2020 Early Career Investigators in Maternal, Reproductive, Child and Youth Health
CIHR-IHDCYH is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2020 Early Career Investigators in Maternal, Reproductive, Child and Youth Health operating grant. We would also like to thank the other CIHR Institutes that made this opportunity possible: The Institute of Aging (IA), the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH), the Institute of Gender and Health (IGH), the Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR), the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA), the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA), and the Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (INMD).
Featured Research
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Dr. Angela Alberga (NPA), Concordia University & Dr. Tamara Cohen (Co-PI), University of British Columbia | Conversation Cards for Moms: Empowering pregnant women to improve dialogue with their healthcare providers
Funding Partners: Concordia University (Montreal); University of British Columbia; Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada; Obesity Canada
CIHR Funding Institute: Human Development, Child and Youth HealthTalking about weight gain, health behaviours and mental health during pregnancy can be difficult and evoke shame and guilt. Clinical appointments are often rushed due to time constraints, and maternity care providers may not regularly discuss sensitive topics of importance to pregnant women. Supportive, empowering, and non-judgemental dialogue is instrumental in establishing trust, as well as promoting adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviours and gestational weight gain recommendations aimed at optimizing healthy outcomes for mom and baby.
This national research project includes investigators, patient partners and knowledge users across Canada who aim to empower pregnant women to discuss issues that are important to them during maternity care visits. Specifically, we will interview pregnant women to determine important topics of interest and prioritize them to create Conversation Cards for Moms, a clinical dialogue tool for use in maternity care settings. We will then evaluate the feasibility and likeability of these cards in maternity settings with goals of informing future clinical trials to test the effects of Conversation Cards for Moms on health outcomes during pregnancy.
To our knowledge, dialogue tools that aim to empower pregnant women to feel confident in guiding maternity care providers to talk about sensitive topics do not exist. This research project aims to challenge and shift the traditional role of the maternity care provider from ‘directing’ to ‘empowering’ pregnant women, enabling women to lead conversations about their health. With the help of our knowledge user partners (the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada and Obesity Canada), Conversation Cards for Moms have the potential to impact prenatal practice throughout Canada.
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Dr. Erin Brennand, University of Calgary | Sex, Drugs & Chronic Pain after Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery
Funding Partner: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Calgary
CIHR Funding Institutes: Gender and Health; Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis; AgingPelvic organ prolapse (POP), a condition where a pelvic organ (e.g. uterus, bladder, or bowel) falls out of normal position and into the vagina, affects 50% of Canadian females. Those affected often experience urine leakage, physical discomfort, embarrassment, sexual dysfunction, and decreased quality of life. Surgery to correct POP is common (1 in 5 women over their lifetime), but there remain significant knowledge gaps in this field. Both Canadian patients and health care providers have indicated a need for more research regarding how surgery for POP affects female sexuality, chronic pain and use of opioids in the short term and long term.
“Sex, Drugs and Chronic Pain after POP Surgery” is a mixed-methods study that will address these priorities through recruitment of an additional 500+ participants to a registry of surgical POP cases already established in Calgary. Women will be followed over the course of their first-year post-surgery with Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) about sexuality, quality of life and pain. Sexuality will be explored in a longitudinal fashion, which is novel for surgical research. Associations between anxiety and pain catastrophizing with worsening and new-onset chronic pelvic pain and opioid use will be explored. The proportion of women filling opioid prescriptions post-surgery and the appropriateness of the number of pills prescribed will be determined through administrative data and patient reporting. Impact of surgical correction of POP, sexual function, and pain scores on overall quality of life at 12 months will be explored through path analysis. Concurrently, in-depth interviews will take place to shed light on these topics in greater detail.
The number of people with POP is expected to increase. More research on POP surgery is urgently needed to both guide decision-making and patient counselling. Our study will provide people with POP and their care providers with trusted information.
