Neuroscience researchers may be one step closer to solving the mysteries of the devastating disease of epilepsy, thanks to a new development at the University of Prince Edward Island. Epilepsy is a debilitating neurological disorder that affects over 50 million people worldwide It is characterized by abnormal electrical signalling in the brain that is thought to be due to inappropriate physical or chemical "wiring" of neural circuits. UPEI researchers have created a unique animal model to help scientists understand the progressive changes in brain development and function that lead to seizures and other forms of brain dysfunction.

The significance and originality of their invention has been recognized by the awarding of a US patent. Today, UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan presented official patent documents to Dr. Tracy Doucette, from the Department of Biology; Dr. Catherine Ryan from the Department of Psychology, and Dr. Andrew Tasker from the Department of Biomedical Sciences. President MacLauchlan also recognized the two members of their research team who were not present. They are former UPEI graduate student Melissa Perry and Dr. Henriette Husum Bak-Jensen of Copenhagen.

"The issuing of the patent is validation that our researchers are cutting-edge and that their work has the potential to make a tangible difference in the world," said President MacLauchlan. "It confirms that they have done something that no one else has ever done, and that the discovery can contribute to a greater understanding of epilepsy and hopefully to the development of new therapies."

The patent-awarding ceremony was chaired by Dr. Katherine Schultz, Vice President of Research Development. She said that this latest accomplishment by the UPEI research team highlights the fact that important innovation can and does happen in Prince Edward Island, and not only in Toronto or New York. She also noted that the invention was an excellent example of collaboration across the university.

"The discovery required the combined efforts of people in Pharmacology, Psychology and Biology. Such collaborations can happen at any university, but often they are much easier at small, supportive universities like UPEI," she said. "This work involved a number of students who participated at levels all the way from undergraduate to PhD study. For UPEI, it provides one more indication that the university research profile is growing rapidly and that there is value in that research. It reminds us that UPEI is not only a teaching place and#150; it is a teaching, learning, and discovering place."

Dr. Andrew Tasker spoke on behalf of his co-inventors. He explained that a large number of epilepsy patients, often children or adolescents, develop seizures in the absence of any obvious precipitating event. The seizures develop slowly so that the progression of the disease goes undetected or misdiagnosed until later in life.

"Many of these cases are difficult to manage with existing drugs, but if we had a better understanding of what is going on in the brains of these patients, it should be possible to develop better drugs or even achieve the ultimate goal of preventing the development of the disease," he said. "It is our belief and our hope that the animal model we have developed, and continue to characterize, may help researchers to understand these slow, progressive changes in brain development and function that ultimately lead to seizures and other forms of brain dysfunction."

What the researchers have done is to chemically alter the development of the brain in newborn rats. These carefully tended animals show no evidence of any problems at first. But gradually they develop to a point where certain types of cognitive challenge cause them to display a low grade seizure-like behaviour. Investigation of the brains of these rats reveals a number of structural and chemical changes that are characteristic of those seen in adult onset models of epilepsy and in the brains of epilepsy patients.

"We believe, and obviously the US Patent Office agrees with us, that this model affords researchers a new tool with which to figure out the sequence of events that underly progressive, abnormal brain development leading to epilepsy and quite possibly to other forms of neurological disease," said Dr. Tasker.

The work that led to this invention was funded by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, NSERC, and the PEI Health Research Program. "The ongoing development and commercialization of this model would not be possible without the support of the Atlantic Innovation Fund and other IP development funds for which we are very grateful," said Dr. Tasker.

The much anticipated book, Chinese Islanders: Making a Home in the New World, by Hung-Min Chiang will be launched on Saturday, September 30 at Memorial Hall in the Confederation Centre of the Arts, from 7 to 9 pm.

Dr. Hung-Min Chiang, originally from Taiwan, came to Prince Edward Island with his family in 1967. A student of world renowned 20th century psychologist Abraham Maslow, Dr. Chiang taught psychology at Prince of Wales College and the University of Prince Edward Island until his retirement in 1991. He is fondly remembered as a favourite professor by many.

