April 20, 2006 Source: :
http://communications.uwo.ca/media_newsroom/story.html?listing_id=21215 London Scientists to Share $12.7 Million for Medical Research London, ON. - Health research in London got a $12.7 million boost today from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Scientists at The University of Western Ontario, and affiliated research institutes, the Lawson Health Research Institute and Robarts Research Institute, share in this funding announcement. The CIHR is investing in 34 projects covering a wide range of health issues including fetal growth, mental illness, spinal cord injury and the equity of waiting times to see a specialist in southwestern Ontario. Highlights: Dr. Frank Prato (Lawson Health Research Institute) will receive $930,000 over five years to study how magnetic fields interact with living systems to produce biological effects in humans, and to determine how specific pulsed magnetic fields can be used to treat patients suffering from disorders where pain, anxiety, and human movement are affected. Dr. Stephen Ferguson (Director of the Cell Biology Research Group at Robarts) has been awarded $743,000 over five years to further his research on a family of receptors in the nervous system that are targets for drug development in a range of diseases, such as
Parkinson's and Huntington's, and also in pain, schizophrenia, and anxiety. Dr. Harvey Goldberg and Dr. Graeme Hunter (Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western) are generating novel peptides to stimulate bone repair and regeneration, which could help in complex fractures, bone grafts, and spinal fusions, as well as speed up the healing of orthopaedic and dental implants. This $150,000 grant under the proof of principle program, will allow the scientists to take the next step toward developing a new therapeutic product."London is known as a research community. Our success is built upon the strengths and excellence of individual researchers working within supportive groups, across our diverse sites, on the university campus and within the research institutes and hospitals. Our vision as a research-intensive School of Medicine & Dentistry couldn't be realized without the financial support provided by the CIHR," says Dr. Carol Herbert, Dean of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western. "The bar is set extremely high in the national competition for CIHR funding, which is the gold standard in medical research," notes Robarts President & Scientific Director Dr. Mark Poznansky. "The success of London researchers in this latest round of competition speaks not only to the strength of our scientists' expertise but also the innovation of their ideas and their ability to deliver results. The answers they find to fundamental questions about the causes, treatment and prevention of disease can have a profound impact on health care for all Canadians." "CIHR's support of our many local researchers is critical to London's ability to remain a hub of research excellence," says Dr. David Hill, Scientific Director at Lawson Health Research Institute. "We look forward to continued funding success and I am proud of our scientists' commitment to health research. It is the work they do each day in the lab that will ensure the health of Canadians today, and the health of future Canadians tomorrow." A complete list of London scientists receiving funds from CIHR is attached. - 30 - For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact: Kathy Wallis
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
The University of Western Ontario
(519) 661-2111, ext. 81136 Julia Capaldi
Lawson Health Research Institute
(519) 646-6100 ext. 61098 Linda Quattrin
Robarts Research Institute
(519) 663-3021
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