Backgrounder

September 18, 2008

ADVANCED HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES AND PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH

University of Windsor

Dr. Huiming Zhang
Discovering how the brain processes what we hear
Provincial Funding: $50,000

To selectively attend to specific sounds in a noisy environment is required by normal hearing, and this capability is dependent on neural computation in the brain. But what are the algorithms used in this computation? That’s the question Dr. Huiming Zhang at the University of Windsor hopes to answer in a new facility for investigating hearing mechanisms. His work will focus on the neurophysiological mechanisms used by the brain in processing auditory information. Through his research he also expects to uncover how abnormalities in the brain may cause central auditory processing disorders, hearing problems affecting many children, elder people, and patients with neurological conditions (e.g. stroke).

Dr. Andrew Swan
Determining how cells work
Provincial Funding: $50,000

The cell is the structural and functional unit of all known living organisms, and is sometimes called the "building block of life”. Vital functions of an organism occur within cells, and all cells contain the hereditary information necessary for regulating cell functions and for transmitting information to the next generation of cells. But what controls a cell’s cycle? How is it regulated? How does it change? Dr. Andrew Swan’s research is focused on answering those fundamental questions about cell cycle control. His research will provide important insights into our knowledge of cancer progression and ultimately lead toward the development of new, more effective therapies.

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See also:

• News Release:
  Making Health Research Work For Patients
• Backgrounder:
  Ontario Research Fund
• Backgrounder:
  Inventing The Future Of Health Care
• Backgrounder:
  Lifes Sciences, Advanced Health Technologies And Pharmaceutical Research Projects
• Recipients