Program: Trainee

The onset and development of many mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, are believed to be affected by stress and the hormones produced as a result of stress. Research has shown that these stress hormones act upon receptors in the brain that interact with the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system is a neurochemical system which contains receptors that respond to both cannabis (marijuana) and naturally produced substances known as endocannabinoids. People with schizophrenia have been shown to have elevated levels of naturally-occurring endocannabinoids, and there is evidence that alteration of the endocannabinoid system through the use of marijuana reduces the effectiveness of anti-psychotic medication. Matthew Hill is investigating links between the endocannabinoid system, exposure and hormonal responses to stress and the development of schizophrenia. Matthew’s research may improve understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms involved in schizophrenia and suggest future treatments to manage this mental illness.

Free radicals are potentially damaging molecules produced in cells, particularly in response to injury. Certain free radicals cause tissue damage and trigger cell death. To combat the effects of free radicals, healthy people produce adequate quantities of antioxidants, scavenging enzymes that defend cells from free-radical destruction. When a person suffers a stroke, free radicals known as reactive oxygen species may cause cell death in large areas of the brain, resulting in brain damage and disability. It is believed that by increasing the number of antioxidants in the brain, cell death and damage following stroke might be minimized. Sophie Imbeault is working to clarify the role of the transcription factor Nrf2, which regulates the production of antioxidants in the brain. By studying the basic mechanisms underlying Nrf2 activation both during normal functioning and during stroke, she hopes her work will ultimately point to new treatment possibilities for minimizing stroke damage.

The complex arrangement of carbohydrates that cover the surface of cells is known to play a key role in gene activation and cell-to-cell recognition processes. Changes in the composition of these carbohydrates can lead to many pathological conditions, including the proliferation of cancerous cells and compromised immune function. Research suggests that elevated activity in the enzymes that place these carbohydrates on the cell surface is primarily responsible for changes in cell surface composition, however, the chemical mechanisms these enzymes use to function are not well understood. Working in collaboration with the McGill Cancer Centre in Montreal, Luke Lairson is researching how these enzymes function. This knowledge may be used to design effective new drug therapies to inhibit enzyme activity and help prevent and treat various human diseases ranging from cancer to AIDS.

In recent years it has been suggested that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) possess the ability to develop into different types of tissue in the body. Conceivably this phenomenon could one day facilitate treatment of a variety of degenerative diseases via harvesting a patient’s own HSCs, genetically modifying them, and then transplanting them back into the body. Unfortunately at present there is no effective way to maintain HSCs outside of the body, as the cells self-renew only in response to the unique combination of growth factors present within the specialized environment of the bone marrow. Michael Long is comparing how different environments affect the pathways by which HSCs receive chemical signals to renew. By studying HSC activity within bone marrow as well as an environment that does not promote HSC renewal such as the spleen he hopes to determine which signalling pathways are vital for HSC renewal. Ultimately, this information may allow researchers to identify how to recreate an environment outside the body that promotes HSC growth.