The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry welcomed four new Canada Research Chairs this summer. They include (clockwise from top left) Stephane Bourque, Zameneh Kassiri, Anastassia Voronova and Qiumin Tan.
The University of Alberta's four newest Canada Research Chairs are taking on some of health care's biggest issues by starting small-think cellular small. Research projects from the faculty's newest chairs involves using adult stem cells to treat neurodegenerative disease, better understanding the area surrounding heart and aortic cells, mapping the molecular mechanisms of disease, and helping diagnose fetal iron deficiencies.
Established in 2000, the Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP) stands at the centre of a national strategy to make Canada one of the world's top countries in research and development. Chairholders aim to achieve research excellence in engineering and the natural sciences, health sciences, humanities and social sciences.
Here are the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry newest Canadian Research Chairs.
Stephane Bourque: Finding a way to ID fetal ID
Assistant professor, Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine
Women & Children's Health Research Institute member
Canadian Research Chair in Developmental and Integrative Cardiovascular Pharmacology
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the world. While a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of disease, Stephane Bourque believes that preventing heart disease and other chronic illness later in life can start before a child is even born.
Bourque's research focuses on understanding how pregnancy complications affect fetal growth and development, and their connection to chronic diseases later in life. His focus is on iron deficiency (ID), the most prevalent nutritional deficiency in the world, which most often affects pregnant women. It is estimated that about 23 per cent of pregnant women in Canada have ID.
ID during pregnancy can have serious impacts on the health of the mother and child, including increasing the risk of maternal and fetal death, and causing preterm birth. Research indicates that ID may also be an important contributor to the global health burden of cardiovascular diseases. But the diagnosis of fetal ID is difficult, and current treatment strategies are inadequate.
Using a multidisciplinary approach, Bourque and his team will develop new methods to diagnose pregnancy complications, including ID, and new treatment strategies to improve birth
outcomes and the long-term health of children. The team will also investigate the long-term cardiovascular complications of fetal ID in a clinical setting.
Bourque's research could help millions of women around the world have healthier children, and take important steps to addressing chronic illnesses before they become a problem.
Zamaneh Kassiri: Enter the (extracellular) matrix
Professor, Department of Physiology
Canadian Research Chair in Cardiovascular Extracellular Matrix
According to the American Heart Association, one-third of all deaths in North America and more than 17 million deaths per year worldwide are caused by cardiovascular diseases. Heart attack
and hypertension are the leading causes of heart failure, and aortic aneurysm is one of the top 13 causes of death.
Zamaneh Kassiri has discovered that the extracellular matrix-the non-cellular part of tissues and organs that surround cells-may play an important role in treating and preventing heart disease. Her research focuses on developing a better understanding of exactly how the matrix impacts heart and vascular diseases, and what can be done to make it more resilient.
Kassiri's team will use comprehensive cellular and molecular analyses of the hearts and aortas of genetically modified mice to investigate how the changes in the structure and function of the
matrix contribute to the development of heart failure or aortic aneurysm. Her goal is to develop new technologies and drugs that can preserve the integrity of the extracellular matrix, and potentially slow-or even reverse-the progression of cardiovascular diseases.
By investigating a key player in the causes of cardiovascular disease, Kassiri is bringing us one step closer to reversing a global trend of cardiovascular disease deaths.
Anastassia Voronova: The path to a better brain
Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Genetics
Women and Children's Health Research Institute member
Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute member
Canadian Research Chair in Neural Stem Cell Biology
For the thousands of Canadians suffering from neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Anastassia Voronova's work with neural stem cells may bring some welcome peace of mind.
Neural stem cells build and regenerate the brain. But if the brain is injured or degenerating, such as with MS, the regeneration process is highly inefficient. Voronova aims to understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate neural stem cells in early childhood brain development, and determine if similar paths exist for adult neural stem cells for efficient brain regeneration in neurological disorders.
