$12M for research in pediatric intestinal and liver disorders

Vancouver, BC – A $12-million grant from British Columbia’s provincial government will support the groundbreaking work of the Children with Intestinal and Liver Disorders (CH.I.L.D.) Foundation to find a cure for children with intestinal and liver disorders such as Crohn’s disease.

The CH.I.L.D. Foundation says it plans to use the grant for two initiatives that aim to dissolve provincial boundaries and bring together all of Canada’s research community.

The first is The CH.I.L.D. National I.B.D. Research Collaborative, which will connect healthcare professionals, researchers, hospitals, funding agencies and families from across the country with a focus on finding a cure for Crohn’s disease. By leveraging the minds and the resources across the country, they hope to shorten the length of time it takes to reach success in research, but also to make the most efficient use of the technology and the outstanding brainpower of the nation.

The second is The CH.I.L.D. National I.B.D. Research Network, which will allow researchers in different geographic locations to work together in teams. It will be the first time since SARS that a nation-wide collaborative effort in Canada has been undertaken to target one disease.

“This is an outstanding opportunity for our cause – a real breakthrough in research. It will help us break new ground and establish BC as the leader in Canada in pioneering a new approach for improved management of health issues and medical research,” said Grace McCarthy, chair of the CH.I.L.D. Foundation Board.