Authors: Zhenjiang Li, Donghai Liang, Stefanie Ebelt, Marla Gearing, Michael S. Kobor, Chaini Konwar, Julie L. MacIsaac, Kristy Dever, Aliza P. Wingo, Allan I. Levey, James J. Lah, Thomas S. Wingo, Anke Hüls
Title: Differential DNA methylation in the brain as potential mediator of the association between traffic-related PM2.5 and neuropathology markers of Alzheimer’s disease
Summary: A new publication led by researchers at Emory University in collaboration with Dr. Michael Kobor’s laboratory explores the connection between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure and Alzheimer’s disease (AS) neuropathology. The study, conducted on post-mortem human brain tissues, employs a comprehensive approach, including genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) analysis, to investigate potential mediation effects. The researchers discovered significant associations between PM2.5 and specific DNAm sites, linked to genes related to neuroinflammation. 24 sites are identified as potential mediators between PM2.5 exposure and AD-related neuropathological markers. This study provides novel insights into the role of DNAm in mediating the association between traffic-related PM2.5 and AD, emphasizing the importance of understanding biological mechanisms in air pollution-related neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr. Silvia Stringhini’s laboratory, housed within the UBC School of Population and Public Health (SPPH), is seeking a highly qualified part-time Data Scientist to join their team as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in advancing their research program focused on life course socio-economic determinants of health and aging.
As a vital member of Dr. Silvia Stringhini’s Lab, the Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the role of Data Scientist will be instrumental in shaping and executing our research initiatives. Responsibilities include actively contributing to project planning and development, employing advanced statistical methodologies for analyzing large-scale datasets, and documenting findings in a digital lab notebook. The successful candidate will play a central role in communicating and coordinating project goals with both internal lab members and external stakeholders. They will be pivotal in supporting the preparation of manuscripts, grants, and data access requests, showcasing their organizational acumen and contributing to the overall success of lab business, Through regular participation in lab meetings and collaboration with Dr. Stringhini, the Postdoctoral Research Fellow will contribute to the dynamic and multidisciplinary environment of the lab, fostering an atmosphere of innovation and collaboration in pursuit of understanding life course socio-economic determinants of health and aging. %FTE is negotiable and hybrid or remote working solutions will be considered for the right candidate.
Applications will be accepted until 11:50 PM on March 3, 2024. Click here to apply!
Adam Lemkow graduated from Carleton University with a BSc Hons. in Neuroscience in 2022 and from Western University with a BA in Media & the Public Interest in 2016. Adam is keenly interested in the gut-brain axis and is currently studying cognition and Parkinson’s disease in the Appel-Cresswell lab.
Brent Page’s research focuses on developing next-generation therapeutics for cancer, inflammatory conditions and other diseases. With training in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology, his research team employs cutting-edge techniques to identify and optimize chemical inhibitors for newly discovered and/or challenging biological targets. As an academic drug discovery group, their work is highly collaborative and relies on contributions from experts in disease biology and drug development. By joining the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, he hopes to develop further collaborations in this exciting research space and work together to explore new treatment ideas and methodologies that will contribute to healthy aging.
We are pleased to announce the recruitment of Dr. Emilia Lim by the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to UBC!
Dr. Emilia Lim will be an Investigator in the ELCHA and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She obtained her BSc in Bioinformatics at the University of Alberta, where she completed her thesis on the Human Metabolome Project with Dr. David Wishart. She then pursued her PhD in Bioinformatics under the mentorship of Dr. Marco Marra at UBC and the BC Cancer Genome Sciences Centre. Here, she worked on epigenomic and transcriptomic biomarker discovery for treatment refractory hematological and pediatric cancers. Most recently, she completed her postdoctoral training with Dr. Charles Swanton at the Francis Crick Research Institute and University College London (UCL), studying chromosomal instability and how it shapes lung cancer evolution.
Her interest in lung cancer in never smokers directed her to develop a framework for studying the environmental impact on cancer initiation. Through this work, she discovered that air pollution triggers lung cancer initiation by promoting clonal expansion of cells harbouring oncogenic mutations which have accumulated due to aging. Moving forward, she envisions leading an environmental gero-genomics group, with an emphasis on areas of unmet need in Canada. Her research program will concern how environmental exposures disrupt normal cells to accelerate the initiation of age-related disease states such as cancer. Her team will perform multi-omic investigations of how environmental pollutants co-opt molecular mechanisms to shape tissue landscapes into diseased states. This will be done with a view towards molecular disease prevention, revealing targets for screening and intervention.
Authors: Fardowsa L. A. Yusuf, Feng Zhu, Charity Evans, John D. Fisj, Yinshan Zhao, Ruth A. Marrie, Dr. Helen Tremlett
Title: Gastrointestinal conditions in the multiple sclerosis prodrome
Summary: A new publication by Dr. Helen Tremlett aimed to explore the connection between gastrointestinal (GI) issues and the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) or the initial signs of nerve damage. Dr. Tremlett’s team analyzed medical records from 1996 to 2013. They studied two groups: one identified through administrative data and another diagnosed at an MS clinic. They compared these groups with matched control groups (i.e., healthy individuals) to examine GI-related doctor visits and medication use five years before the first MS symptoms appeared.
