UBC researchers leading projects awarded $38.3 million through CIHR Project Grants: Spring 2022 Competition

UBC researchers are leading 47 projects awarded a total of $38.3 million through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grants: Spring 2022 competition. 

In total, the Project Grants: Spring 2022 competition approved 405 research grants, plus 2 bridge grants, for a total investment of approximately $325M. In addition, 61 priority announcement grants were funded for a total amount of $10,779,207 and 16 supplemental prizes were awarded for a total of $1,060,000

  • UBC researchers are leading 46 projects awarded Project Grants of $38.2 million.
  • One UBC-led project was awarded a priority announcement grant of $0.1 million

 

See CIHR Summary


UBC-Led Project Grants

 

  1. Automatic Assessment of Aortic Stenosis with Point of Care Ultrasound
    Principal Investigator(s): Abolmaesumi, Purang (Electrical and Computer Engineering); Tsang, Michael Y (Cardiology); Tsang, Teresa S (Cardiology)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  2. Development of second-generation radiopharmaceuticals targeting the C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 for imaging and therapy of hematological cancers
    Principal Investigator(s): Benard, Francois (Radiology)
    Research Institution: BC Cancer, part of PHSA (Vancouver)
     *Conditionally funded at time of posting
     
  3. Assembly and annotation of genomes, transcriptomes, and metagenomes
    Principal Investigator(s): Birol, Inanc (Medical Genetics)
    Research Institution: BC Cancer, part of PHSA (Vancouver)
     
  4. An intersectional investigation of women's experiences of overlapping overdose and COVID-19 public health crises
    Principal Investigator(s): Boyd, Jade (Medicine)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  5. Gamifying neuro rehabilitation: Can we predict who will benefit?
    Principal Investigator(s): Boyd, Lara (Physical Therapy)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  6. Traffic-Related Air Pollution, Inhaled Corticosteroids and Host Defence Response in COPD
    Principal Investigator(s): Carlsten, Christopher (School of Population and Public Health); Mookherjee, Neeloffer (University of Manitoba)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  7. A specialized neural circuit representing novelty on behavioural timescales
    Principal Investigator(s): Cembrowski, Mark S (Cellular & Physiological Sciences)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  8. Targeting synaptic organizers in neuropsychiatric disorders
    Principal Investigator(s): Craig, Ann Marie (Psychiatry)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  9. Development of LNP/mRNA systems for direct transfection and generation of functional Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cells in-vivo for treatment of blood and other cancer cell types
    Principal Investigator(s): Cullis, Pieter (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
    Research Institution: UBC
     *Conditionally funded at time of posting
     
  10. Leveraging TCR reactivity to improve CAR T therapy
    Principal Investigator(s): Evgin, Laura E (Medical Genetics)
    Research Institution: BC Cancer, part of PHSA (Vancouver)
     
  11. Pax6 regulation of glutamatergic lineages in cerebellar development
    Principal Investigator(s): Goldowitz, Daniel (Medical Genetics); Pavlidis, Paul (Psychiatry, Michael Smith Laboratories)
    Research Institution: BC Children's Hospital Research Institute
     
  12. Novel mechanisms and therapeutic approach for aging-related pruritus
    Principal Investigator(s): Granville, David J (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  13. Determining the role of FMRP complexes in autism-relevant gene expression
    Principal Investigator(s): Greenblatt, Ethan J (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  14. Transcriptional Drivers of the Hepatic Lineage
    Principal Investigator(s): Hoodless, Pamela, A (Medical Genetics, School of Biomedical Engineering)
    Research Institution: BC Cancer, part of PHSA (Vancouver)
     *Conditionally funded at time of posting
     
  15. Pre-clinical development of broad-spectrum antiviral strategies against human respiratory viruses of pandemic concern
    Principal Investigator(s): Jean, François (Microbiology and Immunology); Boudreault, Pierre-Luc (Université de Sherbrooke); Leduc, Richard (Université de Sherbrooke)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  16. Clonal interactions in myeloid malignancy
    Principal Investigator(s): Karsan, Aly (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
    Research Institution: BC Cancer, part of PHSA (Vancouver)
     
  17. Role of SASH1 in generation of hematopoietic stem cells
    Principal Investigator(s): Karsan, Aly (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
    Research Institution: BC Cancer, part of PHSA (Vancouver)
     
  18. Applying Research about the Social/Medical Spending Ratio to Federal and Provincial Budget Allocations Between Ministries
    Principal Investigator(s): Kershaw, Paul W (School of Population and Public Health); Hennessy, Trish (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  19. Targeting lung microbiome for developing early detection and intervention strategies for lung cancer
    Principal Investigator(s): Lam, Wan L (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
    Research Institution: B.C. Cancer Research Centre (Vancouver)
     *Conditionally funded at time of posting
     
  20. Lipid Nanoparticle-Mediated Delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing for Neurological Disorders.
    Principal Investigator(s): Leavitt, Blair R (Medical Genetics)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  21. Role of BMP2 signaling at the maternal-fetal interface
    Principal Investigator(s): Leung, Peter C (Obstetrics & Gynaecology); Beristain, Alexander G (Obstetrics & Gynaecology)
    Research Institution: UBC
     *Conditionally funded at time of posting
     
  22. Next-generation GRPR-targeting radiopharmaceuticals with improved in vivo stability and minimized pancreas uptake
    Principal Investigator(s): Lin, Kuo-Shyan (Radiology)
    Research Institution: BC Cancer, part of PHSA (Vancouver)
     
