Principal Investigator
B.Sc. [Physics (major), German (minor)] (University of British Columbia),
M.Sc. [Physics] (University of British Columbia),
Ph.D. [Physics] (University of British Columbia),
Associate Professor, Department of Radiology and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia,
Associate Member, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia
Research Interests
Brain; Histology; MRI; Myelin; Neurodegeneration; pathology; Spinal cordDr. Cornelia (Corree) Laule is a physicist and has been involved with nuclear magnetic resonance and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) research for 17 years. She recently completed a post-doctoral fellowship with Dr. Wayne Moore in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine where her research focused on MRI pathology correlation studies in multiple sclerosis (MS) brain tissue. Dr. Laule was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine in January 2013. She is interested in understanding the microstructural and pathological determinants which govern T1 and T2 relaxation measures in central nervous system (CNS) tissue. Her primary area of research is multiple sclerosis (MS) and she has extensive experience in imaging both in vivo and post mortem MS brain and spinal cord, with emphasis on characterizing myelin. She also collaborates to study many other CNS applications including schizophrenia, cerebral malaria, bipolar disorder, leukodystrophies and Huntington’s disease, as well the characterization of normal controls. She is particularly interested in myelin and plans to use biochemical analysis and electron microscopy to understand how variations in myelin composition/structure may influence to MRI measures.
For further information regarding Dr. Laule’s research, please visit her website at www.mripathology.ca and follow her on twitter @mripathology.
Major Findings:
Dr. Laule’s quantitative MRI-pathology correlations validated myelin water imaging as a marker for myelin when her histopathological studies revealed a strong correlation between the MR and histopathological measures of myelin.
In one of the few studies examining myelin water serially in the human spinal cord, Dr. Laule’s research showed that people with primary progressive MS showed a 10% decrease in myelin over two years, while the controls remained stable. This suggests that progressive demyelination occurs and myelin water may help follow the pathological processes that contribute to clinical disability in progressive multiple sclerosis.
Dr. Laule’s studies of diffusely abnormal white matter reveal evidence of a primary lipid abnormality with little protein involvement. This raises the possibility of a primary role for lipid in the autoimmune or degenerative etiopathogenesis of MS, studies of which up to now have largely focused on myelin protein immunology and biology. Thus, examining the tissue changes underlying DAWM may identify substrates responsible for disability and progression, which could be a target for future therapies.
For some of her major findings, please see the selected papers below, as well as her recent publications listed at the bottom of the page:
- Water content and myelin water fraction in multiple sclerosis: A T2 relaxation study
- Myelin water imaging in multiple sclerosis: quantitative correlations with histopathology
- Magnetic resonance imaging of myelin
- Cervical Cord Abnormalities in Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: Atrophy and Myelin Water Changes
- Pathological Basis of Diffusely Abnormal White Matter: Insights from Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Histology
Techniques Employed in the Lab:
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Histology
- In vivo and post mortem imaging of brain and spinal cord
Affiliation with organizations and societies:
- International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM)
- Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada Ambassador and Review Committee (MS Society of Canada)
Awards
Some of Dr. Laule’s recent major awards and accomplishments include:
- Transitional Career Development Award (Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, 2010-2015)
Current Lab Members
| Highschool Students | Masters Students | Undergraduate Students | Masters Students | Ph.D. Students | Research Staff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shana George | Jackie Yik | Lorna Tu* | Jackie Yik | Kevin Liu* | Dr. Farah Samadi |
| Mattias Kolind | Tigris Joseph | Sarah Morris | Dr. Irene Vavasour | ||
| Zach Vavasour | Alex Ensworth | ||||
| Taylor Swift-Lapointe |
*Graduated in the past year
Trainee Awards
| Year | Name | Award |
