Harley Kurata wants to contribute to the development of highly specific drugs with low toxicity for treating arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). He’s focusing on potassium channels, the proteins that play a critically important role in regulating heartbeat. Because it is difficult to study potassium channels in isolated human heart cells, his research involves cloning genes to create these proteins in the laboratory. Kurata’s goal is to reveal how individual parts of the potassium channels are involved in regulating the channels’ function. He hopes the results can be applied to evaluation of current or potential anti-arrhythmia drugs. He also hopes that studying the effects of drugs on individual potassium channels will lead to new and more effective drugs to regulate irregular heartbeat.
Research Location: University of British Columbia - Point Grey
The Role of the Rap1 GTPase in B Lymphocyte Migration and Adhesion
Sarah McLeod is examining the role of a protein, Rap 1 GTPase, in regulating essential cells in the immune system. In her previous research, McLeod discovered that this protein activates after B cells bind with antigens (substances that stimulate an immune response). Now McLeod is furthering that research by studying whether activation of the protein regulates the B cell activity, which enables the cells to produce antibodies for defense against harmful microbes and other infectious agents. Determining the overall function of Rap 1 in B cells and understanding how the protein regulates B cell adhesion and migration may provide insights into how these processes are regulated in B cells and other cell types.
Metabolism and Inactivation of Glucagon by Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV (DPIV)
John Pospisilik’s research centres on glucagon, an important hormone involved in regulating blood sugar levels between meals. Glucagon prevents hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) by releasing sugar stored in liver, fat and muscle. While type 1 and type 2 diabetes both involve excessive release of glucagon, until recently, little was known about how the body inactivates and clears glucagons from the blood stream. Pospisilik contributed to research that showed the DP IV enzyme may inactivate glucagon. Now using state-of-the-art and conventional techniques, he is examining the process in which DP IV may inactivate and clear glucagon, and developing tools to measure active glucagon. He hopes this research will lead to novel treatments for diabetes.
The Role of Presenilin Genes in Learning and Memory in C. elegans may Reveal Early Occurring Memory Deficits in Alzheimer's Disease
Jacqueline Rose aims to answer crucial questions about learning and memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease. In the later stages of the disease, patients’ memory and cognitive abilities decrease, eventually leading to dementia and death. Early detection of Alzheimer’s is difficult because a large amount of brain dysfunction must occur before memory and cognitive disabilities become evident. However, researchers have been able to link mutations in a group of genes, called Presenilins, to the most aggressive form of Alzheimer’s, called Familial Alzheimer’s Disease. Two presenilin genes have been identified in the microscopic worm Caenorhabditis elegans. Rose is using C. elegans as a model to analyze how mutations in these genes affect learning and memory. She hopes knowledge from this research will help characterize learning and memory deficits of Alzheimer’s patients during the early stages of the disease.
Characterization of murine macrophage responses to Salmonella typhimurium infection
Carrie Rosenberger’s research focuses on Salmonella, the bacteria responsible for an estimated 16 million cases of typhoid fever worldwide each year. Research has shown that Salmonella typhimurium, a strain of the bacteria, causes widespread disease by penetrating the inner membrane of the intestinal wall and residing in macrophages (immune cells that normally help destroy bacteria). Rosenberger is investigating how Salmonella typhimurium avoids destruction by altering macrophage genes. To study the complex interactions between cells and the bacteria, she is using gene arrays, technology that enables simultaneous measurement of how hundreds of macrophage genes change during infection. Rosenberger hopes the research will increase understanding of how Salmonella causes disease and helps in the design of more effective treatments. She also hopes to broaden knowledge of how cells and pathogens (disease-producing organisms) interact.
Molecular Basis of Mammary Epithelial Cell Polarization
Aruna Somasiri has long been interested in how cells function at the molecular level. Somasiri believes understanding errors in cell regulation will provide the most valuable information in designing treatments for cancer. He’s contributing to that knowledge by investigating the process that causes benign cancer tumours to metastasize – travel from their original tissue and form secondary tumours that are difficult to eliminate. Research has revealed that certain disruptions to cellular activity influence this process. Somasiri aims to understand the normal process of differentiation – cells forming other cells – in breast cells. He hopes the research will reveal insights about how misregulation of the process can initiate breast cancer metastasis.
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.
Moment-to-Moment: Narratives of Mindfully Living-and-Dying
Anne Bruce’s research focused on the potential for mindfulness meditation to promote a better quality of living and dying by reducing stress and anxiety. Mindfulness meditation, which involves nonjudgmental and moment-to-moment awareness of change within a person’s mind and body, has been researched extensively for the last decade. But little research has been done on the experience of people with life-threatening illness and hospice caregivers who practice this form of meditation. At the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco, where care is based on mindfulness meditation, Anne conducted extensive fieldwork while working as a volunteer caregiver. Through in-depth unstructured conversations, she gained insights about new ways of understanding death and dying, and their meaning for those holding non-theistic, non-Western perspectives. Anne hopes findings from this research will help enhance understanding of mindfulness meditation as a self-care practice for people with life-threatening illness. Ultimately, she hopes her work will help program planners develop new models of hospice care and support services that address psychological and spiritual needs of people with life-threatening illness and their caregivers.
Menstrual pain and discomfort in adolescence: Socialization influences
Tina Wang’s interests in health psychology and peer influences prompted her to examine a problem that is a major cause of missed school days among adolescent girls – menstrual pain and discomfort. Most adolescents fail to manage their pain effectively. But virtually no research has been done on how adolescent girls influence each other’s attitudes towards pain. Wang’s study will focus on similarities and differences in the attitudes and coping behaviours of adolescent girls related to menstrual pain. Identifying peer influences could lead to the development of school programs that help adolescent girls manage menstrual pain more effectively, resulting in better health and fewer missed school days. Wang’s long-term goal is to contribute to women’s health by developing a better understanding of the social factors that influence health.