2019
Award: Cheryle Séguin, PhD, awarded two Arthritis Society grants
December 20, 2019
Cheryle Séguin, PhD, is the recipient of two grants from the Arthritis Society, a Strategic Operating Grant and a Stars Careers Development Award – Mid Career. The grants support her promising new research into back pain and arthritis. Her research will study the biology of disc degeneration and common spine disorders and test new treatments.Honours: Researchers celebrated on Arthritis Society’s Top 10 Research Advances of 2019 list
December 17, 2019
Two researchers at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry were among those named to the Arthritis Society’s Top 10 Research Advances of 2019 list. Frank Beier, PhD, along with PhD trainee Ian Villamagna, were acknowledged for their work in developing a new delivery method for an anti-inflammatory drug. Matthew Teeter, PhD, was honoured for his research into wearable technology being used as a pre- and post-operative assessment tool for knee replacement surgery.Lung images of twins with asthma add to understanding of the disease
December 04, 2019
In a case study published today, researchers used a specialized MRI technique in a set of twins with asthma. While the twins are non-identical, the researchers found that they actually had identical ventilation defects in the same upper left lung segment, which stayed the same over the duration of the seven year study.Media Release: New study advances quest to better understand consciousness
October 11, 2019
In a new study published today by Nature Communications, Adrian Owen, PhD, and his colleagues at the University of Cambridge compared the brain states of patients who are in a vegetative state with those of healthy participants who were anaesthetized. The aim is to identifying a specific brain state that is associated with consciousness and conversely, a specific brain state that is indicative on unconsciousness.Funding: Ontario Research Fund supports early researchers and infrastructure at Western
October 07, 2019
Today, the Ontario government announced $2.2 million in support of research at Western University. The funds support important health research projects at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry through the Early Researcher Awards and the Ontario Research Fund (ORF) Infrastructure Fund.Welcome Christie Vanderboor
October 01, 2019
We are pleased to announce that Christie Vanderboor has joined the Physiology and Pharmacology Administrative team as the Facilities and Laboratory Manager effective September 30, 2019. In this role, Christie will be responsible for managing all aspects of the Department’s technical operations and resources as well as overseeing the Undergraduate Teaching Laboratories. Christie holds a PhD in Physiology and Pharmacology from Western. Since 2011, she has been employed at the University as a Research Associate and Laboratory Manager with her most recent appointment in the laboratory of Dr. Tim Regnault. Please join us in congratulating Christie and wishing her all the best in her new role!Fall Preview Day
September 30, 2019
Join us for Fall Preview Day: Sunday, November 17, 2019Vanquishing an Insidious Foe
September 27, 2019
The question is one Dr. Rob Hegele hears often: Is cardiovascular disease a product of genetics or a product of lifestyle? “The answer is … yes,” said the Robarts Research Institute scientist. One of the world’s foremost experts on the genetic basis of cardiovascular disease, Dr. Hegele cares for more than 2,500 patients at his lipid clinic. For those individuals, he is more than a physician. By mapping the genetic basis of their high cholesterol or Type 2 diabetes, he is also able to help change their outcomes.Alumni take top honours among world’s best
September 25, 2019
Research papers by two recent Western graduates – Cynthia Qi and Madelaine Coelho – have been selected as the best in the world in their fields in the 2019 edition of The Undergraduate Awards, an international, cross-disciplinary competition that awards undergraduate students for outstanding coursework.Eye movement opens door to memory formation
September 16, 2019
The research team, led by Dr. Julio Martinez-Trujillo, used animal models to study how eye movement influences brain signals in the hippocampus, a small curved portion of the brain responsible for new memory formation and recall. Because the hippocampus is located deep in the brain, not all brain signals make it there.Anita Woods – Undergraduate Program Chair
September 12, 2019
Congratulations to Anita Woods on her appointment as our Department’s Undergraduate Program Chair effective September 1, 2019 to June 30, 2022.Annual Corn Roast and BBQ
September 09, 2019
On September 5th, the department’s annual corn roast and bbq was held at Fanshawe Park to kick of the new academic year and welcome our incoming 4980 students, graduate students, and post docs. A great time was had by all. A special thanks to everyone who helped with the event! To see pics, please visit our Flickr Page.Media Release: Diabetes medication shows potential to reduce heart disease
September 05, 2019
