Muscle Health Research Centre Archives | Research & Innovation /research/tag/muscle-health-research-centre/ Wed, 29 Jan 2025 19:57:44 +0000 en-CA hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 Regular exercise leads to better energy distribution in muscle /research/2013/09/09/regular-exercise-leads-to-better-energy-distribution-in-muscle-2/ Mon, 09 Sep 2013 08:00:00 +0000 /researchdev/2013/09/09/regular-exercise-leads-to-better-energy-distribution-in-muscle-2/ Looking to boost energy levels and stave off degeneration of aging muscle? Add workouts to your daily routine to become more energetic and perform day-to-day activities better, say 첥Ƶ muscle health researchers. “Our recent study shows that exercise leads to expansion of the mitochondrial network and, as a result, energy is distributed to muscle […]

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Looking to boost energy levels and stave off degeneration of aging muscle? Add workouts to your daily routine to become more energetic and perform day-to-day activities better, say 첥Ƶ muscle health researchers.

“Our recent study shows that exercise leads to expansion of the mitochondrial network and, as a result, energy is DavidHooddistributed to muscle in a more effective manner,” says Professor David Hood from the School of Kinesiology & Health Science in the Faculty of Health.

David Hood

On the other hand, the research shows that mitochondria become smaller or more fragmented when the muscle is not used – due to aging, for example – which leads to cellular damage and degeneration of muscle cells.

The study, “Expression of Mitochondrial Fission and Fusion Regulation Proteins in Skeletal Muscle During Chronic Use and Disuse”, assesses the effects of aging on mitochondrial morphology and has been accepted for publication by the peer-reviewed journal Muscle and Nerve.

Led by Hood, director of the Muscle Health Research Centre at York, the study was conducted by his graduate students Sobia Iqbal, Olga Ostojic, Kaustabh Singh and Anna-Maria Joseph.

The findings indicate that the proteins involved in maintaining the size and shape of mitochondria are also regulated by exercise, or lack thereof. According to the researchers, this can have important implications for energy production in muscle, the benefits of exercise and the consequences of chronic inactivity on our health.

The research received support from a Natural Science & Engineering Research Council of Canada grant.

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Chronic high-levels of stress hormone could lead to heart problems /research/2012/10/23/chronic-high-levels-of-stress-hormone-could-lead-to-heart-problems-2/ Tue, 23 Oct 2012 08:00:00 +0000 /researchdev/2012/10/23/chronic-high-levels-of-stress-hormone-could-lead-to-heart-problems-2/ Chronic high-levels of the stress hormone cortisol could inhibit the growth of blood vessels and lead to cardiovascular complications, as well as poor skeletal muscle blood flow, in people with diabetes, obesity or Cushing’s syndrome, a new study by York researchers has found. The study by principal researcher Tara Haas of York’s School of Kinesiology […]

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Chronic high-levels of the stress hormone cortisol could inhibit the growth of blood vessels and lead to cardiovascular complications, as well as poor skeletal muscle blood flow, in people with diabetes, obesity or Cushing’s syndrome, a new study by York researchers has found.

The study by principal researcher Tara Haas of York’s School of Kinesiology & Health Science and Muscle Health Research Centre in the Faculty of Health in collaboration with York kinesiology Professor Michael Riddell was published online in the peer-reviewed journal in October.

Tara Haas

“Cortisol is a steroid hormone normally present in our body in small amounts, but a continuous increase in cortisol levels is linked with the development of obesity and Type 2 diabetes,” says Haas.  The research by her team looked at the effects of sustained increases in the levels of the stress hormone corticosterone (the form of cortisol found in rodents) on the smallest blood vessels, capillaries, within skeletal muscles.

What they found, says Haas, “was a substantial reduction, by 30 per cent, in the number of capillaries within the muscle.” As capillaries bring oxygen and nutrients to the muscle cells, this reduction could have significant consequences for muscle function and perhaps even blood sugar disposal.

