Trainee Profile: Cory Munroe

Journal Clubs at the Brain Repair Centre are an excellent way for trainees to connect, discuss and learn from one another. Cory Munroe, a PhD student in Dr. Tara Perrot’s lab, is the Journal Club leader for the BRC Interdisciplinary Science Journal Club.

This Journal Club typically meets at least once a month, and current research is discussed amongst the group so lab mates, from different labs, can get a better understanding and awareness of what everybody is up to.

He’s really proud of his work with this Journal Club to provide and share information which students might not otherwise hear.

“There has not been a single meeting where I have not learned something,” Munroe said. The clubs offer ongoing communication, socialization and a sharing of ideas and interests among the BRC trainees. “Our topics tend to emphasize research that has implications for cognitive and motor rehabilitation, such as recovering from stroke,” he said, referring to the interdisciplinary science group.

Currently, Munroe is working in Dr. Perrot’s Early Environment & Adult Resiliency lab and his research is related to probiotics and whether they serve a purpose in cognitive function, in potentially distracting and stressful situations. Currently, there is a collaboration with Lallemand Health Solutions, a probiotics company in Quebec. Gut health is being examined to find connections to cognition and overall well-being for individuals.

“We think probiotics show potential to be an effective way to improve outcomes that appear important for e-sport performance, such as our body’s physiological response to stress,” he said. Specifically, Lallemand, with Dr. Perrot’s lab, is looking at a video gamer population, a decision motivated by the popularity of e-sports competitions.

Munroe is in a unique position to work in both academic and industry. “This gives me an advantage to have experience in different professional settings,” he said.

“I am most passionate about teaching,” Munroe said. Alongside research in the lab and his leadership in a Journal Club, Munroe coaches and judges gymnastics, at local and provincial levels, so he has opportunity to teach in and out of the lab.

Munroe is from Sydney, Cape Breton, and moved to Halifax to attend Dalhousie after completing a degree in kinesiology at Acadia University.

For more information on BRC Journal Clubs, visit our Journal Club page in the WORK section of this website or click here