As almost a dozen of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry's top researchers prepare to head to the Alberta Epigenetics Network's annual summit, the collaborative potential for clinician scientists, researchers and educators in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry is enormous.
Presenting at the annual summit at the end of March in the areas of cancer and stems cells, neuroscience, development and aging, and molecular mechanisms, the faculty's researchers are a key part of the Alberta Epigenetics Network, which is a $1.2 million partnership between the Alberta government and the province's three largest research universities.
"Networks like the Alberta Epigenetics Network bring together our scientists and enables us to work together, so we can leverage our resources to make us competitive on a global scale," says cancer researcher and presenter Lynne Postovit.
Postovit, who is the Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions Translational Health Chair in Cancer Epigenetics, will share the stage with scientists in fields as diverse as agriculture, medicine and informatics.
"This type of collaborative enterprise is valuable because it allows us to consolidate expertise and resources, as well as identify common interests," says Alan Underhill, also in the Department of Oncology, and the Mary Johnston Chair in Melanoma Research. "The field of epigenetics will have a huge impact on all aspects of human health, so participating in this network, and this summit, means we can play a significant role in the discovery and application of knowledge in key areas."
Epigenetics is the study of chemical reactions and the factors that influence those reactions. It controls normal process such as development, aging and memory, and plays a pivotal role in many diseases including cancer, Alzheimer's and diabetes. Studying how developmental and external environmental factors such as diet and lifestyle influence epigenetics mechanisms will enable researchers to develop new, more personalized therapies to improve health. Epigenetics is also important in agriculture; by understanding how epigenetics influences traits controlling livestock and crop health and development, Alberta farmers can increase their productivity.
"The study of epigenetics is expected to lead to novel therapeutics as well as improved food production from livestock and commercial crops. The province of Alberta is home to many outstanding researchers whose laboratories are engaged in this field of study. However, most of these groups are siloed from each other and as a result, we have not fully benefitted from knowledge exchange and collaborations," says Tom Hobman from the Department of Cell Biology, who will be presenting on the topic of molecular mechanisms. "The Alberta Epigenetics Summit provides, for the first time, an opportunity for Alberta scientists and trainees to learn about each other's' research and to meet with commercial and funding entities with interests in epigenetic research. We expect that in addition to developing collaborations, and sharing of infrastructure, that large scale projects will develop out of this and future meetings."
"As one of the leading medical schools in Canada, it's our responsibility to see knowledge translation, and our researchers exemplify that attitude," says David Evans, vice-dean, research, in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. "The field of epigenetics plays a pivotal role in many diseases, a being part of this network allows our faculty members to build on their own expertise while participating in a collaborative, collegial environment."