Manitoba researcher wins funding for Alzheimer’s treatment

Meet Parisa Tabeshmehr

When Parisa Tabeshmehr left Iran to begin her PhD at the University of Manitoba, she had no idea her research focus would soon hit close to home. Not long after she arrived in Canada, her grandmother back home was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

At first, the changes were subtle. “Eventually, she didn’t recognize me,” Parisa says. “It was painful to be so far away and unable to help.” 

In the months that followed, her grandmother’s condition progressed quickly. Living on the other side of the world, Parisa could only watch as her once-independent grandmother began to lose her memories and ability to care for herself.

This experience became Parisa’s motivation to find new ways to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Under the supervision of Prof. Michael F. Jackson and Dr. Tiina Kauppinen, Parisa is exploring how to protect brain cells from damage caused by the disease.

Parisa’s research focuses on a protein channel in brain cells called TRPM2, which becomes overactive in Alzheimer’s. When that happens, it disrupts how neurons communicate and triggers inflammation in the brain — two factors that contribute to memory decline. Working with collaborators at the University of Toronto, Parisa is testing a compound called JNJ, which blocks TRPM2. The goal is to see whether reducing that overactivity can protect brain cells and help preserve memory. Early findings are promising and point to a potential new way to slow the effects of the disease.

The ASRP: Funding Canada’s brightest minds

This year, Parisa received an Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP) Doctoral Award, generously co-funded by Research Manitoba, to support her project — something she found both validating and deeply motivating.

“It felt like they were saying, ‘you are here, you are working and we see you,’” she says. “Research isn’t a nine-to-five job. It takes your time, your energy and your heart.” The award gave her a renewed sense of purpose and reminded her why she started this work in the first place.

Parisa is deeply grateful for the Alzheimer Society’s support and for the donors who make this kind of research possible. She often thinks about the difference it might have made if her grandmother had access to the kind of programs and community support available through the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba. “Back home, there weren’t many places for families to turn to,” she says. “Here, people have resources and a network to help them through it, and that means everything.”

Parisa hopes that one day, her research will lead to life-changing treatments for families like her own. “When I lost my grandmother, I wanted to find a way to make a difference for others facing the same thing,” she says. “This research feels like a step toward that.”