Dr. Matthew Churchward at Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) has been awarded more than $358,000 over five years from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for a Discovery Horizons Grant that supports research into microglia and astrocytes, types of glial cells in the human body that support the brain and spinal cord during potential injury or damage.
People with central nervous system injuries sometimes rely on functional electrical stimulation (FES) devices, such as cochlear ear implants and other brain-stimulating devices, to improve their quality of life; however, FES devices can become less effective over time as the body's immune system reacts to the foreign device and chronic stimulation.
Dr. Matthew Churchward, Assistant Professor in Biological and Environmental Sciences at CUE, is leading research that aims to understand how FES devices can be better engineered to improve their effectiveness, notably in longer-term applications. Partnering with University of Alberta Professor Dr. Vivian Mushahwar, Dr. Churchward's research explores how these glial cells respond to electrical fields and explores whether response to FES varies between sexes.
The research team includes CUE undergraduate students, other trainees and researchers with backgrounds in biochemistry and cell biology, biomedical engineering, neuroscience, and analytical biochemistry.
"I am so excited for Dr. Churchward, an exceptional researcher who deserves the opportunity to advance his important research. I am confident that his studies will have a great impact on people who experience neural injuries and use devices like cochlear implants to improve their quality of life," said Dr. Carla Craveiro Salvado, Associate Vice President Research and Innovation at CUE.
"Dr. Churchward's approach of bringing together experts across a variety of fields to tackle big issues is the exact environment we are able to foster in our close-knit research community at CUE," said Dr. Craveiro Salvado.
"NSERC is an incredible funding partner, making dynamic research like this possible across Canada. We are grateful for their ongoing support of the research happening at CUE. NSERC's support of researchers like Dr. Churchward ensures institutions like CUE will continue to grow and contribute to the advancement of impactful outcomes," said Dr. Craveiro Salvado
"We are proud to offer opportunities for our students to get hands-on experience in the lab working on impactful research projects like these and receiving mentorship from experts like Dr. Churchward. It's incredibly important to us to be able to offer these opportunities to our students so they can graduate from our programs with great knowledge, critical research skills, as well as real-life, immersive research experiences they can take into their careers or further studies," said Dr. Barb van Ingen, Provost and Vice-President, Academic at CUE.
"It was important to me to bring together a range of experts in biochemistry, biomedical engineering, and neuroscience to ensure we can holistically tackle this issue. No one person can solve big issues like these, and I am excited for our entire team to get to work, and for the chance for our students to contribute to the success of the project," said Dr. Matthew Churchward, Assistant Professor in Biological and Environmental Sciences at CUE.
"The research we are conducting has the potential to change lives through innovations in how FES devices and implants are engineered and administered. I am grateful to NSERC for the funding and the opportunity to advance such an important issue that affects so many Canadians," said Dr. Churchward.
We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
Nous remercions le Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG) de son soutien.
