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鈥檚 National Program lecture series.

Rosbash of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Brandeis University, is the 2012 Canada Gairdner Award winner. He鈥檒l delve into the mysteries of how the human body鈥檚 biological clock works. Despite the fact that it鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 response to disease. Understanding how the biological clock works has already allowed scientists to pinpoint irregularities in important sleep disorders.

鈥淭he opportunity to learn from the world鈥檚 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,鈥� said Dr. John Dirks, president and scientific director of Gairdner. 鈥淕airdner鈥檚 National Program is our way of helping to ensure that Canada continues to grow as a global leader in medical science.鈥�

The Gairdner awards are among the world鈥檚 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鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin to research stories on the research website.

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Using an animal model, the study鈥檚 researchers found that the motor performance and muscle endurance of mice with ALS improved when they were given higher than normal doses of vitamin D.

鈥淲e are the only group in Canada that is looking at the connection between dietary interventions and the effects on the ALS model,鈥� says 91亚色 kinesiology Professor Mazen Hamadeh (left)聽of the University鈥檚 Muscle Health Research Centre in the Faculty of Health. Hamadeh supervised the research led by 91亚色 master of science degree students Jesse Solomon and Alexandro Gianforcaro in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science.

The researchers conducted three different studies looking at different amounts of vitamin D. The first looked at the effects of 10 times the adequate intake of vitamin D on the ALS animal model 鈥� the equivalent of 8,000 IU/day in humans. Results showed an improvement in both motor performance and endurance, but no change to disease outcomes, such as onset, progression or lifespan.

鈥淲e followed up with another study because we thought we didn鈥檛 give high enough amounts of vitamin D,鈥� says Hamadeh. In the second study, the amount of vitamin D was increased to 50 times the suggested adequate intake amount or the equivalent of 40,000 IU per day in humans. Again, there was definite improvement in functional outcomes, but not in disease outcomes, confirming the findings of the first study, he says.

The researchers then thought that perhaps the recommended adequate intake amount of vitamin D was set too high and there was already an overabundance of vitamin D being administered. That led to a third study where only one fortieth of the recommended adequate intake amount was administered using the animal model, which induced a vitamin D deficiency. This study was published in PLoS ONE, an international online peer-reviewed journal, on Dec. 27.

This third study produced some interesting results, says Hamadeh. When vitamin D deficiency was induced before disease onset, disease severity was reduced, but after disease onset, it was worse. 鈥淪o at very low levels there is something happening in the cell that is causing them to function better only for a little bit of time, only until disease onset, than they progress regularly,鈥� he says.

The key now is to find out what molecular changes are occurring in the muscle, spinal cord and brain when vitamin D is administered, and that is what Hamadeh and his students are currently working on.

鈥淎LS is the most common motor neuron disease and up until now there is no cure for it. It is also a fast-progressing disease. Between diagnosis and death, there are usually two to five years. We are trying to see whether by modulating the diet, by changing the diet, we can influence not only when the disease starts, but how fast it progresses and whether it can affect lifespan,鈥� says Hamadeh.

鈥淭o find a dietary intervention that could influence a fast-paced disease after diagnosis of the disease, meaning after some irreversible damage has happened, means this particular nutrient has to be very powerful to either halt or slow the pace of the disease.鈥�

The model Hamadeh works with suffers from heightened oxidative stress, a state of increased levels of free radicals or oxidants that are produced naturally inside the cell during normal functioning and metabolism. There is an association between oxidative stress and chronic, metabolic, autoimmune, neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases, including ALS, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, hypertension, Alzheimer鈥檚, Parkinson鈥檚 and multiple sclerosis.

Hamadeh hopes his research and that of his students will help not only ALS, but many other similar diseases that share common mechanisms with ALS.

By Sandra McLean, YFile writer

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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The event, sponsored by the Muscle Health Research Centre (MHRC), featured a series of lectures looking at muscle adaptation, disease, development, blood flow and metabolism. Some of the key discussions revolved around the role of stem cells in muscle repair, aging and cancers, as well as the causes and reversal of aging at a muscular level.

Professor Olivier Birot (left) of 91亚色鈥檚 School of Kinesiology & Health Science presented his work on the role played by specific proteins in the control of blood vessel growth in muscle. He also looked at the role exercise plays in initiating the process of new vessel growth.

MHAD highlights the work of both junior and senior faculty members from across southern Ontario, and gives graduate students an opportunity to network and present their work in an informal, but educational manner. Four of the graduate students were awarded presentation prizes at the May 27 event聽for their work in muscle research.

Right: Winners of the MHAD poster contest (from left), Roxanna Chis of the University of Toronto, Jenna Gillen of McMaster University, Andrew Mitchell of the University of Waterloo and Brennan Smith of the University of Guelph

The Muscle Health Research Centre in the Faculty of Health provides a centralized and focused research emphasis on the importance of skeletal muscle to the overall health and well-being of Canadians. The centre鈥檚 upcoming initiatives include the sponsorship of a seminar provided by Professor Bengt Saltin of the Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, who will be receiving an honorary doctorate degree for his exceptional research in the area of muscle and exercise physiology during 91亚色鈥檚 June 15 convocation ceremony.

For more information, visit the Muscle Health Research Centre or contact Professor David A. Hood, director of the Muscle Health Research Centre, at dhood@yorku.ca. To view the MHAD program and abstracts, click here.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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Are obese girls overweight because they eat poorly and don't get enough exercise or because their bodies don't burn off fat properly? asked :

Seems no one knows. But researchers at 91亚色 want to find out.

