Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

The grant proposal requests CAD $127,431 to replace aging equipment in the Cerebrovascular Health Exercise and Environmental Research Sciences (CHEERS) lab at the University of Victoria. The CHEERS lab conducts investigations to reveal sex, gender, and age related mechanisms  responsible for brain blood flow regulation and cognitive function. The primary aim of this grant is to purchase a replacement transcranial doppler ultrasound (TCD), as well as a PowerLab data acquisition and gas analyzer system. These are essential for continuing the CHEERS labs research that performs important experimental studies to quantify sex and gender differences in brain artery function associated with age related cerebral dysfunction. The equipment currently used in the lab is aging and near the end of its operational lifespan, making it difficult to continue NSERC-funded research projects. The lab's novel tools and approaches are used to assess endothelial function and arterial stiffness, which are key factors in cerebrovascular health. Through non-invasive imaging techniques, such as vascular duplex ultrasound, TCD, and MRI, the CHEERS lab measures the mechanisms associated with cerebrovascular dysfunction, and contribute to early detection and prevention of age-related diseases. It is pertinent that the CHEERS lab continues to focus on understanding sex and gender differences in cerebrovascular health, given that it is a critically understudied area. The CHEERS lab has several ongoing projects that explore how sex hormone fluctuations and autonomic nervous system activity regulates cerebrovascular function in males and females. It also leverages machine learning to enhance detection of sex-based differences. Without the requested equipment, key research projects, including student-led investigations, and interdisciplinary collaborative projects will be jeopardized. These projects involve diverse imaging modalities that measure cerebrovascular hemodynamics during dynamic tasks such as exercise, hypercapnia, and virtual reality, with applications ranging from understanding the impact of exercise on brain function to studying cerebrovascular acclimatization to high altitude. The CHEERS lab's prides itself on its interdisciplinary collaborations across multiple departments and institutions, and its role in training highly qualified personnel (HQP). Students and trainees gain hands-on technical experience with advanced imaging techniques, programming skills, and open-access research practices, positioning them for successful careers in academia and clinical research. The requested equipment is crucial for advancing the CHEERS lab's research and training objectives, specifically in developing innovative and inclusive approaches to assess cerebrovascular function and improve the early detection of cognitive and cerebrovascular dysfunction while stratifying outcomes to sex, gender, and age.