MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY
Uncovering secrets: Neuroscience fall graduates investigate the mysteries of the brain

Four new PhD graduates from the Faculty of Medicine's neuroscience program are proving the brain still has plenty of secrets left to uncover.

From decoding the mysteries of memory and movement to uncovering the molecular roots of disease, Jess Barron, Tamunotonye Omoluabi, Mona Frey and Tayebeh Sepahvand have all been pursuing groundbreaking research at Memorial University.

Jess Barron

Jess Barron is from St. John's, N.L.

She holds a B.Sc.(Hons.)(Co-op.) in cell and molecular biology, also from Memorial University.

Her PhD research, supervised by Dr. Matthew Parsons, investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying Huntington's disease (HD), which results from the inheritance of a mutated copy of the huntingtin (HTT) gene from parent to child.

She says some HD therapies target both the mutated and healthy HTT protein, which could have negative consequences.

"My thesis examined the consequences of healthy HTT depletion in the adult brain," she said. "From this, we found healthy HTT is required for proper communication between neurons in the hippocampus, a brain area critical for learning and memory. Loss of normal HTT also led to other issues in the brain, such as inflammation."

Ms. Barron says her graduate student experience was "incredibly rewarding" and prepared her well for a future career in science.

"During my PhD, I made many close friends within my lab and the BioMedical Sciences division, and while serving on committees such as the Medical Graduate Student Society. I was also able to make meaningful connections outside Newfoundland and Labrador by attending conferences."

In January, she began a position at the University of British Columbia as a post-doctoral research fellow, where she continues to examine the molecular mechanisms underlying HD.

Tamunotonye Omoluabi

Tamunotonye Omoluabi is from Rivers State, Nigeria.

She holds a B.Sc.(Hons.) in human anatomy from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Her research investigates the early factors of Alzheimer's disease and why some people are vulnerable to developing the disease, while others are resilient.

She says she was fascinated by the complex network of the brain and nervous system and how they function in health and disease during her undergraduate studies.

"This curiosity developed a desire in me to do graduate studies in neuroscience and the groundbreaking research in Dr. Qi Yuan's lab resonated with me. Results from my project show that environmental experiences and lifestyle choices may account for the individual susceptibility to the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease pathology."

Ms. Omoluabi, who is currently a post-doctoral fellow at Memorial University, says studying here was a dream come true.

She says she had the "unflinching support" of her supervisor and committee members.

"I was also in a lab where everyone was supportive. To crown it all off, I had an excellent research study with novel findings published in several journals. I came to Memorial as an international student, initially not knowing what to expect. Now I am confident I made the right decision. The province has also become a home to me and my family."

Mona Frey

Mona Frey, who holds a B.Kin.(Hons.) from Memorial University, is originally from Germany.

Her thesis research explored how low back pain affects movement and function, and vice versa.

"I completed my undergraduate studies at Memorial and, as part of my co-op. work terms and honours thesis work, I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Diana De Carvalho," she said. "I wanted to continue this work throughout my graduate studies, so I decided to stay at Memorial for my PhD, where I enjoyed all of the opportunities I got to experience during my degree."

Ms. Frey is currently completing a post-doctoral fellowship at Memorial University in the Faculty of Medicine.

Tayebeh Sepahvand

Tayebeh Sepahvand came to Memorial from Iran and holds a B.Sc. in biology from Lorestan University in Iran and an M.Sc. in physiology from Urmia University, also in Iran.

Her PhD research investigated how the brain encodes, stores and extinguishes threat memories.

"I was particularly intrigued by Dr. Qi Yuan's biography and with the right combination of experience, drive and luck, I was given the opportunity to continue my journey in her lab, where I continued exploring my interest in threat conditioning, extinction and related processes related to fear- and anxiety-related disorders," said Ms. Sepahvand.

She says by using threat conditioning to study processes underlying fear and anxiety, she was able to explore the role of sensory cortices in threat memory storage and extinction, revealing neural mechanisms beyond the amygdala and providing insights into exposure-based therapies.

She says aside from developing technical skills, she learned the importance of teamwork and mentorship as part of a diverse group of students and trainees from different backgrounds.

"I also wore many hats during my PhD, working as a teaching assistant, a standardized patient, a library assistant and a research assistant. These experiences helped me strengthen my communication, collaboration and professional skills, which continue to support me as a post-doctoral trainee. Outside the lab, I like to enjoy the beauty that Newfoundland has to offer, especially fishing."

Currently, Ms. Sepahvand is a post-doctoral fellow at Memorial University.

Save for the B.C.-based Ms. Barron, all three women will collect their doctoral degrees during fall convocation ceremonies at the St. John's Arts and Culture Centre on Oct. 16.