The funding for 10 UM research projects was awarded through the CIHR’s Project Grant Program, which is designed to support ideas with the greatest potential to advance health research, health-related fundamental or applied knowledge, health systems, health care or health outcomes.   

“Congratulations to the individuals from the Rady Faculty that secured funding for their important research,” said Dr. Mario Pinto, UM vice-president (research and international). “I’m thrilled to see that three of the teams were ranked No. 1 by their respective peer review committees. This demonstrates the leading-edge health research being conducted at UM.”

Dr. Peter Nickerson, dean of the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, said the projects also reflect the diversity of health research taking place at UM.

“The studies are led by scientists from many different fields – from community health sciences to oral biology to pharmacology and therapeutics. This funding will help our researchers carry out their projects which will inevitably have an impact on the health of Manitobans, Canadians and people around the world,” Nickerson said.  

One of the UM grant recipients is Dr. Soheila Karimi, professor of physiology and pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine, and founding director of the Manitoba Multiple Sclerosis Research Centre. She and her team received $1,143,675 over five years to study what could one day be a new treatment for progressive multiple sclerosis (MS).

“MS happens when the body’s immune system attacks and damages myelin, a protective layer around nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord. My research group has identified that Neuregulin-1, which is an important protein for proper function of the brain and spinal cord, is depleted in MS lesions. We have strong evidence that Neuregulin-1 holds promise as a potential treatment to promote myelin repair in progressive MS when repair fails, resulting in increased neurological impairments,” said Karimi, who is also a researcher with the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM).

Karimi’s project will evaluate Neuregulin-1 as a future treatment to prevent the progression of MS and support tissue repair. A new treatment is much needed, Karimi said, because Canada is home to the world’s highest prevalence of MS and current medications are minimally effective for the progressive phase of the disease.

“We are really hoping that this research will set the groundwork for conclusive findings which would justify going to clinical trials, especially for progressive MS, because there is a critical treatment gap,” Karimi said.

Learn about the other UM projects funded through the latest round of CIHR’s Project Grant Program. More information about the research teams and the work they’ll be doing is available here.

Dr. Tracie Afifi, professor of community health sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine; Canada Research Chair in childhood adversity and resilience; researcher, CHRIM

Grant: $100,000 (one year)

Afifi will focus on updating and expanding her 10-year-old study related to child maltreatment across Canada. The team will update national and provincial prevalence of child abuse statistics and aim to understand the experiences of child abuse among those with different gender and sexual identities and how this impacts mental health and substance use outcome across age groups.

Dr. Heather Armstrong, assistant professor of internal medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine; Canada Research Chair in integrative bioscience; researcher, CHRIM

Grant: $814,725 (five years)

Armstrong’s team will study the reasons why some dietary fibres are not well tolerated in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). She hopes these findings support development of personalized dietary fibre guidelines for IBD patients, based on the individual’s gut and microbiome health to ensure only safe fibres are consumed, therefore promoting improved microbe and gut health.

Dr. Prashen Chelikani, professor of oral biology, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry

Grant: $1,319,625 (five years)

Chelikani and the team will work to understand why some dental fungi are associated with tooth decay in preschool children and the local environmental factors that might influence them. This research on the dental mycobiome associated with severe tooth decay will assist with the development of new tooth decay prevention strategies for young Indigenous children.   

Dr. Keith Fowke, department head and professor of medical microbiology and infectious diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine

Grant: $956,250 (five years)

Fowke will partner with organizations and community members in Nairobi, Kenya, to better understand the immune system among women who clear human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. The project aims to identify the immune cells that are important in the natural clearance of HPV with the goal of identifying these HPV clearance associated immune factors that are important for a therapeutic HPV vaccine to mimic.

Dr. Nathan Nickel, associate professor of community health sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine; director and senior research scientist, Manitoba Centre for Health Policy; researcher, CHRIM

Grant: $577,574 (three years)

In partnership with the Manitoba Métis Federation, Nickel and his team’s study will shed light on whether a Manitoba Health campaign that promoted the importance of childhood vaccinations improved childhood vaccination among Métis families. The study’s findings will support the development of strategies aimed at keeping childhood vaccination rates high in Manitoba as well as nation-specific strategies for Red River Métis citizens.

