“I am very pleased that our research is recognized as important and contributing meaningfully to society by the university,” says Litteljohn, 28, who has studied at Carleton his entire academic career and taught psychology as a contract instructor in 2008-09. “Over the next four years, I hope to contribute to our understanding of the inflammatory pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease and its co-morbid psychiatric pathology, for example, anxiety and depression.”
“our research is recognized as important and contributing meaningfully to society”
Hayley, who is also an associate professor in neuroscience at Carleton, focuses his research on how interactions between the brain and the immune system may influence the development of psychiatric and neurological conditions.
“It’s very important to integrate grad students into the research environment,” he says, “and being able to do that largely depends on these kinds of fellowships.”
Litteljohn’s research, he adds, is somewhat unique in that it examines the non-motor symptoms and early stages of Parkinson’s, which could predict the course of the disease.
“Without the fellowship, I would be scrambling to pay (Litteljohn), because I wouldn’t let him go by the wayside. He is one of the brightest students I have ever met.
He is inquisitive, motivated, can work independently and has maturity of thought uncommon in someone his age.”
Litteljohn admits it would be extremely rewarding to translate his work under the fellowship into clinical benefit, either in the form of biomarkers of disease progression or the development of novel drug therapies for Parkinson’s patients