2016

Jeanette Boudreau, PhD

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University Directing natural killer cell cytotoxicity to the tumour’s susceptibilities Natural killer (NK) cells are white blood cells that kill tumours. The potential of each NK cell to kill tumours is counterbalanced by its ability to be inhibited by healthy cells through its inhibitory receptors. Dr Boudreau aims to…

2015

Petra Kienesberger, PhD

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University Role of the adipokine autotaxin in obesity-associated insulin resistance Insulin resistance, a major complication of obesity, is a condition where tissues such as skeletal muscle become unresponsive to the blood sugar-lowering hormone insulin. Insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes, which is associated with a shorter…

2015

Morgan Langille, PhD

Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University Design and implementation of a human microbiome interaction database It is becoming increasingly apparent that the microbes living on and in our bodies, called the human microbiome, are important for human health. These microbes help with the digestion of food, defend against unwanted pathogens, stimulate and keep our immune systems…