The Bruin Lab has completed its first islet isolation. It is amazing to come into the lab to see such focus and hard work. We managed to yield 300, 370, and 420 islets per mouse!
We welcome four new lab members: Geronimo Matteo (MSc.), Erin MacFarlane (MSc.), Hannah Blair (NSERC USRA), Catherine Copley (DSRI). It is exciting to see the team beginning to grow!
The Bruin Lab has its first successful grant application! Thank you to the NSERC Discovery Grant program for funding our project entitled: Mechanisms Underlying the Regulation of Beta Cell Function by Environmental Pollutants.
Congratulations to Catherine Copley and Mariam Elsawy for being awarded the prestigious Dean’s Summer Research Internship (DSRI) awards to work in the lab this summer.
Dr. Bruin presents at the Sunnyside Branch of the Ottawa Public Library for Carleton University's Science Café series. These public presentations are entertaining, informative, and free! In Dr. Bruin's talk, titled “Using Human Stem Cells for Treating and Understanding Diabetes”, she explains how human stem cells are a promising alternative cell source for islet transplantation to treat diabetes, and a powerful tool to model pancreas development in the lab.
Before any research could begin, we had to build a stem cell culture facility in the lab. Above are a few pictures that show the stages of this process. The final product was worth the wait - it's gorgeous!
The Bruin lab welcomes our first official lab member, Kayleigh Rick! Kayleigh recently completed her MSc in the department with Dr. Bruce McKay and is joining our group as a lab technician. Kayleigh's first undertaking was helping to clean up the new lab (a serious task!).
Dr. Bruin starts her position as an Assistant Professor at Carleton University in the Department of Biology, as of Sept 1 2016. The Bruin Lab is primarily interested in studying the pathogenesis of diabetes, with a focus on insulin-secreting beta cells.
