Media

OTTAWA, September 1, 2011  —  As all campuses gear up for welcoming new and returning students, research at the University of Ottawa and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) are delighted to be receiving $2 million in funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) in support of nine high-impact research projects.

The funding was announced as part of the CFI’s Leaders Opportunity Fund (LOF), which enables institutions to acquire the necessary infrastructure for research carried out by the best and brightest researchers.

“The Canada Foundation for Innovation is crucial to our research community”, said Mona Nemer, vice-president, research at the University of Ottawa. “Thanks to this funding, these outstanding scientists will intensify their research through state-of-the-art equipment – all for the benefit of Canadians.”

The nine research projects supported are:

Rebecca Ann Auer and Marc Carrier – The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Innovative Cancer Therapies - Targeting the Perioperative Period - A Translational Research Program
The focus of Drs. Auer and Carriers' research evaluates why the removal a tumour predisposes patients to the spread of their cancer. Using novel treatments that target post-operative changes such as cancer-blood clotting and immune system suppression, the research will significantly improve cancer survival in surgical patients.

Jaclyn Brusso — Department of Chemistry
Magneto-Optoelectronic Materials Chemistry Laboratory
Professor Brusso explores the role of structure and morphology on the properties of closed shell conjugated macromolecules and liquid crystalline radicals. Her research aims to design and develop smaller, lighter, cheaper and more efficient electronic, optical and magnetic materials.

Anthony Carlsen and Erin Cressman –— School of Human Kinetics
Sensorimotor Neuroscience: Examining Sensory Plasticity Associated with Motor Adaptation
Professor Carlsen and Cressman’s work looks to determine how the brain processes sensory information for the preparation and execution of skilled movement. It will have major implications for people suffering from neurological disorders.

Marc Dubé — Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Tools for Sustainable Polymerization: Polymer Synthesis, Molecular Weight Measurement and In-line Reaction Monitoring
Professor Dubé is exploring “sustainable polymerization”, developing green methods to produce polymers like plastics, paints, and biomedical materials. His research aims to replace toxic components, such as bisphenol A, in products using bio-based materials as well as reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in polymer processes.

Konrad Gajewski — Department of Geography
Laboratory for Interactive Research on Environmental and Policy Change
Professor Gajewski studies climate change and its impacts on terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. His research explores global climates of the past 20000 years in order to understand how climatic changes affected the North American landscape.
 
France Martineau — Département de français
Laboratoire des français d'Amérique
Le Laboratoire des français d’Amérique s’intéresse à l’histoire des communautés francophones d’Amérique du Nord, depuis 400 ans. Il examine la place des langues migrantes dans des contextes interculturels ainsi l’élaboration de normes de référence linguistique pour les communautés.

Claude Messier — School of Psychology
Brain Plasticity, Neuronal and Metabolic Adaptation
Professor Messier studies the brain's adaptations to provide adequate energy to neurons when they are active. These adaptations include the development of new blood vessels as well as increasing the number of transporters that shuttle nutrients from blood to brain.

Vincent Tabard-Cossa — Department of Physics
Laboratory for Applied Single-Molecule Biophysics
The research carried out by professor Tabard-Cossa explores innovative methods to manipulate and characterize single molecules using nanoscale devices. His cutting-edge research will lead to novel tools for the health and biological sciences.

Fabio Variola — Department of Mechanical Engineering
Surface Nanoengineering of Implantable Metals to Guide Cell Activity and Fate
Professor Variola focuses on micro and nanoscale surface modifications of biomaterial used in medical devices and explores how cells and proteins interact with substrates. His research aims to greatly improve the development of current medical implants.

The University of Ottawa is committed to research excellence and encourages an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge creation, which attracts the best academic talent from across Canada and around the world.