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Krembil 2016 Fall Postdoctoral and Clinical Research Fellow Award Competition.
Posted On: February 22, 2017
Congratulations to the three winners of the Krembil 2016 Fall Postdoctoral and Clinical Research Fellow Award Competition! Read about the award-winning projects below.
Trainee: Poulami Datta, PhD
Supervisor: Dr. Mohit Kapoor
Project Title: Determination of the Role of the sPLA2 lysoPc/Autotaxin/Lysophosphatidic Axis in Pathogenesis and Progression of Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, and has an unknown etiology and pathogenesis. Obesity is regarded as one of the major risk factors in developing OA. Recent studies suggest that dysregulation of endogenous metabolic factors may play a central role in the initiation and progression of OA. The current project aims to identify how high fat diet–induced obesity is associated with metabolic dysregulation and how they both contribute to OA development. Dr. Datta will identify specific metabolomic signatures in high fat diet–induced obesity and determine how these key metabolites are involved in the development and progression of OA. Her project employs both animal models of OA and human OA tissues and biofluids to decipher the exact role and mechanisms of identified metabolites in OA induction and development.
Trainee: Eric Gracey, PhD
Supervisor: Dr. Robert Inman
Project Title: Identification of Pathogenic Alterations of JAK-STAT Pathways in Ankylosing Spondylitis for Therapeutic Intervention
Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the spine with a propensity for spinal fusion. AS patients have overactive type 3 immunity, typified by high levels of Th17 cells and IL-17. Controlling this abnormal immune response is believed to be key in curing AS. The Inman lab has recently demonstrated that IL-7 is a driver of IL-17 production. Genome-wide association studies have identified an association between tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) and AS. The aims of the current proposal are as follows: 1) unravel the role of IL-7R signalling in AS patients; 2) determine how TYK2 signalling influences type 3 immunity in AS patients; and 3) identify how TYK2 mediates Th17 cell function and disease in mice.
Trainee: Arturo Ortin-Martinez, PhD
Supervisor: Dr. Valerie Wallace
Project Title: Cell-Mediated Rescue of Vision in Murine Models of Retinal Degeneration
Traditional studies have concluded that the restoration of vision by photoreceptor transplantation results from the engraftment of donor photoreceptors. Our lab has demonstrated that the process is a result of material transfer rather than donor cell integration. The aims of the current project are two-fold: 1) evaluate vision rescue after transplantation; and 2) investigate the mechanism of material transfer. The results will help determine the feasibility of transplantation as a therapy for retinal degeneration. By studying the mechanism of material transfer, we can open up new avenues for the development of novel therapies.
Trainee: Poulami Datta, PhD
Supervisor: Dr. Mohit Kapoor
Project Title: Determination of the Role of the sPLA2 lysoPc/Autotaxin/Lysophosphatidic Axis in Pathogenesis and Progression of Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, and has an unknown etiology and pathogenesis. Obesity is regarded as one of the major risk factors in developing OA. Recent studies suggest that dysregulation of endogenous metabolic factors may play a central role in the initiation and progression of OA. The current project aims to identify how high fat diet–induced obesity is associated with metabolic dysregulation and how they both contribute to OA development. Dr. Datta will identify specific metabolomic signatures in high fat diet–induced obesity and determine how these key metabolites are involved in the development and progression of OA. Her project employs both animal models of OA and human OA tissues and biofluids to decipher the exact role and mechanisms of identified metabolites in OA induction and development.
Trainee: Eric Gracey, PhD
Supervisor: Dr. Robert Inman
Project Title: Identification of Pathogenic Alterations of JAK-STAT Pathways in Ankylosing Spondylitis for Therapeutic Intervention
Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the spine with a propensity for spinal fusion. AS patients have overactive type 3 immunity, typified by high levels of Th17 cells and IL-17. Controlling this abnormal immune response is believed to be key in curing AS. The Inman lab has recently demonstrated that IL-7 is a driver of IL-17 production. Genome-wide association studies have identified an association between tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) and AS. The aims of the current proposal are as follows: 1) unravel the role of IL-7R signalling in AS patients; 2) determine how TYK2 signalling influences type 3 immunity in AS patients; and 3) identify how TYK2 mediates Th17 cell function and disease in mice.
Trainee: Arturo Ortin-Martinez, PhD
Supervisor: Dr. Valerie Wallace
Project Title: Cell-Mediated Rescue of Vision in Murine Models of Retinal Degeneration
Traditional studies have concluded that the restoration of vision by photoreceptor transplantation results from the engraftment of donor photoreceptors. Our lab has demonstrated that the process is a result of material transfer rather than donor cell integration. The aims of the current project are two-fold: 1) evaluate vision rescue after transplantation; and 2) investigate the mechanism of material transfer. The results will help determine the feasibility of transplantation as a therapy for retinal degeneration. By studying the mechanism of material transfer, we can open up new avenues for the development of novel therapies.
Poulami Datta
Eric Gracey
Arturo Ortin-Martinez