Researchers receive close to $5 million in CIHR funds

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Posted March 1, 2010 

By Marta Cyperling

University of Calgary researchers from the faculties of Nursing, Medicine and Veterinary medicine have been successful in garnering almost $5 million in funding from the Fall 2009 Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) competition.

Dr. Frank Jirik (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and member of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health) was awarded $384,000 to analyze how a genetic abnormality of the immune system can lead to the development of stomach tumours.

Dr. Kathryn King (Faculty of Nursing and Medicine--Department of Community Health Sciences and a member of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta) and Dr. Hude Quan (Department of Community Health Sciences) were awarded $420,000 for their work focused on ethnic and gender differences in the presentation of coronary symptoms. 

Dr. Paul Kubes (Department of Physiology and Microbiology and director of  the Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation) was awarded   $835,876 to research chemotax.  He is trying to understand the signaling of white cells to improve the fight against infection.

Dr. Antonia Stang (Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Community Health Sciences) was awarded $81,254.  The goal of her study is to develop tools to measure and improve the quality of emergency department care for severely ill children. These tools will be developed by experts using the best available medical evidence.

Dr. Peter Stys (Department of Clinical Neurosciences and member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute) was awarded $845,300 for his research that explores the chemical communication between nerve fibers and their insulating myelin sheath, which has major implications for many diseases like MS, Alzheimers and even possibly mental health disorders like schizophrenia.

Dr.Cory Toth (Department of Clinical Neurosciences and member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute) was awarded $600,752. This research project will examine methods of replacing insulin's lost effect in the brain without giving insulin. This research may not only benefit those with diabetes, but may be important for patients with Alzheimer's disease down the road.

Dr. Patrick Whelan (Faculty of Medicine--Department of Physiology and Pharmacology,
Clinical Neurosciences and member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine ) was awarded $822,695 to further research spinal cord injury.

Dr. Gerald Zamponi (Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute) was awarded $1,041,950 to investigate how calcium signals in the brain and peripheral nervous system are regulated by a novel mechanism.  This in turn will provide new avenues for the treatment of painful conditions.

Dr. Douglas Zochodne (Department of Clinical Neurosciences and member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute) was awarded $692,860 to study molecular roadblocks to nerve regeneration.

The CIHR is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. Their mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to catalyze its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products and a strengthened Canadian health-care system.