The University of Alberta is receiving nearly $1.5 million in federal government funding for a variety of projects, including those focused on treating people who have suffered a stroke.
The funding will be split among 11 projects at the university. (Scroll down to see a full list)
“I want to express my sincere, heartfelt appreciation for your hard and important work that will improve the lives of Canadians and inspire young scientists,” Infrastructure and Communities Minister Amarjeet Sohi said to U of A researchers on Wednesday.
READ MORE: University of Alberta receives $24M grant for research equipment
Dr. Glen Jickling’s research on genomics and genetics of stroke and neurological disease is receiving $160,000 in funding.
“It’s an investment in equipment to support our research programs and this equipment is essential to developing our research programs and maintaining an outstanding level of excellence in research in Canada,” Jickling said.
“It’s tremendously insightful in the government to invest in this. I think the economic returns in basic research projects are huge.”
READ MORE: U of A professors research link between proteins and Alzheimer’s
The funding comes from the Canada Foundations for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund which is providing $42 million for research equipment to support new research infrastructure projects at 37 universities.
“The John R. Evans Leaders Fund helps put those tools in the hands of researchers so they can ask bold questions, make significant discoveries and train a new generation of students,” Sohi said.
Sohi said the University of Calgary is receiving $810,000 from the fund for five projects.
READ MORE: Federal funds coming to natural sciences and engineering university students
According to the Ontario Stroke Network, there are 50,000 Canadians each year who have a stroke and 14,000 who die from it annually.
Strokes cost the Canadian economy more than $3.6 billion a year in physician services, hospital costs, lost wages and decrease in productivity, according to the organization.
The majority of the funds are going to projects within the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, but money was also put towards science, pharmacy, engineering and the Alberta Diabetes Institute at the university.
The 11 projects receiving funding are:
- The Vitamin A Laboratory (VitAL) Research Program ($114,137)
- Radiosensitization of Solid Tumors by Small Molecule Inhibitors Targeting the DNA Damage Response ($190,000)
- Excellence in Periodontology ($120,000)
- A zebrafish facility for the study of eye disease ($159,912)
- Uncovering the hidden active conformations of proteins ($120,001)
- Genomics and Genetics of Stroke and Neurological Disease ($160,000)
- Four steps to new organic semi-conductors: Design, synthesis, characterization, and implementation ($120,000)
- Exercise-Induced Tissue-Secreted Factors that Promote Mitochondrial Health & Reduce Obesity-Related Cardiometabolic Risk ($142,369)
- Neural regulation of metabolism: an in vivo laboratory ($201,280)
- Integrated Power Converter Modules for Renewable Distributed Nano-grids ($74,996)
- Reconfigurable Modular Multilevel Converter System for Hybrid AC-DC Power Systems Research ($75,000)
Editor’s Note: This story initially indicated all of the funds would go towards stroke research, but was later updated with a full list of the projects receiving funding.
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