The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) more than $3.5 million dollars combined, money that will go towards research that aims to help parents and neonatal infants, addresses equity and political barriers to global public health concerns and helps further our understanding of the role of an important hormone in heart health. 

Helping preterm babies and parents have better outcomes

Faculty of Health Professor , who heads up the Ouch Lab, and is also the 91亚色 Research Chair in Pain and Mental Health, received nearly $1.4 million for work that will look at very preterm infants and how medical interventions and maternal stressors may impact the ability of skin-to-skin contact to help regulate pain in the infant. The project, , will be carried out at the neonatal intensive care unit at Mount Sinai Hospital. 

"Preterm infants are one of the most vulnerable populations on this planet and are exposed to numerous painful procedures everyday of their young lives. Their parental context is a critical factor to better understand and improve their quality of life. Our lab is so grateful to CIHR for their funding to better understand how maternal factors impact their child's pain responses during skin-to-skin care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit,鈥� says Pillai Riddell.听

Making international health agreements more equitable

Professor was awarded more than $1.13 million that will go towards work being done by himself and other investigators at the 91亚色-based Global Strategy Lab, including Faculty of Health Assistant Professor , for . 

鈥淭he Global Strategy Lab is pleased to have been awarded CIHR funding to continue our research on designing more impactful and equitable international agreements for health.

"Through a world-leading global legal epidemiology approach, we are advancing global health law, tobacco control, and planetary health in support of 91亚色鈥檚 contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals,鈥� says Poirier, also co-director of the Global Strategy Lab and 91亚色 Research Chair in Global Health Equity.听

Understanding heart failure better, especially for those with diabetes

Faculty of Science Professor Gary Sweeney will be looking at a hormone that is often compromised in people with diabetes and obesity and is involved in the body cleaning up bad cells in the heart. has received close to a million dollars in funding from CIHR.

About 91亚色

91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91亚色鈥檚 fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario鈥檚 Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contacts: Emina Gamulin, 91亚色 Media Relations and External Communications, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

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Results show 24-hour monitoring of glucose levels during and after exercise is key for safety

TORONTO, Monday, March 16, 2020听鈥� Tracking glucose levels over 24 hours can help athletes with Type 1 diabetes monitor glycemic control and better manage hypoglycemia overnight, new research from 91亚色 has found.

in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Health and Sam Scott, a postdoctoral researcher in Riddell鈥檚 lab when the study was done, and now working at the University of Bern in Switzerland, along with other colleagues in the U.S. and Europe, investigated the glycemic control and performance metrics of professional cyclists over a seven-day Union Cycliste Internationale World Tour stage race (the Tour of California).

The researchers say the results provide a unique insight into current practices of elite athletes living with Type 1 diabetes and new evidence of the habitual eating and insulin dosing patterns of professional athletes during multi-stage endurance events.

Athletes with Type 1 diabetes have considerable challenges when managing their blood glucose, particularly around training and competition. In this study, published today in , six male professional cyclists with Type 1 diabetes were observed during the Tour of California. During the race the athletes cycled between three and seven hours and covered 128 to 219 km on each of the seven days of the competition. They used sensor technology to monitor their glucose levels and keep it under control during the race. Over the entire race, the riders used smart insulin pens to automatically record insulin dosing and timing.

鈥淭hese cyclists are riding five hours a day for seven days in a row. You could not do this 20 years ago,鈥� says Riddell. 鈥淔or athletes who compete in elite level sports on the world stage, managing their diabetes is critical to their performance. We鈥檝e never known the severity of low blood sugar in elite athletes until now, but now they can identify this problem and they can fix it. For people living with diabetes, knowing your glucose levels in real time during and after any exercise event is extremely helpful and increases safety.鈥�

The riders, from Team Novo Nordisk (TNN), where Scott is also now Head of Research, spent a high proportion of time in target glycemic range (3.9-10.0 mmol/L) during cycling, with little time in hypoglycemia (<3.9 mmol/L) over the seven days. In-ride carbohydrate intake (76 卤 23 g鈭檋-1) in these professional cyclists were in line with contemporary nutrition guidelines for athletes without diabetes. Average performance and diabetes-related metrics were compared with statistical analyses between racing days. In-ride nutrition consisted primarily of energy gels, high-carbohydrate energy bars, rice cakes, and bananas. Fluids consisted of water, a low- carbohydrate sports drink containing electrolytes, or cola.

