ahfmrA L B E R T A H E R I T A G E F O U N D A T I O N F O R M E D I C A L R E S E A R C H

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research news

B a s i c r e s e a r c hthe foundation for medicine

contents

AHFMR MissionAHFMR supports a community ofresearchers who generate knowledge, theapplication of which improves the health and quality of life of Albertans and peoplethroughout the world. AHFMR’s long-termcommitment is to fund health researchbased on international standards of excellence and carried out by new andestablished investigators and researchersin training.

TrusteesRichard HaskayneCled LewisJo-Anne LubinNancy MannixIndira SamarasekeraRobert SeidelEldon SmithGail Surkan (Chair)Harvey Weingarten

President and CEOKevin Keough, PhD

Contact Us:Your comments, views and suggestionsare welcome. Please forward them to:

The Editor, AHFMR Research NewsAlberta Heritage Foundation for Medical ResearchSuite 1500, 10104 - 103 AvenueEdmonton, Alberta T5J 4A7

Phone: (780) 423-5727Fax: (780) 429-3509E-Mail: ahfmrinfo@ahfmr.ab.caInternet: www.ahfmr.ab.ca

research newsA L B E R T A H E R I T A G E F O U N D A T I O N F O R M E D I C A L R E S E A R C H

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Regular featuresResearch Views .............................................................1

Researchers in the making ..........................................20

Reader resources ........................................................21

Back page featuring Heritage Youth Researcher Summer (HYRS) Program..............................................22

Production NotesExecutive editor: Kathleen ThurberManaging editor: Janet HarveyWriters: Connie Bryson, Janet Harvey, BarbaraKermode-Scott, Erin O’ConnellDesign: Lime Design Inc.Cover Illustration and feature story illustrations: Sean CaulfieldInside illustrations: Cindy RevellPhotography: Trudie Lee, Brian Harder, Calgary;Laughing Dog Photography, Edmonton; Getty Images

The AHFMR Newsletter is published four times annuallyand is distributed free of charge to a controlled circula-tion list within Canada. If you wish to receive it, pleasecontact us by phone, e-mail, fax or by letter. It is alsoon the web at www.ahfmr.ab.ca.

AHFMR Research News is printed by grafikom.Speedfast on 70lb Luna Matte text.

© Contents copyright of AHFMR.ISSN 1700-6236 (print) ISSN 1703-5694 (online)

Canadian Publications Agreement #40064910

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4 Fatigue and illnessFatigue is commonly associated with liver diseases. Heritage researcher Dr. Mark Swain investigates the link.

Basic research: the foundation for medicineWhat does research on cells and proteins mean for ourhealth? AHFMR scientists explain why basic research is so crucial for the future of medical care.

Learning to walk...againHeritage researcher Dr. Monica Gorassini works to help thosewith spinal cord injuries walk again.

At the ForeFrontAHFMR’s Technology Commercialization program is nowcalled ForeFront. In addition to existing programs, ForeFrontwill provide even more support for people translating knowledge into innovations that improve health.

On the Cover

Cover artist Sean Caulfield is a professor in the Universityof Alberta Department of Art and Design and holds aCanada Research Chair in printmaking. His recent work hasbeen partly inspired by historic scientific, medical, andbotanical illustrations, and explores themes of mutation,metamorphosis, and biology/technology. The cover work isentitled, “The Pouring”. n Sean’s brother Tim is an AHFMRresearcher who studies genetics, ethics, and the law, alsoat the University of Alberta.

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Research Views

Indeed. Ms. Surkan is now chairof the board, a position sheassumed in November 2005.

The trustees are leading thedevelopment of a long-termstrategic framework forAHFMR. The strategycalls for maintain-ing AHFMR’s coreprogram, whichsupports healthresearchers inAlberta, while atthe same timedeveloping two newinitiatives to buildresearch capacity in the province.In an interview, Ms. Surkanreflected on the need for change.

“When AHFMR was estab-lished in 1980, it was one of onlya few players in the health-research field in Canada. Wedemonstrated how effective the

funding of people at the high-est levels of excellence can

be. In 2006, the research-funding environment isvery different. Thereare many other agen-cies in other provincesand countries—some of

them modelled afterAHFMR—providing similar

kinds of support.“We believe that Alberta has

the capacity to remain on thecutting edge of health research atthe national and international

level. Therefore, we’re movingforward with initiatives that willhelp us remain competitive inattracting outstanding healthresearchers to the province, sup-porting their work, and buildinga larger health-research vision.The goal is to reposition our-selves while continuing our coreprogram of supporting healthresearchers at all stages—frombasic training for students tolong-term support for establishedscientists.”

The first new initiative is targeted support for a limitednumber of key research areas ofimportance to Alberta. Thetrustees have agreed on a set ofprinciples that will guide theselection of these areas. Theyinclude a highly collaborativeresearch environment, interdisci-plinary teams, pan-provincialeffort, and a clear link to significant health issues in theprovince. The areas could bethose nearing significant break-through given existing expertise;or those where there is inade-quate research activity given theimportance of the research issue.

The second initiative is a majoraward program to recruit a verysmall number of research leadersfrom around the world toAlberta. The awards will be non-renewable, and valued at up to $1 million annually for amaximum of 10 years. They willbe given to outstanding healthresearchers whose work is judgedto have major global impact andwho have the ability to leadmajor research developments.These awards are intended to bepartnered.

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Given Gail Surkan’s long-standing interest in health policy, it seemeda natural step for her to join AHFMR’s Board of Trustees in 2000.“Health research is so pivotal to our future. It helps us understandnot only how to deliver better treatments, but also how to raise theoverall health experience in the province,” she explains. “Once Ibegan working with AHFMR and realized its importance to Alberta’sfamilies and communities, it was hard not to become more involved.”

A B O V E : G A I L S U R K A N

voicesfrom the community

tPage 2

“Alberta hasthe capacity

to remain on thecutting edge

of healthresearch”

voicesfrom the community

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“These new approacheshave come out of consultationwith the research community,”says Ms. Surkan. “Consultationcontinues, and we expectrefinements.

“It would be easy to try to be all things to all people, but that would dissipate theeffect. Focus is important.Far-sightedness is important.You’ll see both focus and along-term view as AHFMRmoves forward with new initiatives, new partners, andnew ways of approachingissues. To have the opportu-nity to be involved at such acreative time in this organiza-tion is personally and profes-sionally rewarding. Whendoes it get better than that?Well, it gets better when yourealize how pivotal the workof AHFMR is to the future ofAlberta and Canada.

“I’m a new grandmother.The future is on my mind. I can’t help but feel this is anarea where my efforts arewell placed.”

