BC researchers receive Scholars Awards

Vancouver, BC – Thirty-two BC health researchers have been named recipients of Scholar awards through MSFHR’s 2014 Scholar Program funding competition.

The award recipients, selected from a highly competitive pool of more than 120 applicants, are working on projects that span a broad range of disciplines. Three recipients are being jointly funded in partnership with BC-based not-for-profit organizations. MSFHR has partnered with the BC Schizophrenia Society Foundation and the Rick Hansen Institute to support research directly relevant to these organizations’ mandates.

The awards enable recipients to focus on research activities; train the next generation of investigators; attract additional funding from national and international sources; and generate high-quality knowledge economy jobs.

Each researcher is eligible for up to $90,000 per year over five years.

Following are the award recipients, project titles and host institutions:

BIOMEDICAL:

Russ Algar; Nanoparticle-based technologies for point-of-care diagnostics and biological research; University of British Columbia

Sanjoy Ghosh; Understanding how diet and exercise influence cardiovascular disease in obesity and diabetes; University of British Columbia

Michael Gordon; Genetic dissection of taste circuits and feeding behaviour in Drosophila; University of British Columbia

Tillie-Louise Hackett; Molecular determinants of small airway obstruction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; University of British Columbia

William Lockwood; Integrating clinical, functional and chemical genomics to understand lung cancer biology; BC Cancer Agency

Georgia Perona-Wright; The spatiotemporal regulation of cytokine signalling in infection, immunity and repair; University of British Columbia

Jason Snyder; Functions for new neurons in remembering stressful experiences and repairing the adult brain; University of British Columbia

Leigh Anne Swayne (Award jointly funded in partnership with the BC Schizophrenia Society Foundation); Ion channels: Molecular determinants of health and disease in the head and heart; University of Victoria

CLINICAL:

Jason Andrade; Cryoballoon vs. irrigated radiofrequency catheter ablation: The effect of double short vs. standard exposure cryoablation duration during pulmonary vein isolation; University of British Columbia

Marc Deyell; Premature ventricular contractions among patients with congestive heart failure: prevalence and prognosis; University of British Columbia

Jordan Guenette; Mechanisms of dyspnea and exercise intolerance in patients with chronic respiratory diseases; University of British Columbia

Mary Jung; Self-regulation of physical activity behaviour: Novel theory-based intervention strategies for bolstering exercise adherence; University of British Columbia

John Kramer; (Award jointly funded in partnership with the Rick Hansen Institute); Detecting neuroplasticity after spinal cord injury: Implications for neuropathic pain; University of British Columbia

Richard Lester; Leading mHealth innovation and evidence in British Columbia: HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis patient engagement in care; University of British Columbia

Dawn Mackey; novel approaches to enhance mobility of older adults: Targeting injury prevention, movement energetics, and physical activity; Simon Fraser University

Christopher Ryerson; Frailty in interstitial lung disease; University of British Columbia

Kasmintan Schrader; Molecular detection of known and novel cancer predisposition genes; BC Cancer Agency

Gerard Slobogean; A multi-centre 2×2 factorial randomized trial comparing sliding hip screws versus cancellous screws and vitamin D versus placebo on patient-important complications and quality of life in the treatment of young adult (ages 18-60) femoral neck fractures; University of British Columbia

Clara van Karnebeek; Omics2TreatID: Improving diagnosis and treatment of intellectual disability via an integrated -omics approach; University of British Columbia

Christopher West (Award jointly funded in partnership with the Rick Hansen Institute); Cardiac responses to spinal cord injury and exercise; University of British Columbia

Jill Zwicker; Increasing awareness and improving outcomes of children with developmental coordination disorder in British Columbia; University of British Columbia

HEALTH SERVICES:

Sean Barbour; Integrating knowledge generation and translation: a unique research program to study the population-level clinical outcomes, health utilization and health services delivery for patients with glomerulonephritis in BC; University of British Columbia

Mary De Vera; Pharmacoepidemiologic and pharmaceutical outcomes research to improve medication use, adherence, and outcomes in patients with arthritis; University of British Columbia

Quynh Doan; Emergency department overcrowding: Determinants, measures and pediatric outcomes; University of British Columbia

Jagbir Gill; Addressing disparities in access to living donor kidney transplantation in South and East Asian Canadians; University of British Columbia

Martha Mackay; Socio-demographic and behavioural factors: Impact on cardiac patients’ access to and outcomes from care; University of British Columbia

Joanie Sims-Gould; A community-based research program focused on “Adding Life to Later Years”; University of British Columbia

POPULATION HEALTH:

Juan Aviña-Zubieta; Reducing the burden and gaps in care from Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases (REGAIN SARDs); University of British Columbia

Kathleen Deering; A longitudinal investigation of the social, structural, and policy factors shaping HIV prevention, treatment and care for women living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in Canada; University of British Columbia

James C. Johnston; Tuberculosis prevention in British Columbia: Using big data to inform public health practice; University of British Columbia

Lindsey Richardson; Socio-economic risk environments and health among people who use drugs in British Columbia; University of British Columbia

Ziba Vaghri; Facilitating the implementation and monitoring of child rights in Canada: a rights-based approach to child health promotion; University of British Columbia