University of Winnipeg physics student Trevor Vincent
WINNIPEG, MB – University of Winnipeg physics student Trevor Vincent wants to eradicate Alzheimer’s. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Aging has awarded Vincent a prestigious undergraduate studentship worth almost $5,000 — to support his research on this debilitating disease.
The award will facilitate Vincent’s employment this summer as he begins a student research position with Dr. Melanie Martin, Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Winnipeg and Director of the Magnetic Resonance Microscopy Centre at the University of Manitoba.
“Trevor has been my summer student for four years and has already published two peer-reviewed articles doing similar work in Alzheimer’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Schizophrenia and Stroke,” says Martin. “This is a prime example of UWinnipeg undergraduate students having the opportunity to conduct relevant research in their fields of study – an opportunity that is not always available at other institutions.”
Vincent will be developing a technique to monitor the microscopic changes in the brain which occur over the course of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. It is estimated that the number of Canadians afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias will increase from about 480,600 in 2008 to 1,125,000 by 2038.
“The University of Winnipeg has a great physics faculty and Dr. Melanie Martin is very supportive in my research,” said Vincent, who is completing his Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in physics this year. “As an undergraduate student, UWinnipeg allows me to connect with interesting research that provides the potential of being published. This advantage makes me a competitive graduate student candidate.”
In addition to the CIHR funding, Vincent has previously received three Natural Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Awards. Upon graduating this spring, he will pursue a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in astrophysics at the University of Toronto this fall.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada’s health research investment agency. CIHR’s mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. For more information on the CIHR visit http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca.
