UBC researchers leading projects awarded $37 million through CIHR Project Grants: Spring 2023 Competition

July 24, 2023

July 21, 2023

A total of 50 projects led by UBC researchers were awarded $37 million in combined funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Project Grant: Spring 2023 competition.

  • UBC researchers are leading 40 projects awarded Project Grants totaling $35.7 million
  • 2 projects led by UBC researchers were awarded Bridge Grants totaling $200,000 
  • 8 projects led by UBC researchers were awarded Priority Announcement Grants totaling $1 million

On a national level, CIHR approved a total of 381 research grants, plus 12 bridge grants, for a total investment of approximately $325 million. In addition, 62 priority announcement grants were funded for a total amount of $7,200,000 and 5 supplemental prizes were awarded for a total of $250,000

 
CIHR Project Grant Award Announcement


UBC-led Project Grants

  1. Mechanisms and targeting of repair deficient cancers with G-quadruplex small molecule ligands
    Principal Investigator(s): Aparicio, Samuel J (Molecular Oncology);
    Research Institution: BC Cancer, part of PHSA (Vancouver)
     
  2. Decoding the impact of single cell mutational processes in triple negative breast cancer and high grade serous ovarian cancer
    Principal Investigator(s): Aparicio, Samuel J (Molecular Oncology)
    Co-investigators: Cescon, David W; Roth, Andrew J
    Research Institution: BC Cancer, part of PHSA (Vancouver)
     
  3. The role of Dystrogylcan and conservation of function in development and maintenance of the peripheral glial sheath.
    Principal Investigator(s): Auld, Vanessa J (Zoology)
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  4. AMPLIFY: Elevating the stories of Indigenous women, gender diverse, and Two-Spirit peoples
    Principal Investigator(s): Bingham, Brittany L (Social Medicine); Price, Roberta (Nursing)
    Co-investigator(s): Applejohn, Milo I; Askarian, Sasha; Bonshor, Leslie; Burd, Logan C; Cassidy-Matthews, Chenoa M; Dame, Jessy M; Deering, Kathleen N; Goldenberg, Shira; Jubinville, Danette S; Krüsi, Andrea B; Patrick, Lyana M; Perry, Chelsey L; Pilarinos, Andreas; Pooyak, Sherri D; Salway, Travis; Shannon, Kate
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  5. Engineering next-generation self-amplifying RNA therapeutics encoding bispecific T cell engager (BiTE) antibodies for treatment of ovarian cancer
    Principal Investigator(s): Blakney, Anna (Michael Smith Laboratories)
    Co-investigator(s): Huntsman, David G; McNagny, Kelly M
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  6. FIRE-Diet: Food as an Intervention to Reduce the Effects of Woodsmoke Exposure on Respiratory Health
    Principal Investigator(s): Brigham, Emily P (Medicine/Respirology)
    Co-investigator(s): Carlsten, Christopher; Lamers, Yvonne; Rebuli, Meghan E
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  7. Virtual Reality Exposure for Vaginismus: A Replicated Single-Case Design
    Principal Investigator(s): Brotto, Lori Anne (Obstetrics and Gynecology)
    Co-investigator(s): Altas, Melanie; Brown, Natalie B; Jacob, John; Kingstone, Alan F; Klein, Carolin; Loop, Kirsten; Pulsifer, Jodie
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  8. Dissecting the molecular basis of dietary fibre metabolism by beneficial Bacteroidetes of the human gut microbiota
    Principal Investigator(s): Brumer, Harry (Michael Smith Laboratories)
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  9. Metabolite Control of Microbiome-Microglia Communication in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
    Principal Investigator(s): Ciernia, Annie V (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
    Co-investigator(s): Tropini, Carolina (Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Engineering)
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  10. Histone Acetylation Regulates Microglial Innate Immune Memory
    Principal Investigator(s): Ciernia, Annie V (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  11. Rational Design of Lipid Nanoparticle Systems for mRNA Delivery
    Principal Investigator(s): Cullis, Pieter R (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
    Co-investigator(s): Jan, Eric
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  12. Steroid catabolism in mycobacteria
    Principal Investigator(s): Eltis, Lindsay D (Microbiology and Immunology)
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  13. Restoring gut symbiosis caused by a Western diet through a Mediterranean-like diet combined with novel probiotics that target the gut-brain metabolic interactome
    Principal Investigator(s): Gibson, Deanna L (Biology, UBC Okanagan)
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  14. Endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer: Understanding which patients are at high risk
    Principal Investigator(s): Hanley, Gillian E (Medicine/Obstetrics & Gynecology); Anglesio, Michael S (Obstetrics & Gynaecology)
    Co-investigator(s): Gilks, Cyril B; Hoang, Lynn; Jamieson, Amy; Mcalpine, Jessica N; McRae, Kathryn; Pors, Jennifer; Singh, Naveena; Yong, Paul
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  15. Online Participatory Digital Storytelling for People with Endometriosis: Investigating Therapeutic Potential, Authentic Portrayal, and Knowledge Translation
    Principal Investigator(s): Howard, Amanda F (Nursing); Pukall, Caroline F (Queen's University); Yong, Paul (Obstetrics & Gynaecology)
    Co-investigator(s): Carlyle, Margaret; Currie, Leanne; Oliffe, John L; Orr, Natasha L
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  16. The longer-term cost consequences of Cesarean delivery
    Principal Investigator(s): Hutcheon, Jennifer A (Obstetrics and Gynecology); Liauw, Jessica (Obstetrics and Gynecology); Niles, Kirsten M (Obstetrics and Gynecology)
    Co-investigator(s): Berry-Einarson, Kathryn; Foggin, Hannah; Giesbrecht, Ellen; Hobbs, Amy; Schummers, Laura; Strumpf, Erin C
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  17. Pre-clinical development of a novel class of broad-spectrum natural product antivirals
    Principal Investigator(s): Jean, François (Microbiology and Immunology)
    Co-investigator(s): Andersen, Raymond J
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia

  18. Glucose restriction-mediated changes to mitochondria as a driver of anti-tumour CD8+ T cell function.
    Principal Investigator(s): Klein Geltink, Ramon (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
    Co-investigator(s): Bennewith, Kevin L; Lynn, Francis C; Park, Yongjin
    Research Institution: BC Children's Hospital Research Institute
     
  19. Treatment of periodontitis by epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor
    Principal Investigator(s): Larjava, Hannu S (Oral Biological & Medical Sciences)
    Co-investigator(s): Hakkinen, Lari
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  20. Use of CAR Tregs to induce transplantation tolerance
    Principal Investigator(s): Levings, Megan K (Surgery);
    Research Institution: BC Children's Hospital Research Institute
     
  21. STOPNET - A Randomized Study of Cessation of Somatostatin Analogues after Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy in Mid and Hind Gut Neuroendocrine Tumours
    Principal Investigator(s): Loree, Jonathan M (Medicine); O'Callaghan, Christopher J (Queen's University)
    Co-investigator(s): Asmis, Timothy R; Barker, Daniel; Burge, matthew; Goodwin, Rachel A; Laidley, David; Little, Marie-Terese; Rayson, Daniel; Singh, Simron; Solar Vasconcelos, Joao Paulo; Tu, Dongsheng; Wyld, David
    Research Institution: BC Cancer, part of PHSA (Vancouver)
     
  22. Dissecting the interplay between histone marks in directing transcription in pluripotent stem and neural precursor cells.
    Principal Investigator(s): Lorincz, Matthew C (Medical Genetics);
    Co-investigator(s): Janssen, Sanne M
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  23. Astrocyte Piezo1 channels in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration
    Principal Investigator(s): MacVicar, Brian A (Psychiatry);
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  24. Elucidation of the client repertoires and functions of the two related DNAJB6 and B8 co-chaperones
    Principal Investigator(s): Mayor, Thibault (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  25. HEALthy Eating and Supportive Environments (HEAL); a Pan-Canadian study
    Principal Investigator(s): Murphy, Rachel (School of Population and Public Health); Kirkpatrick, Sharon (University of Waterloo); Vena, Jennifer E (Cancer Control Research)
    Co-investigator(s): Awadalla, Philip; Bhatti, Parveen; Brook, Jeffrey R; Dummer, Trevor J; Faulkner, Guy; Lamarche, Benoît; Minaker, Leia; Ross, Nancy; Widener, Michael J
    Research Institution: B.C. Cancer Research Centre (Vancouver)
     
