Synapse awards are presented to mentors for their work in trying to motivate young Canadians to choose health research or science-related field as a career
For immediate release -
2009-14
KINGSTON (May 27, 2009) - The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) proudly recognizes the efforts Dr. Bruce Elliott, and three other science mentors, who are helping to create the next generation of Canadian health researchers and scientists.
Through its Synapse - Youth Connection initiative, Mr. Elliott, from the Cancer Research Institute at Queen's University and the Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario at Kingston General Hospital (CCSEO/KGH), receives the 2009 Synapse Mentorship Award in the category of Individual Researcher . This year, in a tie decision, he shares the award with Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.
CIHR's Synapse initiative, in partnership with national science outreach organizations, acts as a meeting place where health researchers/practitioners can provide young Canadian high school students with hands-on training experience in different scientific fields. More than 5,200 CIHR -funded health researchers have already signed up to become CIHR Synapse mentors - a number that increases on a daily basis.
Dr. Elliott has acted as a mentor in the field of cancer research for over 14 years now. He developed a cancer conference curriculum for grades 7 and 8 in Kingston area junior high schools, and since 2001 has added a five-day cancer course each May for Eastern Ontario students in grades 9-11 through the Queen's University High School Enrichment Studies Programme. Dr. Elliott has developed his programmes in collaboration with many colleagues at the Cancer Research Institute and the CCSEO/KGH. Students in this course interact with graduate students, research fellows and residents for hands-on experience in laboratories as well as clinical settings, to understand the value of careers as researchers and health care givers in the cancer field. This then leads to a final question/discussion time on cancer topics of the high school students' choice. Dr. Elliott also has acted as a mentor/judge in the local Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Science Fair.
The Individual Researcher prize is worth $5,000 and it recognizes the exceptional efforts of a person who acts as a health research mentor for Canada's high school students. The recipient is nominated by someone who understands the nominee's direct scientific contributions to young people, and is ultimately chosen by the members of the CIHR Youth Outreach Advisory Board.
"We value the work of health researchers who take time to reach out to Canadian youth and pass on their knowledge of science," says Dr. Alain Beaudet, President of CIHR . "This mentorship will lead to the creation of another generation of scientific leaders. With these Synapse awards, CIHR is rewarding four mentors for their outstanding efforts to show high school students how science and health research can be beneficial for a person's overall well-being. I commend their achievements."
Recipients in the other categories are: Michael Vesia ( Master's, Doctoral Student and Postdoctoral Fellow ) and the Infectious Disease Research Center (IDRC) of Laval University team ( Research Group ).
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 more than 13,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.
The Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario is a component of the Integrated Cancer Program at the Kingston General Hospital. The program is responsible for out-patient and in-patient cancer care at the hospital, and provides cancer services to patients in Southeastern Ontario. Services provided include cancer treatment, supportive and palliative care, education and research. The Cancer Centre is an outpatient facility that serves patients from all over Southeastern Ontario. Most patients come to the Centre for chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy treatments. The Cancer Centre is a training facility and provides a supportive learning environment for residents (Doctors receiving specialized training in radiation and medical oncology), student Radiation Therapists, Medical Physicists, Social Workers, Dietitians and Nurses. Each year, over 8,500 patients use the services of the Centre, including nearly 2,500 new patients. As a world class facility, the Centre's health care professionals are dedicated to providing the very best care to their patients. Many of the cancer specialists are recognized internationally for their expertise in cancer treatment and research.
Established in 2001, the Queen's Cancer Research Institute (QCRI) was designed to accommodate three major cancer research groups already located at the University and to provide space for new cancer research initiatives. The four-storey Institute is directly connected to previously existing cancer research laboratories in the adjacent Health Sciences building, providing approximately 60,000 sq.ft. of dedicated research space. Research in the Institute extends from population studies of cancer etiology, through tumor biology and clinical trials, to outcomes and health services research. The Institute is committed to fostering transdisciplinary investigation of areas of cancer control that lie at the interface between fundamental, clinical and population research. The three divisions of the Institute are presently populated by approximately 250 faculty, graduate and post-doctoral trainees and support staff. Opportunities for graduate and post-doctoral training are offered in partnership with several departments at the University, including: Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Community Health & Epidemiology, Mathematics & Statistics, Microbiology & Immunology, Oncology, Pathology & Molecular Medicine, Pharmacology & Toxicology and the Queen's School of Policy Studies.
For More Information:
David Coulombe
CIHR Media Specialist
Tel. (Office): 613-941-4563
Tel. (Mobile): 613-808-7526
E-mail: mediarelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Kate Archibald-Cross
Editorial Assistant
Communications and Public Affairs
Queen's University
Tel: 613-533-6000, ext. 79173
E-mail: crossk@queensu.ca
Nancy Dorrance
Senior Communications Officer
News and Media Services
Queen's University
Tel: 613-533-6000, ext. 32869
E-mail: nancy.dorrance@queensu.ca
Paul Michna
Public Affairs Specialist
Kingston General Hospital
Tel. (Office): 613- 549-6666, ext. 6875
Tel. (Cell): 613-328-1701
E-mail: michnap@KGH.KARI. NET