“This is important as a reduction in the number of capillaries could influence the ability of a person to be active, which could cause their condition to worsen,” says Haas. The finding may help to explain why people with Type 2 diabetes have difficulty growing new capillaries in other tissues, such as the heart.

Michael Riddell

The researchers then took a closer look at the mechanisms involved in the reduced capillary growth by using cultured endothelial cells – those cells that form capillaries – chronically treated with the stress hormone. They found that corticosterone repressed several major intracellular signal pathways involved in controlling cell proliferation and migration, which likely contributes to the lack of capillary growth.

“This research is significant because it highlights that a chronic elevation of stress hormone can have significant negative consequences to the small blood vessels within skeletal muscle that are in charge of providing much needed oxygen and nutrients,” says Haas. “It also points the way to identifying how cortisol, through its effects on blocking appropriate blood vessel growth, may contribute to cardiovascular complications of diabetes or obesity.”

Skeletal muscle endothelial cells in culture

Haas says the findings warrant further research to determine if treatment with synthetic steroid hormones carries similar risks. The capillaries in the skeletal muscles studied were affected using a low, but continuous exposure, to the stress hormone. The amount of synthetic steroid hormones, such as hydrocortisone, people are usually prescribed to block inflammation in the body, can be 25 times higher than the amount used in the study.

Haas is a member of the newly formed Angiogenesis Research Group, which investigates the adaptation of the skeletal muscle capillary network to physiological and pathological conditions.  The research was supported by the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grants to Haas and Riddell, as well as awards to York students, including Eric A. Shikatani, who was the recipient of a Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario Master’s Studentship Award. In addition, student Anastassia Trifonova was the recipient of a NSERC CGSM graduate scholarship, and Anna Krylova and Andrei Szigiato were recipients of NSERC Undergraduate Student Research awards.

By Sandra McLean, YFile deputy editor

Republished courtesy of YFile– 첥Ƶ’s daily e-bulletin to research stories on the research website.

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High doses of vitamin D might affect Lou Gehrig's disease /research/2012/01/04/high-doses-of-vitamin-d-might-affect-lou-gehrigs-disease-2/ Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000 /researchdev/2012/01/04/high-doses-of-vitamin-d-might-affect-lou-gehrigs-disease-2/ High daily doses of vitamin D may improve the quality of life for patients diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease, a study at 첥Ƶ has found. Using an animal model, the study’s researchers found that the motor performance and muscle endurance of mice with ALS improved when they were given […]

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High daily doses of vitamin D may improve the quality of life for patients diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease, a study at 첥Ƶ has found.

Using an animal model, the study’s researchers found that the motor performance and muscle endurance of mice with ALS improved when they were given higher than normal doses of vitamin D.

“We are the only group in Canada that is looking at the connection between dietary interventions and the effects on the ALS model,” says York kinesiology Professor Mazen Hamadeh (left) of the University’s Muscle Health Research Centre in the Faculty of Health. Hamadeh supervised the research led by York master of science degree students Jesse Solomon and Alexandro Gianforcaro in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science.

The researchers conducted three different studies looking at different amounts of vitamin D. The first looked at the effects of 10 times the adequate intake of vitamin D on the ALS animal model – the equivalent of 8,000 IU/day in humans. Results showed an improvement in both motor performance and endurance, but no change to disease outcomes, such as onset, progression or lifespan.

“We followed up with another study because we thought we didn’t give high enough amounts of vitamin D,” says Hamadeh. In the second study, the amount of vitamin D was increased to 50 times the suggested adequate intake amount or the equivalent of 40,000 IU per day in humans. Again, there was definite improvement in functional outcomes, but not in disease outcomes, confirming the findings of the first study, he says.

The researchers then thought that perhaps the recommended adequate intake amount of vitamin D was set too high and there was already an overabundance of vitamin D being administered. That led to a third study where only one fortieth of the recommended adequate intake amount was administered using the animal model, which induced a vitamin D deficiency. This study was published in PLoS ONE, an international online peer-reviewed journal, on Dec. 27.

