Research indicates that people can experience sensory illusions when visual and tactile information are spatially separated. This has important implications for telesurgery, a procedure that permits surgery to be performed at a distance, but where information from the touch of hands and visual information presented on a monitor are separate and feedback is delayed. Manipulating tools under these conditions has not been as precise as hoped for. Erin Austen’s research is studying how a misperception of limb position and movement can affect the ability to accurately grasp, reach or move objects. She is also identifying ways to minimize any negative impact of such sensory illusions. The results of this research will increase understanding of how the brain coordinates behaviour and will contribute to the design of new technology in telesurgery, prosthetic limbs, telerobotics used to perform actions from a distance, and miniaturized tools for minimally invasive surgical procedures.
Program: Trainee
Glucosamine withdrawal study in Osteoarthritis
Affecting more than nine per cent of people over 63, osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease. Prevalence rises with age, so health care costs are expected to increase as our population ages. Glucosamine is a health food supplement that is widely promoted for treating osteoarthritis pain. Claims have been made that glucosamine may repair cartilage damage and cure osteoarthritis. Glucosamine use has risen dramatically as a result, but there is limited scientific evidence supporting these claims. Dr. Jolanda Cibere is conducting a study with patients taking glucosamine for knee osteoarthritis. Patients are randomly assigned to continue taking glucosamine or to receive identical-looking placebo tablets. Jolanda will assess whether people whose pain was relieved with glucosamine experience a flare up of pain when treatment stops. This research will provide insights about the effectiveness of glucosamine as a treatment for osteoarthritis pain.
The role of huntingtin interacting proteins (HIPs) in the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes uncontrollable movements, impairment in memory and reasoning ability, and alterations in personality. Patients with the disease carry a mutation in the HD gene, which results in an expanded tract of glutamine (an amino acid). The gene product is therefore a mutated form of the HD protein. This expanded tract disrupts the interaction between the HD protein and other proteins that work together to perform essential cell functions. A modified interaction may alter the normal function of any of the interacting proteins, making specific cells vulnerable to premature death. Anat Yanai is studying the cell biology of several HD interacting proteins, including the way they interact with proteins involved in cellular metabolism and the alterations in their normal function as a result of the mutation in the HD gene. The findings will assist in developing therapeutic strategies for Huntington patients, such as inhibitors or activators of these interactions.
Stroke and hemispatial neglect: The efficacy of stimulus alerting on patient rehabilitation
Dr. Bettina Olk is interested in discovering new ways to rehabilitate patients who have suffered a stroke. Her research focuses on hemispatial neglect, a defective ability to perceive items in space opposite to the side of the brain affected by the stroke. For example, a right hemisphere stroke can cause a person to neglect items that appear on the left side. The person may fail to eat food on the left side of a plate or ignore cars coming from the left. During her research training in Germany and England, Bettina extensively studied the impairments caused by hemispatial neglect. Recent research suggests that a short warning tone can help the brain temporarily overcome this disorder and perceive items opposite the brain lesion. Bettina is studying this phenomenon to determine how long the effect lasts, what kind of warning tone works best, whether a different stimulus could be equally effective, and whether non-visual symptoms of hemispatial neglect are also affected. From this work, she hopes to develop effective ways for stroke patients to overcome the disorder.
Evaluation of the quality of supported employment programs' implementation in BC and of vocational outcomes of people with serious mental health problems
The World Health Organization estimates that 90 per cent of people with mental health problems who are ready to enter the workforce are unemployed. Dr. Marc Corbière is examining the factors that help people with a serious mental illness obtain and maintain a job. He is assessing factors such as self-esteem, social supports, past work experience, barriers to employment, psychiatric diagnosis, the severity of mental health problems and cognitive functions. Dr. Corbière is also evaluating the implementation of supported employment programs for people with mental illness in BC. This research will help programs tailor vocational support services to the needs of mental health consumers to ensure more people with mental illness are able to find and keep a job.