  26. Translating Epigenomics into Clinical Care for Synovial Sarcoma
    Principal Investigator(s): Nielsen, Torsten O (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
    Co-investigator(s): Hirst, Martin; Underhill, Michael
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  27. The role of microglia in mediating sex-specific neurodevelopmental responses to maternal stress
    Principal Investigator(s): Rosin, Jessica M (Dentistry);
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  28. Development and evaluation of novel nanoparticle formulations for therapeutic genome editing
    Principal Investigator(s): Ross, Colin J (Pharmaceutical Sciences); Blakney, Anna (Michael Smith Laboratories, School of Biomedical Engineering)
    Co-investigator(s): Cullis, Pieter R; Dellaire, Graham P; Hafeli, Urs O; Hedtrich, Sarah; Kumar, Ujendra; Li, Shyh-Dar; Rodrigues, Brian B; Salvarinova, Ramona; Velenosi, Thomas J
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  29. Multi-modal, multi-parametric liver imaging for ultrasound-based stratification of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
    Principal Investigator(s): Salcudean, Septimiu E (Electrical and Computer Engineering); Kozlowski, Piotr (Radiology and Urologic Sciences); Pang, Emily (Radiology); Rohling, Robert N (Electrical and Computer Engineering & Mechanical Engineering)
    Co-investigator(s): Chang, Silvia D; Ramji, Alnoor; Schaeffer, David F; Singla, Rohit; Wang, Z. Jane; Yoshida, Eric M
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  30. Advanced optical monitoring of free tissue transfer hemodynamics
    Principal Investigator(s): Shadgan, Babak (Surgery)
    Co-investigator(s): Anderson, Donald W; Butskiy, Oleksandr
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  31. Understanding the Geography of Overdose: A Mixed Methods Study
    Principal Investigator(s): Slaunwhite, Amanda K (School of Population and Public Health); Crooks, Valorie A (Simon Fraser University); Schuurman, Nadine C (Simon Fraser University)
    Co-investigator(s): Bardwell, Geoff; Bridgeman, Jessica; Harder, Kari; Hu, Ziqiang; Palis, Heather; Wilson, Erin
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  32. Exploring the potential of type-1 regulatory T cells in resolution and recovery from intestinal inflammation
    Principal Investigator(s): Steiner, Theodore S (Infectious Diseases/Internal Medicine)
    Co-investigator(s): Sly, Laura M
    Research Institution: BC Children's Hospital Research Institute
     
  33. E-Prevention And Vaping (EPAV): Mobilizing youth-generated evidence to co-produce a digital e-cigarette intervention
    Principal Investigator(s): Struik, Laura L (School of Nursing, UBC Okanagan); Coen, Stephanie (University of Nottingham); Martin, Gina (Athabasca University)
    Co-investigator(s): Ben-David, Shelly; Burke, Shauna M; Gilliland, Jason A; Haines-Saah, Rebecca J; Hasan, Mohammad K; Janke, Robert; Nelson Ferguson, Kendra
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  34. Reinforcing the battle at the bacterial cell wall: Structure-guided characterization and inhibition of beta-lactam antibiotic resistance signalling mechanisms
    Principal Investigator(s): Strynadka, Natalie C (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology);
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  35. Innate lymphoid cells in hepatitis and liver fibrosis
    Principal Investigator(s): Takei, Fumio (Terry Fox Laboratory)
    Research Institution: BC Cancer, part of PHSA (Vancouver)
     
  36. Mechanisms of regulation of Cell-Matrix adhesion in development and disease
    Principal Investigator(s): Tanentzapf, Guy (Cellular and Physiological Sciences)
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  37. Telehealth for Emergency-Community Continuity of Care Connectivity via Home Blood Pressure Telemonitoring (TEC4HOME-BP)
    Principal Investigator(s): Tran, Karen (Medicine)
    Co-investigator(s): Cressman, Sonya; Dahri, Karen; Dawes, Martin G; Ho, Kendall; Khan, Nadia A; Kim Sing, CHAD A; Mak, Meagan Y; Mangat, Birinder K; Novak Lauscher, Helen J; Wong, Hubert H
    Research Institution: Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
     
  38. Colonic mucus-derived sugars fuel the growth and virulence of pathogenic enteric bacteria.
    Principal Investigator(s): Vallance, Bruce A (Pediatrics)
    Co-investigator(s): Yu, Hongbing
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  39. Physiological and pathological regulation of GABAA receptor functions
    Principal Investigator(s): Wang, Yu Tian (Medicine, Neurology)
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  40. Acute intermittent hypoxia as a novel cardio-therapeutic for spinal cord injury
    Principal Investigator(s): West Christopher R (School of Kinesiology); Foster, Glen E (School of Health and Exercise Sciences)
    Co-investigator(s): Krassioukov, Andrei
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia


Full list of Project Grant Awardees

 