This third study produced some interesting results, says Hamadeh. When vitamin D deficiency was induced before disease onset, disease severity was reduced, but after disease onset, it was worse. “So at very low levels there is something happening in the cell that is causing them to function better only for a little bit of time, only until disease onset, than they progress regularly,” he says.

The key now is to find out what molecular changes are occurring in the muscle, spinal cord and brain when vitamin D is administered, and that is what Hamadeh and his students are currently working on.

“ALS is the most common motor neuron disease and up until now there is no cure for it. It is also a fast-progressing disease. Between diagnosis and death, there are usually two to five years. We are trying to see whether by modulating the diet, by changing the diet, we can influence not only when the disease starts, but how fast it progresses and whether it can affect lifespan,” says Hamadeh.

“To find a dietary intervention that could influence a fast-paced disease after diagnosis of the disease, meaning after some irreversible damage has happened, means this particular nutrient has to be very powerful to either halt or slow the pace of the disease.”

The model Hamadeh works with suffers from heightened oxidative stress, a state of increased levels of free radicals or oxidants that are produced naturally inside the cell during normal functioning and metabolism. There is an association between oxidative stress and chronic, metabolic, autoimmune, neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases, including ALS, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, hypertension, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.

Hamadeh hopes his research and that of his students will help not only ALS, but many other similar diseases that share common mechanisms with ALS.

By Sandra McLean, YFile writer

Republished courtesy of YFile– 첥Ƶ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Role of stem cells in muscle repair discussed at Muscle Health Awareness Day /research/2011/06/10/role-of-stem-cells-in-muscle-repair-discussed-at-muscle-health-awareness-day-2/ Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:00:00 +0000 /researchdev/2011/06/10/role-of-stem-cells-in-muscle-repair-discussed-at-muscle-health-awareness-day-2/ Faculty and graduate students from southern Ontario’s scientific community came together at 첥Ƶ to discuss issues related to muscle health at the second annual Muscle Health Awareness Day (MHAD). The event, sponsored by the Muscle Health Research Centre (MHRC), featured a series of lectures looking at muscle adaptation, disease, development, blood flow and metabolism. Some of […]

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Faculty and graduate students from southern Ontario’s scientific community came together at 첥Ƶ to discuss issues related to muscle health at the second annual Muscle Health Awareness Day (MHAD).

The event, sponsored by the Muscle Health Research Centre (MHRC), featured a series of lectures looking at muscle adaptation, disease, development, blood flow and metabolism. Some of the key discussions revolved around the role of stem cells in muscle repair, aging and cancers, as well as the causes and reversal of aging at a muscular level.

Professor Olivier Birot (left) of York’s School of Kinesiology & Health Science presented his work on the role played by specific proteins in the control of blood vessel growth in muscle. He also looked at the role exercise plays in initiating the process of new vessel growth.

MHAD highlights the work of both junior and senior faculty members from across southern Ontario, and gives graduate students an opportunity to network and present their work in an informal, but educational manner. Four of the graduate students were awarded presentation prizes at the May 27 event for their work in muscle research.

Right: Winners of the MHAD poster contest (from left), Roxanna Chis of the University of Toronto, Jenna Gillen of McMaster University, Andrew Mitchell of the University of Waterloo and Brennan Smith of the University of Guelph

The Muscle Health Research Centre in the Faculty of Health provides a centralized and focused research emphasis on the importance of skeletal muscle to the overall health and well-being of Canadians. The centre’s upcoming initiatives include the sponsorship of a seminar provided by Professor Bengt Saltin of the Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, who will be receiving an honorary doctorate degree for his exceptional research in the area of muscle and exercise physiology during York’s June 15 convocation ceremony.

For more information, visit the Muscle Health Research Centre or contact Professor David A. Hood, director of the Muscle Health Research Centre, at dhood@yorku.ca. To view the MHAD program and abstracts, click here.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 첥Ƶ’s daily e-bulletin.

