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Igor Kovalchuk

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ProfessorBiological Sciences DepartmentUniversity of Lethbridge

Igor Kovalchuk

Professor

Biological Sciences Department

University of Lethbridge

Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Supervision signals

Professors usually supervise graduate students in their department's programs.
50 publications in the last five years, latest in 2026.
Senior (last) author on 26 recent papers, a sign of leading a research group.
Principal investigator on 14 research grants (13 NSERC, 1 CIHR), most recently in 2024.

These signals come from public records, including CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions. Ask the professor or the graduate program whether they are taking new students.

Academic metrics

164

Publications

Collaborators

Grants

Publications by year

Counts cover the publications linked to this profile. Citations and the h-index appear when the source records them.

Profiles and links

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Signals and details

Research

Read how they describe their research on their University of Lethbridge profile.

Latest papers

The effects of chronic cannabidiol administration on brain pathology and behavioral deficits found in the tau P301s-line PS19 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.
Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 2026
Differential A-to-I editing of SINE B2 RNAs unveils an epitranscriptome response to Aβ neurotoxicity.
Life science alliance · 2026
Plagl1 regulates the retinal progenitor cell to Müller glial cell transition.
PLoS genetics · 2026

All 164 publications

Latest funding

L2M NSERC - Autonomous Mapping, Identification, and Eradication of Cannabis-Damaging Pests and Pathogens With Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence
NSERC · 2024 · Principal investigator
$20,000
Transgenerational response to stress in Arabidopsis
NSERC · 2023 · Principal investigator
$102,000
Novel mutant mouse models of the sporadic version of Alzheimer’s disease and targeted cannabinoid treatments
SSHRC · 2022 · Co-investigator
$125,000

All 21 grants and awards

From the 150 most recent of 164 publications.

The effects of chronic cannabidiol administration on brain pathology and behavioral deficits found in the tau P301s-line PS19 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Nixon AG, Hong NS, Agha BM, Ham JR, Monteith M, Kaloa T, Kyriazopolus A, Nielsen M, Robertson DR, Golubov A, Sutherland RJ, Kovalchuk I, Iwaniuk A, Mohajerani MH, McDonald RJ

Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD2026

DOI: 10.1177/13872877261421654 PMID: 41736228

Differential A-to-I editing of SINE B2 RNAs unveils an epitranscriptome response to Aβ neurotoxicity.

Mitchell L, Saville L, Gollen B, Haight T, Roy R, Turner C, Cheng Y, Kovalchuk I, Mohajerani MH, Zovoilis A

Life science alliance2026

DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202603668 PMID: 42303461

Plagl1 regulates the retinal progenitor cell to Müller glial cell transition.

Touahri Y, Pak A, David LA, Hanna J, Liu H, Xiao Y, Belfiore L, Ilnytskyy Y, van Oosten E, Tachibana N, Adnani L, Zhao J, Hoffman M, Dixit R, Zinyk D, Guidos CJ, Enzmann V, Bi P, Aubert I, Journot L, Kovalchuk I, Sauvé Y, Biernaskie J, Wang C, Okawa S, Del Sol A, Schuurmans C

PLoS genetics2026

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1012020 PMID: 41849358

Effects of cannabidiol (CBD) treatment on age-related cognitive decline in C57 mice.

Mirza Agha B, Monteith M, Earl J, Ganske K, Kaloa T, McDonald KJ, Nixon AG, Panjwani M, Robinson D, Rusnak V, Mohajerani MH, Kovalchuk I, Sutherland RJ, Hong NS, McDonald RJ

Frontiers in aging neuroscience2025

DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2025.1567650 PMID: 40416734

A Positive Feedback DNA-PK/MYT1L-CXCR1-ERK1/2 Proliferative Signaling Loop in Glioblastoma.

Wang B, Li D, Ilnytskyy Y, Khachigian LM, Zhong N, Rodriguez-Juarez R, Kovalchuk I, Kovalchuk O

International journal of molecular sciences2025

DOI: 10.3390/ijms26094398 PMID: 40362634

The Impact of Major and Minor Phytocannabinoids on the Maintenance and Function of INS-1 β-Cells Under High-Glucose and High-Lipid Conditions.

Gojani EG, Wang B, Li DP, Kovalchuk O, Kovalchuk I

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)2025Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/molecules30091991 PMID: 40363798

LPS-Induced Liver Inflammation Is Inhibited by Psilocybin and Eugenol in Mice.

Robinson GI, Gerasymchuk M, Zanikov T, Gojani EG, Asghari S, Groves A, Haselhorst L, Nandakumar S, Stahl C, Cruz C, Cameron M, Zahoruiko Y, Li D, Rodriguez-Juarez R, Snelling A, Hudson D, Fiselier A, Kovalchuk O, Kovalchuk I

Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)2025Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/ph18040451 PMID: 40283890

Genetic and Epigenetic Changes in Arabidopsis thaliana Exposed to Ultraviolet-C Radiation Stress for 25 Generations.

Virgen AL, Yadav NS, Byeon B, Ilnytskyy Y, Kovalchuk I

Life (Basel, Switzerland)2025Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/life15030502 PMID: 40141846

Entomopathogenic Fungi Effectively Control Phorodon cannabis Aphid Population in Cannabis sativa Plants.

Lopez Restrepo D, Kovalchuk I

Plants (Basel, Switzerland)2025Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/plants14060931 PMID: 40265883

Prenatal maternal stress in rats alters the epigenetic and transcriptomic landscape of the maternal-fetal interface across four generations.

