UNews - Alberta Cancer Foundation

Master's student earns Alberta Cancer Foundation research studentship award

trevor.kenney — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 18:00:21 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge master’s student, Anna Kovalchuk (BSc ’14), has been awarded the 2014 Dr. Cyril M. Kay Graduate Studentship from the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

Anna Kovalchuk is examining the effects of chemotherapy drugs on the brain using an animal model.

A prestigious awards program, these studentships are awarded to exceptional students interested in medical or health research related to cancer. They are available across the cancer control continuum, including studies in etiology, prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, health services and palliation.

Kovalchuk’s project, which was deemed to be the highest-ranked project of those chosen to receive awards, involves examining the effects of chemotherapy drugs on the brain using an animal model. She receives $27,000 for the first year of her study, as well as a research stipend valued at $1,500 that allows her to attend conferences and like events.

“The project is sort of a continuation of what I was working on while I was an undergraduate student,” says Kovalchuk, whose master’s thesis supervisor is Dr. Bryan Kolb in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Department of Neuroscience. “That project involved looking at the effects of radiation on rats and I thought it’d be interesting to look at the other form of cancer treatment, chemotherapy. We want to profile what happens on a molecular level to see what’s going on, which genes are being upregulated or downregulated.”

Patients undergoing chemotherapy often report cognitive after effects, such as attention deficit and memory loss. Kovalchuk’s work will attempt to decipher what chemotherapy drugs are doing genetically and may help explain, at least in part, mechanisms of the chemo brain phenomenon.

“We’re not looking for a way to make a new treatment, instead we want to look at what is happening on a molecular level in the brains of animals exposed to chemo drugs to see if we can profile what the drugs are doing to the brain cells,” she says. “If we can understand the mechanics of what’s going on at the base molecular level in the brain, we could be better enabled to find ways to help people who, after having chemotherapy, suffer these side effects.”

Kovalchuk, the daughter of accomplished ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge genetic researchers Drs. Igor and Olga Kovalchuk, is passionate in her desire to combat cancer. She has consistently been among the country’s leading fundraisers for the annual Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure Post Secondary Challenge, and her professional goal is to become a radiation oncologist. She recently wrote her Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and will be applying to medical school later this fall.

“I’m just so grateful to have received this award from the Alberta Cancer Foundation so that I can continue along with this project and make a contribution to fight against cancer,” she says.

Graduate students honoured with research awards

trevor.kenney — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:34:27 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge celebrated the achievements of 21 graduate students last night at the 2012 Graduate Student Research Awards reception.

"These graduate students are exemplars of academic achievement," says Dr. Robert Wood, dean of the School of Graduate Studies. "The exciting academic work that they do is advancing the frontiers of knowledge and creativity, and it cultivates and builds an essential foundation for our growing reputation as a comprehensive university. Indeed, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community is immensely proud of these accomplished graduate student scholars."

Following is a list of the 2012 award winners.

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions
Erin Zelinski
(Robert Sutherland)
Neuroscience

Corinne Sidler
(Olga Kovalchuk)
Biological Sciences

Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures
Aaron Mullin
(Craig Coburn)
Geography

Alberta Cancer Foundation
Lidiya Luzhna
(Olga Kovalchuk)
Biological Sciences

Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship Doctoral (NSERC)
Patrick Barks
(Robert Laird)
Biological Sciences

Andrew Hudson
(Camron Goater & Tony Russell)
Biological Sciences

Jenni Karl
(Ian Whishaw)
Neuroscience

Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship Master (NSERC)
Kathryn Kuchapski
(Joseph Rasmussen)
Biological Sciences

Kirsten Rosler
(Hans-Joachim Wieden)
Chemistry and Biochemistry

Aaron Mullin
(Craig Coburn)
Geography

Natalie Freeman
(Louise Barrett & Peter Henzi)
Psychology

Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship Master's (SSHRC)
Gillian Ayers
(Claudia Malacrida)
Sociology

Leslie Bush
(Robbin Derry)
Management

Stacey Leavitt
(Michelle Helstein & Sean Brayton)
Kinesiology & Physical Education

Daniel Rutledge
(Sameer Deshpande)
Management

Rachel Shields
(Jason Laurendeau)
Sociology

Mark Bruce
(Dawn McBride)
Education

School of Graduate Studies Fellowship
Darcy Best
(Hadi Kharaghani)
Mathmatics & Computer Science

Health Quality Council of Alberta
Shannon Vandenberg
(Judith Kulig)
Health Sciences

endMS
Brietta Gerrard
(Artur Luczak)
Neuroscience

Alberta Gambling Research Institute
Scott Oberg
(Matthew Tata)
Neuroscience

Grad students honoured

trevor.kenney — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:00:59 +0000

When the School of Graduate Studies and the Office of Research Services handed out their Research Excellence awards recently, there were no trophies, only cold hard cash to the tune of more than $700,000, which was shared by 36 student recipients of graduate, doctoral and post-doctoral studies awards.

The investment in research funding directed toward candidates in masters and doctoral programs is critical to help grow the U of L's research programs and its place as a comprehensive research university.

"These creative and highly intelligent people are the researchers of tomorrow. They are already working on world-class projects right here in Lethbridge, and this competitive funding shows that our graduate-level candidates are very successful in obtaining scarce research dollars at a national level," says Dr. Robert Wood, the Interim Head of the School of Graduate Studies.

The research funding was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Alberta-based agencies Alberta Ingenuity Fund, Alberta Innovates Health Solutions, the Alberta Cancer Foundation, and the Alberta government-funded Ralph Steinhauer Awards of Distinction.

There were also several new awards, including an Alberta Award for the Study of Human Rights and Multiculturalism won by Health Sciences master's candidate Ruksana Rashid. As well, more than $50,000 was received from three separate funds by chemistry and biochemistry candidate Cassandra Churchill.

A complete listing of all recipients can be found on the School of Graduate Studies website: www.uleth.ca/sgs

Grad students honoured

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 21:09:52 +0000

A complete listing of all recipients can be found on the School of Graduate Studies website: www.uleth.ca/sgs

Headshave for Cancer event in Atrium

trevor.kenney — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:46:13 +0000

The sounds of razors will dominate the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Atrium Friday as the annual Headshave for Cancer is presented by the Omicron-Xi chapter of the Kappa Sigma fraternity.

The third annual fundraiser for the Alberta Cancer Foundation (ACF) looks to build on a successful 2008 event that saw a total of $45,000 raised to support the ACF. The goal this year is to top the $50,000 mark.

The event originated in 2003 by the Haskayne School of Business in Calgary, and has thus far spread to surrounding post-secondary school campuses and organizations.

The Headshave will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the U of L Atrium.

UNews - Alberta Cancer Foundation

Master's student earns Alberta Cancer Foundation research studentship award

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Graduate students honoured with research awards

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Headshave for Cancer event in Atrium

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