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CFI awards York researchers $274,000 in funding /research/2011/01/26/cfi-awards-york-researchers-274000-in-funding-2/ Wed, 26 Jan 2011 10:00:00 +0000 /researchdev/2011/01/26/cfi-awards-york-researchers-274000-in-funding-2/ Funding will support three projects in biology, kinesiology and psychology The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has awarded 첥Ƶ $274,689 in infrastructure funding to support the research of three York professors. Olivier Birot, professor in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science in York's Faculty of Health and a member of the Muscle Health Research […]

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Funding will support three projects in biology, kinesiology and psychology

The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has awarded 첥Ƶ $274,689 in infrastructure funding to support the research of three York professors.

, professor in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science in York's Faculty of Health and a member of the Muscle Health Research Centre, will receive $79,260 to support his research on muscle microcirculation in health and diseases. Birot’s research examines how peripheral vascular disease (PVD) affects key molecular mechanisms that regulate the formation of blood vessels in muscles. PVD is characterized by insufficient blood supply in leg muscles, leading to suffering, reduced mob ility and eventually amputation.  PVD affects more than one million Canadians and is a frequent complication for patients with obesity, Type 2 diabetes or chronic heart failure.

Right: Olivier Birot

Nicholas Cepeda, professor in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Health, will receive $100,777 to establish a developmental cognitive neuroscience laboratory for research on learning and memory, cognitive flexibility and musical training. His research has shown a 300 per cent improvement in students’ long-term recall of factual information, merely by changing the timing of when a particular curriculum item is taught and re-taught − with no increase in teaching time. The project’s musical training research will provide information about the brain functions of musicians and non-musicians, including processing speed, working memory, inhibition, attentional control and task-switching skills.

Left: Nicholas Cepeda

, professor and a Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator in the Department of Biology in York's , will receive $94,652 to support multi-faceted research in integrative neuroendocrinology and physiology. His research on the neuroendocrine regulation of growth, reproduction and body weight in fish could help aquaculture industry to improve the feeding, growth and reproduction of cultured fish. The funding also provides critical equipment for cutting-edge research on the neuroendocrine defects underlying diabetes and obesity, and may help to develop innovative pharmacological and cell-based therapies to help Canadians and others in their fight against these metabolic diseases.

Left: Suraj Unniappan

“These projects demonstrate York’s excellence in health and science research,” said Stan Shapson, vice-president research & innovation. “The questions Professor Birot's and Cepeda's projects explore concerning muscle health and learning and cognition reflect the relevance and disciplinary strengths of our psychology and kinesiology researchers, while Professor Unniappan's project illustrates the industrial applications that may flow from support for basic research. We fully support the importance of the CFI’s investments in state-of-the-art infrastructure and the world-class research they enable at York.”

York’s projects were part of a in 's Leaders Opportunity Fund, which provides Canadian researchers with the necessary tools to carry out a range of frontier research. The funding supports 339 leading researchers and 245 projects at 48 Canadian research institutions.

Gary Goodyear, minister of state (science & technology), made the announcement in Ottawa, Ontario on Jan. 21. “Supporting science is key to Canada’s future economic growth,” said Goodyear. “Our government's commitment to helping universities attract and retain world-leading research talent will lead to discoveries that improve Canadians' quality of life and create new jobs."

“Access to modern, cutting-edge equipment and facilities is imperative in the 21st century," said Gilles Patry, president & CEO of the CFI. “For more than a decade, the CFI has provided thousands of world-class researchers with the tools they need to do their work. Without the right infrastructure, they simply wouldn't be in Canada.”

A complete list of CFI recipients is available on the website.

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of Janice Walls and Melissa Hughes

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York to host muscle and healthy living research forum Friday, May 28 /research/2010/05/25/york-to-host-muscle-and-healthy-living-research-forum-friday-may-28-2/ Tue, 25 May 2010 08:00:00 +0000 /researchdev/2010/05/25/york-to-host-muscle-and-healthy-living-research-forum-friday-may-28-2/ Leading researchers from across southern Ontario will converge on 첥Ƶ on Friday to discuss the role that muscle plays in metabolism, heart health, aging and disease. The first annual Muscle Health Awareness Day, organized by York’s  Muscle Health Research Centre, will bring together the latest findings on the contribution made by heart muscle and […]

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Leading researchers from across southern Ontario will converge on 첥Ƶ on Friday to discuss the role that muscle plays in metabolism, heart health, aging and disease.