Gail Surkan is chair of theAHFMR Board of Trustees and amember of the University ofAlberta Board of Governors. She served as both chair and vice-chair of the Provincial HealthCouncil, a body created to evaluate health reform and reportto the Alberta Legislature. Ms.Surkan was mayor of Red Deerfrom 1992 to 2004 after servingon Red Deer City Council from1986 to 1992. She has extensiveexperience as a consultant andanalyst in various fields, includingstrategic planning, tourism,Northern communities, regionaldevelopment policy, and economicdevelopment.

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AHFMR frequently receives letters requesting information about Heritageresearch or about various medical conditions. “Responding to the Reader”is an AHFMR Research News featureintended to provide up-to-date information

related to readers’ questions, with the helpof experts in the Alberta research communi-

ty. AHFMR cannot provide medical advice,however; please see your family physician about yourspecific health concerns.

“Total hip arthroplasty isa very successful proce-dure in giving people

back a functional quality of life,”he says. “The patients who needthe procedure are in significantpain, which prevents them fromworking, doing any kind of recre-ational activity, or even manag-ing activities of daily living.When you see patients six weeksafter the operation—walkingwithout crutches or canes—theyare different people. Their smilestell the story.”

Dr. Johnston notes that out-comes for total hip arthroplasty

have continuallyimproved because of advances inboth the materials used to makethe prostheses and the surgicaltechniques employed. Theseimprovements have led to arethinking of the age consideredappropriate for surgery. Twentyyears ago, hip replacements weredone mainly in individuals olderthan 65 and younger than 80.Now hip replacements are donein people in their 50s and peoplewell into their 80s.

There are three elements to anartificial hip joint: a stem that isinserted into the femur (thigh

> In the orthopaedic field, hip replacement is one of themost common major surgical procedures done in Canada.Known technically as total hip arthroplasty, the surgeryhas been performed around the world for more than 40years. It removes diseased or fractured bones of the hipjoint and replaces them with artificial components. Themajor indication for hip replacement is chronic pain thatdoes not respond to medical treatment; the cause of thepain and disability is usually arthritis. A reader has asked about outcomes of hip-replacement surgery. To answer this question, we spoke with Dr. Bill Johnston, an Edmontonorthopaedic surgeon who specializesin arthroplasty surgery and who has done research on outcomes following total joint arthroplasty and hip fractures in elderly patients.

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3bone); a ball toreplace the headof the femur; anda cup that isinserted into thepelvis. Titaniumalloys have beenused for the stemfor about 10years. While titanium is verystrong, it doesnot make a goodsurface for theball and cup. Other options for surfaces now includecross-linked polyethylene (as a lining for the cup),metal balls, ceramic cups and balls, and all-metalcup and balls.

To help them decide what kind of hip joint to use,orthopaedic surgeons use research results obtainedby tracking outcomes for patients with differenttypes of prostheses.

Surgical techniques have also improved over theyears. One major trend is toward smaller incisions.Dr. Johnston now routinely uses an incision about10 to 12 centimetres long, compared to the tradi-tional 20-centimetre incision, but not every patientqualifies for this approach. “I advocate using the sizeof incision that lets you do the operation safely andat a high standard of quality.”

Patients can enhance theirown outcomes, especially bylosing weight before the opera-tion. Rehabilitation is also veryimportant. “We used to tellpeople to take it very easyafter the operation,” says Dr.

Johnston. “Now patients are standing and walkingon either the day of surgery or the next day. We recommend weight-bearing as tolerated, and thismore aggressive approach to rehabilitation hasdecreased complications such as blood clots.

“I tell patients they have a 95-percent chance of a good result, lasting at least 15 years. Total hiparthroplasty is one of the most successful surgicalprocedures ever devised. It gives people their livesback.”

Dr. Bill Johnston is an orthopaedic surgeon and clinical professor in the Department of Surgery in the Faculty ofMedicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta. He isalso a site medical director of the University of Alberta and

Stollery Children’s hospitals. He received supportfrom the Health Research Fund, administered byAHFMR on behalf of Alberta Health and Wellness,for his study entitled “The effect of patient comor-bid conditions on pain and functional recoveryafter total hip and knee arthroplasties”.

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“It gives people theirlives back”

“Total hip arthroplasty is one of the most successful surgicalprocedures everdevised”

A B O V E : D R . B I L L J O H N S T O N

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In many illnesses—such as

cancer, multiple sclerosis,

rheumatoid arthritis,

and liver disease—as well

as infections, fatigue can

be a major issue. Brain

function drives the fatigue

in these diseases, even though

all of them occur outside of the

brain, AHFMR Senior Scholar

and Calgary hepatologist

Dr. Mark Swain points out.

Fatigueillness

A N D

W H YDO WE

FEEL TIRED

WHEN

WE’RE ILL?

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H E N W E B E C O M E S I C K with the flu ora bacterial infection, we feel tired, as wellas losing our appetite and so on,” explains

Dr. Swain. “The body signals the brain to producethese symptoms or behaviours. It’s important for usto conserve energy and not move around and dothings—so we’ll get over the illness and get back tonormal. Unfortunately, with a chronic disease, wedon’t get over the illness. The stimuli to the brainkeep happening. Our bodies try to adapt but theynever fully do so.”

Throughout his career as a physician andresearcher, Dr. Swain has attempted to improve the quality of life and health outcomes for peoplesuffering from liver disorders. More than 100 knownforms of liver disease affect everyone from infants toolder adults. Liver damage can result from viruses,cancer, autoimmune disorders, alcohol, drug use,toxins, and obesity.

Dr. Swain studies, diagnoses, and treats such liverproblems as hepatitis, cirrhosis, fatty liver disease,and liver cancer. He investigates the basic mecha-nisms of liver inflammation and the changes in neurotransmission within the brain that occur in thecontext of liver disease. He is especially fascinated

by the effects of liverdamage on symptomsin liver disease, particularly fatigue.Dr. Swain studies howthe liver might signalthe brain, with theend result that theperson feels tired.

Fatigue is the symp-tom most commonlymentioned by peoplewith liver disease, butits cause is a puzzle.

Since fatigue is an unspecific symptom (in otherwords, it can be caused by a variety of health problems), it is difficult to determine whether it iscaused by the liver disease or by something else, orby a combination of factors. This is one reason whyfatigue is difficult to study, understand, and treat.

Many people with very severe liver disease sufferwhat is called peripheral fatigue as a result of muscleatrophy. Patients with less severe disease often expe-rience fatigue not related to muscle deterioration:that is, fatigue that comes from changes occurringwithin the brain. The severity of the fatigue in these

individuals does not relate to their liver function.This means that some people who have severe liverdamage may not feel tired at all, while others withminimal liver damage may feel totally exhausted.

