In the Ludmer Centre, ‘bridge individuals’ are pivotal to advancing transdisciplinary big-data research approaches. These unique individuals bridge or serve as liaisons between diverse neuroscience fields and computer sciences to create the neuroinformatics infrastructure propelling innovative brain research. Dr Lindsay Lewis is one of these rare bridge individuals. She is also an example of how […]
What do conditions such as stress, diabetes, and mental illnesses have in common? The answer, one in which Dr Patricia Pelufo Silveira excels, is the search for a shared origin story. Dr Silveira is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University, a researcher at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and a Primary […]
Women researchers remain significantly underrepresented in the STEM fields—science, technology, engineering and math. The lack of women across the STEM pipeline—from undergraduate and graduate students to postdocs and tenure-track professors—make it unlikely that gender parity among tenured STEM professors will be achievable in the next decade. In the USA and Canada, mathematics is the exception, […]
It’s no secret; globally sexism continues to prevail within business, academia and research, particularly, in STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and math. The theme of the 2018 United Nations’ International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11th is ‘Equality and Parity in Science’. On March 8th, International Women’s Day builds on this with […]
Mathematical modeling is key to understanding the complex processes underpinning protein misfolding and neurological diseases. Correctly folded, proteins play a central role in the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs, including the brain. Abnormal or misfolded proteins, in multiple studies, are increasingly associated with conditions such as Prion diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, […]
Eczema may be an early warning sign for potential mental health problems. According to Dr Patricia P Silveira, “When treating young girls for childhood cutaneous allergies, such as eczema, healthcare professionals should be aware of the increased potential for vulnerability for mental health problems. Understanding and investigating these types of associated risks is crucial to […]
A new study in mice provides molecular-level proof that the environment we are raised in continues to exert significant influence on brain development beyond childhood into adolescence. The study, published in Nature Communications, demonstrated that the environment in which an adolescent is raised causes measurable epigenetic modifications that influence which genes are activated or muted […]
A new study shows that childhood adversity can get ‘under the skin’ and influence epigenetic markers in our blood. Interestingly, the study also suggests for the first time, that perinatal interventions, that tackle early adversity, might have similar effects. The findings are based on a 30-year trial of the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), which has shown […]
The long-term consequences of poor infant nutrition, particularly in the first weeks after birth, are becoming clearer thanks to a new study. Preterm, underweight babies who benefited from a higher energy intake –specifically more protein and fats- during the first three weeks of life had healthier body weights in their 20s (as measured by a […]
Moving beyond the overly simplistic unhealthy lifestyle paradigm, researchers are slowly uncovering the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms behind obesity. Recent research by Ludmer Centre researcher Dr Patricia P Silveira at McGill and the Douglas Institute and her colleagues has shown that altered dopamine signaling may increase a preference for more palatable high-sugar foods leading to a risk […]