Chinese Islanders: Making a Home in the New World tells the story of some of Prince Edward Island's first Chinese settlers who came to the Island as early as 1850. They were subjected to the infamous "head tax," as well as the more severe Chinese Immigration Act (also known as the Chinese Expulsion Act). But through it all, they and their descendants have largely adapted to and succeeded in mainstream Island society, and are proud today to be recognized as true Islanders.

John Cousins, Prince Edward Island's one of pre-eminent folklorists, writes this in his introduction: Hung-Min Chiang set out to write this history of the Chinese Canadian community in Prince Edward Island because, as he was told, "no one else would do it." What a daunting task it must have been. No group of Islanders would be harder to document than these few Chinese settlers, who, for obvious reasons, preferred to remain anonymous, and to live below the social horizon, leading "quiet inconspicuous lives." There were few records, fewer accurate ones, no personal biographies for guidance, negligible letters, and no survivors from the early days.

Added to that was a "discontinuing of generations," a period of decline between the 1940s and 1960s when the community came close to disappearing. Nevertheless, Chiang has accomplished a series of minor miracles. These were the realities of the Chinese community and the author does not avoid them. Rather, he recounts them with a serenity that carries with it the sublime sadness of the human plight. And this, in my opinion, is the work's great strength."

During the book launch, there will be a live musical performance on the Guzheng (zither) by Chor-wai Hui, a Calligraphy Demonstration by Yong-lin (Ginger) Ren, and an Exhibit curated By Dr. Ann Howatt. The Institute of Island Studies invites all to attend.

A new Bachelor of Education Degree in Human Resource Development offered jointly by Holland College and the University of Prince Edward Island will prepare students to teach in the field of Adult Education. The degree is unique, in that the skills and resources of both institutions have been blended to develop the curriculum and to deliver the program.

The BEd (HRD) program, which starts this fall, is designed for adult educators who teach in post-secondary institutions such as community colleges, businesses or industry organizations; public school vocational and technology programs; and those teaching outside of Canada. Qualified graduates of this program may apply to the PEI Department of Education for a Technology Education Teaching Licence to teach technology education in PEI high schools.

The program recognizes applicants' prior learning and work experience through a Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition process (PLAR). In all, students in the program must acquire 120 hours of credit (normally 40 courses). Upon successful completion of 12 courses, applicants may apply for the joint Holland College/UPEI Certificate in Adult Education (CAE).

"The university is pleased to launch this new program. Partnerships, especially with our sister institution Holland College, are a priority for UPEI," said Vianne Timmons, Vice President of Academic Development at the University of Prince Edward Island.

Interest in the new program has been high, according to Jeniene Peake, Executive Director of Employee Relations and Services for Holland College.

"This new degree provides the opportunity to earn a valuable credential for those already teaching, and for people interested in entering the field of adult education."

The first course in the program, ED 473 Communication Practices in Adult Education, will be held on six Saturdays from the end of September to mid December. For more information about the BEd (HRD), please contact Gerry Seaward, Manager, Instructional Development, Holland College at 902-566-9595 or toll free at 1-800-446-5265, or visit the Holland College website at www.hollandcollege.com.

A new study led by Dr. Eric Richards of the UPEI Department of Psychology is challenging some of our stereotypes about the capacity of older people to change. His research team has found that although our ability to carry out several activities at the same may diminish with age, multi-tasking can actually be re-learned through practice. The findings were published this week in the online edition of the international journal, Vision Research.

"Our research shows that practice can help older brains learn new tricks," says Professor Richards who worked on the study when he was a postdoctoral fellow at McMaster University in Hamilton. His colleagues were Dr. Allison Sekuler, Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience, and Dr. Patrick Bennett, Canada Research Chairs in Vision Science.

