• Unexpected distribution of DNA during cell division

  New results from CIHR-funded research challenge scientific knowledge about what happens to DNA when cells divide. The BC Cancer Agency discovery shows that in some cells, chromatids were assigned to daughter cells instead of being randomly distributed, as previously thought. Using different coloured dyes, Principal Investigator Dr. Peter Lansdorp and his team were able to identify which chromatid went to which daughter cell. These findings open the door to further research to determine whether this behavior occurs when cancer cells divide. This approach allows a new way of looking at cells and cancer to see if there is in fact another level of regulation that can be affected when cells turn cancerous. This study was published in the journal Nature on December 16, 2009.

December 8, 2009

• Obesity and injuries: youth behaviours analyzed for clues
   
  CIHR-funded researchers from Queen's University will use data from a major international survey to find out if and how Canadian school children's behaviours can impact obesity and injuries. Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) is an international research study conducted in collaboration with the WHO. The study is carried out every four years.
  
  
• Trans fatty acids are good for the heart?
   
  Research scientists at St. Boniface Hospital and University of Manitoba have published a study suggesting that vaccenic acid (VA) - a natural trans fatty acid found in small amounts in milk and dairy products like yogurt and cheese - could actually aid in reducing the incidence of heart disease. This finding indicates that we can no longer assume that all trans fats are harmful.

• The Government of Canada Makes Substantial Investment in S&T
  
  The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology) today announced funding of $19.5 million over five years for NeuroDevNet, a new Network of Centres of Excellence (NCE) in the health sciences. Led by Dr. Daniel Goldowitz at the University of British Columbia, NeuroDevNet is the first pan-Canadian initiative to study children's brain development through both basic and clinical research. CIHR President Dr. Alain Beaudet attended the announcement (photo).
  
  
• World AIDS Day Message
  
  
• CIHR-IMHA Workshop for Journalists a Success

• Update on PubMed Central Canada (PMC Canada)
  
  
• CIHR-funded researcher proves stem cells can heal lung tissue
   
  CIHR-funded researcher Dr. Bernard Thébaud of the University of Alberta has made a remarkable breakthrough in the field of respiratory health. Dr Thébaud has discovered a way to repair lung damage in newborn rats. His research on the effect of stem cells derived from bone marrow could lead to new therapies for premature babies born with lung disease. Dr. Thébaud's findings were published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Medicine on November 26.

November 19, 2009

• Supporting innovation through private-public partnerships

November 18, 2009

• 1 in 4 Ontario hospitals change cardiac care policies after public report cards released
  
  Public report cards on hospital performance are increasingly common, but researchers at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) wanted to find out whether they are an effective method for improving the quality of cardiac care for patients.

November 16, 2009

• The Global Alliance for Chronic Disease Sets First International Priorities

  The Global Alliance for Chronic Disease (GACD), a consortium of health organizations that includes CIHR, has announced its first targets in the fight against "chronic non-communicable disease". The GACD manages approximately 80% of the world's public health research funding worldwide. At its inaugural scientific summit in New Delhi in November, GACD decided on three priorities: lowering hypertension (high blood pressure), reducing tobacco use, and eliminating indoor pollution caused by crude cooking stoves in developing countries, which together contribute to about 1 in 5 deaths worldwide each year.

November 9, 2009

• CIHR and NSERC support research into medical isotope alternatives
  
  The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) are pleased to announce the results of the Open Grants Alternative Radiopharmaceuticals for Medical Imaging Competition. Seven projects are being funded across Canada by CIHR and NSERC. CIHR and NSERC are jointly providing a total of $5.4 million for these projects, which will seek non-nuclear reactor technology alternatives to Technetium-99m, an isotope commonly used in medical imaging procedures. The funding competition was launched in June 2009: 19 applications were received. CIHR and NSERC are collaborating on this initiative because supporting multidisciplinary teams of researchers from the health sciences, physics, chemistry and engineering is viewed as the best way to accelerate research in the quest to find alternatives isotopes that can be used to replace Technetium-99m.

November 2, 2009

• Two CIHR researchers invested into the Order of Canada
  
  CIHR congratulates two CIHR-funded researchers who will be invested into the Order of Canada by Governor General Michaëlle Jean at Rideau Hall on Thursday, November 5th, 2009.

October 30, 2009

• CIHR hosts Nobel Laureates

• 2 Canadian-Californian teams amongst those awarded stem cell research funds

October 26, 2009

• Women do have the same heart attack symptoms as men

  Contrary to previous studies, new CIHR research results show that classic heart attack symptoms are equally common in men and women. The study author, Martha Mackay from the University of British Columbia, looked at 305 consecutive patients undergoing angioplasty, which briefly causes symptoms similar to a heart attack, and found no gender differences in rates of chest discomfort or other 'typical' symptoms. While both women and men may experience typical or non-typical symptoms, the major difference was that female patients were more likely to have both the classic symptoms of heart attack plus throat, jaw, and neck discomfort. These findings are important to help doctors quickly diagnose heart attacks and save more lives, especially since women are 16% more likely than men to die after a heart attack. This study was presented to the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009 on October 25, 2009.

October 21, 2009

• CIHR recognized as one of the National Capital Region's Top 25 Employers

  The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has been declared one of Ottawa's Top 25 Employers by Mediacorp Canada Inc. as a follow-up on its annual survey of companies and organizations across Canada. This is the first time that CIHR has been listed. The award recognizes CIHR's commitment to providing a supportive and dynamic work environment for its employees. A profile of CIHR can be found in a special supplement of the October 21st edition of the Ottawa Citizen.

October 8, 2009

• UBC researchers identify key behaviour of immune response to Listeria

  A team of University of British Columbia microbiologists has identified a key defence mechanism used by the immune system against Listeria with strong implications for the future development of vaccines.

October 6, 2009

• Past Gairdner International Award recipients win the 2009 Nobel Medicine Prize for their research into aging
  
  A trio of American researchers, Drs. Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Dr. Jack Szostak, has won the 2009 Nobel Medicine Prize for their research into how an enzyme called telomarese can either maintain or strip away telomere, a shield that protects chromosomes in a cell from aging or succumbing to diseases such as anaemia and cancer. Finding ways to stop the telomares levels from being high and destructive is the key of new cancer research. The Nobel jury deemed that this discovery has added "a new dimension to our understanding of the cell, shed light on disease mechanisms, and stimulated the development of potential new therapies". Drs. Blackburn and Greider are also 1998 recipients of the Gairdner International Award.

October 1, 2009

• New treatment to halt the advance of Parkinson's

  CIHR-funded researchers from the University of Windsor may have made a research breakthrough in the fight against Parkinson's disease. The team, led by Dr. Siyaram Pandey, found that a new formulation of a natural chemical compound - coenzyme Q10 - halted the degeneration of neurons in the brains of rats exposed to an herbicide associated with the disease. A group of 47 lab rats were first injected with paraquat, the toxic herbicide, and then some were fed with water, while others were fed with a water-soluble solution of the Co-Q10 compound. The rats that didn't receive the compound showed considerable brain damage and behavioral symptoms associated with Parkinson's, but those that received the compound showed no degeneration of brain cells or impairment of motor skills. Dr. Pandey suggested that 350- to 700-milligram doses of the water-soluble compound in humans should be sufficient. The findings have been published in the academic journal BMC Neuroscience and the team has begun collaborating with a pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey, Zymes LLC.

September 29, 2009

• Bell recognized with Henry G. Friesen International Prize for research into genetic susceptibility to autoimmune diseases

  On Tuesday, September 22, Sir John Bell, world known Canadian physician and Regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, received the 2009 Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research at the Château Laurier in Ottawa and delivered a lecture called "Optimizing Treatment by Redefining Human Disease through Genetics". The prize, established by the Friends of CIHR (FCIHR) in collaboration with the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and CBC Radio, recognizes a worthy and accomplished speaker of international stature whose work has led to the advancement of health research and its evolving contributions to society. Dr. Bell's research concentrates on people's genetic susceptibility to autoimmune diseases, particularly type 1- diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease, inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

September 28, 2009

• One in Eight Strokes Occurs Following a "Warning Stroke"

  A new CIHR-funded study shows that one out of every eight strokes is preceded by a transient ischemic attack or mild stroke. The study author, Dr. Daniel G. Hackam of the University of Western Ontario in London, looked at 16,400 people from Ontario hospitals with a diagnosis of stroke over four years. The findings revealed that patients who did not have a warning stroke were more likely to have a more serious stroke than those who did. However, patients who experienced the warning stroke were typically older and were also more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems. The research results will be published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, on September 29, 2009.

September 25, 2009

• U of T researcher, colleagues uncover mechanism key to spread of listeria
  
  University of Toronto researchers are part of an international team which has uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that plays an important role in the spread of listeria, the trigger behind the food-borne disease listeriosis, which caused a deadly outbreak in Canada in the summer of 2008.

September 23, 2009

• Giving birth: What delivering options are best for women?

  Pregnancy is a special time in a woman's life. Much preparation is involved, which includes deciding the method of delivery. A study among birth providers across Canada was done by CIHR-funded researchers at the University of British Columbia. It looked at the different views on procedures such as induced labour, electronic monitoring, elective Caesareans sections, and epidurals. It found that many health care professionals differ in opinion regarding the best procedures.

• Government of Canada invests $159.1 million to fund 181 Canada Research Chairs

  The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), today announced $159.1 million to support 181 Canada Research Chairs in 45 Canadian universities. Forty-eight chairs are in the health research sector, representing an investment of $38.4 million.

September 21, 2009

• The Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research

  Public Forum: Optimizing Treatment by Redefining Human Disease through Genetics
  Tuesday, September 22, 2009
  Chateau Laurier Hotel
  1 Rideau St., Ottawa, Ontario
  4:30 - 5:40 pm
  Free Admission

  The Public Forum with feature Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine, Oxford University and President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, UK. Dr. Bell was named the 2009 winner of the Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research. He will receive the Prize and deliver a public lecture on September 22, 2009 in Ottawa. Dr. Bell's research led to the characterization of genetic susceptibility to auto-immune diseases, particularly type 1 diabetes, auto-immune thyroid disease, inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Bell has recently pioneered large population studies to identify the combinations of genetic variants that impart susceptibility to common chronic diseases such as coronary disease, diabetes and lung injury due to tobacco smoke. Free Admission - Online Registration. For further information on Friends of CIHR and the Friesen International Prize, please visit the website.

September 15, 2009

• Hip and spinal fractures increase risk of death: study

  Suffering a broken hip or fractured spine significantly increases the risk of death in people over 50, according to a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The five-year study, which was led by Dr. George Ioannidis at McMaster University, involved 7,753 Canadians aged 50 or older who were participants in the ongoing Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study. The researchers found that for men and women there was a three-fold increase in the likelihood of dying after a hip fracture compared to those without a fracture, and almost the same increase for those who suffer a spinal fracture. Among the study participants, they found that one in four people who broke a hip and one in six who fractured their spine died within five years of the injury. The researchers said more needs to be done to reduce fractures and improve survival. "We've known for a long time that hip and spinal fractures can lead to a progressive decline in health," says Dr. Jane Aubin, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis. "This important work by Dr. Ioannidis and his colleagues shows that we need to do more to help people achieve lifelong bone health. We need to prevent fractures through early diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis, and we need to improve rehabilitation to restore mobility and enhance survival after fracture."

September 4, 2009

• CIHR celebrates the Gairdner Foundation's 50 years of achievement

August 27, 2009

• Runaway girls find help and new hope in nurse intervention program

  A new CIHR-funded study has found that a nurse intervention program is extremely beneficial in helping sexually exploited runaway girls reduce trauma, restore healthy behaviours and reconnect to family and school. The Runaway Intervention Program (RIP) is an individualized program that involves nurses conducting home and school visits with the girls and their families. Girls who had been in the program for six and 12 months significantly improved in most areas of their lives; they were indistinguishable from girls in school who had never been abused. The study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, was led by University of British Columbia researcher and CIHR Public Health Chair in Youth Health Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc, and Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota nurse practitioner Laurel Edinburgh.

August 25, 2009

• Study uncovers an important clue to the cause of Type 1 diabetes

  A new study, funded by CIHR and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, has discovered what may be an important clue to the cause of Type 1 diabetes: wheat. Published in the August issue of the journal Diabetes, the research, led by Dr. Fraser Scott and his team at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the University of Ottawa, found that when 42 people with the autoimmune disease were tested, almost half had an abnormal immune response to wheat proteins. This research is the first to clearly show that over-reaction to wheat is linked to Type 1 diabetes, and that the gut plays an important role in the diabetes disease process. An estimated 246 million people have diabetes worldwide.

August 14, 2009

• Dr. Michel G. Bergeron honoured with 2009 Medal of Service from the Canadian Medical Assocation

  On August 19, Dr. Michel G. Bergeron, the CIHR-funded director of the Centre de recherche en infectiologie (CRI) of Laval University, will be presented with the 2009 Canadian Medical Association's (CMA) Medal of Service. He is being recognized for his outstanding contribution to the medical profession, medical and research organizations, the Canadian health care system, and the well-being of patients around the world. Among his accomplishments, Dr. Bergeron developed first-line treatment of severe pyelonephritis with intravenous aminosids, produced rapid, real-time tests to detect certain disease-causing microbes in less than one hour, and founded Infectio Diagnostic Inc. as a way to market rapid diagnostic tests. He is currently developing a vaginal gel called the "Invisible Condom" that will help women protect themselves against AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and cervical cancer.

• Former founding member of CIHR's Governing Council declared recipient of the 2009 Dr. William Marsden Award in Medical Ethics

  On August 19, Dr. Nuala Kenny, a former founding member of CIHR's Governing Council, will be the recipient of the 2009 Dr. William Marsden Award in Medical Ethics from the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). This particular award, which is named after the first Chair of the CMA's Committee on Ethics, recognizes a member who has demonstrated exemplary leadership, commitment and dedication to the cause of advancing and promoting excellence in the field of medical ethics in Canada. Dr. Kenny's work has focused on the moral/ethical core of the doctor-patient encounter and the practice of just and compassionate medicine.

August 13, 2009

• CIHR Journalism Awards
  
  The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is funding up to 18 CIHR Journalism Awards (worth from $5,000 to $20,000 each). The program is open to all working journalists in Canada - reporters, editors, photographers, producers, editorial writers and freelancers - or Canadian journalists working abroad. (Funding Opportunity Description)

• New method for improving care in neonatal ICUs reduces infection and lung distress in premature babies

  A new method for improving quality of care has been shown to reduce hospital-acquired infections and chronic respiratory distress in premature babies in neonatal ICUs, according to a CIHR-funded study recently published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The method, known as Evidence-based Practice for Improving Quality, was developed by Dr. Shoo Lee of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto and members of the Canadian Neonatal Network. It was applied in 12 neonatal ICUs across Canada over a 3-year period. "Our method enables hospitals to select practice changes pertinent to them for targeted intervention," wrote Dr. Lee. "This is potentially more efficient and cost-effective." The method may be applicable in other areas of health care.

August 11, 2009

• CMAJ highlights CIHR's international collaboration on Alzheimer's disease research

  The Canadian Medical Association Journal put the spotlight on CIHR's new international initiative to increase research on Alzheimer's disease and related disorders in an article published in its August 4 issue. "What we are trying to do is mobilize international interest for a collaborative initiative on Alzheimer's disease research, but it's in the early days," says CIHR president Dr. Alain Beaudet in the article. Headed by Dr. Rémi Quirion, the project will bring together Canadian and international partners to increase knowledge about the early detection, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease.

August 5, 2009

• New Approach Targets Gut Hormone to Lower Blood Sugar Levels

  A research team led by Dr. Tony Lam at the Toronto General Research Institute and the University of Toronto discovered a novel function of a hormone found in the gut that might potentially lower glucose levels in diabetes.

July 31, 2009

• CIHR provides UBC with $26M for health research

  The University of British Columbia has received more than $26 million in research funding from the latest competition held by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

July 21, 2009

• Five top medical journals publish research guidelines developed in Ottawa

  An international group led by Dr. David Moher of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the University of Ottawa has today released guidelines to improve how highly influential reviews of medical and health research are reported. The guidelines address systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which are considered the 'gold standard' of medical evidence because they systematically combine and summarize all research from around the world on a given topic.

July 15, 2009

• Violence hits nearly one in five university students

  A new CIHR-funded study reveals that close to 20% of university students experienced violence in the last six months. New findings show that women are no longer the only victims of violence: men attending university were equally likely to be victims of physical or emotional violence as women, and that violence was often linked to drinking. Also, much of the violence men experienced was from their intimate partners. This new study was led by CIHR-IPPH Public Health Chair and University of British Columbia researcher, Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc. This is the first multi-site study covering both the U.S. and Canada.

July 13, 2009

• CIHR-funded Michael Smith Chair in Neurosciences and Mental Health awarded to University of Ottawa researcher

  CIHR's Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction along with the University of Ottawa announced July 13 Dr. Georg Northoff as recipient of the prestigious EJLB-CIHR Michael Smith Chair in Neurosciences and Mental Health. Dr. Northoff, of the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research (IMHR) will receive a $1-million endowment grant from the ELJB Foundation, a $300,000 CIHR set-up grant as well as a yearly grant of $50,000 from CIHR over the next five years to support his leading-edge research in neuroscience, particularly in the development of diagnostic and therapeutic tools that will help better assess neuroscience illnesses.

July 7, 2009

• Dr. Roderick McInnes appointed to the Order of Canada

  On July 1st, Dr. Roderick McInnes, Scientific Director of the Institute of Genetics, was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada by Governor General, Michaelle Jean. Dr. McInnes, who is also a Professor of Pediatrics and of Molecular and Medical Genetics at the University of Toronto as well as a Senior Scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children, received the honour for his contributions as a human geneticist and for his leadership in the fields of eye development and inherited eye disease.

July 2, 2009

• CIHR and five other national health research councils join forces to try and beat chronic noncommunicable diseases

  On June 15, CIHR partnered with five other national health research councils to form the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) initiative. This global health initiative's priorities are to fight chronic noncommunicable diseases (CNCDs) by collectively developing a research base, as well as developing and sharing best practices for fighting cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases. The other members of GACD include Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, the U.K. Medical Research Council, and the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The Indian Council of Medical Research has accepted an invitation to join this global partnership and will do so shortly.

June 29, 2009

• 4th annual Canadian Congress for Research on Mental Health and Addiction in the workplace: earlybird registration

  Remember -  July 3rd, 2009 is the last day for the Early Bird Registration Discounted Rate for this important conference that will take place October 28th-30th, 2009 in Toronto. This is your chance to meet with hundreds of researchers, business leaders, policy-makers, service providers and workers at the leading Canadian forum dedicated to improving the working environment and the mental health of workers. The connections made will transform mental health in the workplace. We can do it! Register online.

June 23, 2009

• Dr. Jean Rouleau and Dr. Brett Finlay re-appointed to CIHR Governing Council

  The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, today announced the re-appointments of Dr. Jean Rouleau and Dr. Brett Finlay to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Governing Council for their second three-year terms. The biographies for the members of the CIHR Governing Council can be found on CIHR's website.

• Study will explore the role of lifestyle changes on stroke prevention

  A new CIHR-funded research project, unveiled June 23, will investigate what kinds of stroke prevention strategies are effective in patients who have had mild or non-disabling strokes. The study, led by Dr. Marilyn MacKay-Lyons, a physiotherapist at Dalhousie University, and Dr. Gord Gubitz, a neurologist at Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, will explore the lifestyle changes that are needed to reduce cardiovascular risk factors and aid in preventing future strokes over three years. Approximately 50,000 Canadians have strokes each year.

June 16, 2009

• CIHR becomes charter member in a collaborative global initiative to battle chronic diseases

  Six of the world's leading health research agencies, including CIHR, have come together to launch The Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (Alliance) to collaborate in the critical battle against chronic, non-communicable diseases. The Alliance, which was launched on June 15, has proposed a number of research priorities, many of which will focus on the needs of low and middle income countries as well on the needs of low income populations of more developed countries. The Alliance will hold its inaugural scientific meetings this November.

• Are environmental contaminants endangering the fertility of future generations?

  We know that the environment can have long-term effects on our health, but what about the health of those who aren't born yet? A recent study looking at the birth weights of more than 5 million children born in Canada between 1981 and 2003 showed an increase in the frequency of genital malformations in male newborns and a decrease in male fertility. Researchers concluded that the growing presence of environmental contaminants could be a plausible source of blame. What are the effects of these contaminants on the health of mothers and fetuses, and what are the implications for future generations?

June 12, 2009

• A promising language assessment tool for children with autism

  Dr. Daniela O'Neill, CIHR-funded researcher at the University of Waterloo, has developed a language assessment measure that may be especially helpful in assessing spoken language in children with autism. The Language Use Inventory (LUI), a standardized questionnaire that asks parents about their child's use of language in various kinds of settings, was recently included among a set of recommended benchmark measures for evaluating the efficacy of interventions that target spoken language acquisition in children with autism in a report by a panel of autism experts convened by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).

June 11, 2009

• Teens in Toronto are not getting the sexual healthcare they want or need

  A new study shows that teens in Toronto are engaging in risky sexual behaviour and that eighty-three percent have never received sexual healthcare from a doctor or a clinic. The report, lead by CIHR-funded researcher Dr. Sarah Flicker at York University, found that certain groups of teens are most at risk for contracting sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS. The team also found that some of these at-risk teens had little to no exposure to sexual health education. The results also concluded that teens are not getting what they really want in terms sexual education - that being information on sexual pleasure and relationships. Dr. Sarah Flicker was awarded the CIHR Synapse Youth Mentorship Award in 2008.

June 10, 2009

• Call for Nominations: Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics

  The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) are pleased to announce a public call for nominations for membership on the Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics. 
  Deadline: September 18, 2009

• Anti-viral drug offers new hope of treatment to cancer patients

  A CIHR-funded study, led by Dr. Katherine Borden, at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Université de Montréal, has shown that the commonly used anti-viral drug, ribavirin, is effective in treatment of 30% of cancers. Recently published in the journal Blood, the study found that after administering ribavirin to patients with acute myeloid leukemia, there were striking clinical improvements with even partial and complete remissions. The findings offer new hope of treatment for patients with the gene eIF4E, currently found in 30% of cancers including breast, prostate, head and neck, colon and stomach cancer.

• CIHR-funded study finds that "junk" is responsible for tumour growth

  Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto have recently uncovered the cause of what promotes some tumours to grow. The CIHR-funded study found a gene that plays a crucial role in the development of the most common childhood soft tissue cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). The gene - called integrin-linked kinase (ILK) - is potentially both a suppressor and a promoter of tumours; dependent upon the amount of protein "JNK1" (pronounced "Junk-1") that is present in the cell. Researchers hope that by identifying and understanding this interaction, future treatment options for RMS as well as other cancers will be developed. There are about 135 new cases of RMS in Canada every year.

• Study finds delayed surgery as effective as immediate surgery in mild heart attack victims

  A CIHR-funded study, led by Dr. Shamir Mehta of McMaster University, has found that performing delayed surgery to a victim of a mild heart attack is as effective as performing immediate surgery. The study, recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine, discovered that patients who suffer mild heart failure and undergo an angioplasty or bypass surgery after more than a day are just as likely to a healthy recovery as people who receive surgery within 24 hours. These findings have offered critical insight into the necessary time a patient can wait to undergo surgery, especially for individuals in rural areas who often experience delays in receiving medical attention.

June 4, 2009

• McGill researchers show how to improve proteomics research

  Proteins play a crucial role in many human diseases. To identify proteins that may cause a disease, researchers in the field of proteomics analyze samples containing hundreds of proteins. This is an incredibly complex task and accuracy is essential. A study conducted by researchers at McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre in collaboration with the Human Proteome Organisation has revealed common problems in using mass spectrometry for protein analysis and identified the need for improved databases and search engines. Their findings, published in Nature Methods, may lead to the development of new technologies and standards for proteomics research.

May 28, 2009

• Who will 'Bee' the best brain in Canada?

  CIHR is proud to sponsor the second annual CIHR Canadian National Brain Bee that will take place at McMaster University on Friday May 29 and Saturday May 30, 2009. Twelve high school students from across the country will be quizzed about their knowledge on various neuroscience topics such as memory, sleep, brain disease, aging, and perception. The first-prize winner will advance to represent Canada at the International Brain Bee on Saturday August 8, 2009 in Toronto.

May 20, 2009

• Research award granted to establish Canadian e-health observatory

  CIHR's Institute of Health Services and Policy Research and Canada Health Infoway announced today Dr. Francis Lau, University of Victoria, as recipient of the Applied Health Services and Policy Chair award in e-Health. Over the next five years, the $925,000 award will enable Dr. Lau to focus his research, training and knowledge translation initiatives on the development of an e-Health observatory to monitor the effects of health information system deployment in Canada.

• New pathway of retinal nerve cell death key for treating neurological diseases
  
  Researchers at the Université de Montréal and the Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University discovered that the death of nerve cells in the eye is triggered by glutamate, which activates signalling pathways in glial cells, the most abundant cell type in the nervous system. The results from this CIHR-funded study provide a better understanding of the cellular and molecular events that causes neuronal cell death, and suggest clear targets for new therapeutic intervention against various neurodegenerative disorders. The findings were published on April 29, 2009 in The Journal of Neuroscience. 

May 19, 2009

• CIHR President receives award from BIOQuebec

  On May 14, CIHR President Dr. Alain Beaudet received one of six awards from BIOQuebec, a biotechnology and life science industry association, at their 2009 Genesis Awards Gala. The award, specifically entitled BRIO, recognizes the efforts of entrepreneurship, innovation and technology transfer of companies, and honours individuals who have played a key role in the growth of Québec's life sciences industry.

May 15, 2009

• Epigenetics pioneer Moshe Szyf garners GlaxoSmithKline-CIHR Professorship in Pharmacology

  The prognosis is promising for epigenetics and the role it plays in the treatment of cancer and other diseases, with the appointment of Professor Moshe Szyf to the inaugural GlaxoSmithKline-CIHR Professorship in Pharmacology at McGill University.

• CBCRA Announces New Focus on Strategic Priorities in Research

  The Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance (CBCRA) announced today a new direction in grant support for breast cancer research, giving more emphasis to programs focused on specific research priorities. "CIHR fully supports this new direction being taken by CBCRA," says Dr. Morag Park, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Cancer Research. "By focusing on strategic priorities, which have been determined through extensive consultation, CBCRA will increase the impact of its investments in research. At the same time, CIHR appreciates the value and importance of investigator-initiated research. We will continue to support this kind of research through the existing CBCRA-CIHR breast cancer research grants program. "Through this program, CIHR invested $5.5 million in breast cancer research last year, representing almost a third of its total investment in breast cancer research for the year.

• Philippe Gros Wins 2009 Killam Prize

  Dr. Philippe Gros, former member of CIHR's Governing Council, has been awarded the 2009 Killam Prize in the field of health sciences for his research, on a genetic level, of multidrug resistance, infectious diseases (including tuberculosis and malaria), and developmental disorders (spina bifida). The five Killam Prizes, valued at $100,000 each, were created to honour eminent Canadian scholars and scientists actively engaged in research, whether in industry, government agencies or universities.

May 8, 2009

• Dr. Chaim Bell Awarded 2008 Applied Health Services and Policy Chair

  Dr. Chaim Bell, a researcher at St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, is the recipient of the 2008 Applied Health Services and Policy Chair. The award - jointly funded by The Canadian Patient Safety Institute and the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research - will enable Dr. Bell to pursue his research, training and knowledge translation initiatives on improving the safe delivery of care in community-based settings.

• Regulation of an Enzyme for Effective Antibody Immune Response

  CIHR-funded researchers discovered new mechanisms regulating an enzyme that is essential for the antibody immune response. Dr. Javier Marcelo Di Noia and his team at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), in collaboration with researchers from Norway and Uruguay, studied closely the activation-induced deaminase (AID) enzyme which has to be regulated to balance an effective antibody immune response and the associated risk of cancer. This study was published in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology on May 3.

• Research Program Improving Addictions Services for Women and Their Children
  
  CIHR is funding Connections, a new program that aims to share the findings of researchers with those who work directly with women dealing with substance use issues. This innovative program is the first of its kind that uses health research in its efforts to improve addiction services for women and their children. Connections is led by researchers at McMaster University and McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario.

May 1, 2009

• Minister of State Gary Goodyear announces the first recipients of Canada's highly prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

  On April 30, 2009, The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology, announced the first recipients of the new Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships. Scholarships were awarded to 166 of the world's leading doctoral students in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and the health sciences. "The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program is a significant investment in world-class research and innovation and a huge boost to our universities' ability to attract the best talent in the world," says Dr. Alain Beaudet, President of CIHR. "We are particularly excited about the strong cadre of young, emerging health researchers who will receive scholarships this year." The program is administered by Canada's three federal research funding agencies - CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC. Fifty-six of the 166 scholarships awarded were funded through CIHR.

April 30, 2009

• Five Canadian Medical Heroes Acknowledged

  The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame celebrated the most outstanding Canadian medical heroes on April 29 in Montreal, Quebec. The 2009 Induction Ceremony aimed to pay tribute to five Canadian men and women who have forever changed the world's health care landscape. This annual event also highlighted the importance of inspiring youth to pursue careers in medicine and the health sciences, fostering future generations of excellence.

• CIHR and CFI award $12 million to the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute for Knowledge Translation
  
  The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI), an affiliated institute of the University of Ottawa, has been awarded $12.2 million to lead a groundbreaking national research network called Knowledge Translation Canada (KT Canada). The funding for KT Canada includes $9.8 million for research projects from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and $2.4 million for infrastructure from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

April 29, 2009

• Government of Canada invites 17 Canadian universities to compete for prestigious Canada Excellence Research Chair

  The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, announced the results of the first phase of the inaugural competition for the Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) program on April 23, 2009 at the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa. Seventeen Canadian universities have been invited to nominate world class researchers for the second phase of the competition. The goal of the CERC program is to support the development of innovative ideas and cutting-edge research discoveries in Canada. CIHR President Dr. Alain Beaudet participated in the announcement as a member of the CERC steering committee. The results are posted online.

April 20, 2009

• Research Chair aims to improve care for osteoporosis
  
  CIHR has teamed up with McMaster University and Eli Lilly Canada to fund a $2 million endowed chair for Dr. Alexandra Papaioannou. Dr. Papaioannou is investigating strategies for osteoporosis care, and in particular, for fall and fracture prevention.

April 9, 2009

• Salim Yusuf listed as highly published and cited researcher by Thomson Reuters

  Through its newsletter Science Watch, which tracks trends and performance in basic research, Thomson Reuters lists CIHR-funded Dr. Salim Yusuf as a highly published and cited researcher in 2008. Based at McMaster University, Dr. Yusuf, whose work involves therapy in cardiovascular medicine and epidemiology, had 9 papers published last year and was also cited 84 times.

April 6, 2009

• Research Offers Hope for Learning Disabilities Treatment

  Dr. Roderick McInnes, scientific director of the CIHR Institute of Genetics and a senior scientist at the Research Institute of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), and Dr. Michael Salter, head of the Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health at SickKids, have connected a crucial brain protein with the power to learn in mice. Their research team found that when this single protein, named Neto 1, is missing, it results in learning impairments. They have also found that a medication, now being tested in Alzheimer's patients, corrected the learning defect in these animals. Their findings, published in the online journal PLoS Biology, are important because they establish the principle that it is possible to correct a learning defect with a drug. It is still early days in this research, but these findings raise the hope that similar approaches might someday be used to help humans with learning disabilities.

April 1, 2009

• Men's and Women's Mental Health Chair Scientific Day (french only)
  
  Recently, researchers, students and speakers took part in the first Men's and Women's Mental Health Chair Scientific Day from CIHR's Institute of Gender and Health. Dr. Joy Johnson, Director of the Institute and the opening speaker of the event, spoke about the importance of understanding the influence of gender on mental illness and on particular types of health care. This new chair will allow its holder, Dr. Sonia Lupien, to include biological and social differences of gender in research on mental health, which were previously conducted on primarily masculine subjects. The event was held on Friday March 27 at Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital in Montreal.

March 26, 2009

• Canadians lead worldwide trial to test faster tuberculosis therapy
  
  Dr. Dick Menzies of the McGill University Health Centre has received $5 million over seven years from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for an international clinical study on latent tuberculosis (TB). Dr. Menzies and his team will conduct further research into experimental treatment using a drug called rifampin that lasts only four months with few side effects. The current treatment for TB lasts nine months and causes many side effects. Nearly 6,000 people with latent TB will be enrolled in five cities across Canada as well as in the West African countries of Benin and Guinee, in Brazil, South Korea, Australia and Saudi Arabia. The participants will be followed for 28 months. Dr. Menzies hopes his research will offer a safer, faster and more effective treatment for those infected by latent TB.

March 23, 2009

• Canadian researcher wins prestigious international dental research award
  

  Dr. Christopher McCulloch, a CIHR-funded researcher at the University of Toronto, has won the 2009 Distinguished Scientist Award for Research in Oral Biology from the International Association for Dental Research (IADR). The award, one of IADR's highest honours, recognizes outstanding research in the field of oral biology. "I congratulate Dr. McCulloch on receiving this prestigious honour," says Dr. Jane E. Aubin, Scientific Director of CIHR's Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis and a past recipient of an IADR distinguished scientist award. "He is a leader in oral health research in Canada and it is wonderful to see him receive this international recognition." CIHR-IMHA supports strategic research in oral health, skin, arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions.

March 20, 2009

• Testing for fetal alcohol syndrome goes mobile

  CIHR-funded researcher Dr. James Reynolds and other Queen's University scientists have dramatically expanded the use of eye-movement tests that help identify and assess children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). To do this, they established a mobile laboratory that allows them to visit nine different Ontario and Alberta locations and test more than 200 children. Using the eye movements to assess brain function makes it easier to measure differences in brain activity in children with developmental disorders such as FASD. These tests also allow FASD detection at an early age and consequently help target interventions to improve the health of children who suffer from this disorder.

March 18, 2009

• Researchers discover unexpected mechanism in brain stress response

  Results from a new CIHR-funded study have uncovered an unexpected mechanism that helps determine how the brain responds to stress. Dr. Jaideep Bains from the University of Calgary and researchers from the Hotchkiss Brain Institute have discovered that neurons in the brain may mistakenly interpret chemical signals during periods of stress, causing the brain to speed up its reactions. This causes the brain to speed up rather than slow down and could lead to harmful, emotional outcomes. The findings, published in the March 1^st online edition of Nature Neuroscience, may lead to a better understanding of how people can manage their stress responses.

March 16, 2009

• CIHR-funded researchers produce new insights into the role of hypoxia in cancer

  Tumour cells are characterized by chronic hypoxia or low oxygen. Hypoxia promotes tumor growth by stimulating new blood vessel formation, glycolysis, resistance to apoptosis and cell invasion. It is also associated with disease progression, resistance to cancer therapies, and poor prognosis. Researchers, led by Dr. Michael Ohh at the University of Toronto, have produced new insights into understanding the molecular consequence of tumour cells to hypoxia, identifying a new mechanism promoting tumour growth and survival. These findings are reported in the journal Nature Medicine. "With this work, Dr. Ohh and his team have significantly advanced our understanding of cancer biology," says Dr. Morag Park, one of the coauthors and Scientific Director of CIHR's Institute of Cancer Research. "This research will help in the design of more effective cancer therapies and treatment strategies."

• Dr. Weiss talks about the value of funding support from both CIHR and private sector

  On TVO's The Agenda with Steve Paikin, Dr. Sam Weiss, Director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the University of Calgary and 2008 Gairdner Award winner, spoke about the importance of federal and private funding for basic science. In Dr. Weiss's opinion, he's thankful that CIHR and some private organizations fund basic science or research because it leads to discovery (through research, for example, he found out that adult stem cells exist in the human brain). Discovery can lead to applied science, where new treatments are developed for various diseases.

March 2, 2009

• Research Chair aims to improve the lives of organ transplant recipients
  
  CIHR, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario today announced a new Clinical Research Chair in Transplantation to find ways to improve the outcomes of organ transplants for patients. (photo)

February 4, 2009

• Nanotechnology pills: a revolution in the administration of medication
  
  Researchers at McGill University, with funding from CIHR, are launching a new technology for the biomedical sector: carbon nanotubes. The new "nanotechnology pill" could potentially be used to deliver therapeutic substances to targeted locations in the human body. This capsule would protect such substances as they travelled through the body so that they could reach their targets undamaged. This new discovery, published in the January 14, 2009 edition of Nanotechnology Journal, could lead to major innovations in the biomedical sector.

January 30, 2009

• New research chair on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (French only)

  Lung specialist and professor François Maltais was named as holder of the new GSK-CIHR Research Chair in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) today at Laval University. The Chair aims to improve the quality of care offered to people suffering from chronic bronchitis or emphysema, and consequently to improve their quality of life. (photo)

January 20, 2009

• High Rates of Street-Involved and Marginalized Aboriginal Youth in BC

  New CIHR study shows that over half the marginalized and street-involved youth in BC came from Aboriginal communities in 2006. The challenges Aboriginal youth face highlighted the need for better health services for vulnerable communities. CIHR and PHAC Public Health Chair, Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc was the Principal Investigator for this study.

January 15, 2009

• We Can Do It: Evidence and Interventions for Transforming Mental Health in the Workplace

  4th Annual Canadian Congress for Research on Mental Health and Addiction in the Workplace.

January 14, 2009

• Government of Canada Works to Improve Knowledge About the Safety and Effectiveness of Drugs

  The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, today announced that the Government of Canada is continuing to support the Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network (DSEN). Health Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) are developing the Network, together with stakeholders. (photo)

January 8, 2009

• Sleep Disorders Predict Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Other Degenerative Diseases

  According to a CIHR-funded study, slightly over 52% of patients with REM sleep behaviour disorders develop a neurodegenerative disease within 12 years following their initial diagnosis. Drs. Ronald Postuma from the Research Institute of the MUHC and Jacques Montplaisir from the Université de Montréal and the Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal were the principal investigators of this study. The results were published in Neurology, the official publication of the American Academy of Neurology, on December 24, 2008.