A new study from St. Michael's Hospital in collaboration with Western University sheds light on how a class of medications that help regulate blood sugar for patients with Type 2 diabetes can also protect against heart disease.Announcement: Brad Urquhart has been appointed Associate Dean, Basic Medical Sciences Undergraduate Education
August 23, 2019
Brad Urquhart, PhD, has been appointed as Associate Dean, Basic Medical Sciences Undergraduate Education, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, effective from September 1, 2019 to August 30, 2024.In Memoriam: Michael Poulter, PhD
August 14, 2019
It is with great sadness that we share news of the unexpected passing of Michael Poulter, PhD, professor in Physiology and Pharmacology and scientist at Robarts Research Institute. Poulter was a devoted scientist and teacher whose contributions to the School and the research community will be greatly missed.Funding: CIHR funds translational collaborative research
July 17, 2019
Health researchers at Western were awarded more than $8 million in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) in the latest project grant competition. In total, nine research projects were funded at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry ranging from evaluating new ways of looking at spinal cord injury to understanding how neuroimaging can improve diagnostics for Parkinson’s disease.Awards: Bone and Joint Institute researchers celebrated
July 10, 2019
Members of Western’s Bone and Joint Institute were celebrated recently by the International Combined Orthopaedic Research Societies (ICORS) at the group’s annual meeting.Forging a path toward a brighter future in osteoarthritis
July 03, 2019
Mentorship and strong ties to the research community have been invaluable components of Dr. Appleton’s career development. Upon starting his PhD, the task of familiarizing himself to osteoarthritis (OA) research was initially intimidating. Nevertheless, he took a dive into the field, eager to learn as much as he could from those around him. “I was always confident that I had the right support network around me,” he explained. “I developed a network of really thoughtful, intelligent people.”Awards: Dentistry faculty internationally recognized for oral health research
June 25, 2019
Congratulations to Drs. Walter Siqueira and Jeffrey Dixon who received international recognition for their work in Dental Research.Awards: Physiology and Pharmacology faculty recognized for excellence in research
June 20, 2019
Congratulations to Peter Chidiac, PhD, and Peter Stathopulos, PhD, both honoured by the Canadian Society of Pharmacology and Therapeutics for their exceptional contributions to research in the field of pharmacology.Announcement: Four new CRCs announced
June 18, 2019
Congratulations to Shehzad Ali, PhD, Grace Parraga, PhD, Corey Baron, PhD, and Marco Prado, PhD, who have been named among Western’s nine new Canada Research Chairs (CRCs).CRC push opens doors to diverse applicants
June 11, 2019
Western has opened the Canada Research Chair (CRC) application process in a special call for candidates who demonstrate research excellence and who meet equity, diversity and inclusion criteria. The federal CRC program funds the work of approximately 2,000 of the country’s most innovative, world-changing researchers, including 43 at Western. This newest search is aimed specifically at recruiting researchers who are members of groups currently under-represented among Western CRCs: women, Indigenous persons and persons with a disability.Media Release: Research examines how diet can influence memory-formation
June 07, 2019
A new study shows how the brain controls what information becomes memories and the role diet and obesity play in these formations. Published in the journal Trends in Neuroscience, the study describes the critical importance of perineuronal nets (PNNs) – structures that enmesh certain neurons in the brain – in protecting the neuron and regulating how often the brain turns experiences into memories.Symposium touches on ‘new frontiers’ of tech
June 05, 2019
More than 100 neuroscience researchers from around the world are visiting Western to take part in the first international touchscreen symposium, New frontiers in cognitive testing using touchscreen technology, June 5-6 in the Western Interdisciplinary Research Building.Rylett named to lead CIHR Institute of Aging
May 28, 2019
Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry professor Jane Rylett was recently named the new Scientific Director of CIHR’s Institute of Aging, one of only 13 institutes nationwide supported by the funding body that funds health researchers and trainees across Canada in various areas.Canadian research toward unlocking a common back pain disease
April 25, 2019Award: Andrew Pruszynski, PhD, recognized as outstanding physiologist
April 18, 2019
Congratulations to Andrew Pruszynski, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and scientist at Robarts Research Institute who has been awarded the J.A.F. Stevenson award from the Canadian Physiological Society.Pruszynski recognized as outstanding physiologist
April 18, 2019