The researchers tested their subjects on a variant of the Useful Field of View task. They were asked to identify a letter flashed quickly in the middle of a computer screen, to localize the position of a spot flashed quickly in the periphery, or to do both tasks at the same time. Previous research had shown that older subjects suffered more from having to do both tasks at the same time than did younger subjects. The current study shows that the age-related disadvantage can be removed by giving older subjects more time to do the task.

The study also indicated that, over the course of about two weeks of training, both younger and older subjects learned to multi-task as well as they could perform a single task, although older subjects seemed to require more practice. The benefits of learning were long-lasting and#9472; older subjects performed just as well when they were re-tested up to three months later as they had right after training.

"Before training, our participants had a much harder time multi-tasking than performing one of our tasks on its own. After training, both younger and older participants were able to perform both tasks simultaneously, with no cost in performance," says Dr. Allison Sekuler.

Jocelyn Faubert, a professor on vision and aging at the Universite de Montreal, and NSERC-Essilor chair on presbyopia and visual perception, says the study is an important one in demonstrating that the elderly can regain youthful capacities.

"They show that training on a task where more than a single element must be processed and#150; divided attention and#150; can improve the performance of the elderly to levels comparable to young adults," says Faubert. "This is particularly important for naturalistic tasks where the need to simultaneously attend to multiple elements is commonplace, such as when someone is moving through crowds in a shopping mall or driving. This generates much hope for systematic interventions in the elderly population in an attempt to increase their quality of life."

The research was funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the Canada Research Chair program.

The Government of Canada today announced $2 million in funding as a capital contribution toward the development of the National Research Council Institute for Nutrisciences and Health (NRC-INH) on the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) campus.

Within the facility, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) scientists and technicians will collaborate with UPEI and NRC scientists to identify and refine naturally occurring compounds from plant, animal and marine life that can benefit human and animal health.

"For UPEI, this new collaboration builds on our already strong ties with AAFC - a key partner in many research and development initiatives of UPEI and our faculty of veterinary medicine, the Atlantic Veterinary College," said Dr. Katherine Schultz, Vice President Research Development at UPEI. "As well, this collaboration will augment the benefits of the established and ongoing research initiatives of UPEI's Atlantic Canada Network on Bioactive Compounds and the Centre for Bioresource Innovation."

"Canada's new government is committed to supporting research that benefits health and wellness and generate new opportunities for our agriculture and agri-food sector," said the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs on behalf of Chuck Strahl, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board. "This is an exciting collaboration in a market of enormous potential."

Under the agreement, up to14 AAFC employees will be located in the new facility by 2009. The research will increase Canada's ability to produce food and other products that benefit the nutrition and health of humans and animals. The AAFC team will contribute to the identification of bioactive molecules and will help develop sustainable production systems for these new products that will be of higher value.

"With Agriculture and Agriand#8209;Food Canada on board, research will span the full continuum, from discovery to commercialization," said National Research Council President Dr. Pierre Coulombe "It will start with the discovery and extraction of important bioactive compounds found in renewable resources, continue with research into the role they play in human and animal health, and on to the sustainable production of new crops and commercialization of functional foods and nutraceuticals."

The market for nutraceuticals and functional foods is being driven by a growing consumer understanding of the links between nutrition and health and advances in natural health treatments.

The Government of Canada and the University of Prince Edward Island are part of a growing biotechnology community in Prince Edward Island that includes, among others, the PEI Food Technology Centre, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Centre for Animal and Plant Health and 20 private biotechnology companies with estimated annual revenues of $60 million.

PEI will now be home to a one-stop resource for tourism information and market intelligence thanks to the creation of a new Tourism Research Centre. The Tourism Research Centre will increase Prince Edward Island's tourism research capacity and help industry stakeholders take full advantage of tourism research findings. The centre will operate as an independent agency located within the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) School of Business.