Dr. Christopher Pascoe, assistant professor of physiology and pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine; researcher, CHRIM

Grant: $784,125 (five years)

Pascoe seeks to better understand why exposure to diabetes during pregnancy makes airways twitchier in asthma. The team will learn whether reducing blood glucose levels during pregnancy is an effective way to prevent changes from occurring and this information may allow them the ability to stop asthma in children exposed to diabetes from developing before it’s a problem that requires treatment.

Dr. Joel Pearson, assistant professor of pharmacology and therapeutics, Max Rady College of Medicine; researcher, Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute, CancerCare Manitoba

Grant: $983,025 (five years)

Pearson will lead a study aimed at understanding the underlying causes of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and how non-small cell lung cancer can change to SCLC. This research will help them identify new and improved treatments for SCLC so patients living with this cancer will have longer lives and better outcomes.

Dr. Souradet Shaw, assistant professor of community health sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine; Canada Research Chair in program science and global public health

Grant: $883,576 (four years)

Shaw’s study seeks to develop a deeper understanding of trends, determinants and responses to sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections (STBBI) in Manitoba over a 30-year period. Collaborations between community, public health and academics will be at the forefront of this project, with the goal of co-learning and co-designing interventions to ensure no one is left behind while addressing current and future STBBI outbreaks.

Dr. Roberta Woodgate, distinguished professor of nursing, College of Nursing; Canada Research Chair in child and family engagement in health research and healthcare; researcher, CHRIM

Grant: $768,824 (four years)

Woodgate will lead a study to gather evidence to inform the co-design of policies and research priorities meant to enhance the health and well-being of young people who care for family members or other loved ones. Young carers will co-design the policy recommendations and research priorities by gathering evidence grounded in their experiences and providing them with a leadership role in the process.

The second-year PhD student in oral biology at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry is currently focused on interviewing non-dental primary care providers about their use of the Canadian Caries Risk Assessment Tool.

The tool was created by her supervisor, Dr. Bob Schroth, a professor of preventive dental science at UM’s dental school, to help doctors, daycare workers, dieticians and social workers identify whether a child under six years old is at risk of tooth decay.

Olatosi, who completed her dentistry degree and a master’s in public health at the University of Lagos in Nigeria, has been hearing positive feedback from the non-dental primary care providers she’s interviewed so far. She said they see the tool is needed because tooth decay is endemic in children in underserved communities, and they are happy that the tool is simple and easy to use.

UM Today sat down with Olatosi to learn about what motivates her and her experience as a PhD student at UM. 

What drew you to the field of oral biology?

My background is in pediatric dentistry and oral biology is the foundation for dentistry. Everything you do in dentistry starts with oral biology – from the cells to tooth decay, it’s all embedded in oral biology. I’ve always had a passion for promoting oral health care, especially to underserved populations.

You won the People’s Choice Award at this year’s UM Three Minute Thesis (3MT) final. What was it like to win and what did you learn from participating in the 3MT competition?

I’m glad I participated in 3MT because it helped give my research a platform. It helped give a voice to what I’m doing and what we’re doing in our lab. The head of my department, Dr. James Gilchrist, encouraged me to take part and said, ‘I think you can do this.’ I didn’t think I could. Participating in 3MT has motivated me to say, ‘There’s nothing you put your mind to that you cannot do.’ The format of the competition challenged me in an exciting manner and boosted my public speaking skills.   

You recently received $17,850 in funding from Research Manitoba for a project titled Exploring strategies for implementing a culturally informed caries risk assessment tool used by non-dental primary care providers for young First Nations and Métis children in Manitoba, Canada. What are your thoughts on receiving this funding?

It’s so amazing. One of the things I love about the University of Manitoba is that there are so many opportunities for scholarships and funding. There is so much support, and being an international student, this is going to go a long way for me. Apart from the Research Manitoba funding, I also received the University of Manitoba Graduate Student Association Award ($16,000) and the Canadian Health Measure Survey Oral Health Component Trainee award in 2022. These awards have given me a lot of motivation to continue to work hard.

What else motivates you to do the work you do?

I’ve always had a passion to care for children. It’s always been what I love to do. Children sometimes go through pain because of their teeth and parents may not know the severity of pain they’re going through. I want to raise awareness that this problem is preventable. Children don’t deserve to be in pain. We want kids to have a healthy smile for life.

Why did you choose UM for your PhD?

The type of research I was interested in doing is happening at the University of Manitoba, which is early childhood oral health. The University of Manitoba has one of the globally-renowned experts, Dr. Robert Schroth, who is well cited and highly visible in the scientific community. I was citing him before joining his lab when I was doing my master’s. I wanted to be trained by him.

