Jacqueline Trudeau’s research focuses on autoimmune disease – disorders that cause the immune system to destroy normal body tissues. She’s specifically interested in how a specific type of immune cell, T-cells, are mistakenly activated in autoimmune disorders. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which T-cells destroy insulin-producing B-cells in the pancreas. This leads to hyperglycemia (high blood glucose), insulin dependence and other complications associated with diabetes. Given that autoimmune diseases may develop and be present for years before being diagnosed, they are difficult to treat. It is also challenging to understand how the disease process is initiated and the course of development thereafter. Jacqueline is developing techniques to identify T-cells that specifically destroy B-Cells before hyperglycemia sets in. She aims to design an approach for identifying children at the early stage of developing diabetes, a critical window of opportunity when treatment could save remaining B-cells
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Pathogenesis and Treatment of Huntington's Disease
There is currently no effective treatment for Huntington’s disease, a progressive and ultimately fatal neurological disorder caused by a defect in the Huntington Disease gene. Symptoms of the inherited disease, which usually appear at mid-life, include abnormalities in movement, difficulties with awareness and judgement, and emotional instability. Using genetically altered mice, Jeremy Van Raamsdonk is investigating the underlying genetic and cellular changes that give rise to Huntington’s disease and potential treatment strategies. The research involves testing both drug and gene-based treatments targeted at the root cause of the disease, as well as assessing treatments to minimize the damage to the nervous system. By developing specific treatment strategies, Van Raamsdonk aims to limit damage to nervous system cells and increase the lifespan and quality of life for people with Huntington’s disease.
Regulation of inhibitory receptor gene expression by Natural Killer cells
Natural Killer (NK) cells play an important role in the immune system: targeting and destroying tumour and virus infected cells that evade other branches of the immune system. Brian Wilhelm is striving to understand what regulates the ability of NK cells to distinguish between abnormal cells and healthy cells. While it’s known that receptors on NK cells enable them to distinguish between cells, there is little knowledge about the genetic mechanisms that direct the process. He hopes that the research on receptor genes will provide insights about how individual genes and sets of genes specific to NK cells are regulated. As well, the work may shed light on the role of receptor genes in developing blood disorders and also about the use of NK cells in immune-based therapies.
Host Cell Signalling Following Coxsackievirus B3 Infection: Elucidation of Anti-Apoptotic Survival Mechanisms
Robert Yanagawa’s overall goal as a researcher is to increase our understanding of cardiovascular diseases. With that in mind Yanagawa is investigating Coxsackievirus B3, the primary cause of viral myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), a condition that may result in chronic irregular heart beats, heart failure and sudden death. Organ transplantation is the only definitive treatment for heart failure caused by this virus. Yanagawa is examining the ability of host cells within infected cardiac muscle to activate protective signalling mechanisms. When stimulated, these mechanisms may maintain heart muscle viability, slow replication of the virus and preserve heart function. Yanagawa hopes that establishing new insights about protective mechanisms will ultimately lead to more effective treatments for viral myocarditis.
Issues in the diagnosis and treatment of viral co-infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C (HCV)
While an estimated 30 per cent of British Columbians living with HIV are also infected with Hepatitis C, which is becoming a leading cause of death among HIV-positive people, the issue of co-infection has received relatively little attention. Paula Braitstein hopes to change that by focusing her research on how to most effectively treat people who are co-infected with the diseases. By analysing data from the Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study and Drug Treatment Program of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, she hopes to answer outstanding questions, such as whether patients fare better when treated for Hepatitis C before beginning HIV treatment. Braitstein believes that finding these answers will have a profound and timely impact on treatment of co-infected individuals. This project builds on a significant body of HIV work that Braitstein has already accumulated. Her goal is to make a substantial contribution to the health of Canadians through a research career in epidemiology.