The first annual Muscle Health Awareness Day, organized by York’s  Muscle Health Research Centre, will bring together the latest findings on the contribution made by heart muscle and skeletal muscle to overall health and wellbeing.

A wide range of collaborative research on muscle biology research is being done at York’s Muscle Health Research Centre, by researchers from the Faculty of Health and the Faculty of Science and Engineering; scientists are examining muscle development, disease, metabolism, blood supply, injury and regeneration, as well as adaptation of muscle to exercise. Using molecular, cellular and whole-body techniques, a major goal is to learn how Canadians can benefit from exercise through adaptations in the metabolism and structure of muscle, says Professor David Hood, director of the Muscle Health Research Centre and Canada Research Chair in Cell Physiology.

Researchers from the Centre will be joined by scientists from the University of Toronto, Sick Kids Hospital, the University of Guelph, McMaster University and Brock University, who will present their findings during four sessions. More than 50 poster presentations will also be on display at Muscle Health Awareness Day, showing the wide variety of muscle research being done by graduate students.

The four sessions during Muscle Health Awareness Day include:

  1. Metabolism − will provide a description of important protein and fat metabolism pathways in health and disease. Emphasis will be on how enzymes responsible for synthesizing new proteins in muscle cells are activated, and how fats are taken up into muscle cells and metabolized. This has important implications for muscle wasting conditions, as well as obesity.
  2. The Cardiovascular System − will examine how heart muscle adapts to stress in various ways.  The session will focus on understanding how heart muscle cells respond to stressors such as exercise and heat and how novel methods can be used to identify important proteins that are found in cardiac disease conditions. It will also provide information about heart and smooth muscle signaling during hemodynamic stress, such as high blood pressure.
  3. Muscle Development and Satellite Cells − will describe some of the important molecules that regulate the process by which large, mature muscle cells develop from small precursor cells that fuse together, allowing muscle contraction and providing the energy for contraction to take place. Research will also be presented about the importance of precursor cells (called satellite cells) in adult muscle, and how they respond to exercise and aging.
  4. Exercise, Metabolism and Disease − will provide an understanding of important enzymes in the mitochondria that regulate carbohydrate and fat metabolism, and will relate mitochondrial function (the powerhouse of the cell) to states of physical activity and obesity in youth. Information will also be provided about muscle diseases that lead to exercise intolerance and muscle cramps.

WHEN:             Friday May 28, 9am to 5 pm
WHERE:           Computer Science & Engineering Lobby and Lecture Hall B, Keele campus
INFO:               /mhrc/Musclehealthday.htm.
MAP:                See # 19 on map, /yorkweb/maps/index.htm

By Janice Walls, media relations officer.

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Six Canada Research Chairs renewed at York for $5.7 million /research/2010/04/08/six-canada-research-chairs-renewed-at-york-for-5-7-million-2/ Thu, 08 Apr 2010 08:00:00 +0000 /researchdev/2010/04/08/six-canada-research-chairs-renewed-at-york-for-5-7-million-2/ 첥Ƶ has received $5.7 million to renew six of its Canada Research Chairs (CRC). Professors Caitlin Fisher, David Hood, Joel Katz, Steve Mason, Wendy Taylor and Peer Zumbansen will continue their respective research in digital culture, cell physiology, health psychology, Greco-Roman cultural interaction, experimental particle physics, and transnational economic governance and legal theory. With […]

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첥Ƶ has received $5.7 million to renew six of its Canada Research Chairs (CRC).

Professors Caitlin Fisher, David Hood, Joel Katz, Steve Mason, Wendy Taylor and Peer Zumbansen will continue their respective research in digital culture, cell physiology, health psychology, Greco-Roman cultural interaction, experimental particle physics, and transnational economic governance and legal theory.