“Fatigue can be the main feature of many forms of liver disease, and can be anywhere from mild andtrivial to completely incapacitating,” explains Dr. Swain. “The thing that’s most difficult is thatthere’s no correlation between the severity of thefatigue and the severity of the liver disease. Somepeople will say, ‘If I have cirrhosis, why do I feel sogood?’ Others will say, ‘Why do I feel so bad?’ Ithink, inherently, some people are more tired thanothers because of the different ways individualsadapt to the signals which their bodies are sendingto their brain.” Dr. Swain hopes that his researchmay someday allow physicians to better target thetreatment of fatigue as a symptom, improving quali-ty of life for patients with liver disease and possiblyfor those with other chronic diseases as well.

Dr. Mark Swain is an AHFMR Senior Scholar and a professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Calgary. He receives funding from the CanadianInstitutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Selected publications

Swain MG. Fatigue in liver disease: pathophysiology and clinical man-agement. Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology 2006 Mar;20(3):181-188.

Kerfoot SM, D’Mello C, Nguyen H, Ajuebor MN, Kubes P, Le T, Swain MG. TNF-a-secreting monocytes are recruited into the brain of cholestatic mice. Hepatology 2006 Jan;43(1):154-162.

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“FATIGUE C AN

BE THE MAIN

FEATURE OF

MANY FORMS OF

LIVER DISEASE”

“W

A B O V E : D R . M A R K S W A I N

“When we look at the wide body ofacademic literature out there,there is some information on

nutrition behaviours in younger children andadults; however, very little is known aboutadolescents. The challenge [kids in] this agegroup face is that they’re becoming moreindependent regarding their food and activitychoices; they have to make decisions awayfrom home and under the influence of theirpeers. We are interested in knowing what choicesthey are making and why.” Dr. McCargar hopes touse research not only to record lifestyle behavioursfor this group, but ultimately to evaluate change inschool nutrition policies.

“The web-based survey is a greattool for this type of study,” she says.

“The students in the Grade-7 to -10 age group are computer-savvy,so it’s very easy for them. Theteachers get involved, and itallows us to reach more schools.

If we had to go to each school toadminister the survey, it would drasti-

cally reduce the number of students we could reach. Instead,the students do the survey duringthe school day, and researchers at the university can access theinformation electronically.”

The survey asks students directquestions about their food andphysical activities. It also probes

deeper and asks them about wherethey eat, how much confidence they have that theyare choosing the right foods, and what factors influ-ence their decision-making. The survey uses visualsof different-size containers and asks each student tochoose the one representing the amount of a partic-ular food eaten. Dr. McCargar believes that this web-based approach is easier to use and generatesmore accurate data than traditional paper surveys.Its combination of questions on both nutritional and physical activity also makes it a strong study.

“Nutrition and physical activity go hand in handwith regard to chronic-disease prevention,” explainsDr. McCargar. “Today’s adolescents are tomorrow’sadults, and their behaviour today will influence

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Adolescent nutrition and lifestyle

Spurred by the success of blockbuster documentaries

such as Supersize Me and best-selling books detailing the

inner workings of the fast-food industry, the public’s

interest in nutrition and health is on the rise. But despite

the media attention and increased awareness, academic

research related to this subject is failing to address cer-

tain segments of the population. One group in particular

that has been neglected is adolescents. Dr. Linda

McCargar, a University of Alberta professor specializing in

human nutrition, uses the technology of the World Wide

Web to find out more about the lifestyle choices and

nutritional habits of Alberta kids in grades 7 to 10.

“Adolescents

are becoming

more independent

regarding their

food and activity

choices”

A B O V E : D R . L I N D A M C C A R G A R

their health in the future. The long-term consequences of unhealthy lifestyles don’t posean immediate concern to youngpeople. We want to get the message out that the benefit ofeating well and incorporatingphysical activity into everyday life isn’t just aboutweight. It’s about having energy, feeling good, beingalert at school, and performing well.”

Dr. Linda McCargar receives support through the HealthResearch Fund, administered by AHFMR on behalf ofAlberta Health and Wellness. She is a full professor in theDepartment of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciencein the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Agriculture,

Forestry, and Home Economics. Dr. McCargar receivedthe YWCA Woman of Distinction Award in Healthand Medicine for 2005 and was named 2005 Womanof the Year by the Academic Women’s Association atthe University of Alberta. Dr. McCargar’s research is also supported by the Canadian Institutes of

Health Research (CIHR) and the Alberta DiabetesFoundation (ADF).

Selected publications

Deegan H, Bates HM, McCargar LJ. Assessment of iron status in adolescents: dietary, biochemical and lifestyle determinants. Journal of Adolescent Health 2005 Jul;37(1):75.e15-75.e21.

Ball GDC, McCargar LJ. Childhood obesity in Canada: a review of prevalence estimates and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology 2003Feb;28(1):117-140.

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ition and lifestyle

“Their behaviour

today will influence

their health in

the future”

Such a delay between break-through and clinical use is a featureof basic research, Heritage ScientistDr. Susan Lees-Miller explains. “Idon’t think people realize how longscience takes. We’re talking 5 to 10years before finding out that something might have therapeuticpotential, and then another 5 to 10years to actually find out if it willbe useful in the clinic. And the

answer may turn out to be no. But along the way, we’ve generated all ofthis other information. You never know if what you’re working on willturn into something useful. That’s why funding basic, curiosity-drivenresearch is so important: It is the foundation from which all of the moreclinical and translational projects derive.”

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Th i s t y p e o f w o r k i s c a l l e d

B A S I C R E S E A R C H . It is the study of a research

question or area which may have no immediate

clinical application—the pursuit of knowledge for the sake

of knowledge.Yet basic research has proven essential time

and again, resulting in vital medical advances. Penicillin,

for example, was discovered by a scientist who noticed that

a mould had dissolved the bacteria growing in a petri dish.

Some 15 years later, that mould had been isolated and was

being used clinically to treat infections.

B a s i c r e s e a r c hthe foundation for medicineThe pages of this magazine regularly feature stories on researchrelated to cells, molecules, proteins, lipids, and genes—things notonly invisible to the naked eye, but also, for many of us, difficultto grasp as concepts.“What does this work have to do with myhealth?” a reader may ask.“How will this research translate tobetter treatments for cancer,Alzheimer’s, heart disease, or themany other serious illnesses that take a toll on our lives?”

A B O V E : D R . S U S A N L E E S - M I L L E R

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D N A d a m a g eAfter nearly 15 years of work at theUniversity of Calgary, Dr. Lees-Miller has con-tributed substantially to this groundwork. She studies how cells detect DNA damage caused byradiation and how they respond to it. This area isclinically relevant, because at least half of all cancerpatients receive radiation therapy. And, while radia-tion has been used to treat people for many years, itis only in the past 10 years or so that we havegained an understanding of how radiation-inducedDNA damage is detected and repaired in these cells.Dr. Lees-Miller draws an analogy here: “If your carbreaks down, there is no point in changing the tire ifthe thing has run out of gas. If you want to manipu-late this process to kill cancercells more effectively, you haveto know how it works.”