The results showed that individuals later diagnosed with MS had higher rates of doctor visits for specific GI problems like gastritis, duodenitis, and esophageal diseases before they experienced any MS-related symptoms. Additionally, they were more likely to have received medications for constipation, nausea, and drugs that promote bowel movements (propulsives) compared to the control groups. Men, in particular, showed a higher risk for using propulsive medications than women.
These findings suggest that GI issues might be linked to the early stages of MS, even before the typical symptoms appear. This implies that GI symptoms could serve as indicators or warnings of the onset of MS, and there might be a difference in how these symptoms manifest in men and women during the early phases of the disease.
The Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging is hiring a Project Manager who will be responsible for providing management in all areas of program development, implementation, and administration for the Canadian Microbiome Mapping Initiative (CMMI) – a large, trans-disciplinary research program focused on developing a multi ‘omics platform to investigate the role of the microbiome in health and disease. This includes: strategic plan development and implementation; human resources; ethics proposal development; engagement with study Investigators, funders, internal and external collaborators, partners and stakeholders; resource allocation; communications and knowledge translation; and policy development and implementation. The Project Manager plays a key role in liaising with the Faculty of Medicine’s Development & Alumni Engagement staff to proactively support donor stewardship and accountability.
The incumbent requires minimal supervision and is independently responsible for their regular work, with a decision-making authority. They will have the ability to assess and implement work required to achieve objectives, strong organizational skills, diplomacy and the ability to provide leadership in creating positive and supportive work environments. The incumbent will work with leadership and faculty, to develop infrastructure systems of support in all areas of administration, policy and procedure interpretation, human resources, financial planning, protocol development, grant development, and other resources to support Investigators.
The incumbent is required to develop, foster and maintain excellent relationships, both internal and external to the CMMI, Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Medicine and University, with an awareness of external and internal political and scientific environments. This position acts as the administrative representative for the CMMI, contributing to the Faculty of Medicine, UBC units and partner organizations through participation in various committees, working groups, meetings and projects.
This job posting has now been closed – thank you for your applications!
Emilia obtained her BSc in Bioinformatics at the University of Alberta, where she completed her thesis on the Human Metabolome Project with Dr. David Wishart. She then pursued her PhD in Bioinformatics under the mentorship of Dr. Marco Marra at UBC and the BC Cancer Genome Sciences Centre. She worked on epigenomic and transcriptomic biomarker discovery for treatment refractory hematological and pediatric cancers through the TCGA and TARGET NCI initiatives. She then completed her postdoctoral training with Dr. Charles Swanton at the Francis Crick Research Institute and University College London (UCL). She worked on the TRACERx and PEACE studies, examining chromosomal instability and how it shapes lung cancer evolution. Her interest in lung cancer in never smokers directed her to develop a framework for studying the environmental impact on cancer initiation. She discovered that air pollution triggers lung cancer initiation by promoting clonal expansion of cells harbouring oncogenic mutations which have accumulated due to aging. Her current research program concerns how environmental pollutants disrupt normal cells to accelerate the initiation of age-related disease states such as cancer.
Dr. Jennifer Jakobi, an Investigator with the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging and Professor at UBC Okanagan, was the recipient of a 2023 Convening and Collaborating award jointly funded by Michael Smith Health Research BC and the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging for her project titled “Aging in Place: A Perspective from Indigenous Older Adults and Elders”. These awards aim to facilitate meaningful collaboration between researchers and research users to address health-related issues in British Columbia. The engagement with research users ensures project relevance and promotes knowledge translation and skills development within BC health research. These initiatives also highlight a commitment to collaborative, community-based research that address pressing health issues in the region.
The project led by Dr. Jakobi will explore aging in place among Indigenous older adults. Collaborating with Indigenous communities, her team will modify a survey to capture the voices of different nations and develop reports jointly with Indigenous communities. This project seeks to share this information through knowledge-exchange events with government, Indigenous leaders, and policy makers at provincial and federal levels, ultimately shaping policies and practices to support aging in place for Indigenous communities.
Juliana is a PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Maureen Ashe at the University of British Columbia. Her previous training was completed at the University of Alberta where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, Master of Science in Rehabilitation Science, and Master of Science in Physiotherapy. Juliana’s previous research focused on osteoarthritis and bone and joint health in the ageing population, while her clinical work comprised of both community and acute care settings. Today she continues her clinical work with older adults in long-term care. Her current research interests combine her experience in both academic and clinical practices to address the needs of the ageing population, particularly as it relates to their mobility, activity, and musculoskeletal health. Outside her studies Juliana enjoys hiking and travelling with her family.
