disease Archives | Research & Innovation

91��ɫ hosts 2012 Canada Gairdner award-winner

muellerm — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Top medical researcher Dr. Michael Rosbash will draw on his research to deliver the 2012 Canada Gairdner Lecture at 91��ɫ looking at circadian rhythms.

His talk, Circadian rhythms: Molecules, Neurons and Circuits, will take place Wednesday, Oct. 24, from 1:30 to 2:30pm, in the Senate chamber, Ross N920, Keele campus, as part of Gairdner’s National Program lecture series.

Rosbash of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Brandeis University, is the 2012 Canada Gairdner Award winner. He’ll delve into the mysteries of how the human body’s biological clock works. Despite the fact that it’s been known for centuries that the human body is controlled by a biological clock, it has remained a mystery. Rosbash will look at how this internal clock guides the body through the day.

Michael Rosbash

Circadian clocks are active throughout the body’s cells, where they use a common genetic mechanism to control the rhythmic activities of various tissues. This is important as circadian clocks affect patterns of sleep and wakefulness, metabolism and the body’s response to disease. Understanding how the biological clock works has already allowed scientists to pinpoint irregularities in important sleep disorders.

“The opportunity to learn from the world’s greatest medical minds is one we hope will inspire students across the country to be imaginers, innovators, and ultimately, cultivators of the future of medicine in Canada and around the world,” said Dr. John Dirks, president and scientific director of Gairdner. “Gairdner’s National Program is our way of helping to ensure that Canada continues to grow as a global leader in medical science.”

The Gairdner awards are among the world’s most important biomedical research honours and a major indicator of leading scientific discovery. The Gairdner National Program is a month-long lecture series given by Canada Gairdner Award winners to over 6,000 students at 21 universities from St John's to Vancouver.

The National Program reaches students across the country, making the superstars of science accessible and inspiring the next generation of researchers. Along with the Canada Gairdner Awards, the National Program is part of Gairdner's efforts to promote a stronger culture of research and innovation across the country.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin to research stories on the research website.

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CRC Georg Zoidl congratulated by Canada's prime minister

fmaquito — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Biology Professor Georg Zoidl, 91��ɫ’s Canada Research Chair in Molecular & Cellular Neuroscience, has received a framed letter of congratulations from Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

The letter was delivered to Zoidl by 91��ɫ Vice-President Research & Innovation, Robert Haché, Faculty of Health Dean Harvey Skinner and Faculty of Science & Engineering Dean Janusz Kozinski.

Above: from left, Faculty of Health Dean Harvey Skinner; VP Research & Innovation Robert Haché; Professor and CRC Georg Zoidl; and Faculty of Science & Engineering Dean Janusz Kozinski

“On behalf of the 91��ɫ research community, I am delighted that Dr. Georg Zoidl’s research and appointment as Canada Research Chair in Mollecular and Cellular Neuroscience has been acknowledged by Canada’s Prime Minister through this correspondence,” said Haché. “Professor Zoidl is a highly accomplished, world-class researcher who we look to for leadership in the development of this exciting area of research and 91��ɫ's broader research agenda.”

Zoidl’s research examines the functions of nerve cells in the brain and the visual system as a means to understanding overall brain activity in health and disease. The research explores the communication processes in the brain that contribute to disease-causing conditions. Even small changes in communication between these nerve cells might get amplified over a lifetime and will be at the heart of a wide spectrum of diseases.

He is addressing the role of electrical communication in the visual system and the brain using genetically-altered zebra fish; their brains and eyes utilize the basic communication principles found in humans. His research combines high-end imaging tools with careful molecular and cellular manipulations to track how information flows into the brain and eye under healthy and diseased conditions. The research will foster insight into the molecular and cellular basis of epilepsy and could ultimately lead to improved treatment for vision loss.

“I am honored to receive this letter from Canada’s Prime Minister, which recognizes the importance of my research,” said Zoidl. “In Canada, securing and preserving quality of life is highly dependent on an individual’s prolonged and sustained quality of health. With vision loss listed in the top 10 most costly disease groups and approximately 15,500 new epilepsy patients each year, it is important to study the fundamental communication processes in the nervous system from molecules to systems in order to develop preventative health measures.”

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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91��ɫ prof president of Royal Canadian Institute

fmaquito — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:00:00 +0000

University Professor Emeritus Ronald Pearlman of 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Science & Engineering has been named president of the prestigious Royal Canadian Institute (RCI) for the Advancement of Science.

