Congratulations to the newly elected CAN executives!
Board members:
A postdoctoral position is available in the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit and the Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain (AECRP) at McGill University under the supervision of Drs. Yoram Shir and Arkady Khoutorsky. We are looking for an independent and motivated researcher to work on multiple projects related to the role of the gut microbiome in different chronic pain conditions. The projects involve both clinical and basic science approaches, with the goal to characterize changes in the gut microbiome in chronic pain in humans, investigate the role of these changes in mediating pain and related co-morbidities, and develop strategies targeting the microbiome to alleviate pain. More details can be found here: https://www.mcgill.ca/painresearch/yoram-shir, http://arkady-khoutorsky.lab.mcgill.ca/ and https://www.mcgill.ca/painresearch/amir-minerbi .
The AECRP at McGill University hosts numerous clinical and basis science researchers covering a wide range of interests and expertise in the field of pain and creating a highly stimulating environment. Montreal is a vibrant, cosmopolitan, and affordable city with one of the strongest neuroscience communities in North America.
Highly motivated and independent individuals with a solid publication record are encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to candidates with experience in pain and/or microbiome research. The position would involve work on several basic science and clinical projects as part of a multidisciplinary team. Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills are required.
Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, a CV, and names & contact information of at least two referees to Yoram.Shir.med@ssss.gouv.qc.ca, arkady.khoutorsky@mcgill.ca.
The Martin Lab (www.martinpainlab.com) in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto has a postdoctoral position available for an independent, highly motivated, and enthusiastic individual to study the synaptic basis and circuits of complex behaviour. The successful candidate will join a vibrant, highly collaborative, dynamic well-funded laboratory located on the Mississauga Campus of the University of Toronto.
The long-term objectives of our lab are to study and understand the endogenous mechanisms of pain modulation by social and cognitive factors. We are especially interested in the associations formed during the pain experience and use classical conditioning approaches to understand the learning mechanisms of pain sensitivity and pain relief as well as the contribution of fear to pain processing (Martin et al., 2019, Curr Biol). The candidate will use a combination of viral tract tracing, electrophysiology, and optical techniques to identify the cellular and circuit mechanisms that control pain following conditioning to noxious stimuli and analgesic drugs.
Qualified postdoctoral candidates should have experience with mouse models, viral vectors, in vitro (patch-clamp) electrophysiological techniques, in vivo optogenetics or fibre photometry. Experience with molecular biology and/or immunohistochemistry are strong assets. Strong background in R language and using R packages to analyze connectome data. Familiarity with Python/MATLAB for spike and waveform analysis is also advantageous.
To apply, please send a brief statement of research interests, CV, and contact information for 3 references to
lj.martin@utoronto.ca.
Contact information Loren J. Martin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, University of Toronto Mississauga
Tier II Canada Research Chair in Translational Pain Research
Department of Psychology, CCT Building, Room 4065
3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6
Seeking a highly skilled imaging specialist for the Cell Biology and Imaging Analysis (CBIA) core facility at the University of Ottawa.
Contact information
john.copeland@uottawa.ca
Posting end date 2022/07/23
Read our latest newsletter to learn what CAN has been up to and our plans for the coming months!
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UCalgary clinical trial maps how we learn motor skills, and the results could be a game-changer for stroke rehabilitation.
This morning, you probably reached out of bed to turn off your alarm clock, and later brushed your teeth or buttoned a shirt. Those movements are routine; mundane, even. You are long past the point of wondering how you learned to do any of those things and don’t give a second thought to the complexity of what happened in your brain so that your arm could lift your cup of coffee. Continue reading
On June 6, the new House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research tabled its first ever report, as part of its study on “Successes, Challenges and Opportunities for Science in Canada”. The Canadian Association for Neuroscience (CAN) was one of sixteen organizations that submitted a written submission as part of the consultations. The Committee held meetings over the course of three months, which CAN closely followed, hearing from science and research organizations, post-secondary institutions, companies and government departments.
CAN welcomes all 13 of the recommendations made to government, and is pleased that one of our recommendations (An initial 25% boost to the budgets of the three granting councils followed by a 10% yearly increase) was specifically referenced in the report. Additionally, we are happy to see that the Committee has recognized the tremendous setback to Canada’s research ecosystem caused by the pandemic, and the impact of the rapid mobilization of resources to conduct COVID-19 research, sometimes at the expense of research on other health issues. Continue reading
We are happy to make the slides for the CAN Advocacy training presented May 13 over lunch in Toronto available
CAN Advocacy training presentation (PDF)
Sustaining a career that includes making two major scientific discoveries, winning a Gairdner Award, founding the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and a foray into health policy requires fuel — lots of it — and Dr. Samuel Weiss, PhD’83, knows how to find it.
From being dragged back to school by his mom for the third year of his undergrad in 1977, to being encouraged to bring his knowledge and expertise to Ottawa last year by Canada’s minister of mental health and addictions, Weiss says there was one driving force at play in every stage of his career: Inspiration.
Sport man suffering from backache at park outdoors, Lower back pain concept
Findings may lead to reconsideration of how we treat acute pain
Using anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids to relieve pain could increase the chances of developing chronic pain, according to researchers from McGill University and colleagues in Italy. Their research puts into question conventional practices used to alleviate pain. Normal recovery from a painful injury involves inflammation and blocking that inflammation with drugs could lead to harder-to-treat pain.
“For many decades it’s been standard medical practice to treat pain with anti-inflammatory drugs. But we found that this short-term fix could lead to longer-term problems,” says Jeffrey Mogil, a Professor in the Department of Psychology at McGill University and E. P. Taylor Chair in Pain Studies.
In the study published in Science Translational Medicine, the researchers examined the mechanisms of pain in both humans and mice. They found that neutrophils – a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infection – play a key role in resolving pain.
“In analyzing the genes of people suffering from lower back pain, we observed active changes in genes over time in people whose pain went away. Changes in the blood cells and their activity seemed to be the most important factor, especially in cells called neutrophils,” says Luda Diatchenko a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, and Canada Excellence Research Chair in Human Pain Genetics.
Read the full story on the McGill University website
