The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) announced over $450,000 in funding for advanced research infrastructure at University Health Network. These investments, provided through CFI’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund, will support the following two projects:
• Mitigating Endocrine Metabolic Disease Risk after Spinal Cord Injury, led by KITE Senior Scientist Dr. B Catharine Craven, will identify ways to reduce the risk of fractures, diabetes and heart disease in spinal cord injury (SCI) survivors. The funding will provide her team with advanced exoskeleton technology and imaging equipment. The exoskeleton is an emerging technology that could be used to help SCI survivors by reducing stress on the body during rehabilitation. The imaging equipment, known as a peripheral quantitative computed tomography scanner, will enable Dr. Craven’s team to assess the potential benefits of the exoskeleton, as well as to identify key disease risk factors and prevention strategies for these patients.
• Towards Personalizing Arthritis Medicine, led by Krembil Scientist Dr. Nigil Haroon and Krembil Senior Scientist Dr. Joan Wither, will develop ways to better customize treatments to individual patients with two forms of debilitating arthritis: ankylosing spondylitis and systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs; including lupus, scleroderma and Sjögren’s syndrome). The new equipment includes an advanced cell sorter that can be used to provide detailed information on the variety of immune cells present in patient blood samples. Dr. Haroon will use the equipment to identify new ways to assess whether patients with back pain have ankylosing spondylitis. Dr. Wither will use the equipment to identify individuals who are at risk of developing SARDs as well as to develop new treatments to prevent or slow progress of these autoimmune diseases.
These funds are part of over $39M awarded to 43 universities that will support 186 infrastructure projects across Canada.
Congratulations Drs. Craven, Haroon and Wither!