Source of story: MS Canada website
Summary: Researchers find that a non-drug based treatment approach called acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH), which consists of short periods of reduced oxygen, reduces inflammation, protects nerve fibres, and promotes repair in mice with multiple sclerosis-like disease. While the findings of this study are promising, further research will need to assess whether this treatment has the same effect in people with MS.
Continue readingPost-Doctoral Researcher Positions are available to work on a newly funded Neuropsychiatry Team Research Program at the University of Western Ontario. Our program will be investigating the effects of adolescent exposure to nicotine on increased risk for developing mood and anxiety disorders in later life (see Addiction Biology, 26(2):e12891; Cerebral Cortex, 29:3140-3153; Neuropsychopharmacology, 39:2799-815, Drug Alcohol Depend, 215:108215). Experiments will comprise an integrative combination of functional brain imaging with fMRI, connectomics using diffusion tensor imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy measuring neurotransmitter levels in various neural targets of interest, including the prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum. Studies will also use genomic approaches to examine and identify genetic biomarkers for nicotine-related and mood/anxiety disorder risks. Research will be conducted in patient populations with histories of adolescent nicotine exposure and mood/anxiety disorders selected from local clinics.
Selected applicants will have the opportunity to learn multiple neuroscience and neuropsychiatry-based research techniques while working in a team of leading experts in the fields of neuroimaging, neurodevelopment, behavioural neuroscience, genomics and mood/anxiety disorders.
We encourage applications from candidates with expertise in clinical neuropsychiatry, preferably with backgrounds in neuroimaging and/or genomic analyses.
Interested applicants should send expressions of interest and a current C.V. to: AddictionResearchGroup@protonmail.com
Post-Doctoral Researcher Positions are available to work on a newly funded Neuropsychiatry Team Research Program at the University of Western Ontario. Our program will be investigating the effects of adolescent exposure to nicotine on increased risk for developing mood and anxiety disorders in later life (see Addiction Biology, 26(2):e12891; Cerebral Cortex, 29:3140-3153; Neuropsychopharmacology, 39:2799-815, Drug Alcohol Depend, 215:108215). Experiments will comprise an integrative combination of studies using pre-clinical rodent models (nicotine vaping exposure), neuroimaging, behavioural pharmacology, molecular analyses and in vivo neuronal electrophysiology. Pre-clinical studies will be translated into human imaging studies (magnetic resonance spectroscopy, diffusion tensor imaging, fMRI and genomic analyses) in patient populations with histories of adolescent nicotine exposure and mood/anxiety disorders.
Selected applicants will have the opportunity to learn multiple neuroscience and neuropsychiatry-based research techniques while working in a team of leading experts in the fields of neuroimaging, neurodevelopment, behavioural neuroscience, genomics and mood/anxiety disorders. We encourage applications from candidates with expertise in pre-clinical fields of neuroscience, preferably with backgrounds in translational neuropsychiatry research, behavioural pharmacology and neuronal electrophysiology.
Interested applicants should send expressions of interest and a current C.V. to: AddictionResearchGroup@protonmail.com
Applications now accepted for
The Neuro-Irv and Helga Cooper Foundation Open Science Prizes, sponsored by the Irv and Helga Cooper Foundation, is an initiative in its third year from The Neuro’s Tanenbaum Open Science Institute.
The Prizes Recognize projects, services, tools, and platforms that unlock the power of Open Science in neuroscience to advance research, innovation, and collaboration for the benefit of health and society.
View more information about the International Prize and the Trainee prizes on the Neuro website:
Application deadline: September 10, 2023
Applications and reference letters due by 23:59 EDT
Moises Freitas-Andrade, Baptiste Lacoste
Title of publication : Astroglial Hmgb1 regulates postnatal astrocyte morphogenesis and cerebrovascular maturation.
First author : Dr. Moises Freitas-Andrade
A new publication from Dr. Baptiste Lacoste’s laboratory at University of Ottawa identifies a previously unknown mechanism controlling the interaction between astrocytes and blood vessels in the brain.
Serving as bridges between neurons and blood vessels in the brain, astrocytes (a type of glial cells) send specialized extensions or ‘endfeet’ around blood vessels to help shape these vessels during development and later control cerebral blood flow (CBF). Astrocytes belong to the ‘neurovascular unit’ (NVU), a multi-cellular ensemble serving as a hub for neurovascular interactions. Despite a wealth of knowledge on astrocytes, and while we know these cells become mature after birth, little is known about the mechanisms driving their recruitment around brain blood vessels, or about their contribution to blood vessel maturation.