Impact of a Targeted Intervention on Parental Administration of Post-operative Analgesia
In her Masters research, Rebecca Pillai Riddell identified significant factors that predict parental attitudes toward administering pain medication to children after surgery. Now she’s taking this work one step further by recruiting parents of children undergoing day care surgery at B.C.’s Children’s Hospital for a project assessing the effectiveness of a targeted intervention designed to dispel common parental myths and misconceptions about proper pain management. Given that parents play a key role in post-operative pain management, Rebecca is testing the effectiveness of this intervention on parents identified as more likely to under-medicate, and parents identified as less likely to under-medicate. She hopes the study will help bridge the gap between laboratory research and the everyday experience of children with post-operative pain.
Estimation Of Cochlear Thresholds Using Multiple Auditory Steady-State Responses In Infant and Adult Subjects
Susan Small’s research examines an advanced method to test hearing in infants, young children and others who cannot be assessed through traditional testing techniques. The method focuses on Auditory Steady State Responses (ASSRs), objective measures of response to sound stimuli in the areas of the brain involved in hearing. Past research on ASSRs, which test multiple frequencies in both ears simultaneously, has shown their reliability in measuring air-conducted sounds. Small is assessing the method’s reliability in estimating bone-conducted sounds. Reliable measurements of bone-conduction thresholds help determine whether surgery, hearing aids or other rehabilitation strategies are most appropriate for an individual. Small, whose experience includes nine years of clinical practice in audiology, intends to devote her research career to gaining a better understanding of the human auditory system. Ultimately, she hopes this research will lead to more effective early intervention for patients with hearing impairment.
Becoming a Nurse: The Micro and Macro Construction of First Nations Nursing Students' Experience in a Western Canadian School of Nursing
Canada’s First Nations communities are experiencing their worst nursing shortage in 30 years. First Nations health care professionals are the most effective nursing personnel in their own communities, yet efforts to recruit and retain them in nursing schools have been largely unsuccessful. The little research done on this issue indicates there are barriers to be bridged, including a feeling among First Nations nurses that they must compromise their traditional beliefs and culture to succeed in nursing education. In her doctoral research, Donna Martin is developing a clearer picture of these barriers. Her research involves interviews with students, faculty, health care professionals, First Nations elders and others, along with classroom observation and analysis of course materials, textbooks and university policies. Martin hopes the research will ultimately help nursing schools develop more effective recruitment and retention strategies for First Nations nurses.
The clinical and economic outcomes of patients with lumbar disc herniation and sciatica
Lower back and leg pain from a herniated disk and sciatica (pain on the sciatic nerves) is one of the most common causes of chronic disability and workplace absenteeism. Treatment approaches are inconsistent as there is still much to learn about this condition. Dr. Jeffrey Quon hopes to address this knowledge gap by comparing the long-term outcomes for patients treated through surgery and non-surgical therapies at Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre. Quon’s research aims to identify the physical, psychosocial and clinical factors that contribute to early or delayed recovery. Another goal is to identify patients at risk for chronic disability and help physicians make informed decisions about which cases will respond best to surgical or non-surgical treatments. Quon, whose diverse background includes chiropractic training and research in complementary medicine, hopes this work will culminate in cost-effective therapies that prevent long-term disability.
The evaluation of human telemanipulation under spatial misalignment conditions in minimally invasive surgery
Bin Zheng isn’t daunted by challenge. At 16, he entered medical school. By age 27, he was a specialist in pediatric orthopedic surgery at a hospital affiliated with China Medical University. Now he is in Canada focusing his efforts on research to refine and improve the technology used in minimally invasive surgery. Because of more rapid healing and other benefits, this surgical practice is increasingly common. Zheng is working on an issue, which he has experienced first-hand, that occurs when images projected by the tiny cameras inserted into the body to guide the surgeon’s action do not align exactly with the area of the body on which the surgeon is working. His immediate goals are to assess the effects of this misalignment on surgical performance and patient outcome and also look for ways of improving the technology. In the long term, Zheng hopes to use these findings in the development of a systematic approach (scientific methodology) that can be applied to the evaluation of any new health technology.