What has been most rewarding during your time at UM?

Being part of 3MT and being voted the People’s Choice Award winner was really rewarding. Receiving the Research Manitoba award and being the recipient of the University of Manitoba Graduate Students Association Award was amazing. Also, It’s not only about academics. I’ve been involved in community work with the Healthy Smile Happy Child program. I’ve been going to schools and community events promoting child oral health and giving back to the community. Also, I currently serve as one of the event executives of the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences Women in Science: Development, Outreach and Mentorship (WISDOM) trainee program and that has been rewarding. I’m able to be part of this community and give back. I’m also currently the oral biology student councilor. There are a lot of platforms if you want to do something at UM.

What are your plans once you finish your PhD?

My plan is to remain in academia, research and continue to promote protocols and guidelines that will enable significant improvement in the prevention of dental caries for children, especially in underserved communities in Canada and globally. I wish to thank my supervisor Dr. Robert Schroth, Dr. James Gilchrist, Dr. Prashen Chelikani, Dr. Raj Bhullar, my advisory committee, Erin Langford, members of Schroth Lab and dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis for their continuous support.

This Q&A is part of a series on UM Today this summer featuring Rady Faculty of Health Sciences graduate students. You can find more grad student profiles here: #Radygradstudents.

The fourth-year PhD student in oral biology at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry is studying Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a multidrug-resistant bacterium that causes serious infections, like those in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis.

Because antibiotics and other drugs don’t work against this bacterium, Haque is working on an alternative approach. He’s targeting the mechanisms the bacterium uses to cause disease.

Haque is focused on Pseudomonas aeruginosa’s type VI secretion system, which is a needle-like device that injects harmful proteins into cells. Haque said it isn’t well understood, so he’s investigating the function and regulation of the type VI secretion system to learn about bacterial interspecies and intercellular interactions. He hopes this research leads to the development of a drug in the near future that’s successful against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

UM Today sat down with Haque to learn about what motivates him and his experience as a PhD student at UM. 

Why did you choose UM for your PhD?

After completing my bachelor’s and master’s at Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka, Bangladesh, I was seeking exciting opportunities in the field of microbiology. When I was looking for universities to do my PhD at, I came across Dr. Kangmin Duan, who is a professor of oral biology and cross appointed with medical microbiology and infectious diseases, so that caught my attention. I then read his research work and was eager to join his lab.   

What motivates you to do the work you do?

Many people with cystic fibrosis don’t get to celebrate their 40^th birthday. People are suffering. Antibiotics don’t work on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and we have to do something about it. We must fight against these pathogenic microorganisms. Our research is coming at it with a different approach to help save lives.

What has been most rewarding during your time at UM?

I’ve received an International Graduate Student Scholarship, a University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship and a Faculty of Graduate Studies Research Completion Scholarship. I have worked as a counselor with the University of Manitoba Graduate Students’ Association and am currently working as a graduate student representative at Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, which is rewarding. And I’ve had the opportunity to present my research at two Canadian Society of Microbiologists annual meetings and I also presented at two Manitoba Dental Association (MDA) conferences.

At the MDA conferences, you won the prize the last two years for the best basic research poster as part of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry’s Research Day. What’s the secret to your success?

I have to thank my supervisor Dr. Kangmin Duan. I look up to him a lot. He’s my mentor and he motivates me to do better. He always provides feedback and tips to improve myself.  I would also like to thank my committee members Dr. Raj Bhullar, Dr. Prashen Chelikani and Dr. Silvia Cardona for their feedback during my studies. I’m also a hard-working guy, so I think that’s my secret. If you have passion to achieve something, you can do it.

What do you love about the work you do?

As microbiologists, we have the responsibility to win the battle against pathogenic microbes. The key to winning this war is to study the mechanism and function of these life-threatening microorganisms and discover how to stop them. It will be a truly rewarding experience for me when I can save lives through my research.

What are your plans once you finish your PhD?

I’m passionate about research and will contribute to the health sector. I want to stay in academia and become an independent researcher.

This Q&A is part of a series on UM Today this summer featuring Rady Faculty of Health Sciences graduate students. You will be able to find more grad student profiles here: #Radygradstudents.

