October 3, 2005 Source: University of Calgary:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/oct05/ahfmr-20yr.html AHFMR honours 20 year University of Calgary researchers The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Researcher (AHFMR) is honouring two researchers at the University of Calgary who have received Heritage funding for 20
years. U of C researchers Dr. Jos Eggermont and Dr. Samuel Schurch have both been funded by AHFMR for a total of 20 years through personnel or other research support programs. The researchers will be honoured at a brief formal program today at the Libin Theatre in the Health Sciences Centre. The program will be part of a larger reception to celebrate the Foundation's 25th Anniversary. The work of these researchers in areas including hearing research and breathing studies demonstrates the quality of research and the advances in knowledge that can be made possible through long term support and funding from organizations like AHFMR. "AHFMR has supported biomedical and health research in Alberta for twenty five years and that long-term commitment has brought about tremendous advances," says Dr. Kevin Keough, President and CEO of the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. "Our system supports excellence in an extremely competitive environment. Securing Heritage support is not easy; maintaining that support for 20 years, as these researchers have, is quite an achievement." What:
20 year recognition for researchers:
Dr. Jos Eggermont and Dr. Samuel Schurch
- Remarks from Victor Doerksen, Minister of Innovation & Science
- Keynote Address: Preston Manning: "Research and Politicians - Bridging
the Communications Gap When:
Monday October 03, 2005 Time:
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM Where: University of Calgary Health Sciences Centre - Libin Theatre
3330 Ho spital Dr. NW Please call Dwayne Brunner, AHFMR Communications Coordinator, at
(780) 966-1518 for further information. ----------------------------
BACKGROUNDER
---------------------------- Dr. Jos Eggermont:
Exposure to loud sounds can damage the hair cells in the inner ear. When this happens sound that normally activates the damaged region is less effectively converted into nerve impulses. As a result, an imbalance develops between the auditory nerve activity across different frequency regions. Consequently, the organization of the auditory cortex changes. These changes are thought to form the major reasons for altered perception of speech, for the occurrence of tinnitus and for
hypersensitivity to certain sounds. The mechanisms responsible for these changes are investigated. Dr. Samuel Schurch:
Dr. Samuel Schurch's explores the structure-function relationships of surfactant in the lungs. Surfactant is the film lining the surface of alveoli that wards away water, and prevents the lungs from retaining any liquid. As new knowledge is discovered, new treatments for conditions such as Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) can be developed. As well, Dr. Schurch is working to develop novel techniques to open closed airways in acute asthma reactions. The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) currently provides funding for over 600 researchers and researchers in training at the Province's three main universities. The foundation supports a community of researchers who generate knowledge that improves the health and quality of life of Albertans and people throughout the world. AHFMR's commitment is to fund health research based on international standards of excellence and carried out by new and established investigators and researchers in training. Total AHFMR funding over 25 years is in excess of $800 million. For more information, visit www.ahfmr.ab.ca
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