They are conducting the first study in the world that looks at how girls burn fat, according to Professor Michael Riddell [School of Kinesiology & Health Science, Faculty of Health], who leads pioneering work on diabetes.

While there have been some studies done on how boys burn fat, with conflicting results, no one has looked at how girls burn fat, particularly during puberty, he said. "It's amazing there's so little done on females," Riddell said. "We're doing cutting-edge research. We're trying to identify why some girls are overweight or obese."

The study is part of a larger [project] funded by the federal government's being run by the .

To conduct their study, the 91亚色 researchers need to look at the diets and exercise levels of girls between the ages of eight and 16. While they haven't had trouble finding lean girls to participate, recruiting overweight and obese girls has been a struggle.

With the body image problems girls face today, that isn't surprising, Riddell said.

But the girls' identities and all the information researchers gather about them is kept confidential, said graduate student Lisa Chu, who is running the project at 91亚色.

Girls who participate in the study will visit the university twice.

During the first visit, they will complete a questionnaire about their exercise and diet habits on week days and weekends and take part in an eight- to- 10-minute cycling test that gets progressively more difficult. The second visit involves a longer but less intense cycling evaluation.

Chu is hoping girls interested in participating may take advantage of March Break next week to volunteer.

The incentive to participate in the study is receiving a custom-made fitness regimen, hopefully something the girls can rely on to lead healthier lives for years to come, Riddell said.

"Having a custom exercise evaluation is something only the very rich can (usually) afford," he said.

Participants will also receive a $20 iTunes voucher.

To volunteer for the study, email Lisa Chu at lisachu@yorku.ca or call Michael Riddell 416-736-2100, ext. 40493.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has awarded 91亚色 $274,689 in infrastructure funding to support the research of three 91亚色 professors.

,聽professor in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science in 91亚色's Faculty of Health and a member of the Muscle Health Research Centre, will receive $79,260 to support his research on muscle microcirculation in health and diseases. Birot鈥檚 research examines how peripheral vascular disease (PVD) affects key molecular mechanisms that regulate the formation of blood vessels in muscles. PVD is characterized by insufficient blood supply in leg muscles, leading to suffering, reduced mob ility and eventually amputation. 聽PVD affects more than one million Canadians and is a frequent complication for patients with obesity, Type 2 diabetes or chronic heart failure.

Right: Olivier Birot

Nicholas Cepeda, professor in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Health, will receive $100,777 to establish a developmental cognitive neuroscience laboratory for research on learning and memory, cognitive flexibility and musical training. His research has shown a 300 per cent improvement in students鈥� long-term recall of factual information, merely by changing the timing of when a particular curriculum item is taught and re-taught 鈭� with no increase in teaching time. The project鈥檚 musical training research will provide information about the brain functions of musicians and non-musicians, including processing speed, working memory, inhibition, attentional control and task-switching skills.

Left: Nicholas Cepeda

,聽professor and a Canadian Institutes聽of Health Research New Investigator in the聽Department of Biology in聽91亚色's , will receive $94,652 to support multi-faceted research in integrative neuroendocrinology and physiology. His research on the neuroendocrine regulation of growth, reproduction and body weight in fish could help aquaculture industry to improve the feeding, growth and reproduction of cultured fish. The funding also provides critical equipment for cutting-edge research on the neuroendocrine defects underlying diabetes and obesity, and may help to develop innovative pharmacological and cell-based therapies to help Canadians and others in their fight against these metabolic diseases.

Left: Suraj Unniappan

鈥淭hese projects demonstrate 91亚色鈥檚 excellence in health and science research,鈥� said Stan Shapson, vice-president research & innovation. 鈥淭he questions Professor Birot's and Cepeda's projects explore concerning muscle health and learning and cognition reflect the relevance and disciplinary strengths of our psychology and kinesiology researchers, while Professor Unniappan's project illustrates the industrial applications that may flow from support for basic research. We fully support the importance of the CFI鈥檚 investments in state-of-the-art infrastructure and the world-class research they enable at 91亚色.鈥�

91亚色鈥檚 projects were part of a in 's Leaders Opportunity Fund, which provides Canadian researchers with the necessary tools to carry out a range of frontier research. The funding supports 339 leading researchers and 245 projects at 48 Canadian research institutions.

Gary Goodyear, minister of state (science聽& technology), made the announcement in Ottawa, Ontario on Jan.聽21. 鈥淪upporting science is key to Canada鈥檚 future economic growth,鈥� said Goodyear. 鈥淥ur government's commitment to helping universities attract and retain world-leading research talent will lead to discoveries that improve Canadians' quality of life and create new jobs."

鈥淎ccess to modern, cutting-edge equipment and facilities is imperative in the 21st century," said Gilles聽Patry, president聽& CEO of the CFI. 鈥淔or more than a decade, the CFI has provided thousands of world-class researchers with the tools they need to do their work. Without the right infrastructure, they simply wouldn't be in Canada.鈥�

A complete list of CFI recipients is available on the website.

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of Janice Walls and Melissa Hughes

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The first annual Muscle Health Awareness Day, organized by 91亚色鈥檚聽 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亚色鈥檚 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:

1. Metabolism 鈭� 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.
2. The Cardiovascular System 鈭� will examine how heart muscle adapts to stress in various ways.聽 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.
3. Muscle Development and Satellite Cells 鈭� 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.
4. Exercise, Metabolism and Disease 鈭� 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: 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Friday May 28, 9am to 5 pm
WHERE: 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Computer Science & Engineering Lobby and Lecture Hall B, Keele campus
INFO: 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 /mhrc/Musclehealthday.htm.
MAP:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 See # 19 on map, /yorkweb/maps/index.htm

By Janice Walls, media relations officer.

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