The Government of Canada has announced the latest round of funding for the Canada Research Chair (CRC) program. Over $153 million will support 179 new and renewed CRCs.
Congratulations to the following UHN researchers who have received new or renewed funding from the CRC program:
● Dr. Jaideep Bains, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Stress Neurobiology and Plasticity (new). Dr. Bains is a Senior Scientist and Director at the Krembil Research Institute and a Professor of Physiology at the University of Toronto (U of T). Dr. Bains’ research focuses on determining how the brain responds to and is modified by stress to develop strategies to mitigate its lasting negative effects.
● Dr. Mohammad Mazhab-Jafari, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Structural Proteomics (new). Dr. Mazhab-Jafari is a Senior Scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM) and an Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Biophysics at U of T. Funding from this chair will support research on structural determinants of protein function in complexes involved in fatty acid synthesis—a process often dysregulated in cancer.
● Dr. Hance Clarke, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Chronic Pain, Mental Health and Substance Use (new). Dr. Clarke is a Clinician Investigator at the Krembil Research Institute and an Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at U of T. Dr. Clarke’s research focuses on identifying novel acute pain treatments following major surgery, identifying the factors involved in the transition of acute postsurgical pain to chronic pain, and identifying risk factors associated with persistent opioid use and poor health-related quality of life after major surgery. His research also focuses on the appropriate use of cannabis for health-related conditions.
● Dr. Azadeh Yadollahi, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Cardiorespiratory Engineering (renewal). Dr. Yadollahi is a Senior Scientist at the KITE Research Institute, Director of the Fabric-Based Research (FIBRE) platform at KITE, and an Associate Professor at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at U of T. Funding from this chair will support the development of smart textiles to monitor older adults with chronic cardiorespiratory conditions.
● Dr. Kamil Uludag, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (new). Dr. Uludag is a Senior Scientist at the Krembil Research Institute and Sunnybrook Research Institute and a Professor in the Department of Medical Biophysics at U of T. Funding from this chair will support his research on ultra-high field 7T Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), focusing on the development of novel imaging techniques, advancing fundamental neuroscience, and establishing biomarkers for clinical applications.
● Dr. Benjamin Haibe-Kains, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Computational Pharmacogenomics (renewal). Dr. Haibe-Kains is a Senior Scientist at PM and a Professor in the Department of Medical Biophysics at U of T. His research aims to streamline various aspects of clinical trials through the use of machine learning and AI approaches. His team will develop new computational models to identify predictors of drug response and drug resistance in the treatment of tumours.
● Dr. Naoto Hirano, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Immunology to Immunotherapy (new). Dr. Hirano is a Senior Scientist at PM and a Professor in the Department of Immunology at U of T. This funding will support his research on T-cell receptor-based immunotherapies, which aim to extend the reach of this therapy across diverse genetic backgrounds by overcoming genetic restrictions.
The CRC program is a national initiative designed to make Canada a global leader in research. Through this program, the federal government has invested approximately $311 million annually to support world-class researchers across disciplines, enhancing academic excellence, competitiveness, and the training of future skilled professionals.
See here for a full list of results and here for the press release.