UBC Faculty of Medicine researchers are leading 38 projects awarded more than $25 million in combined funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Project Grant: Spring 2024 competition.
The projects will address key health challenges including Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis, mental health and more.
Across the university, a total of 52 projects led by UBC researchers were awarded $34.2 million.
On a national level, CIHR approved a total of 373 research grants, for a total investment of approximately $325 million. In addition, 68 priority announcement grants were funded for a total amount of $7,600,000 and 5 supplemental prizes were awarded for a total of $210,000.
Faculty of Medicine-led Project Grants
- Khaled Abdelrahman (Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics)
The contribution of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 to cerebral blood flow homeostasis in Alzheimer’s disease - Marcel Bally (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
UBC Medicine Co-PI(s): Laura Evgin (Medical Genetics)
Copper Associated Immunogenic Cell Death: Improving the Therapeutic Potential of Immune Check Point Inhibitors for the Treatment of Metastatic Bladder Cancer - Ali Bashashati (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
UBC Medicine Co-PI(s): Peter Black (Urological Sciences); Gang Wang (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
aRtificial intelligence-driven computational pathology platform for blAdder Cancer subTyping (REACT) - Jeffrey Brubacher (Emergency Medicine)
The impact of 12-hour overnight shifts on nurses’ driving safety: A high-fidelity driver simulator study. - Jeffrey Brubacher (Emergency Medicine)
The impact of medical cannabis on driving safety: A driving simulation study. - Mads Daugaard (Urologic Sciences)
An integrated AI-powered platform for cell analytics - Carl De Boer (School of Biomedical Engineering)
Identifying altered gene regulatory network states and underlying mechanisms in atrial fibrillation, a model polygenic disease - Xuesen Dong (Urologic Sciences)
Lin28b as a therapeutic target for prostate cancer progression - Janice Eng (Physical Therapy)
UBC Medicine Co-PI(s): Taru Manyanga & Courtney Pollock (Physical Therapy); Brodie Sakakibara (Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy/Southern Medical Program, UBC Okanagan)
Implementation research to improve scale-up of the delivery of evidence-based community exercise programs for stroke - David Fedida (Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics)
Mechanisms of potassium channel arrhythmias - Gordon Francis (Medicine)
Arterial smooth muscle cell lysosomal acid lipase as a novel target for atherosclerosis treatment and prevention - Sophia Frangou (Psychiatry)
Network-Brain Age: Enhancing spatial precision of accelerated aging - John Gill (Nephrology)
UBC Medicine Co-PI(s): James Lan (Nephrology)
A prospective interventional study to prevent allosensitization in patients who have failed a first kidney transplant - Tillie-Louise Hackett (Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics)
UBC Medicine Co-PI(s): Christopher Ryerson (Medicine)
Integration of multi-resolution imaging to improve the diagnosis and treatment of fibrotic interstitial lung diseases - Gillian Hanley (Obstetrics & Gynaecology)
Long term development in children exposed in utero to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and stimulant medication - David Huntsman (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
DICER1 tumour predisposition syndrome: dissecting the oncogenic mechanisms with a novel lineage-trackable genetically engineered mouse model - Amy Jamieson (Obstetrics & Gynaecology)
UBC Medicine Co-PI(s): Jessica McAlpine, (Obstetrics & Gynaecology)
STRIVE Study: STRatIfication of Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma by HPV and p53 status to guide Excision - Mohammad Karim (School of Population and Public Health)
Developing an Epidemiological Tool for Early Detection: A Risk Prediction Algorithm for Prodromal Multiple Sclerosis - Jayachandran Kizhakkedathu (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
Transfusion Without Blood Typing: Enzymatic Glycoengineering Towards ‘True’ Universal Blood - Viviane Lima (Medicine)
Persistent Low-Level HIV Viremia During Antiretroviral Therapy: Origins and Clinical Consequences - Kelly McNagny (Medical Genetics/School of Biomedical Engineering)
Neonatal ILCs Sculpt Long-term Adult Immune Response - Erin Michalak (Psychiatry)
Evaluating the efficacy of the PolarUs app on quality of life outcomes in people with bipolar disorder - Orson Moritz (Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences)
Genetic and environmental modulators of disease mechanisms in retinitis pigmentosa. - Mahmoud Pouladi (Medical Genetics)
Probing the Role of Claudin-11 Mutations in Hypomyelinating Leukodystrophy - Gregor Reid (Pediatrics)
Harnessing infection-associated modifiers of paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia progression for therapeutic benefit - Laura Sly (Pediatrics)
UBC Medicine Co-PI(s): Harry Brumer (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
Bespoke plant glycoconjugates to improve Inflammatory Bowel Disease treatment through gut-microbiota-mediated drug targeting - Peter Stirling (Medical Genetics)
Development and application of novel FEN1 endonuclease inhibitors - Peter Zandstra (School of Biomedical Engineering)
Gastruloid Engineering: Precision Organoid Design for Developmental and Disease Modeling - Amina Zoubeidi (Urologic Sciences)
Interplay between ASCL1 and chromatin remodeling complex in prostate cancer lineage plasticity
Full list of Project Grant awardees
Faculty of Medicine-led Priority Announcement Projects
- Leonard Foster (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
Development and Commercialization of a Safe and Effective Mpox Subunit Vaccine with Global Impact
Priority Announcement Area: Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies Research - Corinne Hohl (Emergency Medicine)
UBC Medicine Co-PI(s): Brian Grunau (Emergency Medicine); Andrew Kestler (Emergency Medicine); Mark Lysyshyn (School of Population and Public Health); Jessica Moe (Emergency Medicine)
Optimizing outcomes for patients presenting to emergency departments with opioid poisoning
Priority Announcement Area: Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies Research - Francis Lynn (Surgery/School of Biomedical Engineering)
UBC Medicine Co-PI(s): Bruce Verchere (Surgery/Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
Building better beta cells in order to improve stem cell-derived islet transplantation outcomes
Priority Announcement Area: Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes
*Conditional award at time of announcement - Christopher Maxwell (Pediatrics)
Elucidate the targetable mechanisms underpinning the development of a pregnancy-associated breast cancer in BRCA1 mutation carriers.
Priority Announcement Area: Breast Cancer Prevention & Early Detection - Elaine McKevitt (Surgery)
Oncologic, surgical, and patient reported outcomes following breast conserving surgery versus mastectomy in breast cancer patients: a prospective study.
Priority Announcement Area: Breast Cancer Survivorship - Luis Nacul (Family Practice)
Epidemiology and impact of myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) in Canada: A multi-centre population-based study
Priority Announcement Area: Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies Research - Kellie Thiessen (Family Practice)
UBC Medicine Co-PI(s): Roberta Price (Family Practice)
Through the Cracks: Development of a Psychosocial Perinatal Mentorship Framework, to address escalating maternal mortality rates for pregnant persons with psychosocial comorbidities
Priority Announcement Area: Research in First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis Health - Victor Viau (Cellular and Physiological Sciences)
Sex differences in inflammatory, neuroendocrine and behavioural responses: Impact of corticosteroid-binding globulin deficiency.
Priority Announcement Area: Sex and Gender in Health Research (Bridge funding) - Jacqueline Whittaker (Physical Therapy)
The Stop Osteoarthritis (SOAR) Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation Type 1 Randomized Controlled Trial for Young People at-High-Risk of Early Onset Knee Osteoarthritis
Priority Announcement Area: Female Athlete Health