$1M funding supports new health research chair in diabetes

Fredericton, NB – The Canadian Diabetes Association and the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation are jointly investing $1 million over the next five years for the University of New Brunswick to establish a health research chair in diabetes.

“We’re thrilled that The Canadian Diabetes Association and the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation have decided to invest in University of New Brunswick to establish a health research chair in diabetes,” said David Burns, vice-president of research at University of New Brunswick. “Over the past few years, the University of New Brunswick has established quite a network of health researchers that are making some serious impacts on our communities and beyond. I have no doubt that when established, the work of this new chair will contribute significantly to this network by providing crucial information to practitioners and policy-makers working to help Canadians living with diabetes.”

The new research chair will investigate ways to diminish the impact of diabetes on the health of people in New Brunswick. The research will focus on helping people affected by and at risk of diabetes to stay healthy and avoid the health impacts of diabetes such as stroke, heart attack, vision loss, kidney failure and lower limb amputation. While the focus will be New Brunswick, the findings will have important implications for Canada and beyond.

“This year is the 40th anniversary of the Canadian Diabetes Association funding world-leading Canadian diabetes research. We are proud to build on that success by partnering with the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation to find new and better ways to help more than 10 million Canadians affected by diabetes or prediabetes,” says Rick Blickstead, Canadian Diabetes Association president and CEO.

The recruitment and nomination process will be conducted at University of New Brunswick with the final selection decision made by the funding organizations.