"The creation of the centre is very timely," said Roberta MacDonald, Dean of Business. "One of our objectives is to work with the industry to focus on the most pressing questions tourism operators are facing today. After analyzing new and existing data, a new data processing method will be created and will become a vital resource for tourism decision-makers as they develop long term strategies."

An initiative of the School of Business at the University and the Tourism Advisory Council, the Centre has received financial support from the Government of Canada and the Province of Prince Edward Island.

"Canada's New Government is pleased to work with the provincial government and the industry to create the Tourism Research Centre," said the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). "In an ever-evolving tourism industry, the market intelligence available at the centre will provide industry professionals with important knowledge and expertise."

Researchers at the centre will study and develop tourism practices and strategies, and will provide recommendations to the local tourism industry. The research will help industry members develop forward-thinking strategies to further promote PEI as a premiere tourism destination In addition to providing industry-specific information, the centre will also provide various learning opportunities for tourism operators.

Honourable Philip Brown, Minister of Tourism, commented, "We're pleased to see the Tourism Research Centre come to fruition after all of our consultation and work with the industry for a stand-alone research facility dedicated to tourism research." He added, "Our five-year plan is centred on detailed research intended to guide the development of our tourism product and marketing plans. The work of the Tourism Research Centre will be key to the industry's continued evolution."

Two positions have already been filled at the Tourism Research Centre. Sebastian Manago, an expert in new product development and relationship marketing, will work as the Research Manager. Dongkoo Yun, a tourism management specialist, has been named the centre's Data Manager. The centre's website is currently being developed and is expected to be launched in October.

"The Tourism Research Centre will become a leader in industry research on PEI," said Kevin Murphy, Chair of the Research Committee of the PEI Tourism Advisory Council. "The centre will build partnerships on and off the Island and I am confident that we will benefit from the wealth of experience available through existing tourism research institutions in various areas of the world."

Through its Business Development Program, ACOA will contribute $201,400 for the creation of the Tourism Research Centre. The Department of Tourism will contribute $60,000. UPEI will provide an in-kind contribution of $85,000.

This year UPEI is celebrating 50 years of international students. In 1956, four students from Hong Kong came to PEI to study. International students have been an integral part of UPEI's campus life and the PEI community. With a large group of new international students entering UPEI this year, there is an opportunity for the PEI community to actively welcome and support these students from around the world.

The Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island is leading an initiative to match families with international students at UPEI. There are currently 54 students from 20 countries who are new to the university this Fall. The majority are visiting Canada for the first time. They are often overwhelmed and homesick. For a successful first year they need to feel connected. The Lieutenant Governor, in partnership with UPEI, is putting a call out to PEI families to serve as ambassador families to these students.

"My husband and I are very much looking forward to acting as an ambassador family for six international students and we encourage other Island families to embrace this idea," says Honourable Barbara A. Hagerman.

Each ambassador family will be asked to meet the student and invite him/her home at least three times a year. It will also be helpful to connect with the student every few weeks during their first year at UPEI. There will be a gathering arranged for all families during the school year, as a thank you for serving as a ambassador families.

Heather and Brian Howat of Charlottetown assumed an unofficial role as an ambassador family to a Kenyan student three years ago, assisting him to overcome many of the challenges that result from being far from home and experiencing a new country and culture for the first time. This student is now completing his fourth year as an Economics major and hopes to settle in PEI.

"The experience has been a very rewarding one for our family and we have easily gained as much or more from this shared experience as he has," says Heather.

Being an ambassador family provides an opportunity for PEI residents to welcome a student to the province, learn about another country, and support a student's success. The experience of international students recruited to study at UPEI will be enhanced significantly by this opportunity to connect with the larger PEI community, resulting in a positive contribution to their academic success and overall satisfaction.

If you are interested in being an ambassador family please contact Joy Ikede, UPEI International Student Advisor, at jikede@upei.ca or 894-2823.

