Photo: Hallie Leo
Postdoctoral fellow Naomi Fettig, PhD, is the recipient of a Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (CPRA) from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
The award funds Dr. Fettig’s research studying demyelination of neurons in multiple sclerosis (MS)–when T cells (white blood cells) in the immune system damage and break down the myelin covering that insulates and protects neurons.
The award is for $140,000 over two years.
“This research is looking at how the brain gets damaged by the immune system and how, hopefully, it can be repaired,” Fettig said. “We are investigating the immune signaling pathways of microglia, immune cells within the brain, and how they contribute to inflammation and what pathways we can interfere with to hopefully improve outcomes.
Fettig grew up in Calgary, Alberta and earned her bachelor’s degree and PhD in microbiology and immunology from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. She joined the lab of Dorothy P. Schafer, PhD, the Molly McGovern Chair in Biomedical Research and professor of neurobiology in October 2025.
Photo: Hallie Leo
“Leveraging her previous training in T cell biology and neuroimmunology as a graduate student, Naomi is now breaking new ground to show how cells that normally clear myelin debris to promote regeneration in multiple sclerosis can also play a counter role in promoting T cells in the brain and propagating neuroinflammation,” Dr. Schafer said. “She is a star and is highly deserving of this fellowship.”
The CPRA is designed to support postdoctoral researchers to engage in research either in Canada or abroad and aims to assist in their transition to the next phase of their career.
