Health sciences projects awarded funding in Quebec

Montreal, QC – Two research projects will be funded as part of the third competition of the Pfizer-FRQS Innovation Fund. The projects aim to establish a new therapeutic strategy for HIV and develop a molecular test to predict skin cancer outcomes. The projects mobilize multidisciplinary teams of researchers in Québec institutions. Created in March 2008, the Pfizer-FRQS Innovation Fund aims to support human health research projects in the province.

The projects will receive funding over three years in the amounts of $597,880 and $570,139, respectively.

The research project entitled “Impact des inhibiteurs intracellulaires du DCIR dans la pathogenèse de l’infection au VIH-1 [Effects of intracellular inhibitors of DCIR in the pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection]” is led by Caroline Gilbert, PhD, professor in the Department of Microbiology-Infectiology and Immunology at Université Laval and researcher at the Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec.

Dr Denis Sasseville, dermatologist and researcher at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, will lead the project entitled “Développement d’un nouveau test moléculaire basé sur la technologie d’analyse de l’ADN par annelage, sélection, extension et épissage (DASL) pour la prédiction de l’issue de la maladie chez les patients porteurs de lymphomes cutanés à cellules T [Development of a new molecular test based on DNA annealing, selection and ligation technology to predict illness outcomes in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma].”

“These two major projects are excellent examples of research with high technology transfer and marketing potential. Through our very successful partnership with Pfizer, seven important projects have been funded as part of three Pfizer-FRQS Innovation Fund competitions,” said Rémi Quirion, Québec’s chief scientist and chairman of the board of directors of the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé.

The fourth and last Pfizer-FRQS Innovation Fund competition is currently underway, and the results will be announced in April 2012.