Congratulations to Andrew Pruszynski, PhD, scientist at Robarts Research Institute and assistant professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology who has been awarded the J.A.F. Stevenson award from the CanadianICU patients with non-brain-related injuries may suffer undetected cognitive dysfunction
April 15, 2019
A new study led by Western University and Lawson Health Research Institute has found that most patients entering hospital intensive care units (ICU) for non-brain-related injuries or ailments also suffer from some level of related cognitive dysfunction that currently goes undetected in most cases.Awards: 2019 Awards of Excellence recipients announced
March 29, 2019
As educators, researchers, innovators and leaders, the 2019 Awards of Excellence London and Windsor Campus recipients are making a difference at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. It is with great pride that we recognize and honour their achievements. Congratulations to this years' recipients.Discovery unlocks spine disease mysteries
March 15, 2019
Led by Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry professor Cheryle Seguin, a Bone and Joint Institute research team has made a breakthrough into better understanding a highly prevalent spine disease that affects one-third of North American men over 50.Western celebrates top teaching talent
March 12, 2019
Eleven winners, representing three different faculties, have been awarded Western’s highest honours for inspiring active and deep learning in their students. This year’s winners join a company of teachers nearly a quarter-century strong.Award: Frank Beier honoured for excellence in osteoarthritis research
March 08, 2019
Congratulations to Frank Beier, PhD, who is being honoured with an Award for Basic Science Research from the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI). The award recognizes Beier’s pioneering work in applying genomics techniques to osteoarthritis models.MSK Innovation Competition
March 07, 2019
This initiative aims to cultivate skill sets that enable ideas to be successfully pitched to investors and promote entrepreneurial spirit. The competition is open to all London-based entrepreneurial MSK researchers (e.g. academia, research institutions, research hospitals, startups, etc.). Each innovation team will require at least one Western faculty member, but anyone with the entrepreneurial itch can lead an application! While the research idea should be novel and sound, the competition is for the best pitch – i.e. the presentation that best convinces the investor panel on the value of the idea and how the $30,000 award would improve and/or better illustrate the potential and commercial value of the innovative idea itself.Your spinal cord is ‘smarter’ than previously thought: research shows our spinal cords contribute to sophisticated hand function
February 15, 2019
Using specialized robotic technology, a three degree of freedom exoskeleton at Western’s Brain and Mind Institute, researchers demonstrated that the spinal cord is able to process and control complex functions, like the positioning of your hand in external space.Researchers committed to open-science efforts
February 13, 2019
Placing collaboration above competition, Western researchers are giving 300 labs around the world the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the mouse brain in hopes of unlocking the secrets of Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders in humans. Led by BrainsCAN, this is the latest and largest project undertaken by the neuroscience initiative in a push for open-science research.Study explores impact of THC exposure in utero
February 05, 2019
Daniel Hardy, a Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry professor, led a recent study that found “alarming” damage to important organs in newborns who were exposed to cannabis – and, specifically, to THC – while in utero. This damage could lead to heart disease and diabetes later in life.Western Perspective Project
February 01, 2019
Everywhere we look, whether it’s in our education, our personal hobbies, or in the way we connect with others on social media, we are constantly exposed to the successes achieved by our fellow peers. We see people excelling in their academic career, winning scholarships and awards. ... We don’t see the failures and difficulties that others have had to overcome, and as a result, we have come to fear failure. We feel ashamed when we try so hard and fail to achieve our goals.Congratulations to the funding recipients in Physiology and Pharmacology!
January 28, 2019
Health researchers in London were awarded more than $10 million in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, with $7.3 million supporting projects through Schulich Medicine & Dentistry and $2.8 million through Lawson Health Research Institute.Owen named Officer of British Empire
January 07, 2019
Renowned Western neuroscientist Adrian Owen has been named an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) as part of the 2019 New Year’s Honours list recognising “the achievements of a wide range of extraordinary people” across the United Kingdom.
