A presidential scholar from Pennsylvania is in Montreal this summer, applying her expertise to help a state-of-the-art lab at École Polytechnique de Montréal advance a breakthrough medical device that enables people with spinal cord injuries to move their limbs.
Lauren Iskander, a Chemical Engineering major at Villanova University with neuroscience experience, is one of 647 international students in Quebec this summer - and 2,220 across Canada - who are helping to solve tough innovation challenges through a unique initiative called the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship program.
She is working under the guidance of Assistant Professor Marco Bonizzato in the Electrical Engineering Department to boost areas of the brain that control movement. To do so, they are using an implanted neuromodulation device similar to those currently applied in treating tremors related to Parkinson's Disease.
"Just as pacemakers are implanted in the chest to help someone's heart to beat at a normal rate and rhythm, the idea is that our device will be discreetly implanted in the brain to increase motor drive and produce stronger movements," said Bonizzato, explaining how the device delivers very precise electrical pulses to areas of the brain responsible for mobility and has already shown improved leg movement in rat populations.
Unlike other approaches to spinal cord stimulation that attempt to restore activation of injured areas, the lab's research is focused on making the best of whatever function remains intact in the spinal cord, he added.
Iskander's 12-week internship is focused specifically on improving hand function by observing how electrical stimulation changes the behaviour of rats with spinal cord injuries. To do that, she is examining how the rats perform a series of motor tasks, capturing their movements on video and creating complex 3D models that are then analyzed using special motion tracking software.
Every single joint of the arm and hand is recorded and reconstructed so that she can pinpoint the exact requirements to compensate motor deficits and then track differences in the rats' performance, with and without stimulation. For example, a rat that has difficulty reaching a pellet of food initially will eventually extend its reach after neuromodulation is applied.
"A lot of the time, patients don't recover from spinal cord injuries because they have difficulty performing and repeating the motor effort to get their arm to pick up a cup, or reach for something, resulting in a physical and mental strain," Iskander said. "What's cool about this project is we're not trying to heal an injury. We're presenting a unique way to supplement the rehabilitation process, to make it much more likely that someone will recover their mobility."
Based on the project's success, the next step will be clinical trials in humans, which could be accessible within a few years if results are strong enough, added Bonizzato.
For Iskander, the international internship represents the first opportunity she's had to practically combine her chemical engineering skills with her neuroscience research. "I've always wanted to be able to use my engineering knowledge in a way that was going to help people medically and this internship is allowing me to do that in a very impactful way," she said, adding that she's enjoying her time exploring Montreal and learning about other cultures through her collaboration with fellow researchers at the university.
Bonizzato calls the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship an excellent avenue to attract highly motivated and skilled researchers who add to the ingenuity of his lab. "We try to create an environment that is as diverse as possible so that ideas will circulate," he said. "When you have international interns, they come with different backgrounds and experiences that often shed a new light or thought to our process."
In total, 2,220 students from 15 countries are taking part in the Mitacs Globalink program this summer to help solve complex problems across a range of industry sectors, from health and wellness, to robotics, technology and the environment. Designed to foster international research links and boost Canada's economy, the 12-week internships are available at more than 70 universities.
Since 2009, Mitacs has matched more than 10,000 senior undergraduates with Canadian faculty through its Globalink Research Internship program. The program promotes Canada as a top destination for research opportunities, facilitates interdisciplinary collaborations, and showcases Canadian research expertise around the world.
"Mitacs is very proud to support students through our Globalink Research Internship program so that research like Lauren's will ultimately help people in Quebec, in Canada and across the globe," said Mitacs CEO John Hepburn. "The Mitacs Globalink Research Internship promotes strategic global partnerships and helps participants gain research experience in Canada, advancing innovation and creating attractive opportunities for international students who often decide to further their education here
