Stroke Animal Models Neuroprotection Therapeutic Hypothermia Edema Intracranial Pressure Rehabilitation Neuroplasticity
I have been a faculty member at U of A since 2000. Prior to this I completed post-doctoral training at the University of Lethbridge and the University of Calgary. I completed my PhD (Basic Medical Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine, 1995) and undergraduate degrees (Hons. Psychology, 1991) at Memorial University of Newfoundland. I had the wonderful opportunity to work with: Drs. Dale Corbett, Roland Auer, Alastair Buchan, Garnette Sutherland and Bryan Kolb in my training.
For fun outside the lab, I enjoy nature (hiking, camping, and photography: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fred_colbourne/).
My students and I study the ischemic and hemorrhagic brain injuries that result from stroke and related conditions. We use animal models and a wide array of research techniques and tools to better understand the pathophysiology of cell damage (e.g., the role of brain edema) and dysfunction (e.g., alterations in cell volume). Furthermore, our primary goal is to comprehensively test potential therapies in our translationally-oriented studies. This includes seeking ways to reduce cell death through the use of neuroprotective therapies (e.g., hypothermia and various drugs), and attempting to augment brain plasticity to further improve behavioral recovery (e.g., rehabilitation therapies). Our publications are listed below, with some available through the links provided, or they can be obtained by emailing Dr. Colbourne.
Current set of awesome graduate students:
+ volunteers, psyco496 and honor's students from psychology and the NMHI.
Interested in joining the lab? Please e-mail Fred and provide a brief statement on what you are interested in (e.g., psyco496, honor's, summer studentships, grad school), what you hope to learn and how this may benefit you (e.g., career ambitions), and a brief summary of your experiences and grades (e.g., overall GPA, and past research experience). To help you understand what we do, I recommend that you read some of the following papers, which you can obtain through the links below: Liddle et al., 2021 in Frontiers in Neurology; Kalisvaart et al., 2020 in Scientific Reports; Liddle et al., 2020 in Translational Stroke Research; and/or Nadeau et al., 2018 in Translational Stroke Research. Please note that I aim to only supervise students who have a strong GPA (e.g., 3.5 or better), are dedicated and hard working, and have a genuine interest in neuroscience research. Learning and advancement opportunities include:
Lab methods we use (Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) can be obtained by emailing your request to Dr. Colbourne):
Lab Research Funding:
Current Operating Grants (Colbourne is PI):
Past Operating Grants: CIHR, HSFC, NSERC, NCE.
Past Salary Support (FC): Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions, and Canada Research Chairs (Tier 1).
Recent Grants:
Recent Publications from My Lab by Graduate and Undergraduate Students:
Recent Grad and Undergrad Student Awards:
Recent Graduates:
Discussion of advanced concepts and theories developed by selected fields within experimental psychology. The course will examine the relation between theory and data in these fields. Prerequisites: STAT 141 or 151 or 161 or SCI 151 and a 300-level PSYCO course. Students must check with the Department for the topics for the year and any additional prerequisites. [Faculty of Science]
Fall Term 2021 Winter Term 2022[Faculty of Science]
Fall Term 2021 Winter Term 2022