Project Overview

The Regeneration Unit in Neurobiology (RUN) Core facility is a purpose-built centre specializing in state of the art microscopic imaging of cells and tissue, as well as sophisticated behavioural analysis of laboratory rodents. Training, assistance, advice, and scientific consultation is available through our area managers, Dr. Simon Spanswick and Dr. Sathya Srinivasan, who each have more than 10 years of experience in behavioural research and microscopy, respectively. The behavioural analysis lab offers a comprehensive selection of rooms, equipment, and tasks to assess cognition, movement, sensation, and emotionality in both mice and rats. The imaging lab offers advanced equipment for imaging live and fixed cells and tissue, as well as in vivo models. Our imaging lab is co-directed by Dr. Peter Stys, an internationally recognized expert in advanced imaging, thus ensuring our facility stays at the leading edge of innovation. An essential feature of high-level core infrastructure, such as RUN, is sustainability. There are several components to this: 1) Expert managers are essential to its mission for training the next generation of highly-qualified personnel and facilitating research; and 2) Cutting edge equipment needs servicing, maintenance, and eventual replacement. The services offered by RUN have been well-utilized by members. Coming from other laboratories, many of the trainees using the RUN behavioral facility would not normally have the opportunity to include functional behaviour assays in their model. Moreover, there are many laboratories doing excellent research, but that simply do not have the funding or personnel to justify the investment in high-quality specialized microscopy and imaging equipment. Between its behaviour and microscopy streams, RUN enhances the quality of research and overall trainee experience within the University of Calgary. This has already led to higher impact publications, improved grant applications, and increased collaboration with other RUN users. Our plans for the PSG are threefold: 1) We will integrate a technology development core into our facility, 2) We will introduce a discovery development core into our facility so that Principal Investigators can elevate their science and remain competitive for new grants, and 3) We will create a RUN technical digital repository that will provide a searchable index to techniques, using equipment in the platform, with full descriptions, and podcasts illustrating the approach. To plan for RUN sustainability, we have allocated 1% per year of total capital asset costs in our on-going budget process, which has been supported by Hotchkiss Brain Institute. This allocation is directed towards expected equipment maintenance costs. Our sustainability plan covers a small fraction of the depreciated value, but allows for the core unit to help with facility-related project delays, lost data, and other problems that can pose substantial, indirect costs for investigators. Brain Canada and partnership support are essential to the ongoing success of the RUN program. Such provision would directly support expansion of training platforms to provide value-added one-on-one training in behavioural assessment and microscopy, to provide establishment of “pilot data programs,” and to provide long-term sustainability.

Principal Investigator

Patrick Whelan , University of Calgary

Team Members

Douglas Zochodne, University of Calgary

Jong Rho, University of Calgary

Rajiv Midha, University of Calgary

Shalina Ousman, University of Calgary

V. Wee Yong, University of Calgary

Peter Stys, University of Calgary

Minh Dang Nguyen, University of Calgary

Jaideep Bains, University of Calgary

Naweed Syed, University of Calgary

Sam Weiss, University of Calgary

Quentin Pittman, University of Calgary

Jennifer Chan, University of Calgary

G. Campbell Teskey, University of Calgary

Zelma Kiss, University of Calgary

Paul Kubes, University of Calgary

Marina Martinez, University of Calgary

Jeff Biernaskie, University of Calgary

Richard Dyck, University of Calgary

Gerald Zamponi, University of Calgary

Wayne Chen, University of Calgary

Stan Nakanishi, University of Calgary

Carol Schuurmans, University of Calgary

Stephanie Borgland, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary

Graciela Andronegui, University of Calgary

Partners and Donors

Hotchkiss Brain Institute - University of Calgary