In this study, Dr. Lacoste’s team addresses these knowledge gaps not only by thoroughly characterizing the time course of astrocyte-blood vessel interactions in the early postnatal mouse brain, but also by assessing gene expression changes in astrocytes during that period. Doing so, the researchers identify an important molecular player produced by astrocytes, namely HMGB1, which controls their morphology, their placement around blood vessels, and the maturation of NVU.
Using genetic tools to block the production of HMGB1 protein selectively in astrocytes early after birth, Dr. Lacoste’s team shows that HMGB1 controls astrocyte morphogenesis and the maturation of endfeet around blood vessels. Lack of HMGB1 in astrocytes at birth impaired blood vessel maturation and resulted in surprising alterations of behavior in adult mice, that displayed an anxiety-like phenotype.
This study thus identifies a previously unknown mechanism controlling the interaction between astrocytes and blood vessels in the brain, helping scientists to better understand postnatal brain development and the contribution of non-neuronal cells to this process.
Publication: Freitas-Andrade, M., Comin, C.H., Van Dyken, P. et al. Astroglial Hmgb1 regulates postnatal astrocyte morphogenesis and cerebrovascular maturation. Nat Commun 14, 4965 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40682-3
https://www.uoguelph.ca/facultyjobs/postings/ad23-41.shtml
Faculty Positions
Position Title / Rank: Assistant Professor in Molecular and Cellular Biology
College: College of Biological Science
Department: Molecular and Cellular Biology
Date Posted: July 13, 2023
Deadline: September 14, 2023
Please reference AD #23-41
The Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Guelph invites applications from Black scholars for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor. We are seeking outstanding candidates whose research interests will complement existing strengths in the Department. The successful applicant is expected to establish an innovative and sustainable research program that will integrate with and expand the Department’s research strengths and offer new avenues for collaboration. We are particularly interested in candidates with research expertise in the following areas, especially those that bridge more than one:
Qualifications include a Ph.D., a preferred minimum of three years of relevant postdoctoral experience, a proven record of research excellence evident in high-quality publications and demonstrated potential to establish a competitive independent research program and secure external research funding. The successful candidate will join a dynamic, multidisciplinary, research-intensive department with 40 faculty members who study diverse biological systems at levels from molecules to cells that include Biochemistry, Microbiology, Molecular Biology & Genetics, and Neuroscience and contributes to programs in Biological Science, Biomedical Science, and Plant Science. Faculty within the College of Biological Science are members of the Advanced Analysis Centre, which houses state-of-the-art equipment that include facilities for solution- and solid-state NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, electron and confocal microscopy, and genomics. Graduate student training activities are focused on M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Molecular and Cellular Biology, and faculty members also participate in programs such as Biotechnology, Biophysics, Bioinformatics, Neuroscience, Plant Science, and Toxicology.
Applicants must also demonstrate a commitment to effective and innovative teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The successful candidate will teach courses or parts of courses in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology to a diverse population of undergraduate and graduate students. At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion (https://uoguel.ph/ox2p9), critical thinking, solving complex problems, and creating a modern academic community. The willingness to work collaboratively with faculty and mentor students from various disciplines, cultures, and educational backgrounds is essential. The Department is a collegial, inclusive, and welcoming environment that values diversity and wellness among our members as key ingredients in our collective success. Therefore, the University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including groups traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to the further diver sification of our Institution.
This tenure-track faculty position is part of the University of Guelph’s Black and Indigenous Hiring Initiative. Launched in June 2022, the Black and Indigenous Hiring Initiative (BIHI) calls for hiring fifteen or more Black and Indigenous faculty and four or more Black and Indigenous professional staff across the University of Guelph during the next three years. The faculty and staff positions will be filled in areas that support the advancement of Black and Indigenous academic excellence and the University of Guelph’s commitments to inclusion, anti-racism, indigenization and decolonization.
The University of Guelph and the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology seek qualified individuals who identify as persons of Black African or Caribbean descent. Applicants will be asked to self-identify through the Applicant Tracking Questionnaire (ATQ) facilitated by Diversity and Human Rights. We acknowledge the burden often placed on Black and Indigenous faculty regarding Indigenization, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in workplaces and the challenges inherent to engaging in work that runs counter to entrenched paradigms. We also acknowledge how holding non-traditional research programs, conducting community-engaged research, holding traditional knowledge, community relationships, etc., can adversely impact researchers with respect to conventional measures of academic excellence.
