Neuroscience research lab makes a good fit
By Eleni Kanavas
In searching for a place to do his graduate studies, Joey Silburt spent months looking online for research labs specializing in gene therapy and ways to apply genetics in the development of therapeutics.
“I came across Dr. Isabelle Aubert’s lab, which is now starting to do gene therapy for Alzheimer’s disease and it seemed like interesting and promising research. Then I looked more into Sunnybrook [Research Institute] and it turns out that it’s this internationally acclaimed institute. It seemed like a really good fit for me, so I sent out some emails, applied and here I am,” says Silburt, 22, who recently graduated with an honours degree in cellular, molecular and microbial biology from the University of Calgary. He moved to Toronto in June.
Born in Guelph, Ontario, Silburt grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was interested in medicine, but not in practising it, unlike his father, who is a family doctor.
“I wanted to be on the other side, the laboratory side, developing therapeutics. In doing my undergrad and learning about genetics, gene therapy felt like a very powerful tool to treat diseases fundamentally,” says Silburt, who is among the students participating in the D+H SRI Summer Student Research Program at Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI).
Aubert, a senior scientist in the Brain Sciences Research Program at SRI, is Silburt’s supervisor. Her research is focused on developing therapies to stop neurodegeneration and promote regeneration in the brain in disorders like Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In collaboration with Dr. Kullervo Hynynen, director of Physical Sciences at SRI, she is using magnetic resonance imaging-guided focused ultrasound to deliver therapeutics like anti-amyloid agents, and gene and stem cell therapy through the blood-brain barrier in preclinical models of AD.
The focus of Silburt’s project is on protecting the brain against toxic amyloid peptides found in cases of AD.
“What we’re trying to do is target an antibody to the brain and enhance the process to clear accumulated beta-amyloid. We’re looking at the best way to target the correct cells and to make sure that we have high specificity for the hippocampus and the cells that we’re actually trying to target,” he says.
Antibody gene therapy to treat AD has tremendous therapeutic potential and clinical significance. The aim is for preclinical studies to give rise to clinical trials and for the technique to help improve targeted drug delivery and treatments for patients with AD.
Despite Silburt’s strong interest in the development and administration of therapeutics, he says there has been a learning curve coming into the Aubert lab.
“My first research project was actually very different. It was a computational chemistry analysis of RNA polymerase II, the protein involved in transcription, and how that works,” he says.
Silburt previously worked as a research assistant in a lab characterizing structural components of the HIV Nef protein, an important virulence factor in determining the progression toward AIDS.
“My ultimate goal is to become a PI [principal investigator] and run my own lab. When choosing where to do my PhD, I wanted to stay in Canada, but also wanted to go somewhere internationally recognized,” he says.
Silburt will begin his graduate studies in September in the department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology at the University of Toronto. He will continue his work on developing gene therapy for AD in the Aubert lab.
He says the most rewarding aspects of his experience at SRI have been the collaboration and support of lab members, and the freedom to be creative on his research project. He plans to present his work at the annual Best Summer Research Project competition on August 20, 2014.
“My supervisor said, ‘If you have ideas, just present them to me, and we’ll talk about them.’ I’ve felt like I’ve had a lot of ability to contribute to the design phase of the project and to really give my input on how I think it should work, which has been really rewarding.”
