2025 WCHRI Summer Student

Personal journey with osteoporosis inspires student’s research on bone health

Talah Hasanni’s research explored how the body regulates calcium levels, which are vital for building and maintaining strong bones. 

She investigated the roles of three specific proteins — Claudin-2, Claudin-12 and TRPV6 — in managing calcium in the kidneys and intestines. Using genetically modified animal models that lacked these proteins, she studied how disrupting calcium regulation affected bone health, especially when the models were fed a diet high in inorganic phosphate. A consistently high intake of phosphate, particularly from processed foods, can overwhelm the body’s ability to excrete the excess, leading to a cascade of hormonal responses that, over time, can damage the kidneys and bones.

Hasanni says her own experience with juvenile osteoporosis motivated her to study bone health in her second WCHRI summer studentship.

“This project feels like a seamless intersection of my personal experiences and professional ambitions, combining my drive to better understand my own condition with my passion for advancing science that improves lives.”

Goals:

• Study how the absence of Claudin-2, Claudin-12 and TRPV6 affects blood calcium levels in an animal model.
• Use micro-CT analysis to visualize how these changes impact bone.
• Conduct molecular analysis of tissue to understand how the body compensates for altered calcium and phosphate levels.

Potential impact: The outcomes of this study could provide new insights into bone health issues like osteoporosis, particularly in women and children, leading to better treatments and prevention strategies for weak bones and metabolic imbalances.

Supervisor: Todd Alexander, professor and chair, Department of Pediatrics; WCHRI academic co-lead of the Translational Genomics Hub

Funders: Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation and Alberta Women’s Health Foundation

Interested in doing research to improve the health of women and/or children? Read more about WCHRI’s training awards for students at all levels and generous grants for researchers.