Pearlman, currently first-vice-president of the RCI, is the director of 91��ɫ’s Core Molecular Biology/DNA Sequencing Facility and former dean and associate dean of 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Graduate Studies. He will be formally inducted at the institute’s Annual General Meeting on Thursday, May 10.

Ron Pearlman

The is the oldest scientific society in Canada, founded in Toronto in 1849 by a small group of civil engineers and surveyors led by Sir Sandford Fleming. Its mission is to enhance public awareness about science, and it is best known for its free public lecture series held on Sunday afternoons in the fall and winter on the University of Toronto campus, and similar free lectures on Thursdays at the Mississauga Public Library.

“I’m grateful to have this opportunity to lead an organization with such an important mission,” Pearlman says. “Science impacts our lives on a daily basis, and in all areas. We need to have a science-literate population, and in a civil society we need a vibrant science culture.”

As president, Pearlman will continue to build on public outreach initiatives, such as making public lectures available via webcasts produced by 91��ɫ. Recent lectures have included top scientists like the University of Toronto’s Shana O. Kelley discussing the latest nanotech tools for diagnosing disease, and 91��ɫ’s own Ellen Bialystok on reshaping the brain through bilingualism. For a full list of lectures available online, click here.

“On behalf of the 91��ɫ research community, I would like to congratulate Dr. Ron Pearlman, University Professor Emeritus of 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Science & Engineering, on his appointment as president of the Royal Canadian Institute for the Advancement of Science,” says Robert Haché, 91��ɫ’s vice-president research & innovation. “As a leading expert in the field of genomics, with a long-standing successful career, Ron has worked to advance scientific research on an international scale and has been a phenomenal ambassador for 91��ɫ research. This prestigious appointment is well deserved.”

Pearlman was recently recognized with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his outstanding contributions to the RCI, and his support of science culture and literacy in Canada. In addition to his role at 91��ɫ, he is also associate scientific director of the Gairdner Foundation and co-ordinates its student outreach program. His research interests include molecular biology and biochemistry, cell biology and genetics utilizing the new genomic and proteomic technologies.

The RCI and 91��ɫ are also among the sponsors of the upcoming , an annual cross-country event that brings science and technology face to face with the Canadian public in a non-intimidating, festival atmosphere at many academic institutions as well as in public spaces.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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91��ɫ gains new Canada Research Chair

fmaquito — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:00:00 +0000

91��ɫ Professor Georg Zoidl has been appointed Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience.

Zoidl, a professor at 91��ɫ since July 1 in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, and the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science & Engineering, and a member of 91��ɫ’s Centre for Vision Research, is examining the functions of nerve cells in the brain and the visual system as a means to understanding overall brain activity in health and disease.

Left: Georg Zoidl

As a Tier 1 CRC, Zoidl will receive $1.4 million over seven years. The CRC is part of a package of CRC appointments announced recently at the University of Guelph by Gary Goodyear, federal minister of state (Science and Technology).

“Our government is investing in the people and ideas that will keep Canada at the forefront of the global economy,” said Goodyear. “The Canada Research Chairs are helping to develop, attract and retain the world’s top researchers here in our country.”

In all, the government announced an investment of $203.9 million to fund the appointment of 253 new and renewed Canada Research Chairs at 56 Canadian degree-granting postsecondary institutions.

“I am delighted that Professor Georg Zoidl has joined 91��ɫ as the Canada Research Chair in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience,” said Robert Haché, vice-president research & innovation at 91��ɫ. “Through the CRC program, 91��ɫ is building on its research strengths and enhancing opportunities for graduate training.”

Zoidl's research explores the communication processes in the brain that contribute to disease-causing conditions. Even small changes in communication between these nerve cells might get amplified over a lifetime and will be at the heart of a wide spectrum of diseases.

Zoidl is addressing the role of electrical communication in the visual system and the brain using genetically altered zebrafish, which have a brain and eyes utilizing the basic communication principles found in humans. He uses high-end imaging tools with careful molecular and cellular manipulations to track how information flows into the living brain or eye under health and disease conditions, with a focus on epilepsy and ischemia. His research will foster insight into the molecular and cellular basis of epilepsy and could ultimately lead to improved treatment for stroke.

Zoidl came to 91��ɫ from the Faculty of Medical Science at Ruhr-University Bochum in Bochum, Germany.

For more information, visit the website.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Professor, Canada Research Chair, and mathematician Jianhong Wu wins 2010 Award of Merit

fmaquito — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 10:00:00 +0000

What do math and the flu epidemic have in common? Just ask 91��ɫ Department of Mathematics & Statistics Professor Jianhong Wu, who studies disease progression and infection using math.

