Quebec (April 20, 2006) - The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for Pontiac, on behalf of the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health, highlighted today along with Dr. Alan Bernstein, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the recipients of an investment of over $81.5 million to fund health research in Quebec.
"Promoting ground breaking health research is a crucial component of our government's plan to build a healthy, prosperous and innovative Canada," said Minister Cannon. "The funding announced today is helping to enhance the health research capabilities of our institutions across Quebec, which will benefit all Canadians. For example, the work being done by Quebec researchers will contribute significantly to strengthening our health care system."
The 224 research projects funded will be conducted at universities and research institutions throughout the province. The studies will be carried out over periods of one to five years and cover a wide spectrum of health research. The Minister highlighted four researchers whose work exemplifies CIHR's comprehensive, problem-based approach to funding health research:
Dr. Charles Morin (Université Laval) will study why we can't sleep - and what we can do about it
Dr. Suzanne King (Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University) will study the effects of prenatal stress on children whose mothers were pregnant during the ice storm of 1998.
Dr. John Abela (McGill University) and Dr. Yola Moride (Université de Montréal) will conduct studies on depression and antidepressant use among Canadian youth.
Dr. Samuel David (Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre) will test a potential new treatment for multiple sclerosis
"The prevention, eradication and treatment of disease and the building of an affordable but effective, innovative and publicly funded health care system all requires research, " said Dr. Bernstein. "CIHR-funded health researchers not only create world-class knowledge that is being put to use right now, across all sectors of society, but their work also contributes to strengthening the research and training environment for young Canadians in all regions of the country."
The funding highlighted today is part of a larger package recently announced by the Minister of Health.
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 close to 10,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada. www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/
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Attachments:Grant Allocations Highlighted Projects Backgrounder
Further information:Eric Waddell, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Tony Clement, (613) 957-0200Huguette Guilhaumon, Director of Communications, Office of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, (613) 991-0820 Marie-France Poirier, CIHR Media Relations, (613) 447-4794
