Dr. Annie Ciernia is one of 20 Canadian neuroscientists each awarded $100,000 in research funding as part of Brain Canada’s 2021 Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research Program.
“We are honored to be one of the recipients of Brain Canada’s Future Leaders program,” said Dr. Ciernia, assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UBC School of Medicine. “It’s really exciting to be part of this early cohort of researchers who are all focused on improving the brain health of all Canadians.”
Her project, in collaboration with Dr. Carolina Tropini, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, explores how disruptions in developing gut-brain communication contribute to mental health problems in childhood inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). See if you can connect.
“There remains a large knowledge gap in understanding how the brain is adversely affected by disorders involving intestinal inflammation,” says Dr. Ciernia. This is particularly important in the case of childhood bowel disorders, which can affect long-term behavioral disorders.”
Dr. Ciernia and her team hypothesize that when microbes in the gut send signals to immune cells in the brain, IBD disrupts these signals, which alters brain development and ultimately mental health. It is said that it leads to failure of We hope that the results of this study will accelerate our understanding of how the microbiome contributes to childhood IBD and identify new therapeutic options for treating mental health issues in bowel disease.
“It’s really exciting to be part of this early cohort of researchers who are all focused on improving the brain health of all Canadians.”
Dr. Annie Cielnia
The goal of the future leader of Canada’s Brain Research Program is to reduce the social and economic burden of neurological and mental health problems through prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment. This year, 20 grant recipients are investigating a range of brain disorders and diseases, from studying gene therapy for Huntington’s disease to exploring the brain structures behind eating disorders in adolescents.
Dr. Viviane Poupon, President and CEO of Brain Canada, said: “By funding early research on everything from epilepsy to depression to multiple sclerosis, Canadian researchers continue to contribute to major scientific breakthroughs in brain science and promote the field nationally and internationally. will develop exponentially.”
Now in its third year, these Canada-based projects are part of a groundbreaking arrangement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada), the Brain Canada Foundation, and the Azrieli Foundation, Alvin Segal, and the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF). made possible by Family Foundation, Arrell Family Foundation, Barry and Laurie Green Family Charitable Trust, Erika Legacy Foundation.
A version of this story was originally posted on the Djavad Mowafaghian Center for Brain Health website.