A key part of this research will be investigating how neural stem cells that already exist in adult brains can be harnessed to repair the protective coating of nerve cells, called myelin, which helps to transmit messages throughout the central nervous system. Inflammation of the myelin surrounding the nerves causes damage, which can lead to problems with coordination, vision and thinking.
Voronova's research will also investigate the connection between neural stem cells and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders. Along with increasing our
understanding of these conditions, the goal of the research is to identify opportunities for new drug treatments to improve brain function and repair. Specifically, treatments may be developed that use adult neural stem cells to treat neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
The answers that Voronova hopes to uncover could revolutionize the way we treat brain injury, neurodevelopmental disorders and degenerative diseases, and open the door for engaging adult stem cells to rebuild a damaged central nervous system.
Qiumin Tan: Understanding human disease at the molecular level
Assistant Professor, Department of Cell Biology
Canadian Research Chair in Molecular Genetics of Human Disease
An organism's growth, fitness and survival is dependent on how quickly cells can respond to diverse environmental stimuli, a response that is mediated by signaling pathways. If that response in the cells is disrupted in some way, it can lead to a wide variety of diseases including autism, neurological conditions and cancer.
Despite the significance of these pathways, much is still not understood about these conditions at the molecular level. Dr. Qiumin Tan is looking to identify the molecular mechanisms of the diseases that result from the disruption of the Ras/MAPK (rat sarcoma/mitogen-activated protein kinase) signaling pathway.
Before Tan's work, individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders (for example, intellectual disability and autism) and leukemia had likely never even heard of a protein called capicua (CIC), let alone grasped the role it played in their own disease - the loss of capicua causes a neurodevelopmental syndrome with a higher risk for leukemia. In her research, Tan will focus on two phenotypes that are found in individuals with CIC mutations, intellectual disability and leukemia.
Her goal is to better comprehend the mechanisms that are behind disease pathogenesis using a multidisciplinary, cutting-edge approach that incorporates in vivo neuroimaging, biochemistry, molecular and cell biology and genetic modeling using mice.
Precision medicine is allowing individuals to receive more targeted therapies for whatever diseases or ailments afflict them. Tan's research will focus on the Ras/MAPK signaling pathway and seek to understand the disease-causing gene mutations at work, in turn facilitating the development of effective targeted therapies.
Established in 2000, the Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP) stands at the centre of a national strategy to make Canada one of the world's top countries in research and development. Chairholders aim to achieve research excellence in engineering and the natural sciences, health sciences, humanities and social sciences.
Here are the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry newest Canadian Research Chairs.
Stephane Bourque: Finding a way to ID fetal ID
Assistant professor, Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine
Women & Children's Health Research Institute member
Canadian Research Chair in Developmental and Integrative Cardiovascular Pharmacology
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the world. While a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of disease, Stephane Bourque believes that preventing heart disease and other chronic illness later in life can start before a child is even born.
Bourque's research focuses on understanding how pregnancy complications affect fetal growth and development, and their connection to chronic diseases later in life. His focus is on iron deficiency (ID), the most prevalent nutritional deficiency in the world, which most often affects pregnant women. It is estimated that about 23 per cent of pregnant women in Canada have ID.
ID during pregnancy can have serious impacts on the health of the mother and child, including increasing the risk of maternal and fetal death, and causing preterm birth. Research indicates that ID may also be an important contributor to the global health burden of cardiovascular diseases. But the diagnosis of fetal ID is difficult, and current treatment strategies are inadequate.
Using a multidisciplinary approach, Bourque and his team will develop new methods to diagnose pregnancy complications, including ID, and new treatment strategies to improve birth
outcomes and the long-term health of children. The team will also investigate the long-term cardiovascular complications of fetal ID in a clinical setting.
Bourque's research could help millions of women around the world have healthier children, and take important steps to addressing chronic illnesses before they become a problem.
