Peter Cipriano, president and representative of the Irpinia Club, was at 91亚色 to present the cheque Thursday. Cipriano has donated time and energy to various healthcare ventures over the years, including Humber River Regional Hospital, Etobicoke General Hospital, Princess Margaret and Sunnybrook Hospitals, the Canadian Cancer Society and the United Way.

From left, Peter Cipriano of the Irpinia Club hands 91亚色 Professor Joseph DeSouza a cheque for $20,000 for his research

鈥淚t feels fabulous to get early support for our project,鈥� said DeSouza, who conducts research out of聽his in 91亚色's Sherman Health Science Research Centre. 鈥淚t will really help this research get off the ground.鈥�

DeSouza and National Ballet dance instructor Rachel Bar will expand their research to study the neuromechanisms of dance, rhythm and beat of music, and their potential therapeutic benefits to Parkinson's patients. Parkinson鈥檚 is a disease of the central nervous system that limits the motor capabilities of patients. They will monitor and record changes in brain patterns of dancers with the ultimate goal of figuring out a therapy to help Parkinson鈥檚 patients improve their mobility.

"There is anecdotal evidence that improvement in motor function may be achieved, and if we can prove this through scientific research, it could mean a great deal to the quality of life of those coping with Parkinson's disease and their caregivers," said DeSouza.

Preliminary data, conducted by , showed increased supplementary motor area (SMA) activation in the brains of dancers after listening to music they are practicing and performing dances to, compared to control dancers that are not learning the dance. The researchers are interested in how the brain is overcoming motor difficulties during diseased brain states like Parkinson's disease, and how dance therapy for Parkinson's disease can help these patients can move more.

The sensorimotor regions of the brian activated when subjects visualized dancing to music

Using fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to determine the learning process, the research team hopes to determine the neural mechanisms that occur between listening to music, learning the dance and eventually the dance becoming an automatic association for the brain 鈥� the pre-learning brain and the post-learning brain.

National Ballet dancers were scanned for short periods of time in an fMRI machine before, during and after learning routines to measure the blood flow to different areas of their brain to determine how different areas respond to learning movements. Researchers monitored the neural circuits (medial frontal areas 鈥� SMA) that focus on the sequencing of movements. By looking at these highly trained areas of the brain in professional dancers, they hope to conduct further research to figure out therapies for patients that will allow Parkinson鈥檚 patients to learn new movements.

Peter Cipriano takes a turn in the fMRI

Working in partnership with scientists at McMaster and Western University, the team will train National Ballet dancers to lead dance and movement classes聽for Parkinson's patients.

"We are extremely grateful for the support of the Irpinia Club and its members," said DeSouza.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin to research stories on the research website.

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Please note that only resumes submitted through the described process will be considered.

The posting closes April 14, 2011.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer

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The clip focuses on recent efforts to teach AQUA to move as easily on sand as it does in the water, and its first attempt at tether-less swimming. Several students attached to the project also appear in the footage. You can watch it on the .

Jenkin is just one of the researchers based in 91亚色鈥檚 state-of-the-art Sherman Health Science Research Centre. Jenkin leads the Canadian Centre for Field Robotics, which is based on the building鈥檚 main level, and is a member of the .

The AQUA project is funded in part by the .

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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In the high-definition video filmed in the Learning Commons at the Scott Library, available on the Office of the President website and聽, Shoukri聽congratulates some 2,000 students who graduated during Fall Convocation ceremonies. He also commends the Sherman Health Science Research Centre's opening and the induction of four 91亚色 professors into the Royal Society of Canada, among other student and campus achievements.

You can watch all official videos on the .

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

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A 91亚色 study, published recently in the journal , used fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to track brain activity when study participants looked at an image of a facial expression with a word superimposed on it. Study participants processed the words faster than the facial expressions. However, when the word did not match the image 鈥� for example, when the word 鈥渟ad鈥� was superimposed on an image of someone smiling 鈭� participants reacted less quickly to a request to read the word.

鈥淭he emotion in the word doesn鈥檛 match the emotion in the facial expression, which creates a conflict,鈥� said psychology Professor Joseph DeSouza in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Health. 鈥淥ur study showed 鈭� for the first time 鈭� an increase in signal from the left inferior frontal cortex when the study participant was confronted by this conflict between the word and the image and asked to respond to directions that went against their automatic instincts.鈥�

Previous research on the prefrontal cortex has found this region to be implicated in higher order cognitive functions, including long-term planning, response suppression and response selection. This experiment, conducted by graduate student Shima Ovaysikia under DeSouza鈥檚 supervision, allowed researchers to study inhibitory mechanisms for much more complex stimuli than have been studied in the past.