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Dr. Daniel Corsi, University of Ottawa | Substance Use in Pregnancy and Associations with perinatal, neonatal, and childhood outcomes (the SUPER Group)
Funding Partner: CHEO Research Institute
CIHR Funding Institute: Human Development, Child and Youth HealthLifestyle behaviours are essential determinants of healthy pregnancies and offspring. Women with exposure to cannabis, opioids, cocaine, or psychedelic drugs during pregnancy are at risk for complications. There are also potential lasting developmental effects in their children. In addition, environmental pressures (COVID-19) and decriminalization lead to more frequent use of substances during pregnancy. Our study will attempt to understand the impacts of substance use on pregnant women and their offspring. We will look at the medical and delivery records for more than 1 million mothers in Ontario. We will also follow children with and without exposure to substances over several years to monitor their health and development changes. Our results will inform women, medical practitioners, and the government on the risks of substance use in pregnancy and advise and support women and their providers to make safe and healthy pregnancy decisions. Contemporary Canadian data are urgently needed to understand the impact of prenatal cannabis, opioid, cocaine, and hallucinogen use on the health of mothers, neonates, the developmental trajectories of exposed children, and Canadian Society. We will generate novel data on the risks associated with perinatal substance use to advise and support pregnant individuals in achieving a healthy pregnancy. This funding will build capacity for downstream research in this area and establish the SUPER group.
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Dr. Britt Drögemöller, University of Manitoba | Investigation of single cell gene expression changes underlying chemotherapy-induced hearing loss
Funding Partner: Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM); Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba
CIHR Funding Institute: Cancer ResearchCisplatin is a chemotherapeutic agent used in the treatment of several cancers. Unfortunately, this treatment also causes severe and debilitating adverse drug reactions such as hearing loss, which occurs in approximately 60% of children receiving this treatment. Once cisplatin is administered, it can change how much of a gene is expressed in specific tissues, the effects of which can be mediated by genetic variants. These cisplatin-induced changes in gene expression are likely to result in adverse drug reactions in tissues where these changes are observed. However, no studies have examined the effect of cisplatin on gene expression in inner ear hair cells - the most important cells for hearing. This can be attributed to the difficulty in examining gene expression in these cells, which represent only approximately 3% of the cells found in the inner ear. Recent technological advances have allowed for the unprecedented investigation of genes in single cells, providing the opportunity to examine gene expression patterns in the low abundance inner ear hair cells. This research aims to use these technologies to investigate the effect of cisplatin treatment on gene expression levels in inner ear samples obtained from mice. Using these data, in combination with data from genome-wide association studies of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity from human cancer cohorts and publicly available gene expression databases, this project will uncover drugs that induce gene expression profiles that are highly dissimilar to the cisplatin-induced gene expression profiles. The potential of these drugs to prevent hearing loss, without impacting the antitumor activity of cisplatin, will be investigated using mouse models.
The identification of genes and pathways that are dysregulated in individuals who experience cisplatin-induced ototoxicity will improve our understanding of what causes this devastating adverse drug reaction. This will guide the identification of agents that could potentially prevent the occurrence of hearing loss caused by cisplatin in pediatric patients, who are already suffering the devastating consequences of cancer.
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Dr. Michelle Gagnon, University of Saskatchewan | Development and Pilot Evaluation of a Mindfulness Smartphone App for Adolescents with Menstrual Pain
Funding Partner: University of Saskatchewan
CIHR Funding Institutes: Human Development, Child and Youth Health; Musculoskeletal Health and ArthritisMenstrual pain among adolescents is a widespread and under-addressed issue. One in four adolescents who menstruate experiences severe menstrual pain that interferes with their daily activities. There is a significant need for non-pharmacological and easily accessible intervention options for this population. Despite the demonstrated effectiveness of psychological interventions such as mindfulness in effectively relieving pain and decreasing activity interference, psychological interventions for menstrual pain among adolescents have not been examined. Additionally, digital interventions, such as smartphone apps, which have the potential to be easily accessible and designed to meet the needs of adolescents, have not been researched in this population. The goal of this project is to develop, conduct usability testing, and examine the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a mindfulness app for adolescents with menstrual pain. We will use a user-centred design and a three-phased approach. In phase one we will conduct a needs assessment using a survey and focus groups to identify menstrual pain management needs and preferences, and mindfulness preferences and knowledge among adolescents. This will inform the development of an app prototype. In phase two, we will conduct iterative cycles of usability testing to refine the mindfulness app prototype. In phase three, we will recruit adolescents to use the app over a 4-month timeframe. The acceptability and satisfaction with the app will be evaluated and preliminary efficacy of the app on improving pain and mindfulness outcomes will be assessed.