The application of radiation incancer treatments involves agene known as ataxia-telangiec-tasia mutated (ATM)—a majorplayer in detecting and repairingDNA damage. It turns out thatATM is deleted or mutated in20% to 50% of mantle cell lymphoma cases (a fairly common non-Hodgkin’s cancer

that mainly affects men in their 60s). Thatinformation may allow researchers to predict how

the cancer cells will respond to radiation. If ATM isnot present to mend the radiation damage, therapycould be designed to target the backup repair pathways, and lower doses of radiation might besufficient to destroy the cancer cells.

“What drives basic scientists is this curiosity—howdoes the cell function, how does it carry out all thesecomplex roles?” says Dr. Lees-Miller. “Although I’mcertainly a basic scientist at heart, my field hasmatured enough so that we’re ready to start askingmore clinical and translational questions.” She pointsto mantle cell lymphoma to illustrate her point.“Before we knew that ATM was deleted in this lymphoma, and before we knew ATM’s function,there was no way we could come up with ideas onhow to target those pathways. But with 10 to 15years of basic science telling us how that proteinfunctions, we can start to kill cancer cells more efficiently by targeting different pathways, instead of treating all cancers one way. You can’t make thosekinds of hypotheses or do those kinds of experimentsunless you have the basic research behind you.”

C e l l s o r t i n gUniversity of Alberta HeritageScientist Dr. Paul Melançon agrees.“We never quite know where the next penicillin or

the next dramaticimprovement inhealth will comefrom,” he says.“But I don’t thinkabout this everyday. Like mostscientists, I wantmy work to berelevant tohuman health,but that is notwhat drives day-

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“I don’t think people realizehow long science takes”

A B O V E : D R . S U S A N L E E S - M I L L E R

R I G H T : D R . P A U L M E L A N Ç O N

to-day experiments. I want tofigure out how things work. I amfascinated by the complexity ofthe cell. How is it possible thatall of these molecules sort them-selves out to yield the intricateorganization we observe underthe microscope?”

Dr. Melançon focuses his studies on the Golgi complex,one of the so-called organelles(compartments) of the cell. Heexplains that this organelle playsa key processing-and-sortingrole in the cell, acting like itscentral post office. A lot of material goes in, becomes modified, and comes out boundfor different destinations.

Dr. Melançon investigates thephysical means by which the Golgi complex accom-plishes this function. Sorting is performed by specialproteins that re-order content, as well as producethe small carriers that ferry cargo between places inthe cell. The particular protein he studies ensuresthat the material goes to the Golgi complex and issorted away from the other material.

“This is a key step,” he emphasizes. “There is asignificant number of human diseases, many ofthem genetically inherited, whose molecular basisoriginates at this sorting step. Recent studiesrevealed that even Alzheimer’s disease involves processing enzymes that are sorted at this step. It may well be that as we better understand the regulation of this quality control, we will be able to collaborate on better treatments of Alzheimer’sand other disease.”

L i p i d sAHFMR ScholarDr. ElmarPrenner sharesthis fascination withthe intricate workingsof the cell membraneand its many func-tions. His research inthe University ofCalgary’s Faculty ofScience focuses on the role of lipids inbiological membranes.Lipids are water-insol-uble fatty substancesthat provide a struc-tural framework forthe cell, forming a sta-ble barrier by shutting

out water. Dr. Prenner points out that, while a lot ofcurrent research focuses on various cellular proteins,the biological role of lipids is much less understood.

“Lipids exist in various ratios, depending on celltype or cell substructures,” he states, “and theseratios may have a role.” He explains thatthe two major compo-nents of mammalian cells(phosphatidylcholine andsphingomyelin) combinewith cholesterol to formlipoproteins. Differentlipoprotein subclassestransport cholesterol inthe body and vary signifi-cantly in their lipid ratios. Dr.Prenner’s laboratory investigateswhether these ratios play a role in how the lipidsand proteins interact to form lipoproteins.

In addition, some lipids form distinct “islands”called domains, or even more complex structurescalled lipid rafts which involve proteins. “Lipid raftsplay a role in signalling but also provide dockingpoints for pathogens from outside the cell,” he says.Recently Dr. Prenner’s group managed to image verydistinct domains of membrane proteins on their own.

Some of Dr. Prenner’s other recent work hasinvolved a class of lipids called ceramides that act asintracellular signals but also form membrane

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“We never quite know wherethe next dramatic improvementin health will come from”

A B O V E : D R . E L M A R P R E N N E R

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The mechanics of osteoporosis

Basic science is not justcellular-level research.Ask Heritage Scholar and mechanical engineerDr. Steven Boyd.TheUniversity of Calgaryresearcher studies bonearchitecture to deter-mine the causes of boneloss in diseases such asosteoporosis.

Dr. Boyd uses micro-CT (com-puter tomography) to obtainimages of the bones of mice andrats. By means of x-ray technology,his scanner captures high-resolution images whichare then processed by computer to create veryaccurate three-dimensional pictures of the bone.Dr. Boyd studies the effects of exercise and variousdrugs on the progression of osteoporosis; thescanner allows him to see exactly which part of thebone is thinning. He also examines the influence ofdifferent genetic traits on bone. “The tools that wedevelop for basic research with animals translatedirectly for use on humans,” he says.

In fact, Dr. Boyd is doing the translating. He alsoexamines the structure and mechanics of human

bones using another micro-CTscanner at the University ofCalgary Faculty of Kinesiology.This machine is the only one inCanada (and one of only four inNorth America) used to scanhumans. “It’s very excitingbecause, for the first time, this

machine allows us to measure 3-D bone architec-ture in people,” says Dr. Boyd.

The bone architecture that concerns him most isthat of the wrist. “The bottom line in osteoporosisis fracture,” says Dr. Boyd. A fracture of the wrist isusually an early warning sign of the disease andcan forecast increased risk for future hip and spinefractures. “So we want to know what changes hap-pen to the wrist, and how these relate to fracture.”

While Dr. Boyd’s second micro-CT is a researchscanner that likely won’t be found in clinical usesoon, he is quick to emphasize the relevance of his work to human health. “Basic research isimportant because it allows us to explore effects of osteoporosis treatments in detail before they’reready for the clinic.”

AHFMR Scholar Dr. Steven Boyd is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and ManufacturingEngineering at the Schulich School of Engineering, with ajoint appointment in the Faculty of Kinesiology at theUniversity of Calgary. His research is also supported by CIHR,NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Councilof Canada), and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

Selected publication

Boyd SK, Davison P, Müller R, Gasser JA. Monitoring individual morphological changes over time in ovariectomized rats by in vivomicro-computed tomography. Bone. Prepublished online 2006 June 6;doi: 10.10.16/j.bone-2006-04-017.

