Mechanisms underlying efficient coding of natural stimuli revealed

Maurice Chacron
Maurice Chacron

Researchers at McGill University have discovered that feedback pathways enable sensory neurons to respond to weak sensory input in order to lead to perception.
Published in PLoS Biology, their study shows that feedback pathways, which are seen ubiquitously across sensory systems and account for 90-95% of input onto sensory neurons, are necessary to generate neural responses and perception of weak sensory input that would otherwise not be detected by the organism. These results thus reveal an elegant mechanism by which the brain processes sensory information, which is critical for understanding brain function at large. Continue reading

Clinical Neuropsychologist/Clinical Psychologist, University of Saskatchewan

Applications are invited for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor for a Clinical Neuropsychologist/Clinical Psychologist in the Department of Medicine (Royal University Hospital) at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada.

The successful candidate should be comfortable performing psychological assessments including neuropsychological assessments, psychological assessments, and non-motor assessments used for research on dementia and non-motor functions of persons with movement disorders; be willing and able to supervise student research projects at the undergraduate and graduate levels; initiate, lead and participate in research activities relevant to the Saskatchewan Movement Disorders program; successfully compete for external funding to support the research endeavor. The applicant will be expected to work closely with members of the Saskatchewan Movement Disorders Program.

The successful candidate will be expected to establish a competitive research program that would align closely with the mandate and vision of the Saskatchewan Movement Disorders Program. There will be protected time for research, but the position would also provide opportunities for teaching of undergraduates, graduate students and resident physicians. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to collaborate with others with overlapping research interests in the Division of Neurology. The successful candidate will be invited to join the Neuroscience Research Cluster, comprised of more than 20 basic science and clinical faculty with broad research interests in neuroscience (see www.neuroscience.usask.ca). The cluster is housed within state-of-the-art research space in the new Academic Health Sciences building on campus. Full access to a rodent vivarium with space for behavioral testing will be made available, as well as tissue culture, molecular biology, histology, and imaging equipment. Finally, there is a potential for collaboration and mentorship from a clinical neuropsychologist in the Graduate Program in Clinical Psychology in Arts and Science.

Movement Disorders Clinic Saskatchewan, established in 1968, is the longest continuous running movement disorders program in Canada. Longitudinal clinical observations have been followed by autopsy studies of the brains from those cases for many years. Brain material, including frozen brain tissue on more than 250 movement disorder cases, are available for research studies. Seminal work on Parkinson’s disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, dystonia and essential tremor has been done using this unique resource (Rajput AH, Rajput A. Saskatchewan Movement Disorders Program. Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences 2015 Mar;42(2):74-87. doi: 10.1017/cjn.2015.13. PMID: 25804247 Free PMC Article). While the program has many outside collaborators, the well-documented clinical course of these patients makes this resource uniquely valuable. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to this initiative.

The University of Saskatchewan’s main campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. The University of Saskatchewan is located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, a city with a diverse and thriving economic base, a vibrant arts community and a full range of leisure opportunities. The University has a reputation for excellence in teaching, research and scholarly activities and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs to a student population of over 24,000.

Requirements for the position include:

  1. Completed Ph.D. or Psy.D. with specialization in clinical psychology, which includes completion of an accredited (or equivalent) predoctoral residency. Preference will be given to applicants with training in clinical neuropsychology.
  2. Eligibility to readily obtain doctoral level registration with the Saskatchewan College of Psychologists (R.D. Psych) which includes the Authorized Practice Endorsement (APE) to provide mental health diagnoses
  3. Evidence of effectiveness in clinical practice and applied research

We are seeking candidates who have an interest and ability to engage in scholarly activities. The candidate must have demonstrated ability or strong potential to compete for external funding and establish an independent program of research. The successful candidate must be proficient in performing and interpreting clinically relevant psychometric testing, including neuropsychological tests of cognitive function and assessment of mood. The candidate should also be familiar with other tests to assess non-motor functions (e.g. sleep). A proven track record of research relevant to neurology and of movement disorders (e.g. Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, etc.) is desired. Evidence of independent funding and supervision of students are also assets but not an absolute requirement.

Current salary bands for this post are as follows: Assistant Professor – $93,293 – $112,109; Associate Professor – $112,109 – $130,925 and Professor – $130,925 – $152,877). This position comes with a comprehensive benefits package which includes pension plan, life insurance (compulsory and voluntary), academic long term disability, sick leave, travel insurance, death benefit, dental plan, extended health and vision care plan, employee assistance program and flexible health and wellness spending program.

