Dr. Katarzyna Anna Dudek, PhD, had been in Calgary for less than a week to begin her postdoctoral journey at the Cumming School of Medicine when she received the Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship Award one of Canada's most prestigious honours recognizing research excellence and scholarly potential.
Her research investigates how chronic stress contributes to depression by studying the endocannabinoid system: a body-wide network that regulates mood, inflammation, vascular function and the body's stress response, among other functions.
Killam Trustee Brenda Eaton, left, and Katarzyna Dudek at the Killam Awards ceremony. Sean Phillips, Riverwood Photography
"Previously, I worked with neuron-centric antidepressant treatments that narrowly focused on treating imbalances in specific brain cells, and I understood, really well, their limitations," says Dudek. "But at UCalgary, I get to think beyond what's happening within the brain and look at how the whole body is affected."
More than a brain disorder
Clinical data demonstrates that the endocannabinoid system the body's system for maintaining balance influences depression by affecting the blood-brain barrier, she explains.
"The blood-brain barrier isolates the brain from the rest of the body, enabling its proper function it is a system of vessels that regulates the communication and exchange of substances between the body and the brain, and is essential for brain health," says Dudek.
For those with depression, the barrier appears weakened. When that happens, inflammation and stress signals from the body seep into the brain, triggering or worsening depression.
"If we can understand when this occurs during the course of disorder development and protect the brain at the right time, then we can move closer to preventing the development of depression in patients," she says.
The science of resilience
Everyone experiences stress, but not everyone becomes depressed. Resilience is the body's natural ability to cope with stress.
Understanding how the resilient brain adapts and maintains healthy functioning, despite the stress, could be the key to preventing the development of depression, says Dudek.
"Depression is a disorder impacted by several factors or causes," she explains. "We know that chronic stress is the main environmental factor contributing to its pathology."
If we can identify the biological pathways in which stress causes depression, then we can intervene sooner by supporting strategies to build resilience, she says.
The hope is that by understanding how the body responds and develops resilience, we can supplement medication and move toward more holistic approaches to support mental health, she explains.
Why sex differences matter
"Historically, studies on depression have targeted men," says Dudek. "But women are nearly twice as likely to develop depression compared to men."
Recent studies have indicated that women develop depression and respond to treatment differently to men.
Her research aims to bridge this gap.
Dudek's preclinical trials even show that resilience building is different between female and male mice.
"If we can understand the different aspects that lead to resilience, we can have more targeted, personalized medicine and address the biological factors causing depression."
Towards a more hopeful future
Dudek's research is part of a broader movement to reimagine depression not as a single disorder but as a complex, multi-system condition that requires nuanced solutions.
For the past 60 years, the Killam Trust has supported scholars who will shape the future. Dudek's study opens the door to hope for those in Canada and beyond.
"I am very humbled and very honoured to have received the Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship Award," she says. "I'm just at the beginning, so this gives me a vote of confidence that what I'm doing is important and can bring about change."
On the potential impact of her research, her supervisor, Dr. Matthew Hill, PhD, says, "Dr. Dudek is advancing the field exactly in the direction it needs to go."
"Her research complements the work we've been doing at the Hill Lab and has a real potential to change how we think about, and treat, depression."
This shift from treating symptoms to understanding systems has the potential to transform mental health care. It's not just about curing depression; it's about building healthier lives before symptoms appear.
Katarzyna Anna Dudek is a postdoctoral associate at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM). She is a member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute,(HBI) and Hill Lab, where she is co-supervised by Dr. Matthew Hill and Dr. Grant Gordon.
Matthew Hill is a professor in the departments of Psychiatry and Cell Biology & Anatomy at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM). He is a member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute,(HBI), and deputy director, Basic Science Research, at the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education in HBI. He is also a member of the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute at the CSM.