  23. Health and neurodevelopmental trajectories of children and adolescents born at preterm and term gestation
    Principal Investigator(s): Lisonkova, Sarka (Obstetrics & Gynaecology); Razaz, Neda (Karolinska Institutet)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  24. Atrial fibrillation stroke prevention: New insights from anticoagulant adherence thresholds and trajectories
    Principal Investigator(s): Loewen, Peter S (Pharmaceutical Sciences)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  25. Behaviour-based cell separation to interrogate host cell heterogeneity in CAR-T cell therapies
    Principal Investigator(s): Ma, Hongshen (Mechanical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  26. SinoNasal Microbiota Transfer (SNMT) to treat chronic rhinosinusitis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
    Principal Investigator(s): Manges, Amee R (School of Population and Public Health); Javer, Amin R (Surgery)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  27. A Study of Reduced Dosing of the Nonavalent HPV Vaccine in Women Living with HIV
    Principal Investigator(s): Money, Deborah M (Obstetrics & Gynaecology)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  28. Role of MERCs and Mitophagy in Cancer Progression
    Principal Investigator(s): Nabi, Ivan R (Cellular & Physiological Sciences)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  29. Traumatic brain injury and cerebral small vessel disease in a vulnerably housed cohort, a prelude to early neurodegeneration and dementia
    Principal Investigator(s): Panenka, William J (Psychiatry); Field, Thalia S (Medicine); Thornton, Allen E (SFU); Wellington, Cheryl L (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  30. Targeting inflammatory and neurodegenerative pathways relevant to progression in the NR1H3 (LXRA) R415Q model of primary progressive multiple sclerosis
    Principal Investigator(s): Quandt, Jacqueline A (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  31. Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping from Clinical Phase Data
    Principal Investigator(s): Rauscher, Alexander (Pediatrics)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  32. Understanding sex differences in the neuronal control of whole-body fat storage and breakdown
    Principal Investigator(s): Rideout, Elizabeth J (Cellular & Physiological Sciences)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  33. Family Matters: Engaging Loved Ones to Prevent Overdose Deaths in Semi-Urban and Rural Communities
    Principal Investigator(s): Salmon, Amy L (School of Population and Public Health); Hawkins, Jennifer (Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences)
    Research Institution: Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences (Vancouver, BC)
     
  34. Peers Actively Involved in Rehabilitation: Transforming Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation (PAIR TBI)
    Principal Investigator(s): Schmidt, Julia (Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  35. Mechanisms underlying the bronchodilatory effect of deep inspiration in health and asthma: from airway smooth muscle to the whole lung
    Principal Investigator(s): Seow, Chun Y (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  36. A bioengineering platform to promote safe cell therapies
    Principal Investigator(s): Shakiba, Nika (School of Biomedical Engineering); Goyal, Sidhartha (University of Toronto)
    Research Institution: UBC
     *Conditionally funded at time of posting
     
  37. An evaluation of the health, criminal justice, and service use outcomes of the Ministry of Health assuming responsibility for prison health care services in BC (PRISM-BC)
    Principal Investigator(s): Slaunwhite, Amanda K (School of Population and Public Health); Nicholls, Tonia L (School of Population and Public Health); Schütz, Christian G (Psychiatry)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  38. The Cedar Project: Strengthening Our Spirit Intervention for Indigenous peoples who use drugs in two Canadian cities
    Principal Investigator(s): Spittal, Patricia M (School of Population and Public Health)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  39. Drug overdose after departure from hospital against medical advice
    Principal Investigator(s): Staples, John A (Medicine)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  40. Digital self-tracking and self-testing for early detection of endometrial cancer
    Principal Investigator(s): Talhouk, Aline (Obstetrics & Gynecology); Anglesio, Michael S (Obstetrics & Gynaecology); Hill, Janet E (University of Saskatchewan); Money, Deborah M (Obstetrics & Gynecology); Tinker, Anna (Medicine)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  41. Mechanisms of endogenous retrovirus-mediated antiviral immunity against genital herpes simplex virus 2 infection and disease.
    Principal Investigator(s): Tokuyama, Maria (Microbiology & Immunology)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  42. Fate and function of mesenchymal progenitors within the medulloblastoma tumour microenvironment
    Principal Investigator(s): Underhill, Michael (Cellular & Physiological Sciences, School of Biomedical Engineering)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  43. Mesenchymal progenitors in liver fibrosis - quiescence as a therapeutic target
    Principal Investigator(s): Underhill, Michael (Cellular & Physiological Sciences, School of Biomedical Engineering)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  44. Regulatory mechanisms of voltage-gated calcium channels
    Principal Investigator(s): Van Petegem, Filip (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  45. Structural and functional investigation of Junctophilins in health and disease
    Principal Investigator(s): Van Petegem, Filip (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)
    Research Institution: UBC
     
  46. Clinical-biomarker predictors of outcome after endometriosis surgery
    Principal Investigator(s): Yong, Paul (Obstetrics & Gynecology); Anglesio, Michael S (Obstetrics & Gynecology); Howard, Amanda F (Nursing); Mohamed, Ali Bedaiwy (Obstetrics and Gynecology); Talhouk, Aline (Obstetrics & Gynecology)
    Research Institution: UBC

Full list of Project Grant recipients

Note: conditional awards will appear in the CIHR online listing once conditions are satisfied
 


UBC-LED PROJECTS: PRIORITY ANNOUNCEMENT GRANTS

Priority Announcement: Epigenetics/epigenomics in human health or disease

  1. Blood Epigenetic Age Biomarkers and Health Outcomes in COPD
    Principal Investigator(s): Sin, Donald (Medicine), Leung, Janice (Medicine)
    Research Institution: UBC

Full list of Priority Announcement grant recipients