Michael Hildebrand

Michael Hildebrand is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Carleton University and an Affiliate Investigator at The Ottawa Hospital. He serves as Associate Vice-Provost (Graduate Student Affairs), overseeing graduate policies, student crisis mediation, and thesis defense processes across the university.

His educational background includes a PhD in neurophysiology from the University of British Columbia (UBC), followed by an industrial R&D fellowship at NeuroMed Pharmaceuticals and an academic postdoctoral fellowship at Sick Kids Hospital.

Hildebrand's research focuses on spinal mechanisms of pain processing using molecular, pharmacological, electrophysiological, and behavioral approaches. His lab bridges translational gaps between basic science and clinical needs by studying acute/chronic pain states in both rodent and human spinal cord models. Key interests include sexual dimorphism in pain pathways, T-type calcium channel functions, and NMDA receptor subunit contributions to identify novel pain treatment targets.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals dominant trends in sex-specific pain mechanisms, human spinal cord translational models, and molecular targets like calcium channels and NMDA receptors. His work consistently integrates rodent and human tissue studies to address chronic pain's clinical challenges.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Ronald Melzack, Canadian Journal of Pain Paper of the Year Award (2023)

Hildebrand mentors undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers while securing major funding from NSERC, CIHR, MITACS, and industry partners. His leadership extends to national roles including Chair of the Canadian Pain Society's Scientific Program Committee.

The Hildebrand Lab operates within Carleton's Health Sciences Building, utilizing pioneering human spinal cord preclinical assays alongside animal models to investigate pain mechanisms and therapeutic interventions.