Wu, a , is leading two prominent Canadian teams on modelling and geo-stimulation of disease spread, and coordinates a number of academic-industrial collaborations in data mining, neuronal networks and pattern recognition. He is also the Canadian leader of a Canada-China collaboration in disease management and modelling, funded by the International Development Research Centre and Canada Research Chair program.

Right: Jianhong Wu accepts his Award of Merit

Recently, Wu was awarded the Federation of Chinese Canadian Professionals (Ontario) Education Foundation’s 2010 Award of Merit for his expertise in the field of mathematical biology and epidemiology, during a ceremony and reception in Toronto. In the federation’s citation it was noted that Wu is recognized in Canada and internationally for his interdisciplinary research in modelling disease transmission.

“I feel deeply honored and humbled by the award,” says Wu. “I am very pleased that 91��ɫ's support for interdisciplinary research and outreach is also recognized by the federation that has been promoting interdisciplinary studies among the various professions.”

What makes Wu distinct in his field is his ability to make novel contributions and integrate industrial application and applied mathematics to his research repertoire, and significantly contribute to both pure and applied mathematics.

Left: Jianhong Wu

He is most known for his contributions to the field of disease modelling, where his work has made a permanent and positive impact on human health. During the 2003 SARS outbreak, he established and led a national team of more than 20 scientists from governmental agencies and medical and mathematical sciences to model the transmission dynamics and spread of infectious disease (see YFile, Dec. 9, 2003). The research conducted by Wu and his team led to the development of prediction and intervention strategies, which impacts directly on preparedness measures for an influenza pandemic.

His work has influenced various public health policies and has become the benchmark for researchers in the pandemic area and beyond.

Among his accomplishments, Wu is founding, and has co-authored 17 books and more than 280 articles in both pure mathematics and mathematical applications. He is the recipient of various honours, including the Humboldt Research Fellowship (Germany), Paul Erdos Visiting Professorship (Hungry), Cheung Kong Visiting Professorship (China) and New Pioneer Science & Technology Award (Skills for Change). He is an executive member of the 91��ɫ Institute for Health Research.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Diabetes crisis in Jane-Finch neighbourhood focus of 91��ɫ-led community forum on November 11

fmaquito — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:00:00 +0000

The high level of Type 2 diabetes in the Black Creek neighbourhood of northwest Toronto is imposing tremendous pain and suffering on a largely visible minority population, according to community health workers, researchers and educators who will meet Thursday at a community forum to begin developing an action plan to combat the disease.

91��ɫ's Health Leadership & Learning Network has partnered with the Black Creek Community Health Centre and the to bring members of the community together for the Diabetes: Perspectives for Action – Community Forum on Nov. 11, from 6 to 8pm at Westview Centennial Secondary School, 755 Oakdale Rd., North 91��ɫ.

Right: Maps of Toronto show the overlap between the areas of low income, visible minorities and the incidence of diabetes. Click maps to see interactive version. Courtesy of the Toronto Star

The forum will discuss the increasing incidence of Type 2 diabetes in the Jane-Finch neighbourhood, strategies to prevent it and community resources to improve the health of people living with the disease.

Income inequality is on the rise in Canada along with a parallel increase in diabetes mortality, especially in low-income neighbourhoods such as Jane-Finch, according to a recent 91��ɫ study that has been published online and will appear in an upcoming issue of the journal Health Policy.

Dennis Raphael, a professor in the School of Health Policy & Management at 91��ɫ and a co-author of the study, says it clearly shows that low income is associated with a higher risk of developing the disease, even when other risk factors such as obesity are taken into account. Separate maps of Toronto that show areas of low income, visible minorities and the incidence of diabetes clearly show the overlap between the three, says Raphael, who will speak first at the event.

Three representatives of the Black Creek Community Health Centre will speak about their work in the community. Community health worker Michelle Westin will discuss her experiences helping residents to identify and address issues related to diabetes prevention and management. Lisa Martin, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator, will speak about the importance of access to adequate resources in managing diabetes, as well as healthy lifestyle choices. Carla Da Mota, a diabetes nurse educator who has witnessed an increase in both the number of clients with diabetes and complications they experience due to poorly managed diabetes, will talk about her experiences in promoting prevention and management of the disease through education.

Professor Lesley Beagrie, associate dean, professional & global programs in 91��ɫ's Faculty of Health, will moderate the panel.