The inferior frontal cortex is located near the front left temple. People who have problems with inhibition, including stroke or schizophrenia patients, may have damage to this inferior frontal cortex zone, says DeSouza. As a result, when they see something that is inconsistent 鈥� such as the image of a smiling face with the word 鈥渟ad鈥� across it 鈥� they would be expected to take more time to react, because the part of their brains needed to process it has been damaged or destroyed.

The research, conducted by 91亚色鈥檚 with the use of fMRI technology at Queen鈥檚 University, was partially funded by the Faculty of Health at 91亚色, the and the program. Future fMRI research at 91亚色 will be conducted in a state-of-the-art neuroimaging laboratory at 91亚色鈥檚 new Sherman Health Science Research Centre, which opened in September.

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

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The team, led by , a computer science professor in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Science & Engineering, is working together with teams from McGill University and Dalhousie University to build the highly advanced AQUA robot, which resembles an otter and uses flippers to propel itself around underwater. Despite its cute, toy-like appearance, AQUA is intelligent enough to understand visual commands and perform complex under water manoeuvres.

Jenkin's team recently created an underwater control tablet that lets an operator interact with AQUA directly and much more quickly 鈥� a crucial feature when investigating dangerous, unknown environments like shipwrecks. 鈥淲e want to make vehicles that are more intelligent, that understand their world better and can interact with the world better. The underlying goal is to enhance our understanding of how to build intelligent, autonomous systems,鈥� Jenkin said.

Jenkin, a member of the , is one of the researchers based in 91亚色鈥檚 new state-of-the-art Sherman Health Science Research Centre, which officially opened on Sept. 14. He leads the Canadian Centre for Field Robotics laboratory, which is based on the building鈥檚 main level.

The centre is supported by a grant from the . The AQUA project is funded in part by the .

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

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She accepted the Institute of Aging at the annual conference of the Canadian Association on Gerontology in Montreal. The prize, which augments major scholarship聽funding she has already received,聽included the money, an invitation to the conference and, best of all, a chance to adjudicate research posters.

鈥淚t鈥檚 perfect timing for me,鈥� says the first-year doctoral student in the Faculty of Health's School of Kinesiology & Health Science. 鈥淚鈥檒l be able to see what鈥檚 going on in my field. Winning this award has been very motivating."

Hawkins started work this fall developing and evaluating a clinical assessment tool to measure visuomotor integration (hand-eye coordination) that could lead to early detection of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. For this, CIHR is funding her research to the tune of $35,000 a year 鈥� $30,000 in salary plus $5,000 research allowance 鈥� for each of the next three years. It鈥檚 the biggest scholarship Hawkins has ever received.

Left: Kara Hawkins

Sit down with Hawkins at her corner desk in the office she shares with other graduate students and you鈥檒l notice only one image taped to the wall next to her computer. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 my brain,鈥� says the 27-year-old of the vertical MRI scan taken this fall in 91亚色鈥檚 new Neuroimaging Laboratory, located in the Sherman Health Science Research Centre.

The brain. Hawkins became fascinated with it early in her undergraduate years.聽"You can't understand behaviour without understanding the brain. That's what interested me most."聽She started studying psychology then branched into kinesiology. It was a natural detour. 鈥淚鈥檓 an athlete,鈥� says the former varsity goalie who now plays forward for the Aurora Panthers and for the Ice-O-Topes, an intramural team at 91亚色. 鈥淚 wanted to learn how the brain controls movement.鈥�

After graduating in 2006, she jumped at an offer to work as a neuropsychology assistant at Baycrest, a centre specializing in geriatric research and care. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been interested in clinical applications,鈥� says Hawkins. Baycrest sparked an interest in aging and two years later she returned to 91亚色 to pursue聽a master鈥檚 degree and neuroscience graduate diploma, delving deeper into the neurophysiology of complex motor control. She won three scholarships to do it and graduated last spring.

Now a doctoral student, she鈥檚 back in a clinical setting. At 91亚色 Central Hospital, she is collaborating with the geriatric physician to diagnose aging patients who show signs of mental deterioration. Currently, doctors use language, cognition, memory and attention tests to score patients鈥� mental status out of 30. It鈥檚 an imprecise science, and Hawkins has developed and is testing a new measurement tool that could be more precise.

