معرفی
Dr. Patrick Whelan is a Professor at the University of Calgary with joint appointments in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine (Departments of Physiology & Pharmacology and Clinical Neurosciences), and Faculty of Kinesiology. He serves as Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Development in Veterinary Medicine and holds affiliations with the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, and McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health.
He earned a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Alberta (1996) following a BSc in Biological Science from the University of Guelph (1990), with postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health.
His research focuses on movement disorders, particularly locomotion control mechanisms, spinal cord injury rehabilitation, and Parkinson's Disease therapeutics. Key investigations include neural plasticity, dopaminergic pathways, neuromodulation (deep brain stimulation/optogenetics), and descending motor control. The lab also studies neonatal motor function and collaborates across engineering and clinical neuroscience disciplines.
Major awards include:
- Great Supervisor Award (2016)
- UCVM Research Excellence Award (2016)
- Killam Trust Research Prize (2011)
- Heart and Stroke New Investigator (2002)
He leads the Whelan Lab, funded by CIHR, NSERC, and the Frank Leblanc Chair in Spinal Cord Injury Research. The lab actively seeks new members to develop therapeutics for motor function recovery.