This will be the first study to investigate the use of mindfulness in adolescents with menstrual pain and the use of an app targeting menstrual pain among adolescents. This research has the potential for widespread impact on the wellbeing of adolescents who menstruate.
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Dr. Carla Hilario, University of Alberta | Racism and youth mental health care
Funding Partner: Women and Children's Health Research Institute
CIHR Funding Institute: Institute of Health Services and Policy ResearchYouth mental health remains a national priority in Canada, with estimates of up to one in four young people affected by a mental health condition. While progress is being made to improve youth mental health care, there continue to be significant knowledge gaps in understanding facilitators and barriers to inclusive mental health services and systems. In particular, there is limited research on racial discrimination experienced by Canadian youth, the associations between racial discrimination and the mental health of young people, and the extent to which existing youth mental health care contexts are accessible, safe, and inclusive. This project will contribute new knowledge about the associations between racial discrimination and mental health among youth in Canada; youth perspectives on their experiences related to racism and mental health care; and the factors that facilitate or create barriers to inclusive youth mental health services and systems. This project will gather evidence through a combination of surveys, interviews, and concept mapping workshops.
The information from the study will contribute to action plans that address systemic barriers in mental health care and help to improve mental health outcomes among youth in Canada.
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Dr. Brian Kalish, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) | Maternal infection and the birth of new neurons in the developing brain
Funding Partner: The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
CIHR Funding Institute: Human Development, Child and Youth HealthFetal brain development is a tightly regulated process that is susceptible to disruption by extrinsic environmental signals. Maternal infection and inflammation during pregnancy predispose offspring to neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disease. The relationship between maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy and offspring neuropsychiatric disease has been extensively studied in rodents. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this link between maternal inflammation and disruption in fetal brain development are poorly understood. Using cutting-edge molecular genetics and mouse models, we will test how MIA alters the birth of new neurons – neurogenesis. The results of this innovative proposal will have major implications for our understanding of the fetal brain response to maternal inflammation and the lifelong disability of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Inflammation and infection during pregnancy are common, and yet, we have a limited understanding of the effect of these processes on fetal development. Our research seeks to understand fundamental mechanisms of intrauterine brain development, with the goal of identifying novel opportunities for prevention and treatment.
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Dr. Salima Meherali, University of Alberta | Co-designing a mobile application with immigrant adolescents for better sexual and reproductive health
Funding Partner: Women & Children's Health Research Institute (WCHRI)
CIHR Funding Institute: Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth HealthOne in five Canadians is foreign-born. In 2018, over 321,000 immigrants arrived in Canada, the largest number since 1971. Immigrant adolescents make up a substantial proportion of newcomers to Canada. Adolescence is a time to establish lifelong healthy behaviours, and research indicates an alarming gap in adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge. Despite the importance of immigrants in Canadian society, there is a scarcity of research on the SRH needs of immigrant adolescents in the country. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies on SRH information needs of immigrant adolescents in Canada. To address this gap, we aim to examine the SRH information needs and priorities of immigrant adolescents in Canada. This project will be conducted in four stages:
Stage 1: An adolescent advisory group (AAG) will be formed. The goal of the AAG will be to participate in data collection, data analysis, mobile app development, gathering feedback on mobile app usability, and knowledge mobilization.
Stage 2: A qualitative study will be conducted with immigrant adolescents aged 13-19 years to explore their information needs and their level of knowledge related to SRH.
Stage 3: We will actively engage with immigrant adolescents and develop an interactive mobile app.
Stage 4: We will evaluate the usability and usefulness of the mHealth intervention. The development, implementation, and evaluation of this innovative mHealth intervention for immigrant adolescents will provide evidence-based information on SRH to adolescents and ultimately improve adolescents' SRH outcomes. We will disseminate our findings to policymakers, service providers, and immigrants through diverse strategies, including reports, a project website, conference presentations, and peer-reviewed publications.
