UBC researchers leading projects awarded $34.2 million through CIHR Project Grants Spring 2024 Competition

July 18, 2024

A total of 52 projects led by UBC researchers were awarded $34.2 million in combined funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Project Grant: Spring 2024 competition.

  • UBC researchers are leading 39 projects awarded Project Grants totaling $32.9 million 
  • 13 projects led by UBC researchers were awarded Priority Announcement Grants totaling $1.3 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

 
CIHR PROJECT GRANT AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT


UBC-Led Project Grants

  1. Abdelrahman, Khaled  (Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics)
    The contribution of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 to cerebral blood flow homeostasis in Alzheimer's disease
     
  2. Altshuler, Douglas (Zoology)
    Visual control of complex locomotion by the cerebellum
     
  3. Bally, Marcel (Experimental Therapeutics)
    Co-PI(s): Evgin, Laura  (Medical Genetics)
    Copper Associated Immunogenic Cell Death: Improving the Therapeutic Potential of Immune Check Point Inhibitors for the Treatment of Metastatic Bladder Cancer
     
  4. Bashashati, Ali (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
    Co-PI(s): Black, Peter  (Urological Sceinces); Wang, Gang (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
    aRtificial intelligence-driven computational pathology platform for blAdder Cancer subTyping (REACT)
     
  5. Bergstrom, Kirk (Biology, UBC Okanagan)
    Mechanisms and therapeutic potential of microbial-driven mucus production by proximal colon goblet cells in colitis
     
  6. Brubacher, Jeffrey (Emergency Medicine)
    The impact of 12-hour overnight shifts on nurses' driving safety: A high-fidelity driver simulator study.
     
  7. Brubacher, Jeffrey (Emergency Medicine)
    The impact of medical cannabis on driving safety: A driving simulation study.
     
  8. Daugaard, Mads (Urologic Sciences)
    An integrated AI-powered platform for cell analytics
     
  9. De Boer, Carl (School of Biomedical Engineering) 
    Identifying altered gene regulatory network states and underlying mechanisms in atrial fibrillation, a model polygenic disease
     
  10. Dong, Xuesen (Urologic Sciences)
    Lin28b as a therapeutic target for prostate cancer progression
     
  11. Eng, Janice (Physical Therapy)
    Co-PI(s): Manyanga, Taru (Physical Therapy); Pollock, Courtney (Physical Therapy); Sakakibara, Brodie (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
     
  12. Fedida, David (Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics)
    Mechanisms of potassium channel arrhythmias
     
  13. Francis, Gordon (Medicine)
    Arterial smooth muscle cell lysosomal acid lipase as a novel target for atherosclerosis treatment and prevention
     
  14. Frangou, Sophia (Psychiatry)
    Network-Brain Age: Enhancing spatial precision of accelerated aging
     
  15. Gill, John (Nephrology)
    Co-PI(s): Lan, James (Nephrology); Suri, Rita (McGill University)
    A prospective interventional study to prevent allosensitization in patients who have failed a first kidney transplant
     
  16. Hackett, Tillie-Louise (Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics)
    Co-PI(s): Ryerson, Christopher (Medicine)
    Integration of multi-resolution imaging to improve the diagnosis and treatment of fibrotic interstitial lung diseases
     
  17. Hanley, Gillian (Obstetrics & Gynaecology)
    Long term development in children exposed in utero to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and stimulant medication
     
  18. Huntsman, David (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
    DICER1 tumour predisposition syndrome: dissecting the oncogenic mechanisms with a novel lineage-trackable genetically engineered mouse model
     
  19. Ibrahim, Mohamed (School of Social Work)
    Strengthening mental health services through enhancing the capacity of health workers in Somalia (MH Care-Somalia)
     
  20. Jamieson, Amy (Obstetrics & Gynaecology)
    Co-PI(s): McAlpine, Jessica (Obstetrics & Gynaecology)
    STRIVE Study: STRatIfication of Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma by HPV and p53 status to guide Excision
     
  21. Karim, Mohammad (School of Population and Public Health)
    Developing an Epidemiological Tool for Early Detection: A Risk Prediction Algorithm for Prodromal Multiple Sclerosis
     
  22. Kizhakkedathu, Jayachandran (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
    Co-PI(s): Withers, Stephen (Chemistry)
    Transfusion Without Blood Typing: Enzymatic Glycoengineering Towards 'True' Universal Blood
     
  23. Li, Hongbin (Chemistry)
    Molecular Mechanism for the Regulation of Titin Elasticity and Myocardial Stiffness by Oxidative Stress
     
  24. Lima, Viviane (Medicine)
    Co-PI(s): Brumme, Zabrina (Simon Fraser University)
    Persistent Low-Level HIV Viremia During Antiretroviral Therapy: Origins and Clinical Consequences
     
  25. McNagny, Kelly (Medical Genetics / School of Biomedical Engineering)
    Neonatal ILCs Sculpt Long-term Adult Immune Response
     
  26. Michalak, Erin (Psychiatry)
    Co-PI(s): Barnes, Steven (Psychology)
    Evaluating the efficacy of the PolarUs app on quality of life outcomes in people with bipolar disorder
     
  27. Moritz, Orson (Ophthalmology)
    Genetic and environmental modulators of disease mechanisms in retinitis pigmentosa.
     
