the hippocampus, a seahorse-shaped region of the brain responsible for short- and long-term memory storage and retrieval. This is an area that is especially sensitive to illnesses or injuries that can create memory loss, explains Sutherland. It's also a part of the brain that throughout adult life spontaneously creates new cells that are able to easily find their correct position in the brain's circuitry.

The team began by killing off about half of these cells by depriving them of corticosterone, an important hormone the cells need to function, causing the rats to develop memory issues very similar to humans suffering with dementia. Through a combination of a specific protein therapy, an enriched living environment and exercise, the researchers were able to re-grow the lost brain cells and prove that the rats had regained their memory function.

Regenerating brain cells is a problem neuroscientists have been struggling with for many years, with limited success. The challenge stems from the nature of the brain itself. "If you open up a laptop and take a look at the circuit board, every portion you look at has a sophisticated set of connections with other pieces," says Sutherland. "The brain is even more complicated."

For more on this discovery, follow this link.

Other persons honoured by Venture include U of L Honorary Degree recipients Gwyn Morgan and David Schindler. While previous U of L connections to the Alberta Venture list include Sutherland's colleague Dr. Bruce MacNaughton, sociology researcher and trend tracker Dr. Reg Bibby, and U of L Chancellor Emeritus Richard Davidson.

Read the Alberta Venture profile and additional biographies of the other 49 individuals by following this link.

Whishaw among those receiving key to city

trevor.kenney — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 20:27:11 +0000

A number of notable residents of southern Alberta, including many with ties to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, will receive a key to the city from Lethbridge Mayor Bob Tarleck this week.

Neuroscience researcher Dr. Ian Whishaw headlines an impressive group of residents set to be honoured by the outgoing mayor. He'll receive his key on Thursday, Oct. 7 at a ceremony which begins at 2 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers, 910 4th Ave. S.

Following is a complete list of those receiving keys to the city.

Mr. Ken Nakagama — Downtown business owner (Nakagama's Foods)

Senator Joyce Fairbairn — Member, Senate of Canada and U of L Honorary Doctoral degree recipient, 2004

Dr. Tracy Edwards — President, Lethbridge College

Mr. Kai Yip — Boxing coach, competitor and sports/recreation advocate

Mr. Kevin Sali — Manager, Canadian Pacific Railway and High Level Bridge lighting supporter/facilitator

The Hon. Rick Casson — Member of Parliament, Lethbridge, and recently-named Privy Council member

Dr. Ian Whishaw — Leading neuroscience researcher, member of the Royal Society of Canada and U of L Honorary Doctoral degree recipient, 2008

Ms. Rochelle Yamagishi — Author and U of L alumna BASc (BA) 1971, MEd 1991

Mr. Gary Kirk — Regional business owner, Kirk's Tire, and Faculty of Management Scholarship Dinner honoree, 2004

Chief Charles Weasel Head — Kainai First Nation

Chief Reg Crowshoe — Piikani First Nation

The public is welcome to attend the ceremony.

Groundbreaking masters program to impact classrooms

trevor.kenney — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:19:19 +0000

Brain-based neuroscience research will soon be applied in the classroom through a first-of-its-kind Master of Education program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

"This is a school-based initiative," adds Dr. Nancy Grigg, associate professor and program co-ordinator.

Grigg says there is a huge level of excitement within the Faculty of Education because of the new partnership.

Kolb and more than 100 researchers at the CCBN have worked for more than 30 years on revolutionary treatments in brain injury, drug addiction and conditions such as stroke and Alzheimer's Disease.

"Most of the body develops from a genetic blueprint, but the brain develops in response to experiences. So you are your brain," says Kolb.

Bengry's role is to consult with U of L program developers to insure the curriculum meets the needs of frontline educators.

Added funding promotes epigenetic research

trevor.kenney — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:48:49 +0000

A brain injury as a youth can make a person more likely to suffer from strokes, Parkinson's or other diseases of the brain later in life.

The big question might be "why?" but the answer may be found by looking at something very, very small: understanding how an individual gene can go wrong or not work properly over a person's lifetime.