With the renewals, York maintains its total of 28 research chairs. “Federal research investments are crucial to attracting and retaining the world's best researchers,” said Stan Shapson, vice-president research & innovation. “The Canada Research Chairs program allows us to sustain York’s globally competitive research across health, the sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. Our researchers’ findings help improve the quality of life, economic, and social well-being of Canadians and people around the world.”

Caitlin Fisher, Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Digital Culture and film professor in the Faculty of Fine Arts, investigates the future of narrative, interactive storytelling, and interactive cinema in the emerging area of virtual reality research. Her research develops techniques and narrative strategies for use in augmented reality (AR) environments, which is increasingly important for Canada's culture and entertainment industries as AR and associated technologies like smart phones become more commonplace.

Left: Caitlin Fisher

Under her direction, York’s AR Lab, part of the in York’s Faculty of Fine Arts, is conducting research at the forefront of art and science collaborations. The lab makes use of both established and emerging technologies to produce innovative research methods, expressive tools for artists and award-winning content that challenges cinematic and literary conventions while enhancing the ways in which people interact with their physical environment and with each other.

David Hood, CRC in Cell Physiology and kinesiology & health science professor in the Faculty of Health, is an internationally-recognized authority in muscle health, exercise and mitochondria. His publications have expanded on the important role that mitochondria play in muscle, and the beneficial effect of exercise in enhancing energy production, preventing cell death and attenuating disease processes.

Right: David Hood

Hood operates one of the world’s most advanced laboratories in the cellular physiology of mitochondria. In January 2010, he became the first director of the newly opened York Muscle Health Research Centre (MHRC), which is unique in Canada. The MHRC integrates research in mitochondria with biomedical research across the University.

Joel Katz, CRC in Health Psychology and psychology professor in the Faculty of Health, is a world-class researcher in the study of pain. His research has significant impact on the way pain is understood and managed in both preventative and rehabilitative medicine.

Left: Joel Katz

His major accomplishments include using a preventative approach to advance the treatment of acute post-operative pain, increasing our understanding of neonatal pain and how to manage it, identifying factors that predict the transition of acute to chronic pain, and discovering previously unrecognized gender differences in the experience of pain. Katz is coordinator of the 첥Ƶ health psychology Graduate Diploma Program, the only program in Canada offering specialized training in health psychology leading to a diploma.

Steve Mason, CRC in Greco-Roman Cultural Interaction and history professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, explores issues of cultural identity among the peoples of the eastern Mediterranean under Hellenistic and Roman rule (200 BCE to 300 CE). He focuses on Judea and the Jewish Mediterranean diaspora in the context of other diasporas.

Right: Steve Mason

The most important literary sources for these questions are 30 surviving volumes by the first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (37 - c. 100 CE), and Mason is at the forefront of research into these works. He leads an international team of 14 scholars in supplying Josephus with a new translation and the first comprehensive . He has published five books and many articles on related subjects while editing and co-authoring another seven. He manages the popular online database, , and is completing a volume on the fateful Judean-Roman War of 66 to 74 CE.

, CRC in Experimental Particle Physics and physics professor in the Faculty of Science & Engineering, studies the high-energy particle collisions at the and at the accelerator. Her research aims to understand matter’s smallest indivisible components and the forces of interaction between them. Taylor is recognized by her peers as an expert in b-quark physics analysis and particle detector electronics development.

Left: Wendy Taylor

Her primary analysis found the first evidence of spontaneous matter-antimatter transitions of B0s mesons, composite particles that contain both a b-quark and an anti-s quark. She contributed to developing a new calorimeter trigger, which allows high-rate data collection. She is now developing low-noise radiation-hard readout electronics for a new particle detector and algorithms to search for the Higgs boson, the particle believed to be responsible for why matter in the universe has mass.

, CRC in Transnational Economic Governance & Legal Theory and professor in Osgoode Hall Law School, explores globalization’s impact on national political economies, concentrating on changing forms of production and on the politics of privatization and deregulation.

