Excellence, Innovation, and Collaboration: A Day at the MHRC with Chris Perry

Aurora Scientific has had a long-standing collaborative relationship with numerous labs at York University. This past April, we further cemented this by partnering with InsideScientific to highlight the Faculty and the Muscle Health Research Centre (MHRC) at York University, an innovative research centre that facilitates the interdisciplinary study of muscle biology and the importance of skeletal muscle to the overall health and well-being of Canadians. We had the privilege of interviewing a number of Faculty and Trainees to bring a focus to the research being done as well as the opportunities provided to each as a member of the MHRC.

Christopher Perry, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the MHRC at York University. His lab studies metabolic dysregulation in murine models of muscle weakness disorders including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), Cancer induced Cachexia, and others developed in collaboration with fellow MHRC Faculty.

In order to measure weakness and improvement of muscle function, Dr. Perry’s lab utilizes Aurora’s 3-in-1 system to measure force production in-vivo, in-situ (tibialis anterior, quadriceps) and in-vitro (diaphragm). By combining functional measurements of multiple muscles in the hindlimb as well as the diaphragm, the lab is able to gain insight into the mechanisms involved in gait or movement dysfunction in addition to respiratory decline.

Dr. Perry’s lab also applies their knowledge and understanding of how mitochondrial stress contributes to muscle weakness by partnering with Industry in order to generate therapies to restore muscle metabolism and treat muscle disease.