Regulation of Bcl-2 family members involved in macrophage cell survival

Shih Wei Wang is examining the role of a family of proteins implicated in atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), a condition that puts people at risk of heart attacks and stroke. In the early stage of atherosclerosis, plaque forms along the inner lining of arteries. This occurs at sites where altered LDL blood proteins enable blood cells known as macrophages to survive. While macrophages act as scavengers to remove foreign substances from the body, macrophages also turn into foam cells that contribute to plaque build-up. Wang’s research focuses on the Bcl-2 family of proteins, including proteins that regulate cell death and others that contribute to cell survival. In experiments incorporating techniques from biochemistry, cell biology and molecular biology, Wang is analyzing proteins that influence macrophage survival and death. The research could lead to improved therapy for people with atherosclerosis, involving selective drugs that block specific proteins or enzymes.

The influence of alcohol on mood and cognition

Treatment of alcoholism is complicated by the fact that many alcoholics also suffer from depression. Ekin Blackwell wants to contribute to more effective prevention and treatment of alcoholism by studying alcohol’s mood-enhancing properties, and identifying individuals who are especially sensitive to these properties. In her Master’s research, Ekin focused on clinically defining the characteristics of these sensitive individuals to gain insights into factors that influence the development of problematic drinking. Results from her study showed that these individuals have a higher level of negative thoughts about themselves, more negative general mood states and a more restricted emotional range that is less responsive to change. Ekin plans to continue her research on depression and has changed her focus to the link between depression and the stress hormone cortisol. She is specifically interested in understanding how individuals at risk for depression react to stressful interpersonal encounters, and whether their thoughts and emotions in response to these stressors are related to their daily patterns of cortisol output. The results will contribute to better understanding of the pathways between psychological stress and physiological illness.

The involvement of phosphatidylcholine in the development of hepatic steatosis in children with cystic fibrosis

Alice Chen hopes to achieve a better understanding of what causes liver disease in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Liver disease – the second most common cause of death for people with CF – may result from depletion of choline (a water soluble B vitamin) in CF patients. An inability to properly absorb phosphatidylcholine (PC), which is found in food such as organ meats and egg yolks, may cause choline depletion and may ultimately lead to accumulation of fat in the liver. To test this hypothesis, Chen is studying a group of 50 children with CF, along with 10 healthy children. She will collect and analyse data from these children to determine if there is a link between difficulty in absorbing PC and liver disease. Chen, whose goal is pursing a career in nutrition research, believes that a better understanding of the causes of liver disease in people with CF is critical for the development of nutrition interventions that could prevent this serious complication.

Pain communication during infancy and early childhood: When cry becomes a speech act

Elizabeth Stanford (Job) has focused her research on understanding and improving assessment of children’s pain, by learning more about how children express pain, and how pain expression changes from infancy to early childhood. In her Master’s research she pursued three major projects that provided insights into the nature of children’s pain experience and how to improve measurement strategies. Two of her studies examined the language children use when experiencing painful events. The first involved the analysis of recordings of children’s spontaneous use of speech during immunization injections. Results from the study improve understanding of the meaning of these experiences for children and the type of language parents and practitioners can expect from children when they are in pain. The second study examined a large database providing transcriptions of children’s use of pain language during a range of structured and unstructured activities. The results provide important information about children’s spontaneous use of pain language, and could help clinicians and researchers better understand and assess pain in young children. Elizabeth’s final study examined young children’s use of self-report pain scales and described the role of developmental factors in predicting use of these scales. Child age was found to be the best predictor of children’s abilities to use the self-report pain scale. The results also highlight the tendency for over-estimation of young children’s abilities to use self-report scales and the need for tools and training tasks to be developed for use with the scales.

Improving Therapeutic Decision-Making During Active Clinical Practice

The ultimate goal of Laura Esmail’s research is to improve the management of medication use and patient outcomes. Studies estimate that 4.3% of hospital admissions in industrialized countries are due to preventable adverse outcomes of drug therapy. To begin to address this problem, Laura developed and tested a decision-making network aimed to improve physicians’ drug therapy decision-making. The conceptual framework of this network was based on the theory of cognitive apprenticeships: the process of understanding concepts through engaging in authentic activities and actual practice. Through linking family physicians with clinical pharmacists using cellular-telephone instant group conferencing, Laura attempted to create a continuous, contextual, social learning environment in which therapeutic expertise and experience could be shared and acquired at the time of patient care decision-making. This network ultimately aimed to facilitate the collaborative decision-making process that often takes place between health care professionals during hospital medical rounds. Results of her study concluded that cellular-telephone instant group conferencing between family physicians and clinical pharmacists is a useful method for influencing and assisting with drug therapy decisions at the time of patient care decision-making. Further modifications to the network are necessary before feasibility can be fully assessed. This work is an important contribution towards the understanding of decision-making systems that can improve drug related morbidity and mortality and help advance patient care.

