By: Corbett Gildersleve, News Writer
SFU researchers collaborate with international group to better track infectious diseases
In May, an SFU team joined the ARTIC-2 project, a collaboration between the University of Birmingham, UK, and researchers in Kenya, Ghana, and the Republic of Congo, to develop low-cost genome sequencing procedures and equipment, and expand their use. Dr. Caroline Colijn, professor in the department of mathematics and Canada 150 research chair, is co-leading part of the project. Colijn told SFU News, “Genome sequencing was with us from the start of the pandemic, and it helped to inform public health policies and decisions as new variants were discovered.”
The benefits of this project would allow laboratories and researchers to more easily sequence viruses and bacteria to track how they change and evolve. This can better inform public health officials and potentially spot outbreaks sooner. With low-cost equipment, this technique is more affordable for countries in the Global South, helping them respond to outbreaks more quickly.
Dr. Amy Parent named UNESCO co-chair
Dr. Amy Parent (Sigidimnak Nox̱s Ts’aawit) has been named UNESCO co-chair for transforming Indigenous knowledge research governance and rematriation. Parent is an associate professor in the faculty of education and inaugural associate director at the Cassidy Centre for Educational Justice — a research centre “to advance justice and an equitable, democratic society through education.” She is also Canada’s Research Chair (Tier II) in Indigenous governance and education.
The second UNESCO co-chair is Dr. Sonajharia Minz of the Oraon Tribal Peoples in New Delhi, India. According to SFU’s announcement, Indigenous knowledge research governance refers to the “self-determined, Indigenous-led processes, policies, and structures that guide and oversee research involving Indigenous Peoples, including rights, knowledges, languages, and lands.”
“We are committed to bringing forward the strength of our Nations and the integrity of our knowledge systems into spaces and places where they have long been excluded.” — Dr. Amy Parent, UNESCO co-chair, transforming Indigenous knowledge research governance and rematriation
Parent told SFU News, “Dr. Sonajharia Minz and I carry this joint appointment not only with deep honour, but with a profound sense of responsibility — to our Nations, our ancestors, and the generations to come. We are committed to bringing forward the strength of our Nations and the integrity of our knowledge systems into spaces and places where they have long been excluded.”
New brain imaging technique aims to better understand Parkinson’s Disease drugs
A new study was published in the journal Movement Disorders on April 18 by Dr. Alex Wiesman, along with five others from the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. Wiesman is an assistant professor in the department of biomedical physiology and kinesiology as well as Canada’s Research Chair (II) in neurophysiology of aging and neurodegeneration. This study reviewed brain scans of Parkinson’s Disease patients who take dopamine replacement therapy drugs such as Levodopa to see why the treatment was less effective for them.
Using magnetoencephalography technology to measure electric brain signals, the researchers tracked in real time how the drug affected their brain signals. Dr. Wiesman told SFU News he believes this new approach to brain imaging could help tailor a patient’s treatment by identifying how they uniquely respond to these medications. The study also concludes this approach “may be useful for data-driven contextualization of medication effects on cortical neurophysiology in future research and clinical applications.”