  28. Pesut, Barbara (School of Nursing, UBC Okanagan)
    Co-PI(s): Hassan, Eman (Medicine); Seow, Hsien-Yeang (McMaster University)
    Evaluating a Compassionate Community Volunteer Navigation Approach to Supporting Older Persons Living with Life-Limiting Illness and Frailty in Rural Communities.
     
  29. Pouladi, Mahmoud (Medical Genetics)
    Probing the Role of Claudin-11 Mutations in Hypomyelinating Leukodystrophy
     
  30. Rankin, Catharine (Psychology)
    In vivo functional characterization of Parkinson's disease linked genes and identification of the best candidate genes of Parkinson's Disease GWAS loci using Caenorhabditis elegans.
     
  31. Reid, Gregor (Pediatrics)
    Harnessing infection-associated modifiers of paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia progression for therapeutic benefit
     
  32. Saewyc, Elizabeth (School of Nursing)
    Fifteen year trends in racism, enacted stigma, and mental health among South Asian LGBQ+ adolescents: The impact of inclusive schools in British Columbia
     
  33. Silverberg, Noah (Psychology)
    REhabilitation of MEMory symptoms after BRain concussion (REMEMBR trial)
     
  34. Sly, Laura (Pediatrics)
    Co-PI(s): Brumer, Harry (Michael Smith Laboratories / Chemistry)
    Bespoke plant glycoconjugates to improve Inflammatory Bowel Disease treatment through gut-microbiota-mediated drug targeting
     
  35. Stirling, Peter (Medical Genetics / Terry Fox Laboratory)
    Development and application of novel FEN1 endonuclease inhibitors
     
  36. Velenosi, Thomas (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
    Characterizing diacetylspermine as a biomarker of drug response and precision treatment in triple-negative breast cancer
     
  37. Wisnovsky, Simon (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
    Co-PI(s): Williams, Karla (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
    T-cell glyco-immune checkpoints as next-generation targets for cancer immunotherapy
     
  38. Zandstra, Peter (Michael Smith Laboratories / School of Biomedical Engineering)
    Gastruloid Engineering: Precision Organoid Design for Developmental and Disease Modeling
     
  39. Zoubeidi, Amina (Urologic Sciences)
    Interplay between ASCL1 and chromatin remodeling complex in prostate cancer lineage plasticity

FULL LIST OF PROJECT GRANT AWARDEES 


UBC Led-Priority Announcements

 

  1. Foster, Leonard (Michael Smith Laboratories)
    Development and Commercialization of a Safe and Effective Mpox Subunit Vaccine with Global Impact
    Priority Announcement Area: Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies Research
     
  2. Hohl, Corinne (Emergency Medicine)
    Co-PI(s): Archambault, Patrick (Université Laval); Brooks, Steven (Queen’s University); Chandra, Kavish (Dalhousie University); Daoust, Raoul (Université de Montréal);  Dong, Kathryn (University of Alberta); Fok, Patrick (Dalhousie University); Grunau, Brian (Emergency Medicine); Jelic, Tomislav (University of Manitoba); Kestler, Andrew (Emergency Medicine); Lock, Kurt (BCCDC); Lysyshyn, Mark (School of Population and Public Health / Vancouver Coastal Health); McRae, Andrew (University of Calgary); Moe, Jessica (Emergency Medicine); Morrison, Laurie (University of Toronto); Olszynski, Paul (University of Saskatchewan); Orkin, Aaron (University of Toronto); Perry, Jeffrey (University of Ottawa); Rosychuk, Rhonda (University of Alberta); Stone-McLean, Jordan (Memorial University of Newfoundland)
    Optimizing outcomes for patients presenting to emergency departments with opioid poisoning
    Priority Announcement Area: Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies Research
     
  3. Kim, Hugh (Oral Biological & Medical Sciences)
    Pro-inflammatory platelet signaling: identifying novel therapeutic targets for periodontitis
    Priority Announcement Area: IMHA: Oral Health
     
  4. Lynn, Francis (Surgery / School of Biomedical Engineering)
    Co-PI(s): Verchere, Bruce (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine), Levings, Megan (Surgery / School of Biomedical Engineering)
    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
     
  5. Maxwell, Christopher (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
     
  6. McKevitt, Elaine (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
     
  7. Nacul, Luis (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
     
  8. Ryan, Katherine (Chemistry)
    Assembly of a pseudo-peptide active against Gram-negative bacteria
    Priority Announcement Area: Antimicrobial Resistance (Bridge Grant)
     
  9. Schummers, Laura (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
    Co-PI(s): Clement, Fiona (University of Calgary); Henry, Bonnie (School of Population and Public Health); Law, Michael (School of Population and Public Health); Nickel, Nathan (University of Manitoba)
    Effect of Canada's first universal contraception subsidy on access, pregnancy outcomes, and costs: a population-based controlled interrupted time series study
    Priority Announcement Area: Sex and Gender in Health Research (Bridge funding)
     
  10. Thiessen, Kellie (Family Practice)
    Co-PI(s): Gulbransen, Kristen (University of Manitoba); Price, Roberta (School of Nursing); Skiber, Darci (BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre); Watson, Heather (University of Manitoba)
    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
     
  11. Tocheva, Elitza (Microbiology and Immunology)
    Structural and functional characterization of the type VII secretion system in Mycobacteria
    Priority Announcement Area: Antimicrobial Resistance (Bridge Grant)
     
  12. Viau, Victor (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)
     
  13. Whittaker, Jacqueline (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

 

FULL LIST OF PRIORITY ANNOUNCEMENT GRANT AWARDEES