The potential impacts of this mobile app development include increased SRH knowledge and awareness, increased access to SRH services, increased use of contraception, decreased unintended pregnancies and need for abortion among adolescents, and improved SRH of adolescents across Canada.
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Dr. Souvik Mitra, Dalhousie University | Selective Early Medical Treatment of the Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Extremely Low Gestational Age Infants: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (the SMART PDA Trial)
Funding Partner: Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation; IWK Health Research; Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University
CIHR Funding Institute: Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory HealthAmong preterm infants, those born at a gestational age less than 26 weeks (about 6 months) are considered the most vulnerable, with a high risk of short- and long-term health problems that include chronic lung disease, brain bleed, gut injury, kidney failure and death. Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is the most common heart condition with almost 70% preterm infants in this gestational age group being diagnosed with a PDA. Though many PDAs spontaneously resolve on their own, research suggests that if the PDA persists, it may contribute to a number of these short- and long-term health problems. Medications such as ibuprofen and indomethacin are commonly used to treat a PDA. These drugs can also have harmful effects on the gut and kidneys of extremely preterm infants. Therefore, we are unsure if early treatment of a symptomatic PDA in this age group is at all beneficial. Given the wide variation in PDA treatment approaches in this age group, a randomized trial design, where extremely preterm infants with a symptomatic PDA are randomly assigned to early treatment or no early treatment, is essential to address this question. The study will be conducted as a multi-center, open-label; parallel-design pilot randomized controlled trial. The purpose of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility of conducting a large study to explore the following research question: “In preterm infants born <26 weeks’ gestation, is a strategy of selective early medical treatment of a symptomatic PDA (defined based on a combination of clinical and echocardiographic markers) better than no treatment at all in the first week of life?”
This will be the first randomized trial on PDA management in preterm infants that specifically aims to recruit infants born <26 weeks of gestational age who are at the highest risk for PDA-related morbidity but have been systematically under-represented in clinical trials. It is important to undertake this pilot trial to establish the feasibility of a larger trial that will help generate robust evidence on the timing of management of this very common condition in this vulnerable population.
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Dr. Serena Laura Orr, University of Calgary | A pilot clinical trial of a new neuromodulation device for treating children and adolescents visiting the emergency department with acute attacks of migraine
Funding Partner: Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary
CIHR Funding Institute: Neurosciences, Mental Health and AddictionOne in ten Canadian children and adolescents have migraine. Current treatments for children and adolescents visiting the emergency department (ED) for migraine attacks are given through an intravenous (IV) catheter; these treatments have many side effects, high costs, and are associated with patient fears about pain. Recently, there has been a growth in research on using neuromodulation, which delivers electrical or magnetic stimulation to nerves or neural tissue, for the treatment of migraine attacks in adults. Through patient engagement, we have identified that children and adolescents with migraine are interested treating migraine attacks in the ED with non-invasive neuromodulation.
We have designed a research study that will determine if a non-invasive remote electrical neuromodulation (REN) device is safe and effective in treating children and adolescents with a migraine attack in the ED. Our initial goal is to recruit 40 children and adolescents visiting the ED with a migraine attack to see if the study is feasible and acceptable. Participants will be given the REN device or typical IV medications; each participant will also receive a placebo. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of these two treatment groups. Participants and research personnel will be blinded to the treatment given, which means that they will not know the group assigned to reduce bias related to treatment expectation.
This work has the potential to revolutionize the care of children and adolescents visiting the ED with migraine attacks by expanding treatment options to include a patient-centered, cost-effective, and non-invasive treatment. If this pilot study is feasible and acceptable, the next step will be to do a larger study to determine how REN compares to the typical IV medications used to treat children and adolescents with migraine attacks in the ED.