Zamaneh Kassiri: Enter the (extracellular) matrix
Professor, Department of Physiology
Canadian Research Chair in Cardiovascular Extracellular Matrix
According to the American Heart Association, one-third of all deaths in North America and more than 17 million deaths per year worldwide are caused by cardiovascular diseases. Heart attack
and hypertension are the leading causes of heart failure, and aortic aneurysm is one of the top 13 causes of death.
Zamaneh Kassiri has discovered that the extracellular matrix-the non-cellular part of tissues and organs that surround cells-may play an important role in treating and preventing heart disease. Her research focuses on developing a better understanding of exactly how the matrix impacts heart and vascular diseases, and what can be done to make it more resilient.
Kassiri's team will use comprehensive cellular and molecular analyses of the hearts and aortas of genetically modified mice to investigate how the changes in the structure and function of the
matrix contribute to the development of heart failure or aortic aneurysm. Her goal is to develop new technologies and drugs that can preserve the integrity of the extracellular matrix, and potentially slow-or even reverse-the progression of cardiovascular diseases.
By investigating a key player in the causes of cardiovascular disease, Kassiri is bringing us one step closer to reversing a global trend of cardiovascular disease deaths.
Anastassia Voronova: The path to a better brain
Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Genetics
Women and Children's Health Research Institute member
Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute member
Canadian Research Chair in Neural Stem Cell Biology
For the thousands of Canadians suffering from neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Anastassia Voronova's work with neural stem cells may bring some welcome peace of mind.
Neural stem cells build and regenerate the brain. But if the brain is injured or degenerating, such as with MS, the regeneration process is highly inefficient. Voronova aims to understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate neural stem cells in early childhood brain development, and determine if similar paths exist for adult neural stem cells for efficient brain regeneration in neurological disorders.
A key part of this research will be investigating how neural stem cells that already exist in adult brains can be harnessed to repair the protective coating of nerve cells, called myelin, which helps to transmit messages throughout the central nervous system. Inflammation of the myelin surrounding the nerves causes damage, which can lead to problems with coordination, vision and thinking.
Voronova's research will also investigate the connection between neural stem cells and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders. Along with increasing our
understanding of these conditions, the goal of the research is to identify opportunities for new drug treatments to improve brain function and repair. Specifically, treatments may be developed that use adult neural stem cells to treat neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
The answers that Voronova hopes to uncover could revolutionize the way we treat brain injury, neurodevelopmental disorders and degenerative diseases, and open the door for engaging adult stem cells to rebuild a damaged central nervous system.
Qiumin Tan: Understanding human disease at the molecular level
Assistant Professor, Department of Cell Biology
Canadian Research Chair in Molecular Genetics of Human Disease
An organism's growth, fitness and survival is dependent on how quickly cells can respond to diverse environmental stimuli, a response that is mediated by signaling pathways. If that response in the cells is disrupted in some way, it can lead to a wide variety of diseases including autism, neurological conditions and cancer.
Despite the significance of these pathways, much is still not understood about these conditions at the molecular level. Dr. Qiumin Tan is looking to identify the molecular mechanisms of the diseases that result from the disruption of the Ras/MAPK (rat sarcoma/mitogen-activated protein kinase) signaling pathway.
Before Tan's work, individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders (for example, intellectual disability and autism) and leukemia had likely never even heard of a protein called capicua (CIC), let alone grasped the role it played in their own disease - the loss of capicua causes a neurodevelopmental syndrome with a higher risk for leukemia. In her research, Tan will focus on two phenotypes that are found in individuals with CIC mutations, intellectual disability and leukemia.
Her goal is to better comprehend the mechanisms that are behind disease pathogenesis using a multidisciplinary, cutting-edge approach that incorporates in vivo neuroimaging, biochemistry, molecular and cell biology and genetic modeling using mice.
Precision medicine is allowing individuals to receive more targeted therapies for whatever diseases or ailments afflict them. Tan's research will focus on the Ras/MAPK signaling pathway and seek to understand the disease-causing gene mutations at work, in turn facilitating the development of effective targeted therapies.