London Research Receives Funding Boost

London research received a welcome shot in the arm today thanks to new funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation. A total of six researchers affiliated with The University of Western Ontario, Lawson Health Research Institute and the London Regional Cancer Centre (LRCC) will share $832,501 in funding. Nathalie Berube and Doug Fraser, professors in Western’s Schulich School of Medicine and scientists at Lawson and the LRCC, have received $254,452 to look at the genetic, molecular and physiological basis of mental retardation. The yearly economic cost of mental retardation (MR) in Canada is in the billion dollar range. This new research will increase our knowledge of MR-related neural networks, necessary for the development of drug-based or gene-based therapies to prevent disease or alleviate symptoms of cognitive deficit. Specifically, Berube and Fraser will study the central nervous system using genetics, molecular and cellular biology, optical imaging and electrophysiology. Schulich professor and Lawson scientist Amit Garg is developing a research facility for understanding, preventing and treating kidney disease. He received $199,399 in CFI funding for this initiative. Over the last decade the prevalence of kidney failure has increased by seven per cent per year and 30,000 Canadians now suffer from kidney failure. This new research facility, to be located at Lawson, will improve capacity for real-time biological, clinical, geographical, physiologic, economic and administrative research data. It includes infrastructure for computing hardware, analytic software, database programming, security, renovations, and biological specimen storage. Specific projects to be enhanced by the new facility include the Walkerton Health Study (a study following more than 4000 individuals after the water contamination in 2000), studies of living kidney donation, and clinical trials examining the benefits of new hemodialysis treatments. With $154,079 in new funding from CFI, Vijay Parsa will establish a Laboratory for Advanced Digital Signal Processing Research at Western. The new inter-disciplinary facility will facilitate research projects ranging from audiological device development, machine condition monitoring, sympathetic nerve discharge analysis, and bat vocalization analysis. Parsa came to Western in 1996 from the University of New Brunswick to work as a research engineer in the National Centre for Audiology. Since then, he has been appointed as the Oticon Professor in Acoustic Signal Processing, a joint position between the Faculties of Health Sciences and Engineering. Richard Rozmahel and Fred Dick, Schulich professors and Lawson and LRCC scientists, received $224,571 to look at genetic applications to the study of human disease. Secondary genetic factors are important contributors to the onset, clinical manifestations, severity and ultimate prognosis of many human diseases, including cystic fibrosis, cancers and Alzheimer's Disease. The identification and characterization of these secondary genetic contributors will provide a better understanding of these diseases and provide avenues for therapeutic intervention. Specifically, the CFI funding will help identify and characterize these secondary genetic factors through the manipulation and characterization of genetic makeup and assessments of specific disease characteristics. Both researchers came to London in 2003 Rozmahel from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Toronto and Dick from the Harvard School of Medicine. “The New Opportunity Funding program continues to be one of the best tools for recruiting outstanding researchers from Canada and abroad to Western,” says Nils Petersen, Western’s Vice President (Research). “It is particularly gratifying to see support for researchers who work across disciplines that bridge engineering and health sciences and various disciplines of the medical and health professions, and that provide for continuing strong ties between Western and its affiliates.” David Hill, Lawson’s Scientific Director, says, “This is clear evidence that the mission of the CFI is working. Young scientists, many from outside of Canada, are able to obtain the resources they need in a timely fashion to explore fresh research directions.” Jim Koropatnick, LRCC’s Director of Research, says, “Young cancer researchers in the London Regional Cancer Program are moving new ideas from the laboratory to the clinic. This funding boosts their ability to translate discovery into effective cancer treatment.” “These CFI investments will provide world-class facilities and cutting edge tools for Canadian researchers examining complex issues that are of critical importance to the province of Ontario and the rest of Canada,” says Carmen Charette, Interim President and CEO of the CFI. “It will also enable outstanding researchers to provide the training and mentoring required by the next generation." Total investments, approved by the CFI Board of Directors on June 15, 2004, to support 124 projects involving 140 researchers at 40 research institutions have been awarded through two funds: $18.3 million under the New Opportunities Fund; and $5.5 million under the Infrastructure Operating Fund. The CFI’s New Opportunities Fund (NOF) enables eligible universities to provide research infrastructure for newly-recruited faculty members, in their first full-time academic appointment in Canadian degree-granting institutions, so that these researchers can undertake leading-edge research. The fund also enables institutions to recruit new faculty members in the areas of research identified as priorities in their strategic research plans. The CFI’s Infrastructure Operating Fund (IOF) helps with operating and maintenance costs associated with new infrastructure projects. For more information contact: Marcia Steyaert Associate Director, Media Relations The University of Western Ontario (519) 661-2111 ext. 85468 steyaert@uwo.ca Valérie Poulin Coordinator, Media Relations Canada Foundation for Innovation (613) 996-3160 valerie.poulin@innovation.ca