$22M supports research into inflammatory diseases

Toronto, ON – Nine projects are receiving a total of $21.9 million in funding over five years from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and its partners – the Arthritis Society and Crohn’s and Colitis Canada.

The projects will investigate the relationship between inflammation and chronic disease, and are intended to guide the development of new ways to diagnose, treat, and manage chronic diseases in which inflammation is a key feature, including arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, and cardiovascular disease.

The nine projects receiving funding are:

Title: Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Lead: Dr. John Brumell, the Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, ON). Funding: Total: $2,445,449

Title: Chronic Inflammation of the gut, liver and joints. Lead: Dr. Johannes Eksteen, University of Calgary (Calgary, AB). Funding: $2,457,500

Title: Preventing complications from Inflammatory skin, joint and bowel conditions. Lead: Dr. John Esdaile, University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC). Funding: $2,437,190

Title: Chronic inflammatory lung diseases. Lead: Dr. Paul Kubes, University of Calgary (Calgary, AB). Funding: $2,458,500

Title: Critical illness in inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis project. Lead: Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie, University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, MB). Funding: $2,458,000

Title: Arthritis and chronic heart disease. Lead: Dr. Jean Marshall, Dalhousie University (Halifax, NS). Funding: $2,457,188

Title: Insights into Parkinson’s disease, Crohn’s disease, and leprosy. Lead: Dr. David Park, University of Ottawa (Ottawa, ON). Funding: $2,457,500

Title: Immunity and inflammation. Lead: Dr. Dana Philpott, University of Toronto (Toronto, ON). Funding: $2,455,637

Title: Brain dysfunction in chronic inflammatory disease. Lead: Dr. Mark Swain, University of Calgary (Calgary, AB). Funding: $2,456,979.

“This initiative presents an unprecedented opportunity for talented, multidisciplinary Canadian research teams to discover innovative approaches to improve the diagnosis and treatment of Canadians living with chronic inflammatory conditions,” Dr. Hani El-Gabalawy, scientific director, CIHR. “While we have made enormous progress in our understanding of how inflammation can either protect or harm individuals in specific situations, much more needs to be understood about chronic inflammation and its impact on health.”