Amanda Finch, a second-year dentistry student, was one of four winners of the research poster competition at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry’s annual Research Day, held in January at the RBC Convention Centre in conjunction with the Manitoba Dental Association’s 2019 convention.

Finch is among about 40 per cent of U of M dentistry students who choose to pursue a second degree – a bachelor of science in dentistry – while completing their professional degree. The science degree program provides students with a stipend to conduct research in the summers while they’re studying to become dentists during the academic year. 

Finch is part of a research team that has developed and is pilot-testing a questionnaire for parents to assess the risk of tooth decay in preschool children.

“It’s nice to have a different perspective on dentistry,” Finch said. “You see a whole different side of it through research. Next summer we’ll be looking at data that was collected with this tool.”

Dr. Raj Bhullar, associate dean (research) at the dental college in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, said the dental convention makes an ideal setting for Research Day. “It provides students with a very good opportunity to interact with practising dentists and showcase their work,” Bhullar said. “It’s also good for dentists to see what’s going on at the college.”

Participating in research, Bhullar added, helps students understand how to evaluate research findings – a skill they will need throughout their careers in order to stay current.

Dr. Kangmin Duan, associate professor of oral biology and a judge of the poster competition, said conducting research is relevant to the students’ future careers, no matter what path they take in dentistry. “It trains them in critical thinking. They’re learning the techniques to ask ‘why.’” 

The award for the top oral research presentation went to Manoj Medapati, a PhD student in oral biology, for a study of the role of bitter taste receptors in oral innate immunity. The oral presentations were judged by Dr. James Gilchrist, professor of oral biology.

Besides Finch, three students earned awards for their research posters after presenting them to four judges: Dr. Mitch Taillon, president of the Canadian Dental Association, Duan, and two other faculty members from the department of oral biology, Dr. Prashen Chelikani and Dr. Elliott Scott.

• Vivianne Cruz, a PhD student in oral biology, studied the role of the oral microbiota (micro-organisms in the mouth) in early childhood tooth decay.

• Israa Elgazzar, a fourth-year dentistry student, examined the causes and management of dental implant failure before the replacement tooth is attached to the implant.

• Stella Korowski, a fourth-year dentistry student, analyzed a survey of Manitoba dentists about their use of cone beam computed tomography (3D X-ray imaging).

How about grapefruit juice or black coffee?

If such flavours strike you as horribly intense, you may be a “hyper-taster,” also known as a “super-taster.”

It’s in your genes, says Vivianne Cruz, a U of M master’s student in oral biology whose research poster won an award at the College of Dentistry’s recent 2018 Research Day.

People with the genotype PAV/PAV, Cruz explains, are highly sensitive to certain bitter-tasting compounds in food. Those with the genotype PAV/AVI – roughly half the population, including Cruz herself – are “medium tasters” of bitterness.

And those with the genotype AVI/AVI are “hypo-tasters” or “non-tasters” who can’t detect the bitter compounds at all.

A quick way to identify your genotype is by placing a paper test strip coated with a bitter chemical onto your tongue. (Testing kits can be ordered online.) Cruz says the results are dramatic. “Super-tasters make a scary face,” she says. “One friend of mine almost threw up. Non-tasters say things like, ‘What am I supposed to be tasting?’”

These genetic differences have been known to scientists for decades. But less than 10 years ago, researchers discovered that bitter taste receptors aren’t only found on the tongue. They’re in other parts of the body, such as the digestive and respiratory systems. Understanding the receptors’ functions outside the oral cavity has become an exciting field of research, Cruz says.

Scientists are starting to find associations between taste receptors and disease. It’s been shown, for example, that non-tasters are at greater risk for chronic sinus infections and tooth decay.

Cruz believes her study, funded by the Canadian Arthritis Network and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, is the first in the world to search for a link between “taste genetics” and rheumatoid arthritis.

“Studies are finding that bitter taste receptors are related to the immune system, and rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease,” she notes.

Cruz, who graduated as a dentist three years ago in her home country of Brazil, came to the U of M last year to conduct research with the interdisciplinary Manitoba Chemosensory Biology Research Group, led by oral biology professor Dr. Prashen Chelikani.

With Chelikani as her advisor, Cruz collaborated with a Rady Faculty of Health Sciences team including Dr. Carol Hitchon, rheumatologist and associate professor of internal medicine, and Dr. Robert Schroth, clinician scientist and associate professor of preventive dental science.

The team analyzed DNA from the saliva of 28 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, comparing their genotypes with those in a control group of 347 healthy individuals. The findings were more significant than expected.