The Toronto District School Board has recently launched a Diabetes Awareness Strategy. Annie Appleby, superintendent of education for Ward 1 in the northwest part of Toronto – where the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes is at eight per cent – will speak about the schools' efforts to promote healthy choices and change the behaviours of staff, students, and even families.

For more information, visit the website.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin

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Professor Dennis Raphael: Getting sick is more about living conditions than lifestyle

fmaquito — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 08:00:00 +0000

What makes us sick? Is it genetics or lifestyle? Is it too many burgers, too much alcohol, not enough exercise? Not according to 91��ɫ Professor Dennis Raphael, who, like the fourth-century BC philosopher Plato, attributes poor health to living conditions. Things like income level and people’s access to food, housing, education, and health and social services, are what determines whether people are ill or healthy, he says.

That’s contrary to what most Canadians believe, says Raphael in his new book , which looks at who stays healthy, who gets sick and why. It’s written with the goal of educating the informed Canadian, as well as university students.

Most people think luck, treatment options and lifestyle choices shape whether they are healthy or not. After all, that is the current mantra – eating better and exercising will lead to a healthier existence – a mantra that Canadians have wholeheartedly internalized. But that’s only part of the equation, and not the biggest part, says Raphael, a professor in 91��ɫ's School of Health Policy & Management in the Faculty of Health.

“Decades of research and hundreds of studies in Canada and elsewhere tell a different story: the primary factors that shape the health and well-being of Canadians – the factors that will give us longer, better lives – are to be found not in those much-discussed areas, but rather in the actual living conditions that Canadians experience on a daily basis,” says Raphael in About Canada: Health and Illness.

These factors include whether people are wealthy or poor, employed or not, working conditions, access to quality education, health and social services, and the basics of food and affordable housing. These social determinants “are crucial factors in the health and well-being of Canadians,” he says.

“Contrary to the assumption that we have personal control over these factors, in most cases these living conditions are – for better or worse – imposed upon us in the normal course of everyday life.”

Left: Dennis Raphael

That’s in large part because of the policies, regulations and laws enacted by governments at all levels, which influence employment income, family benefits and social assistance, as well as the quality and availability of affordable housing, health and social services, and recreational opportunities. That includes “what happens when Canadians lose their jobs during economic downturns such as the one that Canada began experiencing in 2008,” says Raphael.

“Governments also determine whether our children have access to affordable and high-quality child care and better-quality schools, the working conditions that we experience, and whether as seniors we receive levels of public pensions that allow us to live in dignity.”

Raphael wants to see changes in public policy that will affect Canadians’ health in a positive way. Through About Canada: Health and Illness, he wants the average Canadian to understand the role social determinants play in shaping health and what can be done to improve the situation through better public policies.

Raphael is the editor of , co-editor of and author of . He served as an adviser to the California Newsreel documentary series and the Deveaux Babin Productions Canadian documentary .

By Sandra McLean, YFile writer

Republished courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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91��ɫ's Diabetes Prevention Program seeking volunteers for diabetes research study

fmaquito — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:00:00 +0000

In Canada, the Chinese, South Asian, African and African-Caribbean populations have a very high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a leading cause of heart disease, stroke, blindness, leg amputation and kidney failure in Canada.

A team of researchers from the Physical Activity & Chronic Disease Unit in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science in 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Health is working on a new research project investigating ways to prevent this disease and its complications from developing. The Pre-diabetes Detection & Physical Activity Intervention Delivery Project (PRE-PAID) is examining the effectiveness of community-based interventions on the prevention of Type 2 diabetes.

They are looking for Chinese, South Asian, African and African-Caribbean people who have pre-diabetes by screening members of these high-risk populations. 91��ɫ community members who are of these ethnicities are encouraged to take part in the project.

The project, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and the Ontario Trillium Foundation, is now working with the Black Creek Community Health Centre and other community organizations to recruit Chinese, South Asian, African and African-Caribbean people who are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes based on their age (40 to 64 years old), risk factors (family history and weight) and a lack of physical activity.

Half of these people will take part in a six-month, supervised exercise program (free of charge) that will include a variety of fun activities, including dance activities such as socacize, Bollywood, line dancing and other physical activities. The other half of the participants will take part in a six-week educational workshop that provides hands-on instruction for diabetes prevention, including information about diet and physical activity education.

The goal of the program is to prevent people who are pre-diabetic from developing Type 2 diabetes. Previous research has shown that regular exercise and diet are the most effective ways to reduce Type 2 diabetes risk.