King SE, Schatz NA, Babenko O, Ilnytskyy Y, Kovalchuk I, Metz GAS

Communications biology2025

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-07444-3 PMID: 39794497

L2M NSERC - Autonomous Mapping, Identification, and Eradication of Cannabis-Damaging Pests and Pathogens With Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence

Principal investigatorNSERC2024Idea to Innovation

Principal investigators: Kovalchuk, Igor P

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; Autonomous Ground Vehicle; Cannabis sativa; Computer vision; Image processing; Insect Pest Control; Integrated Pest Management; Laser Eradication; Machine learning; Object tracking

$20,000

Transgenerational response to stress in Arabidopsis

Principal investigatorNSERC2023Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Kovalchuk, Igor

Keywords: arabidopsis thaliana; response to abiotic stress; epigenetics and epigenomics; snps and indels; transgenerational response; heritable response to stress; dna methylation; non-coding rna and rna fragments; dna repair; genome stability

$102,000

Novel mutant mouse models of the sporadic version of Alzheimer’s disease and targeted cannabinoid treatments

Co-investigatorSSHRC2022New Frontiers in Research Fund - Exploration

Principal investigators: McDonald, Robert

Keywords: Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease; gene polymorphisms; neurodegeneration; behaviour; inflammation; glucose metabolism; lifestyle; diet; cannabinoids; metabolomics

$125,000

Plant growth chambers to support a new Phytotron Core Research Facility

Principal investigatorNSERC2021Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Kovalchuk, Igor

$148,804

Friend or foe: cannabis and the brain - from safety analysis to medical applications

Co-investigatorCIHR2018Catalyst Grant: Cannabis Research in Urgent Priority Areas

Principal investigators: Kovalchuk, Olga

Keywords: Anti-Inflammatory; Brain And Behavior; Cannabis; Gene Expression; High-Cbd; Neuroanatomy; Safety

$100,000

Mechanism of control of pathogen infection in Cannabis sativa using copper ions

Principal investigatorNSERC2018Engage Grants Program

Principal investigators: Kovalchuk, Igor

$24,990

Genotyping and breeding new hemp varieties

Principal investigatorNSERC2017Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Principal investigators: Kovalchuk, Igor

$437,100

Epigenetics of transgenerational response to stress

Principal investigatorNSERC2016Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Kovalchuk, Igor

$497,000

Epigenetic variations in hemp cultivars grown in contrasting environments

Principal investigatorNSERC2016Engage Grants Program

Principal investigators: Kovalchuk, Igor

$23,500

Replacing a Computer Cluster for Big Biological Data

Co-investigatorNSERC2016Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Tatsuno, Masami

$149,480

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their NSERC grant from 2024

Subject: Prospective PhD student Dear Professor Kovalchuk, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "The effects of chronic cannabidiol administration on brain pathology and behavioral deficits found in the tau P301s-line PS19 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your NSERC-funded project "L2M NSERC - Autonomous Mapping, Identification, and Eradication of Cannabis-Damaging Pests and Pathogens With Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence" (2024), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]

Profile data last refreshed on September 27, 2026 from the university directory, publication records and CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding.

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Igor Kovalchuk

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

The effects of chronic cannabidiol administration on brain pathology and behavioral deficits found in the tau P301s-line PS19 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Differential A-to-I editing of SINE B2 RNAs unveils an epitranscriptome response to A&#x3b2; neurotoxicity.

Plagl1 regulates the retinal progenitor cell to M&#xfc;ller glial cell transition.

Effects of cannabidiol (CBD) treatment on age-related cognitive decline in C57 mice.

A Positive Feedback DNA-PK/MYT1L-CXCR1-ERK1/2 Proliferative Signaling Loop in Glioblastoma.

The Impact of Major and Minor Phytocannabinoids on the Maintenance and Function of INS-1 &#x3b2;-Cells Under High-Glucose and High-Lipid Conditions.

LPS-Induced Liver Inflammation Is Inhibited by Psilocybin and Eugenol in Mice.

Genetic and Epigenetic Changes in Arabidopsis thaliana Exposed to Ultraviolet-C Radiation Stress for 25 Generations.

Entomopathogenic Fungi Effectively Control Phorodon cannabis Aphid Population in Cannabis sativa Plants.

Prenatal maternal stress in rats alters the epigenetic and transcriptomic landscape of the maternal-fetal interface across four generations.

L2M NSERC - Autonomous Mapping, Identification, and Eradication of Cannabis-Damaging Pests and Pathogens With Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence

Transgenerational response to stress in Arabidopsis

Novel mutant mouse models of the sporadic version of Alzheimer’s disease and targeted cannabinoid treatments

Plant growth chambers to support a new Phytotron Core Research Facility

Friend or foe: cannabis and the brain - from safety analysis to medical applications

Mechanism of control of pathogen infection in Cannabis sativa using copper ions

Genotyping and breeding new hemp varieties

Epigenetics of transgenerational response to stress

Epigenetic variations in hemp cultivars grown in contrasting environments

Replacing a Computer Cluster for Big Biological Data

Frequent collaborators

Olga Kovalchuk

Carol Schuurmans

John Kastelic

Jacob Thundathil

Isabelle Aubert

Athanasios Zovoilis

Chao Wang

Deborah Kurrasch

Paul Hazendonk

Dmytro Yevtushenko

Dawn Kingston

Kim Stanford

Andrew Iwaniuk

Suzanne King

Michel Cayouette

Sheila McDonald

Artur Luczak

Aru Narendran

Monzur Murshed

Cheryl Currie

Gerlinde Metz

Liliana Attisano

Marjorie Brand

Differential A-to-I editing of SINE B2 RNAs unveils an epitranscriptome response to Aβ neurotoxicity.

Plagl1 regulates the retinal progenitor cell to Müller glial cell transition.

The Impact of Major and Minor Phytocannabinoids on the Maintenance and Function of INS-1 β-Cells Under High-Glucose and High-Lipid Conditions.