Three 91亚色 researchers in the Faculty of Science are leading new research projects that aim to strengthen mental health care, deepen understanding of brain function and advance knowlendge on how genes are regulated in cells.
Funding was awarded through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant competition, a national program that supports research with the potential to improve health outcomes, systems and science across Canada.
Close to $2 million in funding will support two projects led by 91亚色 researchers. A third project led by Unity Health, with $823,905 in funding, will be co-led by 91亚色 faculty.
鈥91亚色 is demonstrating national leadership in interdisciplinary health research that tackles complex medical and social challenges,鈥 says聽Amir Asif,聽vice-president,聽research and聽innovation. 鈥淭hese projects聽鈥 ranging from gene regulation and neuroscience to AI-driven mental health 鈥 interventions聽showcase聽the talent and collaborative efforts of聽our聽researchers聽across diverse disciplines,聽advancing聽knowledge聽and聽improving聽health outcomes聽for聽all聽Canadians.鈥澛
Emanuel Rosonina, associate professor in the Department of Biology, was awarded $921,825 over five years to examine how cells decide which genes to use and when.
Titled "Examining transcription dynamics with biotin pulse labeling (BPL)," the project builds on a technique developed by Rosonina鈥檚 team that allows researchers to observe how proteins 鈥 the molecules that help cells read and control genes 鈥 interact with DNA in real time. Unlike traditional methods that provide only static snapshots, Rosonina鈥檚 approach captures how gene regulation changes over time. Because disruptions in this process are linked to many human diseases, his work could improve understanding of conditions caused by errors in gene expression.
Jeffrey Schall, a professor in the Department of Biology and Canada Research Chair in Translating Neuroscience, received $1,055,700 over five years to study how the frontal cortex 鈥 the front part of the brain 鈥 helps us plan, make decisions, control impulses and adjust behaviour.
Schall鈥檚 project, "Neuro-computational mechanisms of executive control: Functional architecture of dorsal and cingulate frontal cortex," will use advanced brain imaging and recording techniques to track how different parts of the frontal cortex send signals during decision鈥憁aking, error monitoring and behaviour changes. Because similar tasks are used to study response control in people with psychiatric or neurological disorders, this work could eventually help improve diagnosis and treatment for these conditions.
Divya Sharma, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, is a co鈥憄rincipal investigator on a pan鈥慍anadian interdisciplinary project led by Unity Health Toronto that received $823,905 over five years to address gaps in care for post鈥憈raumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with AI.
"Trauma-focused Responsive AI Using MIRA (TRAUMIRA): Development and Evaluation of a Trauma-Focused AI Conversational Agent for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Care" will adapt MIRA, an AI鈥憄owered virtual mental health assistant co鈥慸eveloped by the team and the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, into a trauma鈥慺ocused tool.
TRAUMIRA will provide personalized, anonymous support including coping strategies, education about PTSD and recovery, and links to resources. Designed to complement 鈥 not replace 鈥 clinical care, the platform will be co鈥慸esigned by people with lived experience, clinicians, researchers and technologists to leverage AI to create a scalable, accessible and ethically sound model to strengthen mental health care across Canada.