Right: Peer Zumbansen

Zumbansen's research is advancing the development of both a comparative and methodological perspective of globalization on national political economies. His work also explores broader questions concerning political sovereignty and the changing relationship between the state and the market, particularly in the European Union, Canada and the United States. Widely published in both German and English, Zumbansen is the co-founder and co-editor-in-chief of the .

Gary Goodyear, minister of state (science & technology), announced the nationwide renewals in Ottawa on March 26. “Our government is investing in science and technology to create jobs, strengthen the economy and improve Canadians’ quality of life,” said Goodyear. “The Canada Research Chairs program is helping our universities develop and attract talented people, strengthening our capacity for leading-edge research, while creating jobs and economic opportunities for Canadians now and in the future."

The CRC program attracts the best talent from Canada and around the world, helping universities achieve research excellence in natural sciences and engineering, health sciences and social sciences and humanities.

For more information, visit the Web site.

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer.

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Cutting calories may accelerate ALS, York researchers suggest /research/2010/02/25/cutting-calories-may-accelerate-als-york-researchers-suggest-2/ Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:00:00 +0000 /researchdev/2010/02/25/cutting-calories-may-accelerate-als-york-researchers-suggest-2/ Cutting calories may speed the progression of the fatal neuromuscular disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) because of changes that occur at the molecular level, a study from 첥Ƶ has found. The research, which looked at the effects of caloric restriction in a mouse model of ALS, found that restricting caloric intake to 60 per […]

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Cutting calories may speed the progression of the fatal neuromuscular disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) because of changes that occur at the molecular level, a study from 첥Ƶ has found.

The research, which looked at the effects of caloric restriction in a mouse model of ALS, found that restricting caloric intake to 60 per cent of the usual mouse diet significantly hastened the onset and progression of ALS, as well as death. It is the first study to demonstrate that caloric restriction in animal models of ALS produces molecular-level changes that lead to cell death.

The study was published today by the open access peer reviewed journal Public Library of Science (). Former 첥Ƶ graduate student Barkha P. Patel, supervised by assistant professor Mazen J. Hamadeh (left), led the research at 첥Ƶ’s Muscle Health Research Centre, in collaboration with researchers at McMaster University.

“Research has shown that restricting calories can extend lifespan in animals, so we were surprised to find during an earlier study with the same animal model of ALS that it actually hastened the clinical onset of the disease,” said Hamadeh, of the School of Kinesiology and Health Science in York’s . “In this study, we set out to discover how caloric restriction actually led to changes at the molecular level.”

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is characterized by degeneration of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord and is associated with an increase in oxidative stress – the physiological stress on the body that is caused by damage from free radicals that are not neutralized by antioxidants.

The study sought to unravel the mechanism behind the acceleration of the clinical onset and progression of ALS when calories are restricted. It found that caloric restriction shortens lifespan through an increase in protein involved in lipid damage, inflammation and cell death.

If the results from the animal model of ALS are extrapolated to patients with the disease, caloric restriction would be contraindicated, Patel said.

For more information about nutrition research in ALS at York, visit Hamadeh's Web site.

By Janice Walls, media relations coordinator. Republished courtesy of York Media Relations.

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York flexes its muscle with new research centre /research/2010/02/10/york-flexes-its-muscle-with-new-research-centre-2/ Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:00:00 +0000 /researchdev/2010/02/10/york-flexes-its-muscle-with-new-research-centre-2/ 첥Ƶ is flexing its muscle. With the recent launch of the Muscle Health Research Centre (MHRC), the University is devoting time and space to understanding what makes us move, reported Metro Toronto Feb. 9. “It’s a centre that brings together about 16 different scientists who all study muscle in some way. Mostly skeletal muscle, the […]

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첥Ƶ is flexing its muscle. With the recent launch of the Muscle Health Research Centre (MHRC), the University is devoting time and space to understanding what makes us move, reported .

“It’s a centre that brings together about 16 different scientists who all study muscle in some way. Mostly skeletal muscle, the muscles that make us move,” says David Hood, director of the centre.

Besides looking good, muscle is fundamental to our survival.

