Advancing breakthrough research and innovation

News & Announcements | 31 Aug 2023

Queen’s Health Sciences (QHS) researchers have been awarded over $3.4M through Canada’s Tri-Agencies and the Canada Foundation for Innovation to advance breakthrough research and innovation in Canada.

QHS’s funding was part of $23.9M awarded to Queen’s University researchers.

The QHS recipients includes research projects focused on public safety, personal wellness, the pandemic’s impact on birth experiences, neuro-immunity and cancer, and developing therapies for patients with brain tumours.

Heather Aldersey (Rehabilitation Therapy) received $1.6M from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada to further her research work in equity and inclusion for people with disabilities.

30 Queen’s researchers received more than $3M in support from the SSHRC’s Insight Grants and Insight Development Grants, including the following QHS researchers:

Danielle Macdonald (Nursing): Birth During COVID-19 – Understanding How a Pandemic Influences Experiences of Birth – $62,715
Megan Edgelow (Rehabilitation Therapy): Public Safety Personnel Mental Wellness: The Impact of Organizational Factors – $73,600

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council’s (NSERC) Discovery and Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) grant programs funded 43 Queen’s researchers, including the following from QHS:

Discovery:

Faith Brennan (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences): Microglia-Astrocyte Cross-Talk in the Central Nervous System – $177,500
Sarah Dick (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences): Investigating the Mechanisms of Cardiac Macrophage Self-Renewal – $212,500
Katrina Gee (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences): Deciphering the Molecular Mechanisms of IL-27-Mediated Innate Anti-Viral Immune Responses – $225,000
Neil Magoski (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences): Plasticity of Electrical Transmission Regulates Synchronous Activity in Neurons that Control Reproduction – $260,000
Wei Tu (Public Health): Statistical Learning and Inference for Sparse and Heterogeneous Functional and Longitudinal Data – $147,500

RTI:

John Allingham (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences): Protein Structure Determination Facility Upgrade – $85,434
Chantelle Capicciotti (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences): A Benchtop SPR Instrument for High-Throughput Interrogation of Protein-Ligand Interactions – $136,528

The John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) helps Canadian universities recruit and retain outstanding researchers, acquire the tools that enable their innovative work, and offer them research support in combination with partner organizations. Recipients are recognized as innovative leaders or have demonstrated the potential for excellence in their fields. QHS had three new recipients of JELF funding:

Faith Brennan (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences): Harnessing Macrophage Biology to Control Neuroinflammation – $150,000
Sebastien Talbot (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences): Neuro-immunity in Cancer and Allergy – $250,000
Teresa Purzner (Surgery): Identifying Predictors of Recurrence and Developing Novel Therapies for Patients with Brain Tumours – $100,000

The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages announced Queen’s awardees among $960M in national funding. The funding was announced on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Campagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health. 

"This bundle announcement highlights the strengths and breadth of research at Queen’s and its wide implications for Canadians – from ensuring equal access to persons with disabilities to understanding the mechanisms of rare disease to developing novel water disinfection systems," says Nancy Ross, Vice-Principal (Research). "Our partners in government and the tri-agencies are critical in advancing this research and providing training opportunities for researchers and students at all levels. We thank them for this support and encourage even more investment moving forward."

Advancing breakthrough research and innovation

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