New interdisciplinary collaborative research teams receive funding

Six new interdisciplinary research teams have received funding from the Collaborative Research Seed Grants (CRSG) program at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry.

CRSG provides seed funding for the formation and development of new interdisciplinary collaborative research teams. The intent is to promote new collaborations that build on different scientific and scholarly backgrounds, to facilitate breakthroughs in solving research questions in a collaborative manner, and to position the School's researchers to successfully respond to targeted requests for proposals from Tri-Council or other funding agencies.

"The Collaborative Research Seed Grants are intended to promote collaborations that will foster translational research," explained David Litchfield, PhD, vice-dean of Research & Innovation. "It's also expected that this funding will provide opportunities for researchers to initiate studies and obtain preliminary results that will make them more competitive for external funding."

Congratulations to the recipients:

Project Title: Three-Dimensional Ultrasound Measurements of Synovial Tissues for Diagnosis and Management of Osteoarthritis

Investigators:

  • Tom Appleton, MD, PhD, Department of Medicine
  • Aaron Fenster, PhD, Department of Medical Biophysics; Scientist, Robarts Research Institute

Project Title: Role of lipoprotein(a) in embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS)

Investigators:

  • Michael Boffa, PhD, Department of Biochemistry
  • Marlys Koschinsky, PhD, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology; Scientific & Executive Director, Robarts Research Institute
  • Maria Drangova, PhD, Department of Medical Biophysics; Scientist, Robarts Research Institute
  • Stephen Pasternak, MD, PhD, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences; Scientist, Robarts Research Institute
  • Luciano Sposato, MD, MBA, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences

Project Title: Exploring long-term environmental exposures as epilepsy risk factors: A large, population-based retrospective cohort study

Investigators:

  • Jorge Burneo, MD, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences
  • Luciano Sposato, MD, MBA, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences
  • Saverio Stranges, MD, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
  • Sarah Morrow, MD, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences
  • Piotr Wilk, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Project Title: The role of dopamine in the contextual control of the fast visuomotor network in health and in Parkinson’s Disease

Investigators:

  • Brian Corneil, PhD, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology; Scientist, Robarts Research Institute
  • Penny MacDonald, MD, PhD, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences

Project Title: Differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells to cholinergic basal forebrain neurons for studies on cholinergic neuron function and Alzheimer's disease pathology

Investigators:

  • Jane Rylett, PhD, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology; Scientist, Robarts Research Institute
  • Cheryle Séguin, PhD, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology
  • Stephen Pasternak, MD, PhD, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences; Scientist, Robarts Research Institute

Project Title: Potential roles for microorganisms in hip and knee joint implant failures

Investigators:

  • Matthew Teeter, PhD, Department of Surgery; Scientist, Robarts Research Institute
  • Jeremy Burton, PhD, Department of Surgery
  • Brent Lanting, MD, Department of Surgery
  • David O’Gorman, PhD, Departments of Biochemistry and Surgery
  • Edward Vasarhelyi, MD, Department of Surgery