Adverse drug effects among persons using antiretroviral therapy for HIV Disease and impact on treatment patterns
Antiretroviral drugs successfully suppress the HIV virus and reduce mortality, but many people living with HIV and AIDS cannot benefit fully from the medication due to adverse side effects. These side effects make it difficult for people to take the drugs consistently, or at all. Many side effects do not become apparent until after people have taken antiretroviral drugs for a prolonged period. Dr. Katherine Heath is establishing a monitoring system to track adverse reactions to antiretroviral drugs, identify and describe newly emerging side effects, and assess the impact of these side effects on antiretroviral use in BC. Dr. Heath-based at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, which houses the only North-American population-based database of information on people using antiretroviral drugs-hopes her research will enable early detection of trends or new side effects, lead to early intervention and ultimately improve the health of people living with HIV and AIDS.
The effects of two training regimens on body balance, reaction time, muscle strength and bone strength in postmenopausal women with Osteoporosis: A six-month RCT
Because they have low bone mass, women with osteoporosis are at increased risk of fractures caused by falls. Reducing both bone loss and the risk of falling are essential in helping women prevent fractures. While previous research has shown that regular physical activity can optimize bone health and reduce the risk of falling by improving muscle strength, reaction time, and balance, little is known about what types of exercises are most effective. Teresa Liu-Ambrose is examining which exercise program works best for women who are at risk for falls: exercises that focus on either strength or agility, or programs that incorporate exercises for strength and agility equally. The findings from Teresa’s study will be incorporated into community-based exercise programs throughout BC to help women with osteoporosis reduce their risk of falls and fractures. In addition to improving quality of life for women with osteoporosis, a decrease in fractures would also lessen the enormous health care costs associated with fall-related injuries.
Culture, self-concept, and the presentation of distress: Implication for depression
A wide range of behaviours and physical symptoms can accompany depression. Cultural background may also influence how a person expresses depression symptoms. In China, where a low depression rate has long been reported, depressed patients are thought to be more likely to describe physical symptoms while de-emphasizing psychological problems; the reverse is true with non-Chinese in Canada. This raises the possibility that clinicians have misdiagnosed depressed Chinese patients. Andrew Ryder is investigating this possibility, focusing on the differences in the presentation of symptoms, as well as exploring larger theories about how self-concept and culture may affect the way patients experience and express depression. He hopes the research will increase the likelihood that Chinese-Canadian patients with depression receive appropriate diagnosis and care.
Epidemiology, genetics and molecular biology of a virulence-associated bacteriophage of Chalamydia pneumoniae
Dr. Karuna P. Karunakaran is exploring a mystery around how Chlamydia pneumoniae (an infectious bacteria) is implicated in atherosclerosis (hardening of the inside of the arteries). While a strong link has been established between C. pneumoniae and atherosclerosis, 60 to 80 per cent of the adult population is infected with the bacteria with no apparent ill effects. One explanation may be that some strains of the bacteria are more capable of causing vascular disease than others, due to genetic variation. In fact, one strain of C. pneumoniae has been shown to contain a bacteriophage, a virus that infects bacteria and integrates itself into the genetic code. Preliminary studies have indicated a strong association between vascular disease and the presence of this strain. Karuna is studying the biology of the implicated bacteriophage, and hopes to identify the strains of C. pneumoniae that may cause vascular disease. This may lead to effective design of a vaccine to combat vascular disease caused by infectious bacteria.
Endocrine mechanisms of bone mass and structural changes in prepubertal, over-and normal weight Asian and Caucasian boys: Associations with increased exercise and body composition
Based on her previous research on pediatric bone health, Dr. Kerry MacKelvie believes that perhaps the greatest hope for preventing osteoporosis in later life is to intervene during childhood. Kerry has studied how high impact exercise affects bone mass and structural changes during growth, and she has investigated the effects of ethnic background on bone health. Now Kerry is bringing together in one study an investigation of all the factors that may contribute to bone strength during childhood: exercise, hormones, body mass and composition, and ethnicity. She will study Asian and Caucasian boys who have not yet reached puberty, focusing on bone mass changes over time for both overweight boys and inactive boys. The study is particularly relevant to Vancouver’s population, as it will examine and compare ethnic-specific hormonal, body composition and bone mass changes during growth in both Asian and Caucasian children.