The emerging research discipline that can help find that answer is called epigenetics, and thanks to a significant amount of recent funding, researchers at the U of L are poised to assume a significant leadership role in epigenetics research.

Epigenetics (which means 'beyond genetics' in Latin) is the study of how individual genes and components of individual genes can change in response to environmental conditions or other factors.

Nearly 20 U of L researchers from three academic departments (Neuroscience, Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Sciences) and up to 50 graduate and doctoral-level researchers will be involved in the initial phases of the research. Significant expansions are planned for future years of the research program.

In addition to $3 million in start-up funding announced last summer from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, a recent funding announcement from the Government of Alberta's Alberta Science and Research Investments Program (ASRIP) has awarded a research team from the U of L more than $2.8 million.

"This funding, along with our matching funds from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and support from the U of L and other granting agencies, will boost the U of L to a world-class level in terms of our ability to identify and work on new epigenetics projects," says Dr. Robert Sutherland, a neuroscience researcher and one of the driving forces behind the new epigenetics research program.

Along with colleagues Drs. Olga and Igor Kovalchuk in Biological Sciences and collaborators in Chemistry and Biochemistry and other departments on campus – and a huge team of graduate and undergraduate students – Sutherland said the researchers are looking forward to a lot of work now and in the future to tease solutions to a number of health issues out of the complex genetics system that makes up the human body.

"This funding will allow us to gather even more people and resources together in one place to learn about how individual genes can affect people's health and well-being," Sutherland says.

"Education and science lie at the heart of our future prosperity," adds Doug Horner, Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. "These continued research awards help attract and retain the best and brightest researchers and, in turn, help improve the competitiveness of our industries. Our researchers are paving the way to bring about new products, services and treatments that can lead to a better quality of life for Albertans."

Alberta's universities shared almost $44 million in awards for research into developing new treatments for diabetics, burn victims and lung disease patients, improving GPS accuracy and adding value to Alberta's traditional crops as well as the U of L's epigenetics research program.

For 2009, Alberta Science and Research Investments Program awards provide up to 40 per cent of total project costs to 18 initiatives in priority areas of bioindustries, energy and the environment, and health. The projects will also receive $66 million from other sources, including the federal government and private sector partners. Since 2000, the program has provided more than $169 million for over 100 projects.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ members earn keys to the city

trevor.kenney — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:11:50 +0000

Friday the 13th, traditionally a day of bad luck for superstitious people, was instead a lucky day for several organizations and members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and broader community who received a ceremonial Key to the City of Lethbridge from Mayor Bob Tarleck.

"I am pleased that so many of the people honoured with a Key to the City have had ties to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as employees, faculty members or as volunteer supporters," says U of L President Bill Cade. "This shows that our connection to the community extends far beyond our campus."

The presentation of the "Key to the City" – the municipal government's highest honour – is at the discretion of the mayor, and signifies that the outstanding civic contributions generously given by the recipients are recognized and appreciated.

The recipients included:

- The Allied Arts Council, which promotes and supports local arts and culture

- The law firm of Davidson and Williams, one of Alberta's oldest law firms, now in its 3rd generation of family partnership

- Paul Stevenson, John Bolton and Jack Gleason for their work on the Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games

- Delia Cross Child, First Nations artist and educator

- Lloyd Hickman, community volunteer and veteran RCMP officer

- Bryan Kolb, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge neuroscience researcher

- David Naylor, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge physics and astronomy researcher and inventor

- Harold Pereverseff, community volunteer and cultural exchange supporter

- Ralph Thrall, rancher, community supporter and environmental awareness advocate

Brief biographical information on these groups and individuals can be found below.

Allied Arts Council

The Allied Arts Council has been an important Lethbridge organization since it was established in 1958 with the objective of encouraging arts activities in Lethbridge and the surrounding district. The Council coordinates activities of member organizations – which includes the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge -- and cooperates with persons, groups and organizations in the promotion of arts activities.

Davidson and Williams

Davidson & Williams was founded in 1885 by C.F.P. Conybeare, K.C., who was Lethbridge's first lawyer. Davidson & Williams is one of Alberta's oldest law firms which today is operated by senior partner and third generation member of the firm, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Chancellor Richard Davidson, Q.C.

