“Be part of the community”: Celebrating Indigenous Grad Student Success

Joseph Neapetung began his post-secondary journey in 2015, pursuing an undergraduate degree in Physiology and Pharmacology here at USask, where he discovered his interest in conducting research. During his final year of undergrad, Neapetung won an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research award, which allowed him to take a summer student placement performing research, eventually setting the stage for his Honor’s project in his final year of study. “Basically, the day after I convocated I was in the lab, doing my Master’s,” said Neapetung, “About a year after that, I transferred from the Master’s to the PhD program,”.

Joseph’s research is centered around a particular protein of interest – the protein responsible for the sensation of pain. This protein is found in neurons in both central nervous system – the brain and spinal cord – as well as the peripheral nervous system, where Joseph’s research focuses. The peripheral nervous system is made up of the nerves that branch out from the brain and spinal cord and communicate with the rest of the body.

The protein that Joseph studies is linked to a condition known as diabetic peripheral neuropathy; a common condition among long-term diabetic patients where one experiences a paradoxical loss of sensation in their hands and feet, while also experiencing numbness, tingling and a higher sensitivity to pain due to nerve damage. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy contributes to the high rates of amputations among diabetic populations, as the lack of sensation in areas like the lower leg can lead to a simple injury – such as a blister – going unnoticed until it becomes a more severe problem.

By using electrophysiological methods to stimulate neurons where this protein is found, Neapetung and other researchers can learn more about how the protein reacts in specific conditions and apply those findings to learn more about diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Shortly after beginning his research in this area, Joseph became diabetic himself. Growing up on Yellowquill First Nation, he knew many friends and relatives who developed diabetes, some of whom even requiring amputations due to diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Indigenous peoples in Canada are at a higher risk to develop diabetes and tend to experience poorer treatment outcomes than other groups, this elevated risk has been part of what’s steered Neapetung’s research, “I don’t want to see my friends and relatives get sick. That’s one of the driving forces for why I do what I do.”

Another driving force behind Joseph’s research is his son, whose birth helped to inspire Joseph’s return to school and pursuit of post-secondary education. “I hope that my son can grow up to lead a healthy life, and that by the time he is older, if he ever has to go through diabetes himself, a better understanding of this protein will help.”

In addition to positively impacting people with diabetes, Joseph’s research can also be applied to other pathologies such as chemotherapy-induced neuropathy or chronic pain.

In addition to positively impacting people with diabetes, Joseph’s research can also be applied to other pathologies such as chemotherapy-induced neuropathy or chronic pain.

What advice does Joseph have for Indigenous grad students? First and foremost, take care of yourself.  “Take care of your mental health, your physical health, everything, because when you’re in the zone and studying and everything, it’s really easy to lose yourself. It’s easy to fall down if you’re not watching where you’re going.”

Joseph offered one more major piece of advice for incoming graduate students: “Be part of the community. Just throw yourself in,”. Throughout his time at USask, Joseph has been involved in peer mentorships with Indigenous Student Achievement Pathways (ISAP), Network Environments in Indigenous Health Research (SK-NEIHR), and the Kamskénow science outreach programs. Connecting with other Indigenous students and researchers can help you feel like part of the community and keep you motivated throughout your time at USask.