S E M I N A R & V I S I T I N G S P E A K E R S E R I E S

D AT E

Friday, March 31, 2017

9:00AM

L O C AT I O N

PX236/238

PsychHealth Building

S P E A K E R Tiina M. Kauppinen, Ph.D. http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/health_sciences/medicine/units/pharmacology/f aculty_members/7919.html

Assistant Professor - Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba Principal Investigator – Neuroscience Research Program, Kleysen Institute for Advanced Medicine

TOPIC: Exposure to gestational diabetes mellitus induces cognitive changes in offspring

My research lab studies the role of microglia and neuroinflammation in central nervous system disorders. Microglia are the resident immune cells of the central nervous system and believed to drive neuroinflammation, the nervous system-specific inflammatory-like responses to insult. Inflammatory responses are meant to protect tissue from pathogens and promote recovery/healing, however, they can generate environment that promotes neurodegeneration and jeopardize neurogenesis and interferes with development and maintenance of neuronal networks. One of our projects investigates how chronic inflammation induced by gestational diabetes mellitus affects offspring brain development and their cognitive function upon early adulthood. We utilize in vivo and in vitro models, and molecular biology tools to dissect how gestational diabetes induced neuroinflammation and how postnatal diet could affect neurocognitive development. The overall goals of my research program are to 1) understand how microglial functions affect neurodegeneration, neurogenesis and neuronal functions; 2) establish approaches to modulate microglial responses towards phenotype that supports brain health; and 3) develop new therapeutic strategies with multiple disease relevance. The project has been funded by Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, Research Manitoba, Manitoba Health Research Council and Health Sciences Centre Foundation.

S E M I N A R & V I S I T I N G S P E A K E R S E R I E S

D AT E

Thursday, April 6th, 2017

3:00PM

LO C AT I O N

Theatre C

S P E A K E R

Dr. Jeffrey Kleim

Associate Director

School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering

Arizona State University

TOPIC: Neural Plasticity and Neurorehabilitation: Encouraging the Brain to Change

ABSTRACT: The capacity for the nervous system to structurally and functionally adapt (neural plasticity) has been described for more than a century. Decades of neuroanatomical, neurophysiological and molecular studies have revealed that neural plasticity is an evolutionarily conserved, fundamental property of all nervous tissue. It is critical for maintaining normal brain function and yet can also manifest into various forms of brain dysfunction. While we still do not fully understand the complexity of the human nervous system, its response to disease/injury and capacity for recovery, treatments designed to harness endogenous neural plasticity to overcome neurological impairment continue to emerge. Specifically, the characterization of key behavioral and

neurobiological signals that drive neural plasticity, in combination with advances in biomedical engineering, regenerative medicine and genomics, have created opportunities to develop novel therapeutic interventions. Evidence from both animal and clinical studies will be presented that demonstrate how

modulating specific elements of motor rehabilitation can enhance functional outcome and cortical reorganization after stroke. Further, the viability of many

adjuvant therapies for augmenting neural plasticity to enhance the impact of motor rehabilitation will be presented.

For more information contact:

Eftekhar Eftekharpour, Visiting Speaker & Seminar Series Coordinator T: 204.789.3214 E: eftekhar.eftekharpour@umanitoba.ca mailto:eftekhar.eftekharpour@umanitoba.ca

Kelly Jorundson Coordinator, Membership & Operations Manitoba Neuroscience Network

Email: kjorund@sbrc.ca mailto:kjorund@sbrc.ca Tel: 204.235.3939 Fax: 204.237.4092

St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre Room R4046 - 351 Taché Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6 CANADA

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