Congratulations to the following OISB researchers who were awarded grants through the NSERC Discovery Grants Program:
- Dr. Shawn Beug — “Exploring how cytokine-driven vesicles enable intercellular communication in adaptive immunity”
- Dr. Mary-Ellen Harper — “Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) -dependent and -independent mitochondrial uncoupling: Role of adenine nucleotide translocase and the adenosine nucleotides”
- Dr. Michael Downey — “Regulation and function of protein lysine acetylation in budding yeast”
- Dr. Derrick Gibbings — “Role of Midkine in RNA packaging into extracellular vesicles