不良研究所

Studying how peptides in the gut protect against parasites, exploring how astrocytes in the brain transmit stress, and delving deep into signals that make us eat: Three scholars at the University of 不良研究所 have each received an award from the to work with colleagues in France on specific research projects. The funding is aimed at encouraging collaboration among researchers in the two countries, enabling them to travel back and forth. 

鈥淭he grant is mostly for interaction,鈥� says Dr. Eduardo Cobo, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Production Animal Health in the and member of the Cumming School of Medicine鈥檚 . 鈥淚t鈥檚 a limited amount for research, but it鈥檚 an opportunity for a student to go to France and people from France to come here. That鈥檚 important because they have different expertise.鈥�

• Photo above: Eduardo Cobo's lab will send a student to the Universit茅 de Bordeaux for a research collaboration. Photo by Kelly Johnston, Cumming School of Medicine   

Dr. Jaideep Bains, PhD, professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the (CSM) and member of the CSM鈥檚 and , studies how stress can be transmitted from one individual to another. His FCRF grant will enable him and Dr. Giovanni Marsicano, PhD, at the Universit茅 de Bordeaux to co-supervise a PhD student. Paula Gomez-Sotres, who is registered in the PhD program in Bordeaux, will study the role of astrocytes, specialized cells in the brain, in transmitting stress.

鈥淧aula will be coming to 不良研究所 to conduct specific experiments because we have unique tools that are not available in Bordeaux,鈥� says Bains. 鈥淪imilarly, the Marsicano lab are world leaders in genetically manipulating astrocytes, so Paula will go back and forth between the two labs. 

"It鈥檚 an incredible opportunity to leverage complementary expertise to better understand how the brain controls social interactions to transmit stress and other emotions.鈥�

The third grant will help scholars understand how consuming fructose, a simple sugar found in many processed foods, might lead to food over-consumption. 鈥淲e want to know why some people crave sugar,鈥� says Dr. Deborah Kurrasch, PhD, associate professor in the departments of Medical Genetics and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and member of the CSM鈥檚 , and Hotchkiss Brain Institute. 

鈥淲e have evidence that fructose might actually activate microglia, immune cells in the brain, instead of acting directly on the neurons that control food intake,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 am excited to work with Dr. Agnes Nadjar, PhD, at the Universit茅 de Bordeaux on this project. Our labs share an overlapping interest in how our brains respond to dietary cues, and our complementary tools create a unique opportunity to understand this topic at a deeper level.鈥�

The FCRF was created in 2000 by the Embassy of France in Canada and a consortium of 20 Canadian Universities. It is supported by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, L鈥橭r茅al Canada, MITACS, and Total Canada. It provides support for new research partnerships and promotes mobility for researchers, giving priority to projects involving young researchers. The FCRF awards between 15 and 20 every year, ranging from $8,000 to $15,000 per project. Since its creation, the fund has supported more than 300 projects led by Canadian and French teams in all research areas.

Led by the ,  is one of six research strategies guiding the University of 不良研究所 in its Eyes High strategic direction. The strategy provides a unifying direction for brain and mental health research at the university and positions researchers to unlock new discoveries and treatments for brain health in our community.