Two WCVM scientists attract SHRF research dollars for One Health projects
Two Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) researchers have received $150,000 each in support from the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) Establishment Grant program.
By Céline GrimardDr. Olamide Adebiyi (DVM, PhD) is an assistant professor of neuroscience in the WCVM Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences. Her research focuses on discovering ways to improve the lives of people living with multiple sclerosis.
Dr. Sarah Wood (DVM, PhD) holds the USask Pollinator Health Research Chair and is an associate professor in the WCVM Department of Veterinary Pathology. She’s studying honey bees to find better ways to support families affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
Stimulating the activity of neurons to restore myelin and improve cognition in mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS)
Saskatchewan has one of the highest rated areas of MS. Current treatments do not address cognitive decline; they only slow down the disease progression. This debilitating disease can cause problems with movement, sensation, vision, thinking and memory. These symptoms develop when there is damage to the myelin. Myelin sheaths are insulating layers around nerves in the body, including those in the brain and spinal cord. They help neurons (nerve cells) communicate efficiently.
Adebiyi is trying to understand how the brain repairs myelin, as 70 per cent of people with MS have cognitive impairments. She is studying mice to see if stimulating brain activity in a targeted way can not only speed up myelin healing but also bring back regular brain functions. Adebiyi and her research team are testing if activating certain brain cells in the mice may help to:
- clear out damaged myelin
- aid the brain in making new myelin more quickly
- reduce symptoms of MS
Results from this research study could eventually lead to new and improved treatments that will help people living with MS have better lives.
Study of honey bees as a model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)
FASD is a condition affecting individuals who were exposed to alcohol before birth, and while the disorder can have physical and mental impacts, it can be difficult to accurately diagnose.
In this study, Wood is working to establish the honey bee as a social animal model for FASD — an approach inspired by previous studies where scientists used honey bees to study autism. Wood and her graduate student, Maria Janser, will introduce ethanol to bee larvae in their diet and raise them to adulthood in the laboratory before re-introducing them into the hive setting. The WCVM researchers will study bee social behaviours as well as the genetics of the alcohol-exposed bees to get a greater understanding of FASD in bees as a model for humans.
In addition to behavioural assessments, Wood will examine gene expression in the brain of alcohol-exposed bees. She hopes to identify genetic pathways in the brains of ethanol-exposed bees that are distinct from the control group, which will give insights into the genetic pathways affected in the human brain.
Wood says there is still a significant amount of stigma about FASD and its ramifications. She hopes that this study’s use of honey bees can help remove or circumvent some of that stigma, and in the future, honey bees could also be considered as inexpensive models for testing new FASD therapies.
The following USask researchers also received funding through the SHRF Establishment Grant program.
Dr. Bryce Warner (PhD), Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO). Using novel cell culture and animal models to identify the drivers of disease in hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome – $149,564
Dr. Tyler Wenzel (PhD), College of Medicine. Developing a new technique to cure brain diseases with limited or no safe treatment options – $150,000
Dr. Tracey Carr (PhD), College of Medicine. How to keep family physicians in rural and remote Saskatchewan communities – $150,000
Dr. Barbara Fornssler (PhD), School of Public Health. Creating a substance use data ecology for Saskatchewan to improve pathways of care – $149,990
Dr. Thilina Bandara (PhD), School of Public Health. The public health system in Saskatoon – $145,100