The tool looks like a laptop. There are two touch-sensitive screens, one vertical and the other horizontal (where the keyboard would normally be). The patient is instructed to reach for a target that appears on the vertical screen, at first directly with her hand and then more indirectly using the horizontal touch screen to聽manipulate a cursor. The test is not educationally or language biased, and Hawkins can determine which part of the brain the patient is using and the level of dysfunction based by the accuracy and speed of the response.

The brain is a complex network of communicating parts. When someone has dementia, the lines of communication deteriorate and misfire. Hawkins鈥� test aims to detect the breakdown in the visual-motor and cognitive-motor communication lines. 鈥淭hese touch-screen tracking tests tap into that.鈥�

Hawkins is currently trying to recruit 60 to 90 patients diagnosed with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease and the same number who are aging normally. Over the next three years, she鈥檒l test her diagnostic tool. She is particularly interested in finding out if it can detect early and more subtle stages of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. Interested participants may contact her at karah@yorku.ca.

The earlier we can catch signs of mental deterioration, the more time there will be for intervention that could delay the onset, says Hawkins. Earlier and more precise diagnosis could lead to better education and better care for patients, she says.

Hawkins, now a member of the , is doing her research under the supervision of 聽Prof. Lauren Sergio, an expert in hand-eye coordination and director of 91亚色鈥檚 Sensorimotor Neuroscience Laboratory. When she鈥檚 finished her PhD, she hopes to continue exploring diseases associated with聽aging.

By Martha Tancock, YFile contributing writer

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鈥淔rom Cats Eyes to Headaches: Adventures in Neuroscience鈥� will take place Thursday, Nov. 11, from 2 to 3:30pm at 214 Calumet College, Keele campus. RSVP by Nov. 10 to smiceli@yorku.ca. Everyone is welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be served.

Left: Fran Wilkinson

In her research, Wilkinson, a member of the at 91亚色, has examined the mechanisms of face and object recognition in the visual brain and how vision changes during aging. She is among the researchers working in the Sherman Health Science Research Centre.

鈥淭hroughout my career I have been fascinated by how the visual pathways of the brain capture and interpret the visual world. In this talk, I will briefly describe the sometimes winding path my own research career has taken, examining this central question in neuroscience from a variety of angles, using new technologies as they have come into being,鈥� says Wilkinson.

鈥淚 will then discuss my current work on vision and migraine headache as an example both of the interface between basic and clinical neuroscience, and of the role of serendipity in research.鈥�

The Faculty Research Profile Series, presented by Calumet College, features eminent 91亚色 faculty speaking on their broad research interests rather than about a single narrow topic.聽Audiences will hear聽what professors have devoted their careers to studying, how they do what they do and why.

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

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The study, recently published in the journal Neuropsychologia looked at a rare disorder called prosopagnosia, in which the ability to visually identify faces is lost or severely impaired.

Researchers performed a series of experiments that gauged prosopagnosia sufferers' recognition of faces, objects and voices and other sounds, both separately and in varying combinations; the scientists compared these results to those of control subjects with normal brain functioning.

"We were interested in investigating the interactions between different types of sensory inputs," says lead researcher Jennifer Steeves (left), a professor of psychology in 91亚色鈥檚 . "For example, does seeing a person鈥檚 face and listening to them speaking at the same time offer more helpful information to identify that person, or is a single sensory input superior?"

Steeves鈥� experiments involved a patient who suffered brain damage from meningitis as a child. With extensive lesions on the right hemisphere and most of the ventral visual areas, he was unable to recognize familiar faces, facial expressions, objects, colours or words.

"Quite remarkably, even with these deficits, he was able to hold a job and maintain an independent lifestyle," Steeves says. "We wanted to find out what cognitive functions were compensating to help him achieve this."

In one experiment, participants were required to rapidly learn the identities of 10 individuals,聽using an聽image of a face paired with a voice.

Prior to this exercise, subjects were presented with grey-scale images of 110 female faces that had been stripped of distinguishing features. They were also fed auditory stimuli 鈥� a 20-second neutral passage spoken in English by one of 110 female voices. Participants were then tested on what they had learned in visual and auditory-only modes, and in combination.

