Trainee Award

Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research/Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award

Atherosclerosis, caused by cholesterol buildup and inflammation in arterial blockages (plaques), is the leading cause of death in Canadians. Cholesterol-loaded cells (foam cells) that collect in plaques make it unstable, leading to heart attacks and strokes. White blood cells called macrophages have previously been thought to be the main cell type accumulating cholesterol in plaques.

Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research/BC Cancer Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award

Diarrheal illnesses remain a major cause of sickness and death worldwide, killing approximately 760,000 children under the age of five each year. This project seeks to better understand one major cause: bacteria known as attaching and effacing (A/E) pathogens.

The neighbourhood environment has been found to affect the levels of physical activity among children. We are investigating the mediating effect of parenting practices on this relationship.

Human cells experience DNA damage every day, but DNA repair systems ensure that resulting mutation rates are extremely low. Two main pathways repair severe DNA damage in cells. The 'copying' pathway connects broken DNA ends by copying the missing sequence from the second DNA copy that is present before cells divide. The 're-joining' pathway simply re-joins the broken DNA ends irrespective of the missing sequence.

Hepatitis C (HCV) remains a significant challenge that affects an estimated 60,000 British Columbians. Many more, in particular, people who inject drugs (PWID), remain highly vulnerable to HCV infection. Recently, there have been dramatic developments in the treatment of HCV with the arrival of direct acting antivirals (DAAs). These drug regimens are highly effective, offering vastly superior cure rates over past HCV treatments.

Co-infections with sexually transmitted infections and blood borne infections (STIBBI) are common among people living with HIV. They occur because of shared risk behaviours and common social conditions. It is a significant public health issue because groups of people at high risk of acquiring and transmitting infections can spread them more readily to the broader population.

Stroke is often associated with low levels of physical activity and poor nutrition habits and with related conditions such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes. Within five years of the initial stroke, 30 percent of stroke survivors will suffer a recurrent stroke.

Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research/AllerGen Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award

Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research/Rick Hansen Institute (RHI)/International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD) Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award

People with spinal cord injury (SCI) are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Currently, no studies have investigated type 2 diabetes in people with SCI. We believe it may contribute to the high rate of heart disease among people with SCI.

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability in adults, and community reintegration is the pivotal outcome of successful rehabilitation.

The severity of motor impairments due to stroke vary markedly in different people, and with therapy, a degree of recovery is possible. Understanding the underlying neural mechanisms supporting motor recovery from stroke would inform development of more effective therapies.

Lymphomas are a group of cancers derived from white blood cells. This project focuses on how some lymphomas carry mutations that render the immune system unable to recognize and destroy them.

Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research/AllerGen Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award

The number of Canadians who will die from asthma is estimated at 200 per year and over 3 million suffer daily with the disease. A better understanding of the disease could give rise to more effective treatments.