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“Basic research

allows us to

explore treat-

ments before

they’re ready

for the clinic”

D R . S T E V E N B O Y D

domains. Ceramide content is increased inAlzheimer’s disease and has been shown to promote the progression of the disease. However,the binding of a protein called apo E to ceramidedomains helps prevent atherosclerosis (hardeningof the arteries).

Dr. Prenner points out that his research, whilevery basic in nature, may contribute to a betterunderstanding of the role of lipids in diseases suchas atherosclerosis or Alzheimer’s.

B a c t e r i aInstead of the internal complexitiesof the cell itself, AHFMR Scholar Dr. TracyRaivio at the University of Alberta focuses on external threats to the cell: bacteria. Bacteria areeverywhere; and because they can live in very different environments (E. coli, for example, can livenot only in our gut but also in food and water), theyhave to be able to change their physiology to adapt.Gene expression (the process by which a gene isswitched on) changes each time a bacterium movesto a different environment.“What we want to know is,how does the bacteriumknow it’s in a different environment, and how doesit transduce that into achange in gene expression?”

To address these questions,Dr. Raivio looks at one particular pathogen calledenteropathogenic E. coli. She explains that this formof E. coli is not a big healththreat in North America; itmainly infects infants indeveloping countries.However, the pathogen usesinfection mechanisms thatmimic those in the other

types of E. coli and such other disease-causing organisms as Salmonella, Shigella, and Yersinia.

When they infect a host cell, these bacterialpathogens produce a set of proteins called virulencefactors, which allow them to cause the symptoms ofinfection. Almost all of these virulence factors arefound in the envelope (the outermost compartment)of the bacterium or are secreted across the envelope.Dr. Raivio focuses on envelope stress responses,

bacterial signal pathways that recognizechanges in the bacterial envelope. Some changes causingproteins to misfold in the enve-lope activate something calledthe CPX pathway. “One of ourtheories is that the CPX stress

response might be involved in sensingwhen these virulence determinants are expressed,and in helping to fold them and make sure they’refunctional,” says Dr. Raivio. She hopes that, basedon this work, a new antimicrobial drug targetingthis pathway could some day be developed to treatthese pathogens.

While that kind of application for such basicresearch may be very far away, Dr. Raivio gives a verygood example of how seemingly obscure research canuncover information crucial to human health. Duringher post-doctoral work at Princeton, Dr. Raivioworked down the hall from a scientist named Dr. Bonnie Bassler, who studied particular marinebacteria that live in squid. When the bacteria reach a

certain density theygive off light—a sym-biotic relationshipthat helps the squidhide its shadow as ithunts on moonlitnights. With no obvious human application to thework in sight, Dr.Bassler identified the mechanism thebacteria use to sensetheir own numbers sothey can regulate theamount of light emitted according tobacterial cell density.It turns out that this

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Dr. Prenner’s research may helpus understand the role of lipidsin atherosclerosis or Alzheimer’s

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number-sensing mechanism is found in manypathogens, enabling them to sense when their numbers are great enough to overpower a host. It was a landmark discovery that providedinformation crucial to finding new ways tohelp fight deadly bacteria.

“Basic research is very important and is often in danger of being neglected,” summarizes Dr. Raivio. “There is always apush to fund things for which the humanapplication is really obvious. And that’sunderstandable because the money comesultimately from the public. But you never knowfrom where the next flash of insight to help makeour lives better will come. I don’t think we are smartenough to know exactly which area of science weneed to study to do the things we want to do forhumanity, so it is really important to fund basicresearch in a lot of different areas. Often an application for human health will spring from something that nobody would have seen coming.”

T c e l l sAHFMR Scientist Dr. ChrisBleackley elaborates with anotherexample. “Just about every drug currentlyout there has been developed on the basisof basic research,” he points out, explainingthat many of the newer therapies havebeen created through genetic engineering.This allows researchers to design andmake novel proteins as potential drugsand is based on something called restriction enzymes. These enzymes werediscovered over 30 years ago by scientistsdoing basic research in bacteria. “This wassomething which, on the face of it, had noclinical relevance whatsoever, [but which]is now used extensively,” says Dr.Bleackley. Recent examples include

Herceptin for treatment of breast cancer, Enbrel forarthritis, and human insulin for diabetes.

Dr. Bleackley’s own groundbreaking work also hasthe potential for many applications. His researchfocuses on cells called cytotoxic lymphocytes, also known as killer T cells. Millions of these T cellscirculate in an inactive state in our bodies. Duringan immune response stimulated by a virus, forexample, T cells reproduce until there are billions ofthem; they destroy the virus-infected cell, and thenthey start dying themselves until a baseline level ofinactive cells is reached, and the immune system

goes back to a resting stage.T cells protect us from viruses and bacteria,

and they are involved in the destruction ofcancer tumour cells. That’s their good side.

The bad side is that T cells can react againstthe healthy cells of the body, leading toautoimmune diseases such as diabetes andrheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Bleackley wants to

understand how these cytotoxic T cells workat the molecular level in order to influence the

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“Often an application forhuman health will spring fromsomething that nobody wouldhave seen coming”

“Just about every drug has been developed on the basis of basic research”

R I G H T : D R . C H R I S B L E A C K L E Y

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activity of the cells. In otherwords, if someone’s immune system is not functioning wellenough to destroy a tumour cell,the cytotoxic T cells could bestimulated to help. Or the T cellscould be deliberately suppressedto prevent rejection in a patientwho has received an organtransplant. “The basic hypothe-sis is that if you can understandthese cells, you can influencetheir activity either up or downfor therapeutic value,” he says.

Dr. Bleackley has already con-tributed a great deal to our understanding of how theT cells work. In 1986, he discovered that killer T cellsexpress a family of molecules called granzymes whenactivated. When the killer cells interact with a tumouror a virus-infected cell, the granzymes are transferredinto the tumour cell and flick a molecular switchcausing the tumour cell to die by a process known asprogrammed cell death (apoptosis). “We’re starting tonow get into why some tumours do not die when theswitch is flicked,” he says. “It turns out they are ableto express molecules that can block this cell death.”

Dr. Bleackley collaborates with a number of colleagues to pursue the many potential clinical usesfor his work. Working with Dr. Phil Halloran at theUniversity of Alberta, Dr. Bleackley looks at usingmolecular tools to study kidney-transplant rejection.He also works with a geriatrician at the University ofBritish Columbia to study influenza in elderlypatients who don’t respond as well as they should tovaccines. And with Edmonton Protocol pioneer Dr.Ray Rajotte, he investigates molecules that could bemobilized to suppress rejection of islet transplants indiabetes treatment. “I have a great interest in seeingthe molecular tools we’ve developed used in clinicallyrelevant situations,” says Dr. Bleackley.

