University of Manitoba researchers will play a major role in a new national network focused on researching the genetic and environmental causes of cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders and fetal alcohol syndrome, training the next generation of researchers in pediatric brain development, and will disseminate new knowledge into improved diagnosis, treatments and interventions to inform care delivery and policy decisions.Headquartered at the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics (CMMT) at the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI) and led by Daniel Goldowitz, the network will receive $19,572,000 in funding over five years from the Networks of Centres of Excellence of Canada (NCE).

“The University of Manitoba is very pleased to provide strong support to the NeuroDevNet NCE,” says Digvir Jayas, vice-president (research) at the University of Manitoba. “The engagement of two of our leading researchers in the areas of developmental neuropathology and genetic determinants of forebrain development will help address these major medical and societal issues.”

At the University of Manitoba, David Eisenstat, pediatrics and child health and the Manitoba Institute of Child Health, will be extensively involved in the national network of researchers collaborating on this new NCE.

Marc Del Bigio, pathology, Canada Research Chair in Developmental Neuropathology and the Manitoba Institute of Child Health, joins Eisenstat in working with this new NCE. Del Bigio studies brain disease processes and consequences. Among the disorders he studies are damages associated with premature birth, especially bleeding in the brain, which can cause cerebral palsy and learning disorders. In addition, he has begun to study the effects of fetal alcohol exposure in the developing brain.

Eisenstat’s laboratories, based at the Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology and the Manitoba Institute of Child Health, study master regulatory genes that control networks of other genes required for proper brain development, including how newly generated neurons get to their final destination and what type of neuron they will become.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for Canadian neuroscience investigators to make an impact on three prevalent and devastating childhood disorders: autism spectrum disorders, fetal alcohol syndrome and cerebral palsy,” says Eisenstat. “The scope of this NeuroDevNet team will cover everything from gene discovery to translation of this knowledge to affected patients and their families. It is an honour to be part of this ambitious initiative.”

NeuroDevNet is the first trans-Canadian effort devoted to brain development from both basic and clinical perspectives. The research network will bring together Canadian experts in clinical assessment and treatment, genetics and epigenetics, imaging, model organisms, knowledge translation, informatics, and neuroethics. The network’s goals for the first five years include discovering the genes involved in brain dysfunction.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) share characteristics such as impairments in socialization and communication, repetitive interests and behaviours. ASD affects more than 52,000 Canadian children and youth under the age of 20.

Fetal alcohol syndrome is estimated to occur as frequently as one in every 100 live births in North America. Alcohol exposure during pregnancy causes mild to moderate brain dysfunctions in processes such as memory, executive function, social communication, attention span, motor and sensory differences.

Cerebral palsy occurs in approximately 2.5 per 1000 live births in developed countries.
The NCE program is managed jointly by the three federal granting agencies - the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) - in partnership with Industry Canada.

For more information on the NCE, please go to: www.nce.gc.ca

For further information contact Janine Harasymchuk, research communications and marketing, at: 204-474-7300