Steeves and her colleagues found that control subjects relied more heavily on visual cues, while the patient with prosopagnosia used auditory information more expertly to recognize people. However, auditory cues didn鈥檛 help in identifying objects, leading researchers to believe that our processing of people and things occur in two different neurological pathways.

Untangling this web of sensory cues is important on more than one level, Steeves notes. "Our hope is that it will help not only our understanding of those with brain disorders, but also to understand how healthy brains function," she says.

The study, "Superior voice recognition in a patient with acquired prosopagnosia and object agnosia," is co-authored by Adria Hoover, a 91亚色 psychology graduate student, and Jean-Fran莽ois D茅monet, director of France鈥檚 Institut National de la Sant茅 et de la Recherche M茅dicale (INSERM).

Steeves is one of the researchers based in 91亚色鈥檚 new state-of-the-art Sherman Health Science Research Centre, which officially opened on Sept. 14.聽She leads the Perceptual Neuroscience Laboratory, which is based on the building鈥檚 main level. Both Steeves and her lab are part of the .

The research was funded by the and France鈥檚 .

By Melissa Hughes, media relations officer. Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin

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AQUA, an amphibious, otter-like robot, is small and nimble, with flippers rather than propellers, designed for intricate data collection from shipwrecks and reefs.

The robot, a joint project of 91亚色, McGill and Dalhousie universities, can now be controlled wirelessly using a waterproof tablet built at 91亚色. While underwater, divers can program the tablet to display tags onscreen, similar to bar codes read by smartphones. The robot鈥檚 on-board camera then scans these two-dimensional tags to receive and carry out commands.

Cutting the cord on underwater robots has been a long-standing challenge for scientists; water interferes with radio signals, hindering traditional wireless communication via modem. Tethered communication is cumbersome and can create safety issues for divers.

鈥淗aving a robot tethered to a vehicle above water creates a scenario where communication between the diver, robot, and surface operator becomes quite complicated,鈥� says (right), professor in 91亚色鈥檚 Department of Computer Science & Engineering in the Faculty of Science & Engineering and co-author of the forthcoming paper, "Swimming with Robots: Human Robot Communication at Depth".

鈥淚nvestigating a shipwreck, for example, is a very delicate operation and the diver and robot need to be able to react quickly to changes in the environment. An error or a lag in communication could be dangerous,鈥� Jenkin says.

Realizing there was no device on the market that fit the bill, Jenkin and his team at 91亚色鈥檚 Centre for Vision Research, including the paper鈥檚 lead author,聽master in computer science聽student , set to work constructing a prototype. The resulting device, fittingly dubbed AQUATablet, is watertight to a depth of 60 feet. Aluminum housing with a clear acrylic cover protects the tablet computer, which can be controlled by a diver using toggle-switches and on-screen prompts.

鈥淎 diver at 60 feet can actually teleoperate AQUA 30 to 40 feet deeper. Needless to say this is much easier on the diver, physically and much safer,鈥� Jenkin says.

The tablet also allows divers to command the robot much as if they were using a video game joystick; turn the tablet right and AQUA turns right, too. In this mode, the robot is connected to the tablet by a slim length of optical cable, circumventing many of the issues of a robot-to-surface tether. The optical cable also allows AQUA to provide video feedback from its camera to the operator. In a totally wireless mode, the robot acknowledges prompts by flashing its on-board light. Its cameras can be used to build 3-D models of the environment which can then be used to guide the robot to particular tasks.

鈥淭his is a huge improvement on [a robot] having to travel to the surface to communicate with its operators,鈥� Jenkin says.

In the past, divers have used laminated flashcards to visually communicate with robots while underwater. However, these limit the diver to a pre-set sequence of commands.

鈥淚t鈥檚 impossible to anticipate everything you鈥檙e going to want the robot to do once you get underwater. We wanted to develop a system where we could create commands on the fly, in response to the environment,鈥� he says.

Jenkin and Verzijlenberg鈥檚 paper will be presented at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) in Taiwan.

Jenkin and Verzijlenberg are two of the researchers based in 91亚色鈥檚 new state-of-the-art Sherman Health Science Research Centre, which officially opened on Sept. 14. Jenkin leads the Canadian Centre for Field Robotics, which is based on the building鈥檚 main level. The centre is supported by a grant from the . The AQUA project is funded in part by the . 91亚色's Centre for Vision Research is part of the Faculty of Health.

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