But these clinical uses may still take many years.“The human body is incredibly complicated, and itcan take a long, long time to understand it at themolecular level,” explains Dr. Bleackley. In the firstplace, the science discovery stage may take a long

time. Then a compound devel-oped from this discovery mustgo through a series of clinical trials that also take a long time.But the results may change lives.

“Many people have beencured of many different thingsthrough the benefits of basicresearch,” emphasizes Dr.Bleackley. “It is fundamentallyimportant for the future ofhuman health.”

Dr. Susan Lees-Miller is an AHFMRScientist and a full professor in the

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in theUniversity of Calgary Faculty of Medicine. In addition toHeritage support, she receives funding from the CanadianInstitutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Alberta CancerBoard, and the National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC).

Dr. Paul Melançon is an AHFMR Scientist and a full professorin the Department of Cell Biology in the University of AlbertaFaculty of Medicine and Dentistry. His research is supportedby CIHR and the Human Frontier Science Program.

Dr. Elmar Prenner is an AHFMR Scholar and an assistantprofessor in the Department of Biological Sciences in theFaculty of Science at the University of Calgary. His researchis supported by the Natural Sciences and EngineeringResearch Council of Canada (NSERC).

Dr. Tracy Raivio is an AHFMR Scholar and associate profes-sor in the Department of Biological Sciences in the Universityof Alberta Faculty of Science. In addition to AHFMR support,she receives funding from CIHR and NSERC.

Dr. Chris Bleackley is an AHFMR Scientist and full professorin the Department of Biochemistry at the University ofAlberta. He is a Canada Research Chair in MolecularBiology and an International Research Scholar of theHoward Hughes Medical Institute. His research is also supported by CIHR and NCIC.

Selected publications

Goodarzi AA, Jonnalagadda JC, Douglas P, Young D, Ye R, MoorheadGBG, Lees-Miller SP, Khanna KK. Autophosphorylation of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated is regulated by protein phosphatase 2A. EMBO Journal 2004 Nov 10;23(22):4451-4461.

Dunphy JL, Moravec R, Ly K. Lasell TK, Melançon P, Casanova JE. TheArf6 GEF GEP100/BRAG2 regulates cell adhesion by controlling endocy-tosis of beta1 integrins. Current Biology 2006 Feb 7;16(3):315-320.

Raivio TL. Envelope stress responses and Gram-negative bacterial pathogenesis. Molecular Microbiology 2005 Jun;56(5):1119–1128.

Veugelers K, Motyka B, Frantz C, Shostak I, Sawchuk T, Bleackley RC.The granzyme B-serglycin complex from cytotoxic granules requiresdynamin for endocytosis. Blood 2004 May 15;103(10):3845-3853.

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“It is fundamentally importantfor the future of human health.”

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Human motion is complicated, to say the least.Many of us take for granted the ease with whichwe move; we grumble about walking the dog orhaving to park the car at the far end of the parkinglot. But for those suffering from a spinal cordinjury, walking can be a daunting task, if not animpossible one. AHFMR Senior Scholar Dr. MonicaGorassini works to help people with spinal cordinjuries walk again.

The ability to walk is the result of special circuit-ry; output from the brain travels through thespinal cord to stimulate the relevant muscles.

In order for a person to recover the ability towalk after a spinal cord injury, some connections between the brain and themuscles via the spinal cord must remainintact. Partial spinal cord injuries are theresearch focus of Dr. Gorassini, an assistantprofessor at the University of Alberta. Herwork indicates that, while retained connec-

tions may be enough to promote recovery of somewalking ability, specialized training can significantlyincrease the amount of movement that patients withpartial spinal cord injuries can regain.

“I like to compare those recovering from partialspinal cord injuries to athletes,” says Dr. Gorassini.“If you want to see results, you have to train hard.The type of training that we do with these patientsis very intensive. Treatment typically consists of sur-gery followed by a four-month stay at the GlenroseRehabilitation Hospital. After the patients have beenreleased from the Glenrose, the therapy and the contact they have with physical therapists are limited.This is where we have some ability to help.”

Dr. Gorassini and her colleagues typicallywork with patients who have receivedsome physical therapy but are no longerimproving. They put these patients througha demanding program of specializedtreadmill training to strengthen connec-tions and improve walking ability.

The abilityto walk is the result of special circuitry

Learning to walk...again

Strengthening complex connections“Does intense motor training on a treadmill, usingassistance from therapists, increase the strength ofthe residual connections from the brain to the spinalcord? The answer is yes, it does,” says Dr. Gorassini.“Even if someone has been injured for 20 years, we can train them and increase the strength of theresidual connections from the brain by about 50 percent.” In fact, the number of spared connectionsrelates directly to the extent of functional improve-ment these patients achieve.

For maximum recovery, the descending connectionsfrom the brain to the spinal cord need to be enhanced.While treadmill walking can increase connectionstrength and may even help to form new connections,stimulating the brain itself may be the secret to helping these patients recover the greatest possiblemovement. Dr. Gorassini uses a specialized piece ofequipment called a transcranial magnetic stimulator.Resembling a metal hat, the stimulator generates acurrent in the brain when placed on a patient’s head.

“Essentially we want to put thebrain into a state of excitability thatmakes it most responsive to motortraining,” says Dr. Gorassini. “Byusing a combination of treadmilltraining and brain stimulation, wemay be able to get motor recoverythat is better than [what we canachieve] with training alone.”

A lifelong interestDr. Gorassini’s fascination with the workings of the nervous system began at an early age. An avidbaseball player in her youth, she would frequentlydislocate her thumb. “My mom used to send me to achiropractor who was really busy,” she remembers.“I would usually end up sitting in the waiting roomstudying a poster of a human body with the nervoussystem all mapped out. I remember thinking, ‘Iwould love to figure out how all of that works.’” Thememory of that poster spurred Dr. Gorassini to pur-sue a career in neuromuscular research that beganat the University of Guelph, then took her to Europe,and ultimately led her to the University of Alberta.

Her work with treadmill therapy began in 1999,shortly after she attended a meeting on regenerationand rehabilitation where she saw a presentation bya researcher named Anton Wernig. His amazingvideos showed patients with spinal cord injuries

who had been trained, and demonstrated the extentof their recovery—far above and beyond what couldbe achieved in standard rehabilitation care. “Ithought, ‘I have to try this!’” says Dr. Gorassini.

“And the long-term benefits it has had in the livesof the people we’ve trained are immeasurable.”To date, Dr. Gorassini has been involved in training 40 patients. Many who were wheelchair-bound before the training can now walk withcanes or crutches.

The real challenge of transferring this researchto the clinic lies in the cost of the equipment and

of the staff who carry out the training. “There arepeople out there who want this therapy. It is a lot of work for them, but they are willing to do it.Unfortunately cost is often the limiting factor,” says Dr. Gorassini. “The bottom line is that thesepatients need more rehabilitation, and they should be receiving the best care.”

