Felipe Da Gama, scientific coordinator of Chercheur d’un jour, recently took part in the filming of the television show Luka and Léo. During this episode, he had the opportunity to answer a fascinating question posed by Charles: “How does a brain work?”

With his expertise in neuroscience, Felipe captivated the audience by explaining the complex mechanisms of the human brain. He discussed key concepts such as neurons, the nerve cells that transmit electrical signals, and how different parts of the brain work together to process information, regulate emotions, and control our daily actions.

Watch episode here. The segment begins around 15:50

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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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The 4 research centres of the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale were present yesterday October 3rd at the Institut de réadaptation en déficience physique de Québec as part of the event Ton Avenir at CIUSSS organized in collaboration with JeunesExplo – Stages d’un jour! (more…)

With a donation from the Azrieli Foundation and the generous backing of its visionary donors, the Brain Canada Foundation has announced the fifth cohort of Canada’s Future Leaders in Brain Research. This year, 21 promising early-career researchers have been awarded a total of $2.1 million in funding, with each receiving a $100,000 grant. (more…)