OTTAWA (March 7, 2006) - Dr. Alan Bernstein, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), along with CIHR's Governing Council, announced today the appointment of Dr. Peter Liu as incoming Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH). This appointment is effective April 3, 2006.
"Dr. Peter Liu is a welcome addition to the CIHR leadership team," said Dr. Bernstein. "His accomplishments as a leader in cardiovascular disease research will build upon the solid foundation created by the Institute over its first phase of development."
Dr. Liu is currently the Director of the Heart & Stroke/Richard Lewar Centre of Excellence in Cardiovascular Research, and Heart & Stroke/Polo Chair Professor of Medicine and Physiology at the University of Toronto. He received a Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Toronto in 1978 and completed his postgraduate training in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at the University of Toronto, and at the Harvard Medical School in Boston. Dr. Liu's recent honours include the John Foerster Research Award (University of Manitoba, 2003), the Research Achievement Award (Canadian Cardiovascular Society, 2003), the Rick Gallop Award for Research Excellence (Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario/Canada, 2003), and the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons Research Lectureship in 2005.
"I am most honoured to join Dr. Bernstein and the talented Scientific Directors at the CIHR. Dr. Bruce McManus, first Scientific Director of ICRH, has built an excellent foundation for the Institute. The discoveries of the cardiorespiratory researchers in Canada have already impacted on the health of Canadians, yet much work remains. Circulatory and respiratory diseases together continue to be the number one killer in our country," said Dr. Liu. "We need to nurture the talents and harness the energy of Canadian researchers in a multidisciplinary collaborative framework, to design and carry out innovative solutions that benefit patients in Canada and worldwide. The opportunity is now, and the future is ours to shape."
Dr. Liu is also the author or coauthor of over 250 peer reviewed publications, including articles in Nature, Nature Medicine, The New England Journal of Medicine, The Journal of Clinical Investigation, Circulation, Circulation Research, and 20 book chapters. As a major proponent of knowledge translation, he was also instrumental in creating the Canadian Heart Failure Consensus Practice Guidelines on behalf of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. He also co-chairs the inaugural Global Cardiovascular Proteomic Initiative of the HUPO (Human Proteomic Organization).
His areas of research interest include the inflammatory and immune mechanisms of cardiovascular disease; the role of host response to cardiovascular injury in producing heart failure; and the translation of heart failure investigation from the bench to the bedside through clinical trials and health service research. He is a strong mentor and leads the TACTICS program (Tailored Advanced Training in Cardiovascular Science) which provides an interdisciplinary environment to study the pathogenesis of multi-factorial complex chronic disease.
"I would also like to thank Dr. Bruce McManus for his extraordinary leadership and vision in establishing ICRH," added Dr. Bernstein. "Over the past five years, Dr. McManus has played an integral role in many developmental, programmatic and educational initiatives. The circulatory and respiratory health research communities are moving ahead with a cohesive synergy, thanks to his and the Institute's work."
"It has been among the greatest privileges in my professional life to serve the circulatory and respiratory health research communities across Canada. I can only thank Alan Bernstein, my wonderfully capable ICRH staff and all the folks throughout CIHR, my fellow Scientific Directors, and our many partners. We are on a challenging and essential voyage toward better health for Canadians, and I am delighted that the direction of the next stage will be under the able guidance of Dr. Peter Liu. Peter will provide our large research community the kind of energizing and dynamic leadership that is required for impact. I look forward to working closely with Peter over the coming months to assure that the ICRH programs and activities are steadily delivered while the Institute office moves eastward."
CIHR is comprised of 13 Institutes, each led by a Scientific Director, responsible for championing health research at the highest levels of international excellence, establishing and nurturing partnerships, as well as fostering effective communication and knowledge dissemination.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to catalyze its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to close to 10,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.
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Attachment:
ICRH Backgrounder
For further information:
Marie-France PoirierCIHR Media RelationsTel.: (613) 941-4563mediarelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Alexandra RadkewyczPublic Affairs, Toronto General HospitalUniversity Health NetworkTel.: (416) 340-3895 or (416) 340-4636alexandra.radkewycz@uhn.on.ca