Dr. Monica Gorassini is an AHFMR Senior Scholar and anassistant professor in both the Department of BiomedicalEngineering and the Centre for Neuroscience within theUniversity of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. In addition to her Heritage support, she receives fundingfrom the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR),the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States,and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

Selected publication

Thomas SL, Gorassini MA. Increases in corticospinal tract function by treadmill training after incomplete spinal cord injury. Journal ofNeurophysiology 2005 Oct;94(4):2844-2855.

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A B O V E : D R . M O N I C A G O R A S S I N I

“If youwant to seeresults, youhave to train

hard”

Fast-forward to March 2006,and an Edmonton Journalstory on another Stein inven-

tion: the WalkAide, an electronicmedical device which makeswalking easier for patients whoexperience foot drop (the inabili-ty to lift the foot) due to stroke orspinal cord injury. The devicegrew out of the research profiledin 1992, and its developmentreceived support from the TCProgram. But the Journal articlehas a distinctly different flavourwhen compared to its forerunner.It is a story of promise fulfilled:an Alberta innovator whoseinvention is on the market andmaking a significant difference inmany people’s quality of life.

The success doesn’t surpriseDr. Bill Cochrane, the formerdean of medicine and presidentof the University of Calgary. A successful entrepreneur, Dr.Cochrane believes passionately inthe potential for commercializa-tion of health-related research inAlberta. “AHFMR’s establishmentin 1980 was a visionary act thatset the stage for world-class scientific achievement. Alberta-

based researchers are contribut-ing cures, therapies, evidence,and knowledge that help us alllive better and healthier lives.

“Early on, AHFMR recognizedthat some of these discoveriescould be the bases for new business ventures. In 1985, itestablished the TechnologyCommercialization Program, one of Canada’s first technology-transfer programs. Helpingresearchers take innovations fromthe lab to the marketplace is animportant extension of AHFMR’srole in funding research, and contributes to the future economicgrowth of the province.”

This has always been the primary objective of the TCProgram: to assist Alberta innovators in taking new health-related ideas and scientific find-ings and developing them intotechnology aimed at improvinghealth. Since its inception, theprogram has invested more than$24 million to support technolo-gy-commercialization activities.

While the TC Program has beenexpanding, its focus on people hasremained constant. This emphasis

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At the T h e e v o l u t i o n o f A H F M R ’ s T e c h n o l o g y C o m m e r c i a l i z a t i o n P r o g r a m

What a difference 14 years can make. AHFMR’s Technology

Commercialization (TC) Program was very small when the

Edmonton Sun profiled it in June 1992. The story was one of

promise. The article focused on the potential of new medical devices

and therapies, and highlighted a few inventions, including a

computer-controlled artificial leg developed by University of Alberta

professor Dr. Richard Stein.

ForeFront Program overview

Career development:l Internship Programl MBT/MBA Studentship Award

(in development)

Industry development:l Executive-in-Residence Awardl Senior Recruitment

Health Industry Award (in development)

l Industrial Researcher Award (in development)

Technology development:l Three phases of

project fundingl Mentorshipl Education

A B O V E : D R . R I C H A R D S T E I N W I T H T H E W A L K A I D E

has now been broadened toinclude support not only for inno-vators, but also for those peoplewith the wide variety of skills andexperience necessary to build andsupport successful biotech andhealth-related industries in Alberta.

“Technology commercializationis important for the developmentand application of new technolo-gies that will both improve healthcare, and diversify and contributeto the economy,” says Bob Miller,vice-chancellor for Research atthe University of California,Santa Cruz, and a member of theinternational board which evalu-ated all of AHFMR’s operations in2004. “The critical element intechnology commercialization ispeople—not only the innovatorswho come up with the ideas, but a range of other people withskills in many areas, such asintellectual property, appliedresearch, marketing, sales, and business development.

“That’s what I like aboutAHFMR’s new direction for technology commercialization.The program is all about support-ing people. AHFMR listened torecommendations and changedthe program so it is in line withwhat’s needed in Alberta.”

The Foundation has alsorenamed its TC ProgramForeFront—which reflects thismore comprehensive support forpeople, projects, and industry.The ForeFront Program has twoobjectives:

l To build industry capacitythrough the support of peoplewith the necessary skills andexperience

l To support projects at the pre-commercialization stageForeFront will build on its supportfor people by piloting new initia-tives, while continuing to fund pre-commercialization projects.

“The establishment of our pro-gram was a promising addition toAlberta’s innovation system,” saysLinda Humphreys, AHFMR’s vice-president of Corporate Affairsand Commercialization. “Wecharted our course for supportinginnovators in the province.Results to date show that by providing support for people wecan help improve health, foster avibrant health industry, createexciting career opportunities, andestablish successful companies.ForeFront builds on this founda-tion. Our goal is to strengthenAlberta’s pipeline for the transferof medical and health researchinto products and processes thatwill ultimately improve health—not just for Albertans, but forpeople around the world.”

Charting Progress 2006 high-lights AHFMR’s past successes andfuture initiatives in supportingtechnology commercialization inAlberta. For a copy of the report,please visit our web site at www.ahfmr.ab.ca or contact Tina Blakeat tina.blake@ahfmr.ab.ca.

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h n o l o g y C o m m e r c i a l i z a t i o n P r o g r a m

ForeFront’s new Initiatives

Executive-in-Residence Awardbrings in senior-level manage-ment with relevant industry expe-rience and appropriate networksto advance the application ofresearch and technologies to thenext levels of commercialization.This project began in January2006 and will be evaluated afterthe first year.

Senior Recruitment HealthIndustry Award (in develop-ment) brings in needed expert-ise in a wide variety of criticalareas by supporting the salariesof new recruits at the seniortechnical and management levels in Alberta-based medical/health companies.

Industrial Researcher Award(in development) provides sup-port for Alberta-based compa-nies to recruit recent graduateswith master’s and doctoraldegrees to conduct researchthat benefits the organizations.

Studentship Award (in devel-opment) supports students in the Masters in BiomedicalTechnology (M.B.T.) program at the University of Calgary,or the Masters in BusinessAdministration (M.B.A.) programin Technology Commercializationat the University of Alberta.

researchersin the making

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“Brain cancer is such adevastating disease. Itusually hits people in

the prime of life, between theages of 40 and 50, but every year you also see teenagers andchildren diagnosed with braincancer. It’s really sad—with themost common type and grade ofbrain cancer, the majority ofadults are dead within a year.”

There are two main types ofbrain tumours: primary cancersthat start in the brain, and thosethat spread from cancer some-where else in the body. Primarybrain tumours are less frequentthan secondaries but are usuallymalignant, meaning that theyspread. The Canadian CancerSociety estimates that there will be 2,500 new cases of braincancer, and 1,650 deaths from it,in Canada during 2006. Althoughpeople of any age can develop abrain tumour, the problem seemsto be most common in childrenaged between 3 and 12, and inadults between 40 and 70.