Paul Stevenson, John Bolton (BEd '72) and Jack Gleason for Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games

These three gentlemen were key to the successful hosting of the first ever Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games, held in Lethbridge in January 2009. Stevenson served as Chair, Bolton as vice-chair and Gleason as financial officer. The Games attracted more than 1,000 athletes, coaches and officials representing eight zones throughout Alberta. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge provided office space and other services to the organizing group.

Delia Cross Child (BA '96,Bed '02)

Cross Child was inducted into the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Honour Society this year. A Blackfoot artist and educator, Cross Child's creativity and passion have brought pride to her community and awareness to First Nation's issues. As a contemporary artist, she is known for integrating tradition and history with a modern sensibility. Her work has been exhibited at the Glenbow Museum, Walter Phillips Gallery, Southern Alberta Art Gallery and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Lloyd Hickman

Lloyd Hickman is a veteran RCMP officer who came to Lethbridge as superintendent for southern Alberta but spent a significant portion of his career being assigned to high-level posts, among guarding politicians and foreign dignitaries such as Pope John Paul II and former US president George Bush. He also led security operations for the Kananaskis G8 convention in 2002. In between all these commitments, Hickman has served on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Senate and the Lethbridge College criminal justice advisory committee, among other groups.

Bryan Kolb

Canada has become a world power in neuroscience due in large part to the leadership and vision of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge neuroscience researcher Bryan Kolb. Recognized as a founding father of behavioural neuroscience in this country and one of the most influential neuroscientists in the world, Dr. Kolb has led Canada's research to revolutionize the treatment of brain injury, drug addiction, and conditions such as stroke and Alzheimer's disease.

David Naylor

David Naylor, a veteran physics and astronomy researcher at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, is putting technology developed at the U of L into deep space to help solve some puzzling astronomical questions and look at the far reaches of space in a whole new way. As a co-creator and Canadian lead investigator for the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) project, Naylor's team is responsible for a device that helps the new Herschel Space Observatory 'see' more accurately by detecting infrared emissions from far-off stars and galaxies. Naylor's research group and scientists from eight other nations are contributing to new knowledge about the origins of the universe.

Harold Pereverseff

Harold Pereverseff is a long-time community volunteer and avid proponent of cultural exchanges through his work with the Lethbridge Twinning Society. He is also a part-time security officer at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Thanks to his efforts, the Lethbridge Twinning Society can boast of solid relationships and formal twinning agreements between Lethbridge and Towada, Japan; Lethbridge and Culver City, California; as well as a friendship with Timashevsk, Russia. He is currently president of the Alberta/Japan Twinned Municipalities Association.

Ralph Thrall (LLD '99)

Ralph A. Thrall, Jr. is president of McIntyre Ranching Company, one of the largest ranches in Western Canada and a place of great natural beauty. Although the ranching embodies an important part of our area's history and economy, McIntyre's long history of environmentally sensitive management has succeeded in preserving a native prairie ecosystem. Thrall has also been a very active and dedicated community member – serving many organizations and businesses, including the YMCA, Lethbridge College Foundation, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors and other community organizations.

Neuroscience Researcher Bruce McNaughton Among Alberta's 50 Most Influential People

trevor.kenney — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:04:56 +0000

Dr. Bruce McNaughton (Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience) has been named one of Alberta's 50 most influential people by Alberta Venture Magazine.

McNaughton is profiled in the July issue of the magazine, which is widely available at most newsstands, or electronically at the Alberta Venture website.

McNaughton is the first scientist to win the $10 million Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Polaris Award, the richest health research award in Canada.

He joined the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 2008, and has moved his research program from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Arizona to the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

McNaughhton's research focuses on how brain cells process information and form memories, and how those processes are altered by aging, trauma or substance abuse.

AHFMR's $10 million award has been matched by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the Informatics Circle of Research Excellence (ICORE) for a total investment of $20 million into McNaughton's research and the CCBN.

Complete information about Dr. McNaughton, his research program and the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience can be found at this website: http://www.uleth.ca/notice/display.html?b=13&s=10837

UNews - Neuroscience Researcher

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