During exercise, muscles can take up glucose without the need of the hormone insulin, therefore, these athletes need to adjust their insulin accordingly during training and races. Furthermore, as with all the other athletes that they are competing against, their peers without Type 1 diabetes, they need to be taking in enough fuel to meet their energy demands. Despite their high rates of performance, riders experienced a greater amount of time in hypoglycemia during the overnight recovery periods over the course of the tour, according to the study鈥檚 results.

Scott says these observations highlight the many glycemic challenges faced by professional athletes with Type 1 diabetes over a World Tour stage race.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important for us to note that although the riders performed well and generally had excellent in-ride glycemia, there was a tendency to struggle with nighttime hypoglycemia,鈥� says Scott. 鈥淭he risk of nocturnal hypoglycemia is something we are aiming to help with in the future.鈥�

The results provide insight for those with Type 1 diabetes who do exercise and shows why they need to be aware of their blood sugar overnight, adds Riddell.

The researchers say the data will inform future research on听strategies for people living with Type 1 diabetes to better manage their glucose during exercise.听In addition, the comprehensive range of technologies used in this study, such as continuous glucose monitoring and connected insulin pens during a dynamic and challenging event, demonstrate what is possible and this will help researchers better understand factors that can influence glycemia around exercise.

91亚色 champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥� our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.听

91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact:听Vanessa Thompson, 91亚色 Media Relations, 647-654-9452,听

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TORONTO, December 4, 2018 鈥�听New research led by 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Health shows that inhibiting a protein within blood vessels stimulates new blood vessel growth, resulting in healthier fat tissue (adipose) and lower blood sugar levels. The findings provide key insight into how improving blood vessel growth could help to mitigate serious health problems that arise with obesity, such as diabetes.

, a professor in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science at 91亚色, and a team including first author Martina Rudnicki, a post-doctoral fellow in the Haas lab, investigated a process of the vascular system called angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is the formation of tiny blood vessels called capillaries. It helps to maintain normal healthy functions in tissue, particularly when that tissue enlarges. However, when the tissue expands as it stores excess fat, angiogenesis is repressed and new capillaries fail to grow. This results in unhealthy adipose tissue, which increases the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Blood vessels in fat tissue
Photo credit: Emilie Roudier, 91亚色

鈥淚t is not clear why exactly new capillaries fail to form in obesity,鈥� says Haas.

Previous research led by Haas found that in obesity, the levels of FoxO1 increase in endothelial cells, which are the main cells that comprise capillaries.

鈥淲hat we know is that a protein called FoxO1 is present in the cells that line the inside of blood vessels, and that it can stop the development of new capillaries. FoxO1 controls how cells spend their energy and it can force them to go into a resting state. During obesity, the levels of FoxO1 increase in capillary endothelial cells. Therefore, it may be possible that FoxO1 prevents new blood vessels from growing in the fat tissues of obese individuals,鈥� says Haas.

In the study published today in the online journal , the research team, which also included 91亚色 Professors Emilie Roudier, Rolando Ceddia and Christopher Perry, investigated whether inhibiting FoxO1 protein would stimulate adipose angiogenesis.

The team inhibited the production of FoxO1 protein and monitored the behaviour of capillary endothelial cells and the resultant influences of these changes on the expansion of adipose tissue. The study found that lowering FoxO1 levels promoted angiogenesis and caused a healthier adipose tissue 鈥� in particular, with a high-fat diet. Lower levels of endothelial cell FoxO1 also led to an increase in the use of glucose, and less weight gain, despite consuming a diet high in fat.

