OTTAWA (October 20, 2008) - Dr. Alain Beaudet, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), along with CIHR's Governing Council, announced today the appointment of Dr. Philip M. Sherman as incoming Scientific Director of CIHR's Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (CIHR-INMD). This appointment is effective January 1, 2009.
"Dr. Sherman is a welcome addition to the CIHR leadership team," said Dr. Beaudet. "His accomplishments in gastrointestinal research and proven leadership make him the ideal candidate to take CIHR-INMD forward, building on its success to date."
Dr. Sherman is currently a Professor of Paediatrics, Microbiology and Dentistry at the Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto; holds a Canada Research Chair in Gastrointestinal Disease at the University of Toronto; and is the Associate Director of the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto. He completed his medical degree (M.D.) at the University of Calgary and is a Fellow of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (FRCPC) in Paediatrics and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP). His areas of research interest include disease-causing gastrointestinal bacteria, and probiotics. He is the recipient of many awards including the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) Visiting Professor Award (2008) and the Institute of Medical Science, Mel Silverman Mentorship Award (2007).
"I am grateful to the CIHR for the opportunity to serve in this position. I am excited about and looking forward to working together with the Institute Advisory Board (IAB) of the CIHR-INMD, investigators in the research community, and with partners in charitable foundations and industry," said Dr. Sherman. "Together, we will advance knowledge in the field, build bridges and enhance cooperative research efforts, and work to improve the overall health and quality-of-life of Canadians."
Dr. Sherman is also the author of some 200 articles in prestigious journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Infection and Immunity, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), the editor of 3 textbooks, and the author of multiple book chapters.
"I would also like to thank Dr. Diane Finegood for her extraordinary leadership and vision in establishing CIHR-INMD," added Dr. Beaudet. "Over the past eight years, she helped bring new energy and dynamism to Canadian research on obesity and healthy body weight. With the support of her IAB and staff, she helped build and enhance vital partnerships with government, health charities and the private sector. She also spearheaded a number of innovative research opportunities and programs such as Canada on the Move and research into policy and program interventions affecting obesity."
"It has been a tremendous privilege to serve CIHR as the inaugural Scientific Director for INMD and I am pleased to be passing on the reins into the very capable hands of Dr. Sherman," said Dr. Finegood. "I know Dr. Sherman will bring a fresh perspective and renewed vitality to address the many health research challenges that are part of this Institute's mandate."
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. CIHR-INMD supports research to enhance health in relation to diet, digestion, excretion, and metabolism; and to address causes, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions and problems associated with hormone, digestive system, kidney, and liver function.
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 enable 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 nearly 12,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.
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For further information:
David Coulombe
CIHR Media Relations
Phone: 613-941-4563
Cell: 613-808-7526
E-mail: mediarelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