UBC-led Bridge Grants

  1. How far is too far? Creating an evidence base to support safe provision of medication abortion for people living far from emergency services.
    Principal Investigator(s): Norman, Wendy V (Family Practice); Henry, Bonnie J (Province of British Columbia); Munro, Sarah B (Obstetrics & Gynaecology); Schummers, Laura (Pharmaceutical Sciences)
    Co-investigator(s): Abdulai, Abdul-Fatawu; Begun, Stephanie; Bingham, Brittany L; Brehmer, Lovisa M; Brooks, Melissa; Cameron, Sharon; Cleeve, Amanda; Darling, Elizabeth K; Davies, Cheryl; Dunn, Sheila F; Gemzell Danielsson, Kristina; Gill, Roopan K; Godfrey, Emily M; Lee, Sabrina C; Martin-Ferris, Samantha S; Martin-Misener, Ruth; Mazza, Danielle; Monchalin, Renee J; Nethery, Elizabeth M; Paynter, Martha J; Pymar, Helen; Reynolds-Wright, John J; Stroulia, Eleni; Vallee, Carol-Anne; Wahl, Kate
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
     
  2. Program of Outcomes Research on Treatment with Injectables for Addiction: Accessibility Needs and Tangible Actions
    Principal Investigator(s): Oviedo-Joekes, Eugenia (School of Population and Public Health)
    Co-investigator(s): Blawatt, Sarah; Braich, Aman; Byres, David; Chow, Nancy; Davidson, Sara; Gagnon, Jennifer M; Goyer, Marie-Eve; Harrison, Scott; Lajeunesse, Julie A; Lock, Kurt; MacDonald, Donald S; Magel, Tianna; Marchand, Kirsten I; Marsh, David C; Patricelli, Charissa; Schechter, Martin T; Spittal, Patricia M
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia

Full list of Bridge Grant Awardees


UBC-led Priority Announcements

  1. Implementation research to improve scale-up of the delivery of evidence-based community exercise programs for stroke
    Principal Investigator(s): Eng, Janice J (Physical Therapy)
    Co-investigator(s): Hung, Stanley; Manyanga, Taru; Monaghan, Jennifer; Mortenson, William B; Pollock, Courtney L; Sakakibara, Brodie M; Schneeberg, Amy; Stelling, Sally-Anne; Winston, Paul; Yao, Jennifer K
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
    Project Grant - Priority Announcement: Patient-Oriented Research
     
  2. Evaluating the delivery of breast cancer care for patients undergoing breast reconstruction: A provincial quantitative and qualitative evaluation of care
    Principal Investigator(s): Isaac, Kathryn V (Surgery); Galica, Jacqueline (Queen's University); Howard, Amanda F (Nursing); Sutherland, Jason M (School of Population and Public Health)
    Co-investigator(s): Brown, Carl J; LeVasseur, Nathalie; McKevitt, Elaine; Nichol, Alan M; Trask, Michele
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
    Project Grant - Priority Announcement: Health Services and Policy Research
     
  3. Population-based study to determine the appropriateness and determinants of antibiotic use in primary care for migrants in Canada using administrative data: from data science to policy and action
    Principal Investigator(s): Lalji, Fawziah (Pharmaceutical Sciences);
    Co-investigator(s): Patrick, David M; Saatchi, Ariana; Schwartz, Kevin L; Silverman, Michael
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
    Project Grant - PA: Antimicrobial Resistance (Bridge Grant)
     
  4. Accelerated Lung Aging in People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus
    Principal Investigator(s): Leung, Janice (Medicine)
    Co-investigator(s): Eddy, Rachel L; Hernandez Cordero, Ana I; Kirby, Miranda A; Kobor, Michael S; Lam, Stephen; Lane, Pierre; Leipsic, Jonathon; Lima, Viviane D; Montaner, Julio S; Peters, Carli; Sin, Donald
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
    Project Grant - Priority Announcement: HIV/AIDS and STBBI
     
  5. SOX4 regulation of human islet cell genesis and growth*
    Principal Investigator(s): Lynn, Francis C (General Surgery);
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
    Project Grant - PA: Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes
    *conditional award at time of announcement
     
  6. Elucidating the novel role of Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in presynaptic assembly
    Principal Investigator(s): Mizumoto, Kota (Zoology);
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
    Operating Grant - PA: Genetics (Bridge Funding: Research Priorities)
     
  7. Acute human gingivitis systems biology*
    Principal Investigator(s): Overall, Christopher M (Oral Biological & Medical Sciences);
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
    Project Grant - Priority Announcement: IMHA: Oral Health
    *conditional award at time of announcement
     
  8. Impact of loss of commensal bacteria on enteric infection
    Principal Investigator(s): Tropini, Carolina (Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Engineering);
    Research Institution: University of British Columbia
    Project Grant - PA: Infection and Immunity (Early Career Research Support)

Full list of Priority Announcement Grant Awardees


First Nations land acknowledegement

We acknowledge that UBC’s two main campuses are situated within the ancestral and unceded territory of the Musqueam people, and in the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation and their peoples.



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