Fruit fly study targets treatment of chronic pain Dr. Jeffrey Dason wants to help treat chronic pain in humans by studying the fruit fly. Biomedical sciences professor Dr. Jeffrey Dason received a $516,376 Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grant for his five-year project, “The role of Neuronal Calcium Sensor-1/Frequenin2 in nociception.” “1 in 5 Canadians experience chronic pain resulting in cost of healthcare and lost productivity that exceeds the cost of cancer, heart disease and HIV,” says Dason. To understand what molecules could be potentially targeted in humans to treat chronic pain, he will study the simpler model of the fruit fly. “In our grant we use the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, to study cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying nociception,” he says. “Nociception is a process in which pain sensing neurons called nociceptors detect painful stimuli and allow individuals to avoid potential tissue damage and death.” Treating pain remains a major challenge due to a lack of understanding of…
New partnership between university and public health unit announced Residence Hall West, at the University of Windsor, is pictured on Wednesday, August 24, 2022. PHOTO BY DAX MELMER /Windsor Star The University of Windsor and the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) have entered into a strategic partnership that will explore opportunities such as co-location, joint programming and collaboration in research, teaching, experiential learning and community service. “We are thrilled to partner with such an important organization and are excited about the opportunity this brings to our campus and region” said Dr. Robert Gordon, University of Windsor president and vice-chancellor. “This partnership aligns with the university’s vision of being an engaged and meaningful community partner and opens the door to collaboration resulting in exceptional teaching, learning and research opportunities.” The partnership will bring together individuals from both institutions focused on learning, research, community service and public health to examine potential…
WE-SPARK Releases Q1 Report WE-SPARK Health Institute, now in its fourth year, has released its 1st quarter report, highlighting key accomplishments from May 2022 – July 2022. Highlights include: • awarded $310,000 to 15 local research grants, bringing the total to $1,086,725 since the grant program launch April 2020; • added 33 new members for total of 893 members; • on boarded 15 new members to its Student Volunteer Network, reaching to 100 student alumni, and logging over 400 hours this quarter; • hosted four events including a Think Tank with 120 participants; • initiated a Research Data Management strategy; • reported on Core member successes including $1.3M in new research funding and 16 publications; and • grew Ask the Expert program to include eight feature stories from local health and research experts. Read the report here. WE-SPARK quarterly reports communicate outcomes and provides accountability to its members and the Windsor-Essex community.…
Networking event to bring together health research community The next WE-SPARK Health Institute networking event will be held Thursday, September 1st. WE-SPARK Health Institute hosts monthly networking events for members of the Windsor-Essex health research community to get to know one another through fun and casual conversations. There is no formal agenda, and all are welcome. This is an opportunity for anyone interested in health research to learn what is happening locally, make connections, and help your research idea move forward, all in an informal and enjoyable atmosphere. The next event will be held Thursday, September 1st, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Bourbon Tap & Grill, 1199 Ottawa St. No RSVP is required. WE-SPARK Health Institute is a partnership of the University of Windsor, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, and Windsor Regional Hospital designed to take healthcare to the next level through research.
Report highlights accomplishments of health institute WE-SPARK Health Institute details its accomplishments in its third annual Impact Report. With a theme of “Succeeding Together,” the third annual Impact Report from WE-SPARK Health Institute details its accomplishments from May 2021 to April 2022. “For the past three years we’ve been focusing on establishing a strong common vision, uniting our strengths, and accelerating our research activities and the progress is exciting,” says executive director Lisa Porter. “I’m very proud of our team, and thank our four supporting partner agencies, and the clinicians, researchers, students, community supporters and donors for making this all possible.” The institute is supported by the University of Windsor, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, and Windsor Regional Hospital. Among the report’s highlights are: membership grown to 860 members; facilitated 13 clinical professorships; created a plan to connect and grow industry engagement in preparation for new health research…
Health institute surpasses $1 million in research grants Lisa Porter, executive director of the WE-Spark Health Institute, is excited that it has awarded more than $1 million in research grants. WE-SPARK Health Institute and its funding partners have awarded 15 research grants totaling $310,000 to tackle local health challenges in its latest round of funding. The grants provide funding to promote the development of early-stage, innovative health research and health education projects in Windsor-Essex and support other health research programs to increase their prospects for future funding. Projects include addressing gaps in healthcare needs, igniting new ideas, generating and disseminating knowledge, studies in emerging health topics, and sparking collaborations. The grants involve collaborators across WE-SPARK’s four supporting institutions — Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, the University of Windsor and Windsor Regional Hospital — along with numerous community members, students and volunteers across Windsor-Essex. “With…
Project aims at design of soft electronics materials Chemistry professor Simon Rondeau-Gagné heads a research team exploring new approaches to prepare and synthesize organic semiconductors. Simon Rondeau-Gagné is using the fundamental building blocks of chemistry to design soft and flexible electronics that could be used for chemical sensing and medical treatment. An associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, Dr. Rondeau-Gagné received a five-year $310,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery grant for his project “Molecular Engineering of Semiconducting Polymers for Emerging Organic Electronics.” His team looks to add to today’s technologies by making semiconducting materials that can emulate the properties of human body. “Integration of current electronics, mostly based on silicon, is very challenging. For example, it will always be difficult to implant a rigid device in the brain that would completely conform to its surface to create new functionalities,” says Rondeau-Gagné.…
Student project optimizes custom seating for children’s wheelchairs A team of Windsor engineering students worked with industry partners to develop a more efficient method of producing custom wheelchair seats for children with special needs. A manufacturing process developed with help from UWindsor engineering students can help children with special needs get a customized wheelchair faster. The team, fourth-year engineering majors Luka Mlinarevic, Pavneet Sarao, Alea Mclellan, Jasmine Bull, and Saifaldin Abdelhamid under the direction of professor Colin Novak, has been working with the John McGivney Children’s Centre (JMCC) to speed up its production of specialized seats uniquely designed to meet the specific needs of each child. The high-quality individualized seats are better suited to young clients than those procured off the shelf, explained team member Bull. “These custom-moulded seats make a huge difference for these children by providing optimal alignment and support while improving their well-being,” she said. The new process, presented during…
Windsor researchers develop new nursing program to help prevent burnout Dr. Dana Menard. Courtesy CTV New A team of University of Windsor researchers are designing a new program to help graduating nurses cope with the extreme stress in hospital settings. The new program stems from data collected from a years-long research study that saw UWindsor researcher’s interview Canadian nurses working in Windsor and Detroit throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. “They told us they felt disrespected and overwhelmed. A lot of them were leaving or planning to leave the profession. There was just a sense of misery and burnout,” says Dana Menard, University of Windsor psychology professor and project leader. Menard says they found young nurses were more likely to leave the profession. “We decided to create a program to help nursing students transition to hospital-based jobs during times of extreme stress,” she says. The course covers topics that are not taught in traditional courses, but reflect the realities of the current work environment. “We’ll cover subjects…
