Photo: Bryan Goodchild
A UMass Chan Medical School postdoctoral fellow is one of 14 researchers from Quebec working in the United States to receive a prestigious award from the Fonds de recherche du Québec-Santé.
Tara Delorme, PhD, a postdoc in the lab of Ryan W. Logan, PhD, professor of psychiatry & behavioral sciences, received the award for advanced sequencing techniques to study individual cell types in the brain. Her work connects studies of the human brain with animal research to better understand how circadian gene activity in reward circuits shapes vulnerability to opioid addiction.
The award is for $110,000 over two years.
Dr. Delorme earned her PhD in neuroscience at McGill University and has been at UMass Chan since September 2023. She received her Bachelor of Science in psychology from Concordia University in Montreal.
“As a postdoctoral researcher working outside my home country, I feel fortunate and grateful for the ongoing support from Quebec,” Delorme said. “I’m grateful that the FRQS stands behind me even as I work abroad.”
Delorme’s research in Dr. Logan’s lab uses single-nucleus RNA sequencing and time-of-death analysis to uncover how disrupted daily gene rhythms in specific brain cell types contribute to opioid use disorder. She said follow-up experiments in mice will test whether these disrupted rhythms directly impact drug-seeking, tolerance and withdrawal, paving the way for new circadian-based treatments.
Delorme said she came to UMass Chan to work for Logan to benefit from his access to diverse biological samples and research resources, use advanced tools for studying brain tissue and gene expression, and pursue funding opportunities that will push her research forward and expand its cross-species approach.
“During my PhD, most of the sequencing techniques I used involved analyzing homogenized brain tissue, which only gave us a broad view of gene expression across all cells. Dr. Logan specializes in advanced sequencing methods that can distinguish individual cell types and identify which genes are differentially expressed in each. That expertise was the main reason I came to work with Dr. Logan at UMass Chan,” Delorme said.
The Fonds de recherche du Québec-Santé fellowship, unique to Quebec, supports researchers regardless of their location, with the goal of ultimately bringing their expertise back to Quebec institutions.
"Quebec is one of the few provinces in Canada with its own dedicated funding. They support not only researchers based in Quebec and international scientists working there, but also Quebecers conducting research outside the province or the country. The award is designed to invest in you as a scientist, supporting your work wherever your career takes you."
The Fonds de recherche du Québec-Santé supports researchers advancing mental health, neuroscience and addiction studies to develop innovative treatments and improve health outcomes. It also enables Quebec postdoctoral fellows to conduct research abroad, expanding their expertise, fostering global collaborations and promoting scientific innovation.
