$1M endowment supports airway inflammation research

Edmonton, AB – The University of Alberta and GlaxoSmithKline have established a new research chair focussing on airway inflammation. Made possible by a $1-million endowment from GSK, the GSK Chair in Airway Inflammation will advance the understanding and treatment of airway inflammation.

“We share a long history of collaboration with GSK and are pleased to partner with them on this latest initiative,” said Dr Thomas Marrie, dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the university. “The new GSK Chair in Airway Inflammation will further strengthen a key area of our research and will help us make important strides in the overall understanding of respiratory disease.”

Funding for the chair comes from the GlaxoSmithKline Pathfinders Fund for Leaders in Canadian Health Science Research, an initiative that encourages health science research and innovation in Canadian universities.

“Respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease significantly impact the quality of life for many Canadians, and funding for clinical and basic research in this area is critical,” says Dr John Dillon, vice-president, research and development and chief medical officer with GlaxoSmithKline.

“The new GSK Chair in Airway Inflammation will enable us to continue to explore existing and develop new areas of study on the topic of airway inflammation,” says Dr Redwan Moqbel, director, pulmonary research group at the university. “I anticipate that the knowledge obtained will lead to more focused bench-to-bedside research, and to the development of new, individualized, evidence-based therapeutic strategies and diagnostic tools to treat those patients with asthma and COPD.”

The University of Alberta says it is currently in the early stages of recruitment for the new chair. The specific topic of study will be formalized upon selection of the appropriate candidate.