老司机直播

Student Christina Nona is researching two mechanisms in the brain that affect learning and memory (photo courtesy of NSERC)

Introducing graduate student Christina Nona

Andr茅 Hamer Postgraduate Prize recipient

Graduate student Christina Nona is fascinated by the human brain鈥攁nd she鈥檚 making a name for herself studying the tiny chemicals in the brain that have an influence on behaviour.

Nona is researching two neural mechanisms found in the brain, kainate and NMDA receptors, and the role they play in learning and memory.

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is honouring Nona with an Andr茅 Hamer Postgraduate Prize. The prize鈥攙alued at $10,000鈥攊s awarded to the top four candidates in NSERC's master's and doctoral scholarship competitions.

After completing her Bachelor of Science鈥攚ith a focus in neuroscience and organic chemistry鈥攆rom the University of Toronto Mississauga in 2012, the 23-year-old is now pursuing a master's degree in the Faculty of Medicine鈥檚 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology under the supervision of Professor Jos茅 Nobrega.

Tell us about your research in behavioural neurobiology.

My research looks at glutamate, a chemical in the brain that plays an important role in memory formation and learned behaviours.

Here鈥檚 how glutamate works: it binds to receptors in the brain, which are made up of smaller proteins called subunits. I鈥檓 studying these subunits to see how they impact cells in the nervous system, because that plays a role in determining human behaviour. I鈥檓 most interested in exploring how the subunits impact learning and memory.

What kind of impact could this research have for society?

By studying how glutamates work, we can gain a better understanding of their role in neuroplasticity disorders such as addictive behaviours, stress, anxiety and Alzheimer鈥檚, which can help us develop more targeted treatments.

What drew you to this particular area of research?

I find neuroscience fascinating. It鈥檚 amazing that a single organ can have such a dramatic influence on our behaviour and ability to function.  Professor Nobrega has played a pivotal role in cultivating my interest in neuroscience, as he is open to new ideas and is always encouraging me to pursue my own research interests. Plus, I love a challenge and the glutamate system certainly provides that.

Why did you pick 老司机直播?

I decided to pursue my graduate studies at 老司机直播 because I wanted to expand on the work I did during my undergraduate honour鈥檚 thesis in Professor Nobrega鈥檚 lab.

老司机直播 provides a rich, diverse research environment thanks to its multiple institutes and centres. This diversity facilitates collaboration, enabling me to conduct integrated research. 

What advice would you give to a student just starting out in this field?

Have confidence in yourself and be persistent.  Students starting out may feel like they don鈥檛 have much to contribute, or might get discouraged by setbacks. But don鈥檛 give up鈥攜ou have the potential to make a major contribution to the field, even though it may take time.

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