Social Support Among Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Daily Progress Study

Because there is no cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), treatment focuses on alleviating pain symptoms and maintaining function. With that in mind, Susan Holtzman studied the links between pain levels, stress, ways of coping and social supports in patients with RA. The few existing studies in this area indicated that patients with strong social supports experience less pain and disability, but Susan wanted to examine this more closely. In her study she used daily monitoring techniques and collected detailed data from patients and their spouses. Susan used an advanced modelling technique to analyse the findings and concluded that social support decreased pain levels by encouraging and improving coping strategies. Findings from this study highlight the importance of social support. The research may ultimately lead to the development of psychologically-based treatment and individually-tailored pain management for patients with RA.

Investigations into Risk Factors and Determinants of HIV and Hepatitis C Incidence and Prevalence among High Risk Youth

Researchers have conducted extensive studies of injection drug use in Vancouver, but few have focused specifically on high-risk youth. Enter Cari Miller. Her Masters research — a sub-study of the Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study (VIDUS) — examined prevalence and incidence of HIV and hepatitis C among more than 200 injection drug users aged 13 to 24. Cari has first-hand experience to draw from. She put in 24-hour shifts as a part-time youth worker with the Vancouver Native Health Underage Safe House. Working with youth — most of whom were drug dependent, female and Aboriginal — has fuelled her passion for research and the urgency for new health policies to support them. Results from the research show high prevalence and exceedingly high incidence rates for HIV and hepatitis C among young injection drug users. Her findings indicate that those at highest risk are female and Aboriginal youth engaged in both drug and sexual related risk, and half of young injectors acquire hepatitis C infection during their first two years of injection drug use. Cari hopes that developing a better understanding of the risk behaviours among these young people will lead to more effective prevention and intervention programs. Ultimately, she would like to see more treatment opportunities for high-risk youth.

The Perception and Utilization of Herbals and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAMs) Among Older Adults with Arthritis

Research has shown that a growing number of older adults with chronic illness are turning to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to manage their pain and chronic illness. But little is known about why people choose these approaches, or how use of complementary and alternative medicine is associated with changes in health status over time. Kristine Votova will address these questions by using powerful and cutting edge statistical tools to analyze data from the Longitudinal Panel of the National Population Health Survey. Her research also involves recruiting older adults to participate in focus groups, aimed at illuminating the perceived effectiveness of CAMs. Votova anticipates that this research – combining quantitative and qualitative techniques – will contribute to a better understanding of the use of complementary and alternative medicine and herbals, particularly by older adults.

In vivo trafficking of mutant and wild-type glucocerebrosidase-GFP chimerae

Tessa Campbell’s research has a clear purpose: improving treatment options for Gaucher disease. People with this genetic disorder lack sufficient amounts of glucocerebrosidase, an enzyme the body needs to help recycle old membrane fat. The fat accumulates in certain body tissues such as the spleen, liver, and bone marrow, resulting in problems ranging from anemia to neurological impairment. Enzyme replacement therapy helps to alleviate symptoms for one type of Gaucher disease, but the therapy’s exorbitant cost prevents many from receiving the treatment. Tessa created specially-marked versions of the gene for this enzyme, introduced them into cells, and studied the resulting protein synthesis and trafficking. Tessa also employed cutting edge RNA interference technology to further examine regulation of glucocerebrosidase protein production. Results from the research provide insights about maximizing efficiency of enzyme production and secretion, which could reduce enzyme replacement therapy costs. Results also offer further clues to glucocerebrosidase translational control and shed light upon possible involvement of inhibitory proteins in other cellular pathways.

Role of complement in the antitumor effect of photodynamic therapy and its exploitation for therapeutic gain

Ivana Cecic is investigating a novel strategy in the fight against cancer. Her research concerns the complement system, a series of proteins that help the body protect itself from harm due to infection and injury. During the course of certain diseases, such as heart attack and stroke, complement activates against tissues and can result in life-threatening consequences. Cecic conducted research that revealed complement contributes to the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy, a new method of activating light-sensitive drugs in specific tissues as part of the treatment of a variety of cancerous and non-cancerous lesions. Now she’s examining the potential of harnessing complement’s tissue-destructive power in cancer treatment involving photodynamic therapy. Cecic hopes the research will contribute to more effective treatment of malignant tumours.