Harold Albrecht, Member of Parliament for Kitchener

WATERLOO, ONTARIO (April 20, 2006) - Harold Albrecht, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Conestoga on behalf of the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health, and of John Baird and Jim Flaherty, regional ministers for Ontario, highlighted today along with Dr. Alan Bernstein, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the recipients of an investment of over $112 million to fund health research in Ontario.

"Promoting ground breaking health research is a crucial component of our government's plan to build a healthy, prosperous and innovative Canada," said Mr. Albrecht. "The funding announced today is helping to enhance the health research capabilities of our institutions across Ontario, which will benefit all Canadians. For example, the work being done by Dr. Geoffrey Fong at the University of Waterloo will contribute significantly to strengthening our health care system."

The 308 research projects funded will be conducted at universities and research institutions throughout the province. The studies will be carried out over periods of one to five years and cover a wide spectrum of health research. Mr. Albrecht highlighted six researchers whose work exemplifies CIHR's comprehensive, problem-based approach to funding health research:

• Dr. Geoffrey Fong (University of Waterloo) will evaluate the impact of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the first-ever international public health treaty.
• Dr. Ivy Bourgeault (McMaster University) will focus on the movement of health professionals in and out of Canada, helping to uncover solutions to health human resources crises.
• Dr. Harvey Goldberg (University of Western Ontario) will generate novel peptides to repair and regenerate bones; his work could lead to a new commercial product.
• Dr. David Stojdl (Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa) and Dr. Ian Lorimer (Ottawa Health Research Institute, University of Ottawa) will focus on better treatments for brain cancer.
• Dr. Robert Fowler (Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto) will examine whether men receive critical care more often than women.

"The prevention, eradication and treatment of disease and the building of an affordable but effective, innovative and publicly funded health care system all requires research," said Dr. Bernstein. "CIHR-funded health researchers not only create world-class knowledge that is being put to use right now, across all sectors of society, but their work also contributes to strengthening the research and training environment for young Canadians in all regions of the country."

The funding highlighted today is part of a larger package recently announced by the Minister of Health.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to catalyze its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support close to 10,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada. www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca

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Attachments:
Grant Allocations
Highlighted Projects Backgrounder

Further information:
Marie-France Poirier, CIHR Media Relations, (613) 447-4794
Eric Waddell, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Tony Clement,
(613) 957-0200
David Drewe, Constituency Office of Harold Albrecht, MP for Kitchener-Conestoga, (519) 578-3777