UPEI Mathematics students brought home three of four top prizes from the Atlantic Provinces Council on the Sciences (APICS) 30th annual Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Conference hosted recently by Cape Breton University.

The annual APICS conference brings together top Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science students from Atlantic universities to present their own research to peers and faculty. In addition, students are able to participate in either a Mathematics or Computer Programming competition.

Brodie Champion of Cornwall and Allan Stewart of Brackley Beach teamed up to take first place in the Mathematics competition. Although UPEI has placed in the top three at previous competitions, this is the first time in the conference's history that UPEI students have carried off the top prize. Brodie Champion is a 4th year Honours Mathematics student and Alan Stewart is a 4th year Honours student, double-majoring in Mathematics and Physics. Both hope to pursue graduate studies next year. They are graduates of the UPEI summer Math Camp, hosted annually for PEI high school students interested in mathematics.

Marcus Trenton of Charlottetown was awarded first place for the best Computer Science Presentation in the Research Category. He also tied for first for the best Mathematics and Statistics Presentation in the Communication and Research category. The 4th year Honours student is double-majoring in Mathematics and Statistics and Computer Science and Information Technology. He intends to pursue graduate studies next year.

"The UPEI faculties of Mathematics and Statistics and Computer Science and Information Technology are proud of their students and congratulate them on a job very well done," says Mathematics and Statistics Chair, Dan Ryan. Professor Ryan accompanied the students to the APICS competition in Sydney.

Island native David Hickey will launch his first poetry collection, In the Lights of a Midnight Plow, published by Biblioasis, on Thursday, November 9, at 7:30 p.m., in the Faculty Lounge, Main Building, at UPEI. The public is invited to celebrate the emergence of this talented writer on the Canadian literary scene. The launch is hosted by the UPEI English Department.

David grew up on PEI, in western Labrador, and along the north shore of Quebec. Also an athlete, he was a member of the PEI provincial junior basketball team. He graduated in 2000 with a B.A. Hons. in English from UPEI, and earned an M.A. in Creative Writing and English from the University of New Brunswick.

His poetry has been awarded the Milton Acorn Prize and the Ralph Gustafson Prize, and in 2005 he received the prestigious international Petra Kenney Poetry Prize. His poetry has appeared in magazines and journals across Canada and the United States.

His poetry ranges from life on PEI, for example, "Channel Markers," "The Field's Afterthoughts," and "Evening at the Charlottetown Airport," where "my grandfather / watches another plane bring its wheels / to his farm," to "House Fire" and "The Afterlives of [baseball legend] Ted Williams," who spent his retirement fishing in the Miramachi.

An avid runner and backyard astronomer, he now lives in Johnston's River.

"Fast Optimization of the Radiation Therapy of Tumours- the Impossible Possible" is the title of a presentation by Dr. Pedro Goldman taking place at UPEI on Thursday, November 9, from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm in the Duffy Amphitheatre. Interested members of the public are welcome to attend.

Dr. Goldman is Director of the Graduate Program in Biomedical Physics and Chair of the Physics Department at Ryerson University in Toronto. His presentation will examine alternatives to the current practice of treating cancer tumours with large doses of radiation administered five days a week for six or seven weeks.

The delivery of radiation during this period of time is based on a single set of CT images obtained before the treatment starts. Dr. Goldman will explain why he believes this is not an ideal situation. He will discuss an important advancement in radiation therapy that is unavailable today called adaptive radiation therapy, which is the ability to redesign the radiation treatment at the time of each (daily)delivery by obtaining updated CT images of the patient and re-planning the treatment to adapt to any displacement or deformation of the tumours or other organs. Adaptive radiotherapy is one of the most sought-after goals in present day radiation therapy research.

Dr. Goldman will discuss this crucial challenge in cancer treatment research and the role of physicists in its solution. In particular, he will examine a new method of radiation therapy called FIDO that is expected to help make adaptive radiation therapy possible.