The University of Guelph is the third largest employer in Guelph, a city of approximately 130,000 people, located about an hour drive west of Toronto, Ontario. University of Guelph is a top-ranked comprehensive university in Canada with an enrolment of over 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across over 40 academic units. The University is known for its commitment to student learning, innovative research, and collaboration with world-class partners. It is a unique place, with transformative research and teaching and a distinctive campus culture. People who learn and work here are shaped and inspired by a shared purpose: To Improve Life. Reflecting that shared purpose in every experience connected to our university positions us to create positive change, here and around the world. Our university community shares a profound sense of social responsibility, a drive for international development, and an obligation to address global issues.
Application Process
Assessment of applications will begin on September 14, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled. Interested candidates should submit the following materials as a single PDF file: (1) a cover letter indicating area(s) of research focus; (2) a curriculum vitae; (3) an overview of the proposed research program (max. 1500 words; see below for additional details); (4) a teaching statement (max. 500 words); (5) a separate statement describing the strategies you will use to promote inclusion and support a diverse community in your research lab and classrooms (max. 500 words); and (6) contact information of three references.
Applications should be sent by email to the attention of:
Dr. Cezar Khursigara
Professor and Department Chair
Molecular and Cellular Biology
College of Biological Science
University of Guelph
Guelph, ON N1G 2W1
Email:mcbchair@uoguelph.ca
The overview of the proposed research statement should be a maximum length of two pages. This statement should:
All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
The University recognizes that applicants may have had obligations outside of work that have negatively impacted their record of achievements (e.g., parental, elder care, and/or medical). You are not required to disclose these obligations in the hiring process. If you choose to do so, the University will ensure that these obligations do not negatively impact the assessment of your qualifications for the position.
The University of Guelph resides on the ancestral lands of the Attawandaron people and the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit and we offer our respect to our Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Métis neighbours as we strive to strengthen our relationships with them.
At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion (https://uoguel.ph/ox2p9) is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.
If you require a medical accommodation during the recruitment or selection process, please contact Occupational Health and Wellness at 519-824-4120 x52674.
The Canadian Association for Neuroscience is proud to announce its support of the ThinkSci Outreach Program with a 2023 CAN Advocacy and Outreach award.
The “ThinkSci Outreach Program” is a workshop-based initiative organized and led by undergraduate and graduate students, with the goal of immersing high school seniors and 1st year CÉGEP students into the world of neurophysiology. Its long term goal is to reach local, regional and national underrepresented student communities in Canada. Continue reading
CAN is sharing with you the brief we have submitted to the House of Commons Finance (FINA), which is currently holding its consultations in advance of federal budget 2024. – our three recommendations are
The Canadian Association for Neuroscience recommends the following:
Recommendation 1: That the government double the budgets of the three main federal funding agencies: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for the benefit of all Canadians. This recommendation aims to bring Canadian investment in scientific research to a level commensurate to that of other G7 countries.
Recommendation 2: That the government of Canada double support for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows by increasing both the value and number of fellowships awarded in the next budget. In conjunction with Recommendation 1, this recommendation will ensure our next generation of scientists have the means to participate fully in Canada’s knowledge economy.
Recommendation 3: That the government of Canada make research on the Brain and Mental Health a national priority by investing in research to understand the brain through well-established and trusted organizations in the field.
Read our full submission for the FINA pre-budget submission here: Continue reading
Position Profile:
The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, at Western University, is inviting applications for the position of Earl Russell Chair in Pain Management. The successful candidate will take a leadership role as the Earl Russell Chair in Pain Management through their research program. Applicants should have: 1) familiarity with, and deep commitment to the treatment of pain 2) experience and expertise in working in an interdisciplinary setting 3) leadership skills and experience in creating an effective team to study pain, 4) well developed teaching and interpersonal skills, and 5) an accomplished research track-record in pain. The successful candidate will be appointed in the department that most appropriately fits their expertise with a potential cross appointment in a relevant basic science department.
Academic and Clinical Expectations:
The candidate will have protected research time within the appointed department. Clinicians who have a devoted research commitment to studying pain, and fellowship training or clinical experience with treating pain patients, are encouraged to apply. Clinical duties and expectations to be determined by the clinical academic department.