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Dr. Leslie E. Roos, University of Manitoba | Promoting maternal-child mental health in families of young children using an innovative telehealth model
Funding Partner: Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba
CIHR Funding Institute: Human Development, Child and Youth HealthChildhood mental illness (MI) is a significant public health concern, diagnosed in ~13% of children. The early emergence of child mental health problems is linked to significant impairments including persistent MI, health-risk behaviours, suicidality, and low quality of life. Early exposure to maternal MI is a central risk factor for the emergence of children’s own problems, due to both shared genetics and the impacts of maternal MI on parent-child relationships. Research suggests a 400% increased risk of MI in children of mothers who also experienced mental illness. Effective and scalable solutions are needed to address the mental health needs of mothers and prevent child MI. Despite these risks, there are limited programs that address maternal MI while also promoting mental health and development in young children. The BRIDGE intervention, “Building Regulation in Dual Generations” (BRIDGE) was created by Principal Investigator, Dr. Roos, to address these needs. BRIDGE brings together adult mental health treatment (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy [DBT] skills training) with best practices in emotion-focused parenting designed to improve child mental health and build resilience from future problems. We will also examine neurobiological and behavioral markers of MI risk and therapeutic change to inform intervention techniques.
Following pandemic-related changes in service models, BRIDGE will use an innovative telehealth approach to provide 16-week group therapy alongside video-based materials that were co-designed by our parent advisory board to be tailored to the unique needs of mothers.
Leaders such as The World Health Organization and #WeCANforKids emphasize a critical need to address intergenerational mental health. Intervening with young children holds potential for long-term benefits because the preschool age range is sensitive to stress-exposure and key to social-emotional development. Results have the potential to inform a comprehensive strategy to promote child mental health in Canada and around the world.
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Dr. Derya Sargin, University of Calgary | Impact of early life stress on brain-wide serotonin circuits and behavioural development
Funding Partner: Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute
CIHR Funding Institute: Neurosciences, Mental Health and AddictionDepression is the leading cause of disability in Canada with an estimated economic burden of $50 billion per year. The incidence of depression among young people has been steadily increasing over the last decades, with an overall rise in youth suicide rates. Childhood depression is a serious health condition with a severe impact on growth and development, family life, social functioning, education, and quality of life of children. Traumatic stress early in life such as parental loss, abuse or poverty can act as a trigger for the development of depressive illness. Yet we have little knowledge about how stress leads to depression.
Evidence suggests that stress during a critical developmental period can have detrimental effects on brain maturation. Using mouse models of chronic stress, the work from Dr. Sargin’s lab has shown that prolonged stress during development changes the activity of brain’s emotional centers and causes behavioural changes reminiscent of depression. We propose that early life stress disrupts brain maturation and interferes with the proper development of emotional and social behaviours.
The objective of this project is to investigate the possible mechanisms behind stress-induced disruption of critical brain circuits. Our lab, along with others, has shown that the chemical messenger serotonin is highly important for the development of mood and emotions. In this project, we will determine how we can stimulate the brain’s critical centers and circuits regulated by the serotonin system to improve the long-term effects of developmental stress. Our work will be important for understanding the link between stress and childhood depression and will further aim to develop circuit-based stimulation approaches to inform treatment.
With this project, we aim to reveal the mechanisms underlying early life stress-induced brain dysfunction. Our study will advance our understanding of mental illness that arises from childhood trauma and will create new knowledge aimed at the discovery of novel targets and stimulation protocols for circuit-based treatment approaches for mood disorders.
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- Sarginlab
- Derya Sargin - Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute
- Derya Sargin - Hotchkiss Brain Institute
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Dr. Andrea Simpson, University of Toronto | Maternal outcomes and mode of delivery following pregnancy in women with inflammatory bowel disease
Funding Partner: St. Michael's Hospital; Unity Health Toronto, University of Toronto
CIHR Funding Institute: Nutrition, Metabolism and DiabetesWomen with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are commonly diagnosed during their reproductive years and often need to make complex decisions about medical and surgical treatments at a time when they are considering family planning. Fertility and pregnancy have been identified as sources of fear and anxiety in the young IBD population, and significant knowledge gaps in this area have been highlighted. Specifically, there is limited literature around maternal outcomes and the impact of the mode of delivery (vaginal delivery or Caesarean section [CS]) on patients with IBD. Most existing studies are limited by small sample sizes and have focused primarily on fetal outcomes. In this study, we aim to evaluate current trends in obstetrical practices and maternal outcomes following pregnancy in a large population-based cohort of women with IBD. We aim to determine whether mode of delivery (vaginal or CS) is different between women with IBD and the general population and if short- and long-term maternal outcomes are different, particularly relating to specific IBD characteristics. In exploring this understudied area, we aim to improve healthcare knowledge and influence obstetrical care for women with IBD.