Professor Tara Haas, Faculty of Health

鈥淲hile we anticipated that improving angiogenesis in adipose tissue would make the adipose healthier, we were surprised that altering the levels of a particular protein, FoxO, in endothelial cells听exerted such a broad influence on whole-body glucose levels and weight gain.听This led us to propose the novel concept that the activity of endothelial cells can alter whole-body energy balance.鈥�

Haas said the research showed that removing FoxO1 made endothelial cells 鈥榟yper-active,鈥� and that this enabled the formation of a lot of new blood vessels in the fat tissue. At the same time, these blood vessels consumed a lot of energy, and this, in fact, could alleviate common health problems that accompany obesity, such as high levels of blood glucose and circulating fats, which are risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

More research is needed, Haas says, to investigate the optimal way to target these cellular processes to obtain positive health outcomes.

91亚色听champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Through cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design, diverse experiential learning and a supportive community environment, our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. 91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact:听Anjum Nayyar, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 44543,听anayyar@yorku.ca

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听Changes in muscles could impair ability to manage blood sugar

听Toronto, ON, Wednesday, April 18, 2018 鈥� A new study from McMaster and 91亚色 universities has found that poor muscle health may be a complication of Type 1 diabetes, even among active twenty-somethings.

The research team analyzed muscle biopsies of young adults with and without Type 1 diabetes who exceed Diabetes Canada's recommended weekly levels for physical activity.

The researchers found structural and functional changes in the power generation parts of the cell, or mitochondria, of those with diabetes. Not only were the mitochondria less capable of producing energy for the muscle, they were also releasing high amounts of toxic reactive oxygen species, related to cell damage.

These changes could result in reduced metabolism, greater difficulty controlling blood glucose and, if left unchecked, an accelerated rate of developing disability. The study findings add poor muscle health to the list of better-known complications of Type 1 diabetes, including nerve damage, heart disease and kidney disorders.

鈥淣ow we know that even active people with diabetes have changes in their muscles that could impair their ability to manage blood sugar,鈥� said Thomas Hawke, corresponding author of the study and a professor of pathology and molecular medicine at McMaster. 鈥淜nowing in the long term that this could contribute to faster development of disability, we can start to address it early on.鈥�

Christopher Perry, study co-senior author and an associate professor in kinesiology and health sciences and the Muscle Health Research Centre at 91亚色, added: 鈥淪keletal muscle is our largest metabolic organ and is the primary tissue for clearing blood sugar after eating a meal, so we need to keep muscle as healthy as possible.鈥�

With regular aerobic exercise, the amount of mitochondria in muscle increases, thereby helping muscle cells to use more glucose and become more efficient. Given this new data, Perry added that their study suggests that current guidelines for Type 1 diabetics may also need to be revised.

鈥淲e believe these dysfunctional mitochondria are what鈥檚 causing the muscle to not use glucose properly and to also damage muscle cells in the process. We were surprised to see the muscles were this unhealthy in young adults with Type 1 diabetes who were regularly active,鈥� says Perry.

Researchers say while further study is needed, revising evidence-based exercise guidelines, specific for those with Type 1 diabetes, may be required to keep them in the best health.

The paper was published today in , the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.

The team included researchers at 91亚色, the University of Windsor and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases as well as McMaster鈥檚 departments of pathology and molecular medicine, pediatrics and kinesiology. Both Hawke and Perry are on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology.

The study was funded in part by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and the James H. Cummings Foundation.

Watch Christopher Perry, study co-senior author and an associate professor in kinesiology and health sciences and the Muscle Health Research Centre at 91亚色 explain the findings in this video:

For full article see:

Media contacts:

Veronica McGuire, Media Relations, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University 905-525-9140, ext. 22169 vmcguir@mcmaster.ca

Anjum Nayyar, 91亚色 Media Relations 416 736 2100 ext. 44543听anayyar@yorku.ca

About 91亚色:

91亚色 champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥� our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. 91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

About McMaster University:

McMaster University, one of four Canadian universities listed among the Top 100 universities in the world, is renowned for its innovation in both learning and discovery. We have a student population of 30,000, and more than 170,000 alumni in 137 countries. At McMaster University, we believe that finding solutions to real-world problems depends on sharing creative, diverse thoughts and ideas. To us, collaborative thinking is a gateway to smarter solutions, and greater optimism. It鈥檚 helping us create a brighter world. We are creating a brighter world by encouraging collaboration across disciplines to shine new light on the world鈥檚 challenges. This collaboration helps us build a better future for all. Our open, supportive environment allows diverse groups of thinkers to work together, share insights and bring ideas to life that can change the world.

