Research Profile: Dr. Vic Rafuse

Dr. Rafuse wears two hats most of the time - one as the Director of the Brain Repair Centre (BRC) and the other as a senior researcher in the Department of Medical Neuroscience at Dalhousie University. These are two important roles and require completely different skill sets.

He is a founding member of the BRC, and has been its Director since 2012. He is passionate about the role the centre plays in building and contributing to the medical research community in the Maritimes. 

“The Brain Repair Center builds collaborations between scientists of like-minded interests; it’s a venue for researchers to come together and create new connections. The BRC also provides a support network for trainees, and in doing so, helps develop the next generation of talent in this area,” says Dr. Rafuse.

The BRC is largely funded by the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education and Dalhousie with some of that funding going towards providing critical grant support to researchers who are moving their work to a point at which it can make an impact in the community. The BRC is very involved with the community and with groups that support those living with brain illness and injury; it works with societies supporting neurological diseases/injuries, takes part in community events, community neuroscience research awareness by delivering public lectures and town hall meetings.

Dr. Rafuse’s own area of research primarily focuses on neuromuscular disorders and motor neuron diseases. More specifically, he is interested in understanding the interface, known as the synapse, between motor neurons and muscles. Motor neurons are the part of the nervous system that activates muscles to control movement and the muscles that contract. This synapse, located on the muscle, breaks down prior to cell death in diseases such as ALS causing the muscle to become progressively more paralyzed. This progresses to a point where the muscles cannot function causing death due to the inability to breathe and cough.

Dr. Rafuse uses several mouse genetic models, in vitro techniques and human motor neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells from healthy people and from patients with ALS. Using these techniques, he is studying why the synapses break down and examining methods to maintain their function longer. If successful, the synapses will function longer improving the quality of life for those living with ALS.

Dr. Rafuse cautions that working in research is a labour of love. “You have to have the research bug or it’s not for you. I can clearly see it in the students who have that passion. So much of this type of research is failure, but then you break through the next obstacle and you can’t beat that feeling of success.”

Dr. Rafuse’s work has been entirely grant funded and he credits his success to the work of all the trainees that have worked with him. “I’ve been incredibly lucky to have outstanding students; without them, I wouldn’t be here today. From the very first students who helped me get started to all of those who have worked with me since, their dedication to this field of study helps me every day.”

Dr. Rafuse has collaborated with other BRC researchers on a variety of projects. These include motor neuron research with Dr. Rob Brownstone and neurodegeneration of the retina and nerve injury with Dr. David Clarke. In addition, Dr. Rafuse helped to initiate the Global Affairs Canada/Havana Syndrome Project at the BRC, which has since been passed on to clinical scientists. You can read more about the project here [Brain Repair Centre | Halifax, Nova Scotia]. He is also a member of the Canada Brain Research Strategy (CBRS), seeking to define a new model of global neuroscience research strategy that is unique to Canada.

in addition to the two hats he wears on a day to day basis, Dr. Rafuse also participates with ALS Society of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia by helping them further their mandate by educating their clients and families about ALS research as well as by assisting with ALS Walk Strong fundraiser through his team called the NeuroNerds.

You can also read about some of Dr Rafuse’s trainees - Asal Yans and Jack Guthrie - at Our Trainees page.