We will create knowledge that is relevant to gastroenterologists and surgeons who treat patients with IBD, as well as obstetricians, family physicians and midwives who provide obstetrical care to these patients. Our findings will be of direct relevance to guide decision-making in women with IBD who are contemplating pregnancy and delivery.
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Dr. Qiumin Tan, University of Alberta | Abnormal persistence of transient neurons and seizure susceptibility
Funding Partner: Women and Children's Health Research Institute
CIHR Funding Institute: Human Development, Child and Youth HealthEpilepsy is a disorder in which the brain activity glitches to cause seizures. Epilepsy affects about 1 in 200 children and adolescents in Canada. Treatment of epilepsy presents a complex challenge because it is caused by many different factors. As a result, 30%–40% of epilepsy patients do not respond to drug treatments. Children and youth with uncontrollable epilepsy are not only at a higher risk of mortality but also more likely to have learning disabilities, depression, and anxiety, leading to reduction in quality of life. Further insight into the cause of difficult-to-treat epilepsy is needed to develop effective therapies for children and youth suffering from this devastating neurological condition.
Brain development problems may cause epilepsy. The brain is built like a skyscraper—it relies on temporary scaffolds as its structures are built. A scaffold of brain cells called Cajal-Retzius cells populate the outer layer of the developing brain to support its development. And just like a skyscraper’s scaffold is disassembled after the building is complete, most Cajal-Retzius cells are eliminated during early postnatal life. While remnants of a temporary scaffold on a completed skyscraper are a mere eyesore, incomplete Cajal-Retzius cell elimination might interfere with normal brain development. Indeed, abnormal persistence of Cajal-Retzius cells in the postnatal brain has been linked to seizure disorders. But whether this is a cause or consequence is unknown. Our project will study how Cajal-Retzius cells are eliminated in the postnatal brain. We will also determine whether and how abnormal Cajal-Retzius cell persistence, and therefore their abnormal activity, contributes to increased seizure susceptibility.
Our work will provide a major step forward in understanding how abnormal Cajal-Retzius cell persistence alters seizure threshold in the developing brain. This is clinically relevant as it may identify Cajal-Retzius cells as a novel therapeutic target for children and youth suffering from difficult-to-treat epilepsy.
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Dr. Lindsey Westover, University of Alberta | Integration of artificial intelligence with surface topography for managing scoliosis
Funding Partner: Women and Children's Health Research Institute
CIHR Funding Institute: Musculoskeletal Health and ArthritisScoliosis is an orthopaedic condition resulting in curvature and rotation of the spine. It typically first appears during adolescence and affects females more than males. Asymmetry of the torso is one of the symptoms. Scoliosis is diagnosed and monitored using X-rays. Unfortunately, X-rays expose young patients to the effects of radiation including a documented increase in cancer risk. Surface topography (ST) is a non-invasive three-dimensional (3D) assessment of the torso shape. Using a laser scanner, 3D images of the torso are acquired, and the asymmetry of the torso is measured. The severity of scoliosis is then quantified using indices reflecting the symmetry of the torso. Previous studies using surface topography with 2D measurements instead of the available 3D data were not able to accurately predict the severity of the spinal curvature. In our recent work, we introduced a novel 3D asymmetry technique that does not rely on markers placed on the torso or on simple 2D measurements. Our ST measures were able to quantify the severity and progression of scoliosis. In the current proposal, we will develop artificial intelligence techniques to better use the surface topography parameters to estimate the actual shape of the underlying spinal curvature. The developed methods will be designed to ensure that no moderate/severe curves are missed and that all progressing curves are detected to make sure that patients are not missing important treatment opportunities, while dramatically reducing the X-ray radiation exposure to patients.
Surface topography may provide a non-invasive method to evaluate the severity and monitor the progression of scoliosis. Ultimately our work has the potential to improve the clinical management of children and youth suffering from scoliosis by reducing cumulative X-ray exposure during their growing years, resulting in improved long-term health outcomes.
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