The post Active young adults with Type 1 diabetes have muscle complications: Study appeared first on News@91亚色.

TORONTO, January 24, 2017 鈥� An international team of researchers and clinicians led by 91亚色 Professor Michael Riddell has published a set of guidelines to help people with type 1 diabetes exercise safely to avoid fluctuations in blood sugar.

鈥淩egular exercise can help individuals with diabetes to achieve their blood lipid, body composition, fitness and blood sugar goals, but for people living with type 1 diabetes, the fear of hypoglycemia, loss of glycemic control, and inadequate knowledge around exercise management are major barriers,鈥� said Riddell in the Faculty of Health at Toronto鈥檚 91亚色 U. 鈥淭his is a big struggle for both type 1 diabetes patients and their healthcare providers. This first ever set of consensus guidelines from leading experts will help them.鈥�

Patients with type 1 diabetes have to monitor their blood glucose levels before, during and after exercise, said Riddell, who led the team of 21 international experts. For two years, they reviewed observational studies and clinical trials on exercise management for people with type 1 diabetes who exercise regularly, to reach a consensus.

The guidelines on glucose targets for safe and effective exercising as well as nutritional and insulin dose adjustments to prevent exercise-related fluctuations in blood sugar appear in the report, 鈥�,鈥� published in . This work was funded by the JDRF, a leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research.

The authors note that a majority of people with type 1 diabetes are now overweight or obese, and tend to be at least as inactive as the rest of the population. A large percentage of patients do not maintain a healthy body weight nor do they achieve the minimum required moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity (150 minutes per week). This is in contrast to a few decades ago when most patients with the disease were relatively slim and active.

鈥淩egular exercise helps patients achieve a number of goals. In pediatric patients in particular, it reduces the cardiovascular disease risk profile, improves the sense of well-being and brings down average blood glucose levels (glycated hemoglobin),鈥� said Riddell.

In adults, both diabetic eye disease and kidney disease are less common in those who are more physically active. They also have a better chance of achieving target levels of glycated听hemoglobin levels, blood pressure levels and a healthier body mass index (BMI) when compared to inactive patients, the report suggests.

鈥淭hese guidelines fulfill a major unmet need to help patients with T1D, and their healthcare professionals, to overcome the various barriers for exercise and this, in turn, should help them to achieve the multitude of health benefits that exercise affords鈥� added Dr. R茅mi Rabasa-Lhoret, director, Metabolic Diseases research unit, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montr茅al (IRCM) / Montreal Clinical Research Institute, the only other Canadian researcher on the team.

In general, aerobic exercise (walking, jogging or light cycling) is associated with reductions in glycemia while anaerobic exercise (sprinting, heavy weight lifting, and interval sports like hockey) is known to temporarily increase glucose levels. Both forms of exercise can produce hypoglycemia (severe low blood sugar) in late recovery, often when patients are sleeping. Hence, a clear understanding of the physiology of different forms of exercise and the changes that can influence glycemia during exercise and sport should ensure safe and effective glycemic management strategies, the authors say in the report.

is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥� our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni.91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Founded in 1967, the is a non-profit organization that conducts fundamental and clinical biomedical research in addition to training high-level young scientists. With its cutting-edge technology facilities, the institute brings together 33 research teams, which work in cancer, immunology, neuroscience, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, systems biology and medicinal chemistry. The IRCM also operates a research clinic specialized in hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes and cystic fibrosis, as well as a research centre on rare and genetic diseases in adults. The IRCM is affiliated with the Universit茅 de Montr茅al and associated with McGill University. Its clinic is affiliated with the Centre hospitalier de l鈥橴niversit茅 de Montr茅al (CHUM). The IRCM is supported by the Minist猫re de l鈥櫭塩onomie, de la Science et de l鈥橧nnovation (Quebec ministry of Economy, Science and Innovation).

Media contact:
Gloria Suhasini, Media Relations, 416 736 2100 ext. 22094, suhasini@yorku.ca

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