dr valerie sim, Researcher at the university of alberta

I first became fascinated with prions when I learned about them as a student in university. How can a protein cause an infectious brain disease? Then in medical training, I met my first patient with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Suddenly, there was a human face to this horrible disease. Since then, I have devoted my career to the science of prions and to the care for patients and families affected by prion diseases. As a prion scientist at the University of Alberta, Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases – I run a research lab where we investigate prion biology and test treatments. As a clinical neurologist, I help diagnose and care for patients, and educate health care providers and families.