If successful, this program will lead to many more similar programs in other communities and prove that community-based interventions are possible and effective in the prevention of Type 2 diabetes.

The PRE-PAID team will be hosting pre-diabetes screening sessions every Monday morning on the Keele campus, from 7:45 to 11am, in 120 Norman Bethune College. Screening sessions will take approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

If you fit the above risk profile and are interested in becoming a participant in the project, contact Chip Rowan, PRE-PAID project coordinator, at 647-378-6777 or stopdiab@yorku.ca.

For more information, please visit the Diabetes Prevention Program Web site.

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91��ɫ to host muscle and healthy living research forum Friday, May 28

fmaquito — Tue, 25 May 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Leading researchers from across southern Ontario will converge on 91��ɫ on Friday to discuss the role that muscle plays in metabolism, heart health, aging and disease.

The first annual Muscle Health Awareness Day, organized by 91��ɫ’s Muscle Health Research Centre, will bring together the latest findings on the contribution made by heart muscle and skeletal muscle to overall health and wellbeing.

A wide range of collaborative research on muscle biology research is being done at 91��ɫ’s Muscle Health Research Centre, by researchers from the Faculty of Health and the Faculty of Science and Engineering; scientists are examining muscle development, disease, metabolism, blood supply, injury and regeneration, as well as adaptation of muscle to exercise. Using molecular, cellular and whole-body techniques, a major goal is to learn how Canadians can benefit from exercise through adaptations in the metabolism and structure of muscle, says Professor David Hood, director of the Muscle Health Research Centre and Canada Research Chair in Cell Physiology.

Researchers from the Centre will be joined by scientists from the University of Toronto, Sick Kids Hospital, the University of Guelph, McMaster University and Brock University, who will present their findings during four sessions. More than 50 poster presentations will also be on display at Muscle Health Awareness Day, showing the wide variety of muscle research being done by graduate students.

The four sessions during Muscle Health Awareness Day include:

Metabolism − will provide a description of important protein and fat metabolism pathways in health and disease. Emphasis will be on how enzymes responsible for synthesizing new proteins in muscle cells are activated, and how fats are taken up into muscle cells and metabolized. This has important implications for muscle wasting conditions, as well as obesity.
The Cardiovascular System − will examine how heart muscle adapts to stress in various ways. The session will focus on understanding how heart muscle cells respond to stressors such as exercise and heat and how novel methods can be used to identify important proteins that are found in cardiac disease conditions. It will also provide information about heart and smooth muscle signaling during hemodynamic stress, such as high blood pressure.
Muscle Development and Satellite Cells − will describe some of the important molecules that regulate the process by which large, mature muscle cells develop from small precursor cells that fuse together, allowing muscle contraction and providing the energy for contraction to take place. Research will also be presented about the importance of precursor cells (called satellite cells) in adult muscle, and how they respond to exercise and aging.
Exercise, Metabolism and Disease − will provide an understanding of important enzymes in the mitochondria that regulate carbohydrate and fat metabolism, and will relate mitochondrial function (the powerhouse of the cell) to states of physical activity and obesity in youth. Information will also be provided about muscle diseases that lead to exercise intolerance and muscle cramps.

WHEN:             Friday May 28, 9am to 5 pm
WHERE:           Computer Science & Engineering Lobby and Lecture Hall B, Keele campus
INFO:               /mhrc/Musclehealthday.htm.
MAP:                See # 19 on map, /yorkweb/maps/index.htm

By Janice Walls, media relations officer.

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Poverty explains diabetes' prevalence beyond white Europeans, says 91��ɫ prof

fmaquito — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Diabetes among South Asian immigrants is on the rise but it’s not a new phenomenon, wrote the Toronto Sun April 19, citing a 91��ɫ professor.

Diabetes risk among immigrants from South Asia is three to four times higher than in immigrants from western European countries, says a study released Monday by the .

But , a well published 91��ɫ professor in the School of Health Policy & Management in the Faculty of Health, says he has been studying the same finding for years. “Just about every group in Canada outside of white European people are identified as having a greater risk for Type 2 diabetes and it’s even higher around the world in populations where they’re having difficult life circumstances with poverty and equality,” Raphael said.

“If you want to understand which populations around the world are more likely to have diabetes, it’s usually people with difficult life circumstances. The one commonality is all these groups experience greater unemployment, greater poverty and greater stress as immigrants,” Raphael said.

Raphael said the solution to curbing the risk of diabetes in immigrant populations is to ensure everyone has enough economic resources to have a better quality of life.

The

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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