Brad Unryn, University of Calgary

Paternal age is positively liked to telomere length of children

Mr. Unryn's research addresses DNA located at the ends of chromosome which protect chromosomes from many forms of damage. As you get older, this protective DNA, called telomere, gets eroded and you become more susceptible to many age-related diseases. Research examining how these telomeres get shortened is critical to understanding human aging.

He approaches his training in research as a graduate student as he would a a job. Efficiency and productivity are key in any research area. To maximize results and minimize errors, he ensures that he always knows the protocol inside out before ever lifting a pipette or test tube. One old saying holds true in this area. "measure twice and cut once".

The novel findings that were through his research project will continue to impact future research and general public knowledge in the area of aging. Demonstrating that the age of a father affects the length of his child's telomeres provides a possible mechanism to decreasing susceptibilities to certain illnesses and helps account for telomere variation in the population.

Mr. Unryn's Master's research project and many others in the area of telomere biology have greatly expanded not only his knowledge in biochemistry and molecular biology (both in techniques and understanding), but also the experience of doing laboratory research has brought him closer to the variety of research as well as medical areas.

Mr. Unryn is currently doing research on HIV and AIDS as a research assistant at Foothills Hospital in Calgary, Alberta. He is considering a future in the area of medicine.