“Muscle is 40 per cent of your body, so it’s a large amount of your body mass,” says Hood. “It’s involved in metabolism and locomotion and it adapts. So many of us focus on exercise and how exercise promotes adaptations in muscle that make us healthier. It’s not about high-performance athletes. It’s really about the study of muscle and its relation to the health of Canadians.”

Muscle plays a large role in many health ailments. Diabetes, obesity, aging and even cancer are all related to muscle and its prevalence in the body.

“A third of cancer patients actually die of muscle wasting. They don’t die of the tumour. They die because that tumour secretes things that affect the condition of muscle, and eventually, they’ll have respiratory failure because the respiratory muscles aren’t working.”

The MHRC is the only centre in Canada devoted to studying muscle. “There’s plenty of room for lots of research and that’s why a centre like this is important,” says Hood. “We all have different interests in muscle and come from different sides of the coin, but we all study muscle and its implications for health.”

The centre has been in the works for a number of years but officially opened last month, said Metro. Because York doesn’t have a medical school, the centre is more research-oriented. However, Hood is looking to grow.

“My goal is to help this develop from the human side,” he said. “We’ve been studying animal models of muscle disease and dysfunction, and models of exercise for many years, but now we’re going to try to move to the human side of things.”

Part of the MHRC’s objective is to increase the visibility of biomedical science at York, and Toronto in general. “We have a new here at York. The idea is to attract scientists and students from all over the place. To bring people together and increase the visibility of muscle health research in Canada and around the world.”

By Leyla Emory. Reprinted courtesy of .

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첥Ƶ opens Canada’s first Muscle Health Research Centre /research/2010/01/20/york-university-opens-canadas-first-muscle-health-research-centre-2/ Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:00:00 +0000 /researchdev/2010/01/20/york-university-opens-canadas-first-muscle-health-research-centre-2/ 첥Ƶ officially opened the Muscle Health Research Centre (MHRC), the first of its kind in Canada, at 10:30 today. “This centre is unique in that we’re zeroing in on skeletal muscle and its relationship to health, with a strong focus on what exercise can do,” says Professor David Hood, the centre’s founding director. “We’re looking for new discoveries […]

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첥Ƶ officially opened the Muscle Health Research Centre (MHRC), the first of its kind in Canada, at 10:30 today.

“This centre is unique in that we’re zeroing in on skeletal muscle and its relationship to health, with a strong focus on what exercise can do,” says Professor David Hood, the centre’s founding director. “We’re looking for new discoveries on how exercise can benefit Canadians through adaptations in the metabolism and structure of muscle.”

The MHRC conducts collaborative research with scientists from the School of Kinesiology & Health Science and the Department of Biology.

“Like all research centres at York, the MHRC has an interdisciplinary mandate – that is, enabling researchers from different departments and disciplines to work together towards a common goal,” says Hood.

Scientists from the MHRC are investigating topics such as muscle metabolism, muscle development and muscle adaptations to exercise, metabolic disease and cancer. Professor Tara Haas and colleagues in the MHRC recently identified a cell-signalling process that stimulates blood vessel growth and may help individuals with diabetes to exercise and thereby improve their health (see YFile, Nov. 17, 2009). Hood’s research includes an ongoing series of investigations into the benefits of exercise (see YFile,  May 11, 2007, March 2, 2009 and January 18, 2010).

“As a leading research institution, we’re concerned with bringing the work of our scientists to bear on the real world and improving the health and well-being of Canadians,” says Harvey Skinner, dean of York’s Faculty of Health. The centre will serve as an innovative hub for the life sciences within York’s Faculty of Health, generating new knowledge and disseminating research findings to the public and the health system.

The opening ceremony featured guest speakers, including Olympic figure skater Barbara Underhill; Philip Gardiner, director of the Health, Leisure & Human Performance Research Institute at the University of Manitoba; and Jane Aubin, scientific director of the .

To learn more about muscle health research at 첥Ƶ, visit the MHRC Web site or contact Hood at dhood@yorku.ca.

Republished courtesy of YFile – 첥Ƶ’s daily e-bulletin.

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