NeuroQuébec brings together researchers in neuroscience from the Université Laval network
The objective is to coordinate and promote the development of research in neuroscience and mental health, while encouraging the training of the next generation.
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Strokes can cause severe after-effects. A molecule, whose role has just been clarified, could reduce the damage by facilitating natural repair processes.
This discovery by Dr. Ayman ElAli, one of our members, is among the 10 most important discoveries of the year according to Québec Science! We invite you to vote for your favorite discovery!
To read the original article in Québec Science: Réparer le cerveau après un AVC
To vote: 32e édition des découvertes de l’année de Québec Science
Among the five most notable scientific breakthroughs of 2024, according to Le Soleil, is the remarkable discovery by Dr. Alexandre Caron’s team, one of our own researchers. Their work opens new chapters in the history of science with a major advancement: they may have uncovered the key behind the appetite-suppressing effects of Ozempic.
It was known that GLP-1 and molecules mimicking it could slow the transit of food through the digestive system, possibly also acting on the brain, and thus, it was thought, suppress hunger. Dr. Caron and his team discovered that the mechanism is far more complex and fascinating. They also identified new, previously unknown populations of neurons that play an important role in regulating appetite.
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Photo: Jocelyn riendeau, Le Soleil
The University of Liège (Belgium) and Université Laval (Quebec) have established the International Joint Research Unit (UMI) in Neuroplasticity. The agreement was signed on December 11 by rectors Sophie D’Amours (Université Laval) and Anne-Sophie Nyssen (University of Liège).
The UMI in Neuroplasticity represents a scientific collaboration led by Steven Laureys, a professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Université Laval, recipient of the Francqui Prize (Belgium) in 2017, holder of the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Neural Plasticity at Université Laval, visiting professor at Harvard Medical School (BIDMC), research director at the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS), professor at the University of Liège, and founder of the GIGA Consciousness and Coma Science Group (ULiège/CHU of Liège). This transnational and multidisciplinary initiative aims to explore the mechanisms of neuroplasticity to improve mental health, treat neurological disorders, and enhance cognitive rehabilitation approaches.
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A team from Université Laval tested, on an animal model, the combined effects of an omega-3 rich diet and physical activity on the symptoms and degeneration associated with Parkinson’s disease. Unlike research focused on disease prevention, this study looks at what happens after diagnosis.
“Our work is encouraging for people who are already sick and for whom it is too late for prevention,” notes Frédéric Calon, professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, who led the study.
The team tested whether there was a form of neurorestoration or functional recovery in the brain. “We did not see an increase in the number of neurons, as they cannot be resurrected, but we observed an improvement in the dopaminergic system, which is involved in both gross and fine motor skills,” explains the professor, affiliated with the CHU de Québec – Université Laval Research Center.
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