As the summer winds down and
university labs across the country eke out a living from
their dwindling grants, we'd like to take a moment to
raise a Bob Cratchit cheer to a lucky group of UBC medical
researchers. The BC government announced recently that
it will be making major investments in education and UBC
was one of the recipients of a tidy provincial handout.
The university has received an
approval-in-principle � an indication of the amount
of money that the government is likely to lend � from
the Leading Edge Endowment Fund (LEEF) for $13.5 million
dollars. The money is to be distributed among six research
institutions, with each institution soaking up $2.25
million of the gravy.
The award was based on proposals
submitted by each institution. "Our project proposal
focuses on areas of critical need where we are confident
that UBC can make a significant contribution," said
Dr Lorne Whitehead, UBC's vice-president academic in
a press release. The new injection of cash will allow
the institutes to recruit new chairs, new researchers
and push for more innovation. Research chairs have yet
to be named to their position; the announcement is pending
LEEF approval of the final research proposals. Once
they get the green light the research institutions are
expected to secure matching funds from the private sector.
Of the six areas of research slated
to get the extra funding, five are within the UBC med
school:
Addictions The money will
go to help work on a national program to develop and
evaluate new treatment approaches.
Depression Researchers will work with Vancouver
Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) on a centre
for depression treatment, which will augment the work
being done at the Mood Disorders Centre at UBC Hospital.
Early Childhood Development An emphasis will
be put on an international research program that looks
at how differences in children's early environments
affect brain and nervous system development.
Genetic Medicine The new funding will help build
on the outstanding genetic research at the Children's
& Women's Health Centre of British Columbia and
look specifically at the genetic causes, diagnoses and
treatments of inherited diseases.
Prostate Cancer This research will also be conducted
in conjunction with the VCHRI to create new therapies
for men with prostate cancer.
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