“We found a higher frequency of super-tasters in the rheumatoid arthritis population than in the normal population, and a lower frequency of medium tasters and non-tasters,” Cruz says.

“Research has shown that super-tasters present a stronger immune response against bacteria than the other two genotypes. That response results in increased secretion of antimicrobial compounds – an inflammatory process. We think this may contribute to the development of rheumatoid arthritis, a disease of chronic inflammation.”

Cruz says the field of studying taste receptors holds great promise, particularly since there are 25 bitter taste receptors in humans, and her study focused on just one.

“For my PhD research,” she says, “we want to use a larger sample size and further explore the apparent association between taste genetics, inflammation, immunity and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.”

Read about the other winners and view a slide show from College of Dentistry Research Day.

The Manitoba Chemosensory Biology Research Group (MCSB) launched this past summer with a focus on the emerging field of chemosensation. A diverse group of researchers is exploring molecular, chemical and sensory biology towards the discovery of novel molecules that can alter or modify human chemical senses. The potential for the group is enormous in what is seen as a burgeoning area of research.

“It is an up and coming area,” said Dr. Prashen Chelikani, director, MCSB group and graduate chair in the College of Dentistry’s department of oral biology. “The work we are doing is multi-disciplinary and fairly well focused. When it comes to taste chemosensation, we are the only group in Canada right now.”

The four thrust areas of MCSB – taste, bacterial chemosensation, signal transduction and clinical applications of the science – cover virtually all areas of the human chemosensory experience. Potential applications from their research run the gamut from the food industry to clinical applications in myriad areas of health care.

“Clinical, pharmacology, consumer products, all those areas,” Chelikani said. “We’re looking at research on taste receptor biology, taste disorders, food chemistry, novel taste blockers and taste modifiers.”

Comprised of eight scientists from diverse disciplines across the University of Manitoba, the group targets research grants that fit with their areas of expertise. For the past several years now and in collaboration with Dr. Rotimi Aluko (dept. of human nutritional sciences), Chelikani’s lab has focused on developing taste modifiers. This area has already drawn immense interest from the food industry.

The group’s work however, goes well beyond consumer products. Microbiologists Drs. Ayush Kumar and Kangmin Duan are investigating how bacteria communicate with each other and with a host cell, a major factor in bacterial infections.

“We want to understand the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and virulence in bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa,” Kumar explained. “This organism is one of the most common pathogens causing lung infections in Cystic Fibrosis patients. Our role in the group is to understand how it may interact with the host defense mechanisms and if this interaction is linked to its antibiotic resistance.”

Collaborative research within MCSB is investigating the interactions between bacterial Acyl-Homoserine Lactones (AHL )signal molecules and human airway cells. The phenomenon that bitter taste receptors on lung epithelial cells serve as bacterial AHL receptors is being explored.

Dr. Robert Schroth, associate professor, Colleges of Dentistry, is interested in looking at the association between caries and taste in children and adolescents.

“This partnership will help to understand the role that taste may have in determining a child’s risk for developing caries (cavities), including early childhood caries,” he said.

To spur their research, members of the group review calls for research projects that dovetail into their respective areas of expertise. “When we apply for grants, we look at our own research and how we can mutually complement our expertise to strengthen the proposal,” Chelikani said, noting competition is often fierce for grant funding.

“The climate for peer–reviewed granting funding is very tough right now. You’re looking at 10 to 15 per cent success, depending on what you are applying for. In that scenario, collaboration is essential.”

Each member of the team has already enjoyed considerable success in their respective fields. The group is optimistic that banding together under the MCSB banner can better leverage future opportunities.

“We know we are focused and most of our principle investigators have good track records and significant, multi–year grants,” Chelikani said, adding it usually takes up to five years for a research group to determine how well it is performing. “The idea is for this group to become a Canadian Centre for Chemosensory Research down the road.”

The new multi-disciplinary Manitoba Chemosensory Biology Research Group builds on the College of Dentistry’s successful International Centre for Oral-Systemic Health (ICOSH), launched in 2008, and also envisioned as a nucleus for collaboration and innovation.

“ICOSH has received multiple international awards and recognition along with substantial government and private funding so we already know this model works.  Dr. Chelikani is uniquely qualified to lead this new group and I have no doubt that it will be extremely successful,” said Dr. Anthony M. Iacopino, Dean, College of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences.