November 30, 2005 Source: University of Manitoba:
http://myuminfo.umanitoba.ca/index.asp?sec=209&too=100&dat=12/2/2005&sta=3&wee=1&eve=8&npa=9609 GRAND CHALLENGES HIV/AIDS RESEARCH TEAM HONOURED AT RECOGNITION EVENT This afternoon, the University of Manitoba will publicly recognize the HIV/AIDS research team that received a Grand Challenges in Global Health award earlier this year. The recognition is part of the Global Impact: Manitoba’s Contribution to Infectious Disease symposium, a one-day event at the Winnipeg Convention Centre. Sponsored by the St. Boniface Hospital and Research Foundation and the St. Boniface General Hospital Research Centre, the event will highlight Manitoba’s global contribution to infectious diseases research. The Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative was launched in 2003 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, to harness the power of science and technology to dramatically improve health in the world’s poorest countries. The initiative is supported by US $450 million from the Gates Foundation, US $27.1 million from the Wellcome Trust, and US $4.5 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Based on suggestions from more than 1,000 scientists, a total of 14 Grand Challenges were identified and published in the October 2003 edition of the journal, Science. More than 1,500 project ideas were submitted from research teams around the world. In June 2005, 43 projects, involving collaborators in 33 countries, were selected for funding. Three Canadian projects were chosen, including one based at the University of Manitoba, which received a Grand Challenges in Global Health grant of US $8.3 million, or approximately CAN $10.2 million. The project leader is Distinguished Professor Frank Plummer, Canada Research Chair in Resistance and Susceptibility to Infections, and Scientific Director General of the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. The team is expanding on previous work that identified groups of commercial sex workers in Kenya who do not become infected with HIV despite repeated exposure to the virus. Researchers are examining the immune systems and genetics of these women to identify the basis for resistance, and the project will provide vital new information for HIV vaccine and drug development. In addition to Plummer, the University of Manitoba team includes senior investigators Keith Fowke, Blake Ball and Ma Luo from the department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, along with more than 20 research fellows, students, technicians and support staff. The project also includes senior investigators based at the University of Nairobi, the University of Toronto, McMaster University, the National Microbiology Laboratory, and the Université de Montréal. Recognition of Grand Challenges research team, November 30, 2005 Time: 1:00 pm, Location: Winnipeg Convention Centre Dr. Frank Plummer and the entire University of Manitoba team will assemble for a group photo opportunity. For more information, please contact: Frank Nolan Research Promotion University of Manitoba 204-474-7300 For more information, contact:
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