Stephanie Di Vito

Biography

About me

I’m Stephanie, I am from Toronto and I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto. I studied Neuroscience, Biology and Immunology and am now doing my PhD at the University of Calgary. I came to Calgary because I’ve always wanted to have the experience of studying away from home! I was interested in coming to Calgary for the amazing research but also a chance to get out and explore the mountains and beautiful scenery of Alberta.

My research

I completed a fourth year research project in Toronto and was studying addiction. Currently, I am part of the Whelan lab which is focused on the mechanisms of locomotion, and what signals in the brain are responsible for making us move and walk! I am working on a region of the brain that could function as part of an alternative pathway to stimulate walking. My work focuses on dopamine receptors on specific locomotor targets.

BRAIN CREATE program aspirations

I am hoping to be able to collaborate with another research group to potentially learn a new skill or technique to be able to research my topic of interest in more detail.

Commercialization

I am focused on a region of the brain called the cuneiform nucleus which has recently been identified as a possible target for deep-brain stimulation in patients with locomotor difficulties, such as in Parkinson’s Disease. This could allow a new long-term, drug independent treatment option for patients with locomotor deficits.

Awards

NSERC BRAIN CREATE Graduate Scholarship