“Securing 21 grants and awards across such a diverse range of disciplines is a testament to the talent, creativity and ambition of our research community.”
Dr. Jocelyn Côté, Vice-Dean, Research, Faculty of Medicine
NSERC Discovery Grants
Faculty of Medicine researchers were awarded $3.69 million through the NSERC Discovery Grants Program, Canada's flagship program for supporting long-term, investigator-driven research.
These investments support research programs that expand fundamental knowledge while creating opportunities for scientific breakthroughs and future innovation.
- Dr. John Bell (BMI/OHRI) — “Modulation of Ras-family GTPase signaling for enhancing production of extracellular vaccinia virus”
- Dr. Shawn Beug (BMI/CHEO RI) — “Exploring how cytokine-driven vesicles enable intercellular communication in adaptive immunity”
- Dr. Vanessa D’Costa (BMI) — “Mechanisms of host cell modulation by bacterial effector proteins”
- Dr. Mary-Ellen Harper (BMI) — “Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) -dependent and -independent mitochondrial uncoupling: Role of adenine nucleotide translocase and the adenosine nucleotides”
- Dr. Jessie Lavoie (BMI) — “An engineering approach to extracellular vesicle-based genetic payload delivery: Platform design for cargo loading, tracking, and targeting”
- Dr. Subash Sad (BMI) — “Control of regulatory T cell function by DGAT”
- Dr. Jean-Claude Béïque (CMM) — “Dendritic learning signals”
- Dr. Michael Downey (CMM) — “Regulation and function of protein lysine acetylation in budding yeast”
- Dr. Derrick Gibbings (CMM) — “Role of Midkine in RNA packaging into extracellular vesicles and its transfer in mice”
- Dr. Baptiste Lacoste (CMM/OHRI) — “Mechanistic insight into postnatal gliovascular unit formation”
- Dr. Qiao Li (CMM) — “Molecular mechanisms of nuclear receptor signaling in skeletal muscle regeneration”
- Dr. Pierre Mattar (CMM/OHRI) — “Ultraconservation of developmental timing during vertebrate retinal development”
- Dr. Katalin Toth (CMM) — “The role of synaptic diversity in information coding in the hippocampal network”
- Dr. Laura Trinkle-Mulcahy (CMM) — “Contribution of phosphoprotein phosphatases to the maintenance of genomic stability”
- Dr. Ran Klein (Medicine/OHRI) — “Quantifying the task-based performance of PET technologies for accurate lesion detection”
- Dr. Charlène Roussel (SPS) — “Urine-Glycosaminoglycan interfaces and fecal microbiomes as engineered niches to study the dynamics of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC)”
NSERC Research Tools and Instruments (RTI)
The NSERC Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) program supports the acquisition of cutting-edge equipment and infrastructure that enables researchers to pursue innovative scientific discoveries and strengthen research capacity.
- Dr. Emilio Alarcon (BMI/UOHI), with co-applicants Drs. Benjamin Rotstein (BMI/UOHI), Erin Mulvihill (BMI/UOHI), Marc-André Langlois (BMI), and Thomas Lagace (BMI/UOHI) received $150K in funding for the acquisition of an ultra-efficient automated peptide synthesizer. The new infrastructure will strengthen the research programs of five principal investigators across multiple disciplines, enabling the development of novel biomaterials, molecular imaging probes and peptide-based therapeutics, while supporting interdisciplinary collaboration and training for the next generation of researchers.
NFRF – Exploration
The New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) Exploration program supports high-risk, high-reward interdisciplinary research with the potential to generate transformative new insights and approaches.
- Dr. Arvind Mer (BMI) received an NFRF Exploration Grant of $250K for the project "Decoding hibernation with AI to overcome cancer drug resistance." The interdisciplinary project will use artificial intelligence and bioinformatics to investigate how cancer cells enter a hibernation-like dormant state that allows them to survive chemotherapy. By comparing these mechanisms to those used by hibernating animals to endure prolonged physiological stress, the team aims to identify new therapeutic targets and existing drugs that could help overcome treatment resistance, prevent cancer relapse and improve patient outcomes.
Collaborators include:
- Dr. Aaron Schimmer – University of Toronto
- Dr. Julien Martin – University of Ottawa Faculty of Biology
“These investments empower our researchers to pursue bold ideas, uncover the fundamental mechanisms of health and disease, harness emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, and accelerate discoveries that can ultimately improve lives.”
Dr. Jocelyn Côté, Vice-Dean, Research, Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine Translational Research Grants
In addition to federal funding success, the Faculty of Medicine is investing in the next generation of collaborative health research through its 2026 Translational Research Grants Program.
Designed to accelerate bench-to-bedside innovation, the program supports partnerships between basic scientists and clinical researchers to advance translational research, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and generate the preliminary data needed to compete for larger external funding opportunities.
The program provides up to $50,000 over two years, matched by researchers' host institutes or departments, to support innovative projects focused on developing new therapies, diagnostics, medical procedures, and other advances with the potential to improve patient care.
In 2026, three collaborative research teams received Translational Research Grants:
- Dr. Dylan Burger (CMM/OHRI) and Dr. Joseph Shaw (Medicine/OHRI) – “Defining clinically actionable pharmacodynamic anticoagulation targets using thrombin generation: An in vitro cross-sectional study (CODEBREAKER)”
- Dr. David Cook (CMM/OHRI) and Dr. Yan Xu (Medicine/OHRI) – “Clones, Clots and Cancer: Precision cancer prevention after venous thromboembolism by early detection of clonal hematopoiesis”
- Dr. Seung-Hwan Lee (BMI) and Dr. Rebecca Auer (Surgery/OHRI) – “Engineering TGFβ-resistant NK cells to prevent postoperative immunosuppression and metastases”
These awards provide critical seed funding to strengthen partnerships between laboratory and clinical researchers, helping to translate scientific discoveries into practical healthcare solutions.
Together, these awards showcase the remarkable breadth of research at the Faculty of Medicine—from uncovering the fundamental mechanisms of cells and disease to harnessing artificial intelligence, advancing precision medicine, and addressing complex societal challenges. Collectively, these projects are generating the knowledge, technologies and partnerships that will help shape the future of health and healthcare.