Qualifications:
The ideal candidate will have an MD or equivalent degree and will hold or be appointed at the rank of Associate or Full Professor with continuing (Clinical Academic) appointment, depending on qualifications and experience. The successful candidate will have completed a residency from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or equivalent and fellowship training in a field related to pain medicine. The candidate should have or be eligible for registration by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and should have or be eligible to attain active hospital privileges at London Health Sciences Centre and/or St. Joseph’s Health Care London.
Compensation Details:
The Chair appointment is for a five-year period, with the possibility of renewal for one additional term pending review recommendation. Compensation will be based on qualifications and experience and will be composed primarily of the following sources: fee for service, alternative funding plan and academic support.
The City:
London, Ontario is Canada’s 10th largest city with a population of 400,000, a catchment area of 2.4 million, and is situated in southwestern Ontario between Toronto and Detroit. The region has a strong economy and excellent primary and secondary school systems for residents with children. It is a safe and culturally diverse city. With parks, tree-lined streets and bicycle trails, London is known as the “Forest City”. London boasts an international airport, galleries, theatre, music, and sporting events. See www.ledc.com/why-london to learn more.
The University:
Western University is a research-intensive university with full-time enrolment of 34,000 students and a full range of academic and professional programs. The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry provides an outstanding educational experience within a research-intensive environment where tomorrow’s physicians, dentists and health researchers learn to be socially responsible leaders in the advancement of human health. Western has extensive strengths in neuroscience and a thriving graduate program in neuroscience that provided a foundation for the establishment of the Western Institute of Neuroscience in 2022. The successful candidate will have access to research facilities and state-of-the-art instrument cores at Western that have been supported through major recent investments. These facilities and cores include but not limited to, a Biomedical Research Facility for animal housing (opens in 2023), a Neurobehavioral Core, a Western Advanced Microscopy Core, a Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping that includes 3T up to ultra-high field MRI imaging, and a new containment level 3 facility for imaging pathogens for knowledge translation.
St. Joseph’s Health Care hosts a multidisciplinary pain clinic seeing over 1000 new patients each year while a robust functional neurological program is situated at the University hospital. Dedicated clinical services for pain management include a multidisciplinary pain clinic and a functional neurosurgery program which both offer opportunities for patient recruitment to clinical studies.
With roots going back a century and a half, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is one of Canada’s largest research-intensive acute tertiary and quaternary care teaching hospitals. Attracting top clinicians and researchers from around the globe, we excel in specialized care programs and services. As leaders in innovation and health system transformation, we advance health care for patients in Ontario, our nation, and the world.
To apply:
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Review of applications will begin after August 1, 2023, with an anticipated start date of January 1, 2024, or as negotiated.
Interested candidates should send a letter of intent that includes
a) an overview of past research and description of proposed research plan,
b) plan to build collaborations, networks, and knowledge translation locally and beyond,
c) history and commitment to mentorship,
d) statement on commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, along with a curriculum vitae, and the names and contact information of three referees and also complete, sign and include the form at the following link: http://uwo.ca/facultyrelations/physicians/Application_FullTime_Clinical.pdf
to:
Dale W. Laird, PhD, Assistant Dean, Research Chairs and Awards
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Clinical Skills Building, Western University
London, Ontario CANADA N6A 5C1
E-mail: selection.committee@schulich.uwo.ca
Business Addresses:
Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, N., London, Ontario N6A 5B8, www.uwo.ca;
London Health Sciences Centre, 800 Commissioners Road E., London Ontario, N6A 5W9, www.lhsc.on.ca;
St. Joseph’s Health Care London, 268 Grosvenor Street, London Ontario, N6A 4V2, www.sjhc.london.on.ca
Positions are subject to budget approval. Applicants should have fluent written and oral communication skills in English. The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.
In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodation for interviews or other meetings, please contact the Selection Committee at 519-661-2111 ext. 88141.
Posting end date: 2023/07/31
Dr. Baptiste Lacoste wants to find out what’s going wrong with the blood vessels in the autistic brain. His team was the first to discover that these blood vessels don’t work properly in mouse models of autism, and there’s some cellular evidence that this happens in humans as well. Now, in a new study published in Cell Reports, the team has found that blood vessel problems in this mouse model cause the brain to absorb glucose at a much higher rate than a neurotypical brain, consistent with less efficient metabolism. Continue reading
