Melanie Alpaugh (Dr. Simonetta Sipione's & Dr. Kathryn Todd's Labs) - CIHR
Melanie's research focus is on the therapeutic effects of gangliosides and gangliomimetic compounds in Huntington Disease. Huntington Disease (HD) is an inherited disorder that results in motor cognitive and psychiatric deficits. Melanie's specific project involves understanding the extents of a therapy with ganglioside GM1 and whether other related compounds have similar therapeutic value.
Curtis Benson (Dr. Glen Baker's & Dr. Bradley Kerr's Labs) - MS Society Studentship
In the brain and spinal cord of people living with MS there are changes in the chemical messengers that signal between nerves. These chemical messengers are called neurotransmitters and specifically Curtis is interested in the action of the neurotransmitters serotonin, noradrenalin, dopamine and GABA. In an animal model of MS these changes in chemical signalling are related to the MS symptoms of pain, anxiety, cognition and motor dysfunction. Curtis' studies examine which neurotransmitters are involved in the progression of these symptoms.
Carolyn Fleck-Prediger (Dr. Bruce Dick's, Dr. Shaun Gray's, & Dr. Ryan D'Arcy's Labs) - Mitacs-Accelerate Graduate Research Internship Program Grant
As a veteran Speech-Language Pathologist at the Halvar Jonson Centre for Brain Injury, Carolyn specializes in treating patients with persistent communication impairments after severe brain injury or stroke. Driven to find better ways to evaluate the functional brain status of severely compromised patients; Carolyn is helping to test and refine an emerging neurotechnology - the Halifax Consciousness Scanner (HCS). Carolyn's PhD project is to develop a condensed, language and literacy free set of visual stimuli enabling HCS evaluation of people who cannot hear, do not speak English, or those who have receptive language limitations.
,b>Liam Potter (Dr. Bradley Kerr's Lab) - MS Society Studentship
The focus of Liam's project is on understanding the way pain is processed in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Hypersensitivity to pain is a common symptom in MS, and he is looking at changes in the activity of cells within the brain and spinal cord (in the mouse model), which might underlie such symptoms. He is also interested in testing out new approaches to treating these pain symptoms, and in gaining an understanding of how treatments that are effective are working.
Vishaal Rajani (Dr. Greg Funk's Lab) - CIHR
Vishaal is interested in understanding how neuronal circuits in the brain control respiratory responses to maintain blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. Specifically, he is exploring the role of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) as a signalling molecule that plays an important role in these reflexes by modifying our breathing response to low oxygen. This information will be important for the development of rational pharmacological therapies for respiratory disorders involving the central nervous system, such as sleep apnea, and apnea of prematurity.
Ruwani Seneviratne (Dr. Silvia Pagliardini's Lab) - WCHRI Studentship
The objective of Ruwani's project is to study the neuronal control of breathing across sleep states. The special focus will be on how different respiratory muscles are recruited to facilitate ventilation.
Anwer Siddiqi (Dr. Bruce Dick's Lab) - CIHR
Anwer's work involves a collaborative effort between Dr. Bruce Dick in the Department of Anaesthesiology and Pain Medicine and Dr. Monica Gorassini in Biomedical Engineering. They are performing a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation study to investigate intracortical inhibition in patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome before and after receiving Mirror Box Therapy.
Kevan Smith (Dr. Elena Posse de Chave's Lab) - CIHR
The objective of Kevan's project is visualizing connections between brain cells in models of Alzheimer's disease to search for therapeutic targets.
Muhammad Saad Yousuf (Dr. Bradley Kerr's Lab) - NSERC
Muhammad is interested in understanding the molecular basis of pain perception in the central nervous system. In particular, he would like to investigate the effect of inflammatory mediators on transporter proteins and the subsequent pain hypersensitivity. From this research, he hopes to implicate transporter proteins as important factors in neuropathic pain present in patients with Multiple Sclerosis.
Amirali Toossi (Dr. Vivian Mushahwar's Lab) - AIHS Graduate Studentship and Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
Amirali's research focus is on restoration of standing and walking after complete spinal cord injury (SCI) using intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS). ISMS entails the implantation of fine, hair-like wires in the small, lumbosacral region of the spinal cord below the level of a lesion, and the passage of very low currents to activate neural networks involved in locomotion. Amirali's PhD project specifically focuses on preparing ISMS for clinical testing in people with complete SCI.
Sarah Treit (Dr. Christian Beaulieu's & Dr. Carmen Rasmussen's Labs) - Andrew Stewart Memorial Graduate Prize
Sarah's project focuses on brain development in children, adolescents and adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). By combining structural MRI and standardized cognitive testing, she aims to further characterize brain abnormalities associated with prenatal alcohol exposure, and identify how these abnormalities relate to observed cognitive and behavioural deficits.