| 2021 | Jackie Yik | Student Stipend, American Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis |
| 2021 | Jackie Yik | Top Trainee Research Abstract (finalist), American Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis |
| 2021 | Sarah Morris | 3 Minute Thesis (1st place, People’s Choice), UBC Department of Physics & Astronomy |
| 2021 | Sarah Morris | 3 Minute Thesis Semifinals (3rd place, advanced to finals), UBC |
| 2021 | Sarah Morris | 3 Minute Thesis Finals (3rd place, People’s Choice), UBC |
| 2021 | Sarah Morris | Top Poster Award, ICORD Annual General Meeting |
| 2020 | Sarah Morris | Doctoral Award, NSERC |
| 2020 | Sarah Morris | PhD Studentship Award (declined), MS Society of Canada |
| 2020 | Sarah Morris | Student Stipend from the American Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis
Best Trainee Research Abstract (finalist), American Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis |
| 2020 | Liz Dao | Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research |
| 2019 | Kevin Liu | PhD Studentship Award, MS Society of Canada |
| 2019 | Carina Graf | Student Stipend from the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine |
| 2019 | Leo Sporn | Student Stipend from the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine |
| 2019 | Jackie Yik | Student Stipend from the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine |
| 2019 | Sarah Maris | Student Stipend from the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Best Poster Award, Pathology Research Day |
| 2018 | Sarah Morris | Travel, Accommodation, and Registration (endMS Summer School) |
| 2018 | Carina Graf | Travel, Accommodation, and Registration Award (endMS Summer School) |
| 2018 | Kevin Liu | Travel, Accommodation, and Registration Award (endMS Summer School) |
| 2018 | Kevin Liu | Research Stipend (endMS SPRINT) |
| 2018 | Sarah Morris | New Entrant Stipend (International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine) |
| 2018 | James Cairns | Travel Award (UBC MS Connect Education Program & Christopher Foundation) |
| 2018 | Carina Graf | Travel Award (UBC MS Connect Education Program & Christopher Foundation) |
| 2018 | Carina Graf | Student Stipend (International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine) |
| 2018 | Kevin Liu | Travel Award (UBC MS Connect Education Program & Christopher Foundation) |
| 2018 | Kevin Liu | Student Stipend (International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine) |
| 2017 | Carina Graf | MS Studentship Award (MS Society of Canada) |
| 2017 | Kevin Liu | PhD Studentship Award (MS Society of Canada) |
| 2017 | Carina Graf | Trainee Travel Award (ICORD) |
| 2017 | Carina Graf | Student Stipend (International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine) |
| 2017 | Kevin Liu | Travel Award (UBC MS Connect Education Program & Christopher Foundation) |
| 2017 | Kevin Liu | Student Stipend (International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine) |
| 2017 | Carina Graf | ICORD Trainee Travel Award (ICORD) |
| 2016 | Carina Graf | ICORD VISIT Trainee Award (ICORD) |
| 2016 | Kevin Liu | Travel Stipend (International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine) |
| 2016 | Kevin Liu | Travel Stipend (ICORD) |
Current Opportunities In the Lab
While the lab has no specific openings, if trainees are interested in opportunities related to her area of research please contact Dr. Laule with inquiries. She also accepts undergraduate directed studies students and volunteers. She is always open to new collaborations and would be happy to speak with you about potential future joint projects.
Recent publications
- Taheri, K et al.. Cervical Spinal Cord Atrophy can be Accurately Quantified Using Head Images.. Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. doi: 10.1177/20552173211070760.
- Vavasour, IM et al.. 2021. Diffusely abnormal white matter in clinically isolated syndrome is associated with parenchymal loss and elevated neurofilament levels.. Mult Scler Relat Disord. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103422.
- Cairns, J et al.. 2022. Diffusely abnormal white matter in multiple sclerosis.. J Neuroimaging. doi: 10.1111/jon.12945.
- Kamma, E et al.. 2021. Elevated levels of serum CD5 antigen-like protein distinguish secondary progressive multiple sclerosis from other disease subtypes.. Mult Scler Relat Disord. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103269.
- Cohen-Adad, J et al.. 2021. Author Correction: Open-access quantitative MRI data of the spinal cord and reproducibility across participants, sites and manufacturers.. Sci Data. doi: 10.1038/s41597-021-01044-0.
