Congratulations to the BC Children's and BC Women's investigators who were awarded funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant Spring 2020 competition. Our research community received over $4 million in new research grants.
Many of the investigators who were successful in this competition benefited from the expertise of Dr. Dawn McArthur, Director, Research & Technology Development and the BCCHR Research & Technology Development Office (RTDO) team. On behalf of BCCHR, we would like to thank the RTDO's Dr. Tamara English, Senior Research Development Facilitator; Mr. Eric Lussier, Research Development Facilitator (BCCHR/WHRI); Ms. Rita Jekabsons, Senior Research Development Coordinator; and the RTDO grants assistants for their dedication and support.
BCCHR and WHRI investigators had a funding success rate of 25.6 per cent, compared to the national average of 16.9 per cent for full, bridge and PA grants. With the success of the spring 2020 competition, the RTDO team is already assisting with resubmissions for the fall 2020 competition.
Congratulations to:
Dr. Lori Brotto – Women’s Health Research Institute – Project: "Pilot RCT for cognitive-behavioural & mindfulness-based online programs for female sexual dysfunction." $229,500 / 3 years.
Dr. Liisa Galea – Brain, Behaviour & Development and Women’s Health Research Institute – Project: “Motherhood and brain aging: the effects of hormone therapy, immune and metabolic challenges later in life.” BCCHR and WHRI Co-investigators: Dr. Arianne Albert, Dr. Paula Duarte Guterman and Dr. Yvonne Lamers. $884,186 / 5 years.
Dr. K.S. Joseph and Dr. Neda Razaz (University of British Columbia) – Healthy Starts – Project: “Chronic diseases in mothers and risks of neuro-developmental disorders in offspring: an international comparison.” BCCHR Co-investigators: Dr. Giulia Muraca (Supervisor: Dr. Joseph), Dr. Tim Oberlander and Dr. Sarka Lisonkova. $355,725 / 4 years.
Dr. Michael Kobor – Healthy Starts – Project: “Childhood Epigenetic Age Deviations and Developmental Differences (CEAD3).” BCCHR Co-investigators: Dr. Chaini Konwar (Supervisor: Dr. Kobor) and Dr. Sarah Merrill (Supervisor: Dr. Kobor). $1,067,176 / 5 years.
Dr. Blair Leavitt – Brain, Behaviour & Development – Project: “Characterization and treatment of a novel conditional mouse model of pyridoxine-dependent epileptic encephalopathy caused by antiquitin mutations.” BCCHR Co-investigators: Dr. Jan M. Friedman and Dr. Clara van Karnebeek. $612,000 / 5 years.
Dr. Jessica Liauw – Healthy Starts – Project: “Improving clinical practice recommendations for late preterm antenatal corticosteroids: incorporating a decision support tool to tackle the uncertain balance of risks and benefits.” BCCHR Co-investigators: Dr. Jessica Hutcheon and Dr. Sandesh Shivananda. $306,000 / 3 years.
Dr. Lyndia (Chun) Wu (University of British Columbia), Dr. Alexander Rauscher and Dr. Paul van Donkelaar (University of British Columbia) – Brain, Behaviour & Development – Project: “A prospective and longitudinal investigation of concussive and subconcussive mild traumatic brain injury mechanisms in ice hockey.” BCCHR Co-investigators: Dr. William Panenka and Dr. Alexander Weber. $944,776 / 5 years.
Dr. Stuart Turvey and Dr. Catherine Biggs – Healthy Starts – Project: “Understanding Human Primary Atopic Disorders.” $100,000 / 1 year (Priority Announcement: Skin conditions).
Additional Collaborations:
Dr. Jonathan (Troy) Grennan, Dr. Ann Burchell and Dr. Irving Salit – B.C. Centre for Disease Control – Project: “Predicting and Evaluating Anal Cancer in HIV with novel biomarkers: The PEACH Study.” BCCHR Co-investigator: Dr. Gina Ogilvie.
Dr. Mypinder Sekhon – University of British Columbia – Project: “Delineating between pathophysiologic phenotypes of hypoxic ischemic brain injury after cardiac arrest.” BCCHR Co-investigators: Dr. William Panenka and Dr. Cheryl Wellington.
Dr. Fidel Vila-Rodriguez – University of British Columbia – Project: “Neuro-cardiac predictors of treatment response to rTMS in depression: a mechanistic study using interleaved TMS-fMRI.” BCCHR Co-investigators: Dr. Matthias Görges and Dr. Donna Lang.
Dr. Fidel Vila-Rodriguez – University of British Columbia – Project: “Low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) vs. intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation TMS effectiveness in depression and suicidal ideation: a randomized non-inferiority trial.”
Dr. Eli Puterman – University of British Columbia – Project “The Positively Dance Pilot Program: Examining the Feasibility of a Peer Research Associate-Led Dance Program for Women Living With HIV.” WHRI Co-investigators: Dr. Hélène Côté, Dr. Angela Kaida and Dr. Melanie Murray. (Priority Announcement: HIV/AIDS and STBBI)
