2020
Province-wide shutdown updates
December 22, 2020
Further to the communication from Western’s Provost and VP Operations outlining the University’s planned response to the province-wide lockdown, we want to confirm details as it relates to Schulich Medicine & Dentistry programs.
Excellence in Sensorimotor Neuroscience
December 17, 2020
Congratulations to Andrew Pruszynski, PhD, whose Canada Research Chair in Sensorimotor Neuroscience was renewed, along with the announcement of four new CRCs at Western University.
Enhancing care for kidney disease
December 15, 2020
Working on a COVID-19 ward at a hospital in Italy’s Lombardy region, Dr. Fabio Salerno found himself at the epicentre of Europe’s coronavirus outbreak.
Improving quality of life
December 14, 2020
A patient with frontotemporal dementia discovers his grandson’s birthday cake in the fridge. He doesn’t think twice before getting out a knife and fork and eating every last piece an hour before the birthday party is set to begin.
Inaugural Neil McKenzie Chair in Cardiac Care
December 03, 2020
Robarts scientist Dr. Geoffrey Pickering has been appointed as the inaugural Neil McKenzie Chair in Cardiac Care at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, effective January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2025.
Lisa Saksida honoured by Women’s Executive Network
December 01, 2020
Lisa Saksida, PhD, has been recognized by the Women's Executive Network as a powerful advocate for women in STEM and a leader in neuroscience research.
Robarts today and into the future – A Q&A with Robert Bartha
December 01, 2020
Subhead: A Q& A with Robert Bartha, PhD, Acting Director of Strategy and Scientific Integration sheds light on what’s been happening at and is in store for the Institute.
Daring to Ask with Lisa Saksida
November 30, 2020
Lisa Saksida, PhD, holds the Canada Research Chair in Translational Cognitive Neuroscience, Tier 1. She studies the brain’s capacity for learning, memorizing and paying attention. Through mapping the neural pathways in a healthy brain, Saksida and her team can better understand the effects of neurodegenerative disorders.
Julio Martinez-Trujillo re-appointed as Provincial Chair
November 26, 2020
Dr. Julio Martinez-Trujillo has been re-appointed to his position as the Provincial Endowed Academic Chair in Autism, effective October 1, 2020 to December 31, 2024.
Donald Welsh re-appointed to Chair position
November 25, 2020
Donald Welsh, PhD, has been re-appointed as the Cecil and Linda Rorabeck Chair in Molecular Neuroscience and Vascular Biology, effective October 1, 2020 to March 31, 2025.
Paving the way for eating disorder treatments
November 09, 2020
A team of researchers led by Robarts scientists Vania Prado, PhD, and Marco Prado, PhD, uncovered a new neural mechanism that may explain how our ability to develop habits can contribute to dysfunctional eating.
Daring to Ask with Robert Hegele
October 31, 2020
With one-third of Canadian deaths each year the result of a heart attack or stroke, Dr. Robert Hegele is daring to ask how we can use DNA technology to improve these odds. By identifying genetic risk factors, he is making it possible to intervene earlier in life.
Brain imaging provides concussion insights
September 30, 2020
Robert Bartha, PhD, Acting Director of Strategy and Scientific Integration at Robarts Research Institute, is using advanced MRI methods to detect early warning signs in athletes’ brains. His research reveals that even athletes who do not suffer concussions show changes in their brains after a season of contact sport.
Robarts scientists named CAHS Fellows
September 23, 2020
Four Robarts scientists were selected among the 77 new Fellows joining the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) in 2020.
Researchers investigate long-term effects of COVID-19
September 10, 2020
COVID-19 infection can cause pneumonia, lung inflammation and respiratory failure with damage to lung airways, tissues and blood vessels.
Royal Society celebrates Robarts scientist
September 08, 2020
For many Canadian scholars, being elected into the Royal Society of Canada is a crowning achievement of their careers.
Announcement: Acting Director
July 23, 2020
Robert Bartha, PhD, has been appointed as Acting Director, Strategy and Scientific Integration at Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry effective July 27, 2020 to June 30, 2021 or until such time as a Director is appointed.
Chronic stress changes neurons in the brain
July 20, 2020
Wataru Inoue, PhD, studies the effect of chronic stress on the brain. His latest paper, “Neuronal hypertrophy dampens neuronal intrinsic excitability and stress responsiveness during chronic stress,” led by his recent graduate student Sara Matovic, MSc’17, showed that the neurons in the brain actually change their size and microstructure, and become desensitized to stress signals over time.
International Scholar Award
June 25, 2020
Congratulations to Amer Youssef, PhD, Research Associate at Robarts Research Institute, on receiving the Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award from the American Heart Association, recognizing the highest ranked abstract submitted from Canada to the Vascular Discovery.
Research shows contact sports cause brain changes
June 17, 2020
Suffering a concussion can cause serious and often lasting damage in the brain. For athletes, it could be one strong blow to the head during a tackle, or an aggressive head-first check into the boards, but what about all of those minor hits to the head in everyday practices?
Robarts trainees recognized for research excellence
June 11, 2020
Five trainees at Robarts Research Institute have been recognized for research strength, innovation and excellence through the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry’s Internal Graduate Awards program.
Antioxidants linked to improved treatment for psychosis
June 04, 2020
Once patients with psychosis start treatment, some get better in weeks while it can take months for others.
Funding backs Western COVID-19 vaccine efforts
March 19, 2020
Western efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine received a major jolt thanks to million-dollar investment by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), federal officials announced today.
Aaron Fenster named to Order of Ontario
March 03, 2020
Congratulations to Aaron Fenster, PhD, who has been appointed to the Order of Ontario – the province’s highest honour.
Molecule found in citrus prevents obesity
March 02, 2020
Researchers at Robarts Research Institute are studying a molecule found in sweet oranges and tangerines called nobiletin, which they have shown to drastically reduce obesity and reverse its negative side-effects in mice.
Rapid test kit for Listeria improves food safety
February 25, 2020
Dr. Michael Rieder, a professor in Paediatrics, Physiology and Pharmacology, continues to revolutionize food safety, creating a Listeria testing kit that helps ensure contaminated food doesn’t hit supermarket shelves.
First MPI study published
February 25, 2020
Robarts scientist Paula Foster, PhD, and her team published the first paper to feature magnetic particle imaging (MPI) data acquired at a Canadian institution, using the new system at Robarts Research Institute.
CIHR Project Grant recipients announced
January 23, 2020
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) announced more than $11.9 million in research funding through their project grants competition for 17 projects across Western University.
Research points to early detection for Alzheimer’s
January 20, 2020
Researchers at Robarts Research Institute are looking at both brain metabolism and brain structure to pinpoint early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
Hippocampus is not just a GPS
January 02, 2020
It’s a controversy that goes back to a Nobel Prize winning idea that there is a specific part of our brain that acts as our Global Positioning System (GPS), responsible for knowing at any given time where we are in the world and how to navigate it. Recently, scientists in the neuroscience community have disagreed about whether this brain area, called the hippocampus, is actually an internal GPS, or if it is actually a memory forming device that can also perform as a GPS if needed.