Lakehead University's TSTOP Program Builds Relationships with Region's Schools
Through this program, teachers advance their scientific knowledge by taking part in leading-edge research alongside leading investigators and graduate students. Teachers later disseminate this knowledge to their students via classroom lectures, a class trip to the host institution during the school year, and other related activities including school visits by the institution's scientists or graduate students.
"Essentially, this program gives us the opportunity to share exciting foundations of scientific study with elementary level teachers in the region," says Dr. Brian Ross, Associate Professor of Medicine, Biology, Chemistry, and Public Heath at Lakehead University's Northern Ontario School of Medicine. "It would be very difficult to allocate the financial resources to bring entire classrooms to our campus for this program; however, by bringing only the teacher, even from distant areas across the province, we can provide a hands-on scientific learning experience which he or she can later share with students. The goal here is to generate more interest and excitement about various scientific fields, and I think the success of this summer's program will realistically help us accomplish that goal."
Dr. Ross, alongside two other Lakehead professors, Dr. Neelam Khaper and Dr. Marina Ulanova, were integral in bringing the TSTOP program to the Lakehead campus. Through grant applications to the Ministry of Research and Innovation, the professors secured $10,000 to cover expenses for Jim Horbow, the successful TSTOP applicant. Horbow, a science teacher at Sir Winston Churchill Elementary School in Thunder Bay, enjoyed his learning experience so much that he prolonged his period of study for an extra week. He learned about the role of integrin receptors in regulation of cellular responses to oxidative stress and how this relates to human epithelial cancer cells. "This program demonstrated how highly focused medical research is at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine at Lakehead University," says Horbow. "By working closely with Drs. Ross, Khaper, and Ulanova, as well as various graduate students, I've developed some new curriculum ideas and have thought of new ways to generate and maintain interest among my student groups." Horbow will show the products of his research to his students during the 2007-2008 academic year, and will visit the facility with some of his science students.
This summer, Lakehead University is proud to be one of only 23 research institutions providing TSTOP research placements across Ontario.
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Media: Jim Horbow will be presenting the information he learned while studying with Lakehead's researchers. His presentation will take place at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 30, in MS 2015. Additionally, Drs. Ross, Khaper, and Ulanova will be available for media interview. They can be reached at 766-7300. Jim Horbow can be reached by calling Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate Institute at 473-8100. For further information on this news release, please contact Heather Scott, Communications Officer at 343-8177 or commun@lakeheadu.ca
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