Scientist Profile Directory

The main focus of our research takes a hypothesis-driven approach to perform mechanistic studies in order to understand the etiology of diabetic sensory neuropathy. This work is currently supported by CIHR and NIH. The program is multidisciplinary involving in vitro and in vivo paradigms and includes collaborative arrangements and drug development via a small biotech company (WinSanTor Inc.). The main body of work uses cutting edge real time imaging with standard and confocal microscopes to assess the role of impaired Ca2+ homeostasis, mitochondrial dysfunction and enhanced ROS levels in the etiology of diabetic neuropathy. Studies are performed on adult neuronal tissues as single neuron cultures or slices of neuronal tissue. Recent studies are centered on role of GPCRs in regulating axonal regeneration and neuronal bioenergetics. Drug discovery has proceeded to phase clinical trials where topical drug formulations are being tested to reverse sensory nerve loss in persons with diabetic neuropathy, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and HIV-induced neuropathy.