Trainee Profile: Mady Thompson
One of the key components of the Brain Repair Centre is collaboration. With her experience in biochemistry and engineering, PhD student, Mady Thomson sets an example of how researchers with unexpected areas of focus can collaborate with colleagues at the BRC on a common goal – to explore solutions to neurological disease and injury.
“The BRC is helping to make my dreams of getting closer to discovering a therapeutic for Alzheimer’s Disease more of a reality,” she said. Thompson is working to create a platform which can be used to model a number of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
“Using stem cells from Alzheimer’s patients, we can recreate what is happening in the human brain while the disease is progressing,” Thompson said. “By designing a cell culture environment similar to natural brain tissue, it will allow a better understanding of the mechanisms that underlie AD and may lead to improved treatments for those living with the disease.”
Mady was introduced to the BRC by Dr. John Frampton. In Dr. Frampton’s lab, Thompson’s background in biochemistry and engineering is giving her an excellent opportunity to educate and learn from lab mates who may not have similar backgrounds. “My lab mates don’t come from engineering backgrounds so I can share my perspective with them, and they’ve helped me learn more about the world of neuroscience,” she said. Through biomedical engineering, Thompson is making great contributions to the field of neuroscience.
“We need interdisciplinary teams to make our dreams a reality,” Thompson said. “The BRC is a wonderful chance to break outside our department silos and collaborate with like-minded researchers, all working together to help those with neurological diseases and injuries.”
Thompson attended her first Atlantic Mobility Action Project (AMAP) meeting in September 2021, organized by the BRC. “It was so fun to be in an intimate conference setting where we could chat, bond and learn what we were doing in our labs.”
She also spent time in Valencia, Spain, where she worked in a lab, processing hydrocarbon samples, further showing the BRC’s commitment to a team of trainees with diverse backgrounds and experience.
Born in Vancouver, B.C., Thompson completed her undergraduate in biochemistry at Queen’s University and her Masters in biochemistry at the University of Calgary, where she specialized on the maturation of heart cells through stem cells. The PhD program at Dalhousie is what brought Thompson to Halifax.
“It’s wonderful to be a student in a place offering such great opportunities and connections within the region and way beyond,” she said.