Interested candidates must submit, via email: a cover letter; detailed curriculum vitae; three letters of reference; and any supporting documents to:
Dr. Alex Rajput
Head, Division of Neurology
Director, Movement Disorders Program
Department of Medicine
Royal University Hospital
103 Hospital Drive
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK S7N 0W8
Tel: (306) 844-1411
Email: alex.rajput@usask.ca

Understanding the origin of Alzheimer’s, looking for a cure

Gilbert BernierResearchers at Université de Montréal look at the promising role played by the BMI1 gene, which could someday help mitigate or even reverse the disease.

After a decade of work, a team led by Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont researcher and Université de Montréal associate professor Dr. Gilbert Bernier has shed promising light on the origin of the most common and prevalent form of Alzheimer’s disease, hoping to someday help mitigate or even reverse the progress of the disease. The team’s results are published in the prestigious scientific journal Cell Reports. Continue reading

As harmful as dehydration?

Charles Bourque
Charles Bourque

Researchers uncover mechanisms of overhydration leading to hyponatremia – a common condition in patients after a traumatic brain injury

We are all familiar with the drawbacks of dehydration, but we rarely hear about the harmful effects of overhydration. It is known that excess fluid accumulation can lead to dangerously low sodium levels in the blood or hyponatremia – a life-threatening condition that can result in brain swelling. Similarly, more is known about the mechanisms in the body that detect and drive thirst while little is known about how the brain detects a state of overhydration.

Continue reading

Diabetes drugs show promise to treat symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Discovery of a pathway linking Alzheimer’s disease and Type 2 Diabetes leads to new strategies to preserve brain health.

Fernanda De Felice at Queen’s University has discovered a disease mechanism common to Alzheimer’s disease and Type 2 Diabetes.  This mechanism, which consist of a pathway leading to inflammation in different parts of the brain, leads to glucose intolerance, memory impairments and degeneration of the connections between neurons, called synapses.  This discovery can lead the way to new therapies to preserve brain health.  These results were presented at the 2018 Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, in Vancouver, May 16th, 2018. Continue reading

Stroke: Researchers shed light on the brain recovery process and new treatment strategies.

Researchers at UBC show that two types of cells, astrocytes and pericytes, cooperate to regenerate cerebral blood vessels to restore blood flow in brain regions damaged by stroke.

Stroke is one of three leading causes of death in Canada and leads to permanent disability in about half of survivors.  During an ischemic stroke, there is a blockage of blood flow which results in cell death in a specific area or the brain.  Dr. Brian MacVicar and Dr. Louis-Philippe Bernier at the University of British Columbia has recently discovered how two types of cells, called astrocytes and pericytes, work together to regenerate blood flow in the areas affected by these strokes (called ischemic areas).  These results were presented at the 2018 Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, in Vancouver, May 16th, 2018. Continue reading

Canadian researchers find key players for building and repairing the brain

Understanding how the brain is built during development leads to new therapeutic approaches for repairing brain injury.

Research by Dr. Freda Miller and her team at the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto has determined how brain stem cells and the environment they live within collaborate to build brain circuits during development, discoveries that have led to a better understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders in children.  The Miller lab and her basic research collaborators work closely with their clinical colleagues to harness this information and develop new approaches for treating brain injury.  These results were presented at the 2018 Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, in Vancouver, May 15th, 2018. Continue reading

An energy dense diet changes the brain and increases urge to eat

Rats eating a “cafeteria-diet” show changes in the brain regions that integrate information about food and determines eating behaviour.

Research by Stephanie Borgland at the University of Calgary shows that giving rats unrestricted access to unhealthy foods for extended periods not only leads to obesity, but also to brain changes that makes food more attractive to them, even when their hunger should be satisfied.  Specifically, Dr. Borgland’s research identified modifications in endocannabinoid signalling in a brain region called the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of these obese rats. These unpublished results were presented at the 2018 Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, in Vancouver, May 15th, 2018. Continue reading

Child abuse has lasting effects in brain region regulating mood and emotions

Cellular and molecular modifications in the brain of child abuse victims could explain their increased vulnerability to stress-related psychiatric disorders, including depression and suicide

Psychiatrists have long known that child abuse increases a person’s lifetime risk of psychiatric illness, including depression and suicide. New research by Naguib Mechawar and Gustavo Turecki from the McGill Group for Suicide Studies offers some explanation of the process through which abuse lastingly modifies brain wiring. Their research, which compare the brains of depressed suicides with or without a history of severe child abuse, and of healthy controls, identified important modifications in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC), a brain region critical for the regulation of moods and emotions. These findings were presented at the 2018 Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, in Vancouver, May 14th, 2018. Continue reading