Dr. Kelly is certainly on theright path to achieve his dream ofhelping cancer sufferers. As a

child and teenager, he wasinspired to become a doctor bythe dedication, energy, andenthusiasm of his parents: hismother is a psychiatrist and his

father a pathologist. “My parents had a hugeimpact on me,” hesays, adding, “I have a sister who became a doctor, as well;

she’s a radiologist.”After graduating from

the University of Albertawith a medical degree in 2001,Dr. Kelly began post-graduateresidency training in neuro-surgery at the University ofCalgary. With financial supportfrom AHFMR, he has now put

D R . J O H N K E L LY

In his family’s footstepsAHFMR Clinical Fellow Dr. John Kelly wants tofind new ways to battle brain cancer. Theyoung neurosurgeon hopes his research willultimately help to solve some of the mysterysurrounding the causes of this disease, andlead to treatments that will improve outcomesfor patients with brain tumours.

Fatigue and illness

Canadian LiverFoundationhttp://www.liver.ca/Home.aspx

American LiverFoundationhttp://www.liverfoundation.org/

Adolescent nutrition and lifestyle

Dr. Linda McCargar presentation on nutrition and physicalactivity behaviour in Alberta youthhttp://www.chps.ualberta.ca/research/online_presentations/symposium_2004_mccargar.pdf

Basic research: thefoundation for medicine

Dr. Susan Lees-Miller’sweb sitehttp://www.ucalgary.ca/~leesmill/

Dr. Paul Melançon’s web sitehttp://www.ualberta.ca/CELLBIOLOGY/melancon.html

Dr. Tracy Raivio’s web sitehttp://www.biology.ualberta.ca/faculty/tracy_raivio/

Dr. Chris Bleackley’sweb sitehttp://www.biochem.ualberta.ca/faculty_detail.php?id=2

The mechanics of osteoporosis

Dr. Steven Boyd’s web sitehttp://www.enme.ucalgary.ca/~skboyd/

Osteoporosis Canadahttp://www.osteoporosis.ca

Micro-CT Systemshttp://www.scanco.ch

Learning to walk…again

InternationalCollaboration for Repair Discoverieshttp://www.icord.org

The Christopher ReeveFoundationhttp://www.christopher-reeve.org

At the ForeFront

AHFMR ForeFrontProgramhttp://www.ahfmr.ab.ca/tc/

Researchers in the making

Hotchkiss Brain Institutehttp://www.hbi.ucalgary.ca/

reader resourcesA

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this surgical training onhold to complete a Ph.D. at the Hotchkiss BrainInstitute in Calgary, focus-ing on brain cancer. Herehe has another wonderfulrole model: his supervisor,Institute director Dr. SamWeiss. An AHFMRScientist, Dr. Weissachieved internationalrenown when he discov-ered that brain cells canregenerate. He also discov-ered the existence of spinal

stem cells—a finding which may someday lead tonew treatments for paralysis.

“I’ve been extremely fortunate to work with SamWeiss,” says Dr. Kelly. “He’s such an accomplishedscientist. He encourages independent thinking, lets you develop your own ideas, and supports youthrough that process. It’s incredible working here.”

AHFMR trainee support is nothing new to Dr.Kelly. Prior to medical school, as a Heritage SummerStudent, he spent time working in Dr. Roland Auer’sstroke-research laboratory at the University ofCalgary.

“I started out studying stem cells in stroke, andthen developed an interest in neuro-oncology, thediagnosis and treatment of brain cancers,” heexplains. “I started to wonder about the relationshipof stem cells and cancer, particularly brain cancer.”

Although it is thought that stem cells normallywork as a repair system in the body, their ability toreplicate also suggests a link with several cancers.The relationship between stem cells and brain can-cer, however, is an extremely new area of research.

“We’re trying to establish an understanding of thetrue cellular origin of brain tumours: fundamentally,which cells initially give rise to them,” explains Dr. Kelly.

Dr. John Kelly is an AHFMR Clinical Fellow in theDepartment of Clinical Neurosciences and a Ph.D. candidateat the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute.

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“I started to

wonder about the

relationship of

stem cells and

brain cancer”

Sean Heisler has been thinking alot about university. The Calgaryhigh-school student will enterGrade 12 in the fall, and he isn’tquite sure what he wants to study after that. Maybe sciences. Maybe biomedicalengineering. Maybe medicine.

“Since I can’t even watchER on television, I really

don’t think treating patients isfor me. But I am attracted to thelaboratory side of medicine.”

Sean is getting the opportunityto test this out. In July, he beganwork in the lab of HeritageScholar Dr. Richard Wilson at theUniversity of Calgary. This workexperience is offered by theHeritage Youth ResearcherSummer (HYRS) program,AHFMR’s hands-on summerresearch program for Grade 11students.

“I’ve done summer camps at theUniversity of Calgary whichinvolved laboratory work, butnothing so advanced,” says Sean.“This is a great chance to seewhat a research career is like.”

Dr. Wilson, a physiology profes-sor, studies the basic mechanisms

involvedin the control of breathing. Hesupervised a student in the 2005HYRS program and enjoys theintellectual stimulation of beingsurrounded by bright, enthusiastichigh-school students.

“The HYRS program enablesyoung students to immerse themselves in a new field at avery advanced level. As they facethe intellectual challengeinvolved, they sometimes look atproblems in ways veteranresearchers may not have consid-ered, providing a gold mine ofnew ideas. Researchers oftenlearn as much from the questions

they are asked by bright studentsas the students learn from thereplies they are given!”

Sean is one of 45 high-schoolstudents participating in the2006 HYRS program; 171 stu-dents, representing 81 schoolsthroughout the province,applied to the program. Toqualify for HYRS, students

must achieve an 85% averagein the required math and science

subjects; they must also obtaintwo teacher references and onecommunity reference, and writean essay on an assigned topic.Applications are judged by a committee of high-school scienceteachers. rn

Physicians: pleaseplace in your patientwaiting rooms.

Canadian Publications Agreement #40064910Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:AHFMR 1500, 10104-103 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5J 4A7

A B O V E : S E A N H E I S L E R A N D D R . R I C H A R D W I L S O N

Dear Reader,

If you are not already on our mailing listfor our quarterly AHFMR Research News,

and would like to receive it, please phone,fax, e-mail or write us and ask to be addedto our subscribers list. It’s free!

Phone: (780) 423-5727 and ask for AHFMR Communications

Fax: (780) 429-3509

E-mail: ahfmrinfo@ahfmr.ab.ca

Write: Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research1500, 10104 – 103 AvenueEdmonton, Alberta T5J 4A7

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Heritage Youth ResearcherSummer (HYRS) Program 2006