A growing body of evidence indicates that a lack of control over working conditions contributes significantly to poor health and that social networks have a positive impact on health. Amber Louie is building on that research by analyzing the impact of organizational restructuring and changing work conditions on health care workers. Amber is examining the barriers to workers’ control in the health care sector, and the factors that facilitate or serve as incentives for workers’ control. She is also investigating the relative effectiveness of the various forms that workers’ control may take. The research involves interviewing community health workers to assess individual perceptions about social support, participation in decision-making and other factors that affect their working conditions. The study could provide important information for health care practitioners, human resource managers and community developers to use in the design, implementation and evaluation of workplace and community health promotion programs.
Year: 2004
Mechanism of myocardial dysfunction in sepsis
More people die each year from sepsis, a severe, overwhelming infection and inflammation, than from breast or colon cancer. The infection is also 20 times more deadly than a heart attack. Septic shock (severe sepsis) causes multiple organ failure and is the leading cause of death in North American intensive care units. Sepsis impairs the heart’s ability to use oxygen, which is necessary for the heart to pump normally. Dr. Ryon Bateman is investigating whether damage to capillaries (the smallest blood vessels) prevents oxygen from being delivered within the heart or whether dysfunction of the mitochondria (the parts of the cell that consume oxygen) prevents oxygen from being used by the heart. Dr. Bateman is using advanced microscopic imaging techniques to generate three-dimensional images of heart capillaries to look for changes in their number and spacing. He is also assessing whether regions of the heart with low oxygen have tissue damage, and if mitochondria are damaged in these regions. The research could explain why the heart is damaged during sepsis, leading to new treatments for critically ill septic patients.
The identification and characterization of candidate Bardet-Biedl Syndrome genes and/or genes specifically involved in ciliary functions
Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a complex genetic disease with symptoms that include obesity, blindness and kidney dysfunction. Although seven genes linked to the disease have been cloned, the molecular origin of the syndrome remains unclear. Using Caenorhabitis elegans (a tiny worm) as a model for BBS, Dr. Oliver Blacque’s previous research contributed to the finding that a primary cause of the disease is likely to be malfunctioning cilia, which are finger-like projections that naturally protrude from many human cells. Cilia malfunction has also been shown to cause other conditions including polycystic kidney disease and retinal degeneration. Dr. Blacque is now investigating how cilia operate at the molecular level. He is using tools of bioinformatics (management of biological information with computer technology) and genomics (study of genes) to identify proteins that operate exclusively in cilia and to investigate their functions. The research could improve understanding of the role of cilia in human disease and lead to the discovery of new proteins that cause Bardet-Biedl syndrome and other cilia-related diseases.
Neuromuscular control of the head and neck in whiplash injuries
Whiplash injuries can result from the sudden backward and forward whipping movement of the neck. The injuries vary widely from temporary symptoms that resolve themselves to chronic and debilitating head, neck, shoulder, or arm pain. Women are more likely to develop symptoms after a car collision than men. Despite the high incidence and increasing costs associated with whiplash, these injuries are poorly understood. Dr. Jean-Sébastien Blouin is researching the role of neck muscle responses in whiplash injuries and the factors that make women more susceptible to whiplash symptoms. He is also investigating whether people with spinal cord injuries can maintain head stability during rear-end collisions because the lower back proprioceptors are possible triggers of the neck muscle responses, which are delayed or absent in this population. Results from this research could contribute to development of assistive devices for new cars and help reduce the risk of whiplash injuries.
Molecular mechanisms of salmonella subversion of host cell membrane traffic
Salmonella bacteria cause typhoid fever, a frequently fatal infectious condition that is common in the developing world. It also causes gastroenteritis, inflammation of the stomach and intestine. Acquired from contaminated food or water, the bacteria infect and interfere with normal function of cells in the stomach and intestine to cause disease. But precisely how this process occurs is largely unknown. Dr. Nathaniel Brown is studying the function of SifA, a bacterial factor known to play an important role in Salmonella-related disease. Dr. Brown is investigating how Salmonella uses SifA to survive and multiply inside host cells. Results from the research could improve understanding of how Salmonella causes disease and potentially be used to develop new treatments for typhoid fever and gastroenteritis.
Regulation of Rho GTPases by integrin-linked kinase
Cell surface proteins regulate interaction between cells and the material surrounding them called the extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM adheres cells together and buffers them from their environment. Interactions between these proteins and the ECM generate signals that regulate cell movement and survival. A key step in the evolution of cancer is the ability of cancer cells to evade attaching to the extracellular matrix, which allows them to detach from the primary tumour site and metastasize (move to other parts of the body). Dr. Nolan Filipenko is studying integrin linked kinase (ILK), a protein that is directly involved in cell survival and movement. The way ILK regulates cell survival is well understood, but less is known about how ILK regulates cell movement. Dr. Filipenko is investigating how ILK controls cell migration and invasion, research that could ultimately lead to new therapies for treating metastatic disease.
Identification and characterization of the Salmonella pathogenicity island -2 effectors
Diseases caused by Salmonella bacteria create major health problems throughout the world. Each year, 16 million cases of typhoid fever caused by salmonella worldwide result in 600,000 deaths. Salmonella has also developed increasing resistance to antibiotics. Recent research shows that Salmonella, as well as other related bacteria, use special bacterial proteins called “”effectors”” to facilitate the infection process. These effectors were found to play key roles in the interaction between the host and the bacteria. Dr. Ohad Gal-Mor aims to identify new effectors used by Salmonella typhimurium and to characterize their function. The research could help explain how effectors enable Salmonella to create disease, and contribute to new therapies for controlling bacterial infections.
Analysis of nuclear and cytoplasmic Mcl-1 protein complexes
Tissues in multi-cellular organisms maintain a state of equilibrium (homeostasis) through a delicate balance between controlled cell growth and programmed cell death (apoptosis). Programmed cell death is required to remove superfluous, damaged or harmful cells. Uncontrolled cell growth can lead to cancer, autoimmune disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. The BCL-2 family of proteins tightly regulates the cell death process. Dr. Marc Germain is investigating their role in cell death. One of these proteins, Mcl-1, prevents cell death and also seems to have a role in controlling cell division. Dr. Germain is examining how different forms of this protein control the body’s equilibrium, which could improve understanding of how cancer develops and potentially lead to new anti-cancer drugs.
Regulation of energy balance in Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase-1 deficiency
Until recently, it was believed that the body burned fat only in response to hormones in the blood. However, new evidence shows that neurotransmitters in the brain play an active role in controlling energy use. Dr. William Gibson is studying how the brain uses the liver to control fat burning. He is investigating how the brain reduces activity of the SCD-1 enzyme (steroyl-CoA desaturase-1) to increase fat burning. Findings from this research may help to explain the molecular basis of human obesity, and lead to safe methods for reducing fat storage in people who are overweight and obese. Dr. Gibson also has a clinical interest in rare, monogenic obesity syndromes.
Functional analysis of the macular degeneration protein ELOVL4
Mutations in the ELOVL4 gene have been linked with a form of macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the developed world. Blindness occurs as a result of a breakdown of the macula, the part of the retina that is responsible for central vision. Researchers can genetically identify families with the disease and describe the genetic mutations that lead to blindness. But how the ELOVL4 gene contributes to normal vision and how mutations cause retina cells to malfunction are unknown. A clue to the function of ELOVL4 lies in its similarity to other genes that help produce fatty acids, which are used to make hormones and the membranes that hold cells together. Fatty acids are particularly important in photoreceptor cells, which are fundamental for vision. Dr. Celene Grayson is investigating the role of ELOVL4 in the healthy retina and how mutations cause blindness. Results from the research could improve understanding of the gene’s function and lead to new treatments for patients with macular degeneration.