New research from Dr. Yu Tian Wang’s lab has revealed a novel role for a protein involved in AMPA receptor trafficking, but that also is important for synaptic plasticity. The protein, p97, requires balance to facilitate synaptic transmission; out of balance it blocks long-term potentiation (LTP), a function that strengthens synaptic transmission and neuronal communication.
Newsroom
For media enquiries or more information about research at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, please contact Emily Wight, Communications Manager.
- Email: emily.wight@brain.ubc.ca
- Phone: 604-417-0165
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Can a protein applied to the inside of the nose reduce inflammation in the central nervous system?
New research from Dr. Jacqueline Quandt’s laboratory suggests that intranasal administration of E-selectin, a type of protein that is expressed by blood vessel cells in an attempt to recruit immune cells, can bolster an immunosuppressive response in the body and calm inflammation in the brain in models of multiple sclerosis (MS).
The discovery of a new role for a gene associated with neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders finds possible prenatal origin for Alzheimer disease (AD), according to a study published today in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
A new UBC Physical Therapy & Research Clinic for people with neurological conditions has opened across the street from the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, offering people living with movement disorders, stroke, and multiple sclerosis (MS) access to a group exercise program tailored to their specific needs.
Pictured: Tariq Aziz, Laura Harvey, Dr. Rob Carruthers, and Jamie McDowell join colleagues with the UBC MS & NMO Program in support of Burgers to Beat MS on August 22. Image credit: Michelle Eisner.
Congratulations
Pictured: Dr. Nick Weilinger (PI: Dr. Brian MacVicar), who won an award for best basic science poster at the Department of Psychiatry's annual Research Day in June. Image credit: Paul Joseph/UBC.
Pictured: Dr. Weihong Song (left) with Dr. Yun Zhang (right), co-first author on the paper described below. Image credit: Paul Joseph/UBC.
Can improving sleep quality protect older adults from cognitive decline? New research presented today at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) suggests that improving circadian regulation by “resetting” an individual’s biological clock can improve sleep quality in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.
Pictured: Dr. Christoph Birkl (left) celebrates with supervisor and Principal Investigator Dr. Alex Rauscher (right) from Innsbruck, Austria. Image source: Dr. Alex Rauscher.
Congratulations to our members who recently received Project Grants from the Canadian Insitutes of Health Research (CIHR). CIHR Project Grants support research projects with a defined endpoint, allowing researchers to pursue innovative, high-risk research questions with potential to improve health outcomes in Canada.
For the first time, scientists have captured high-resolution, three-dimensional images of an enzyme in the process of precisely cutting DNA strands.
The images—captured using a technique called cryogenic electron microscopy, or cryo-EM—reveal new information about how a gene-editing tool called CRISPR-Cas9 works, which may help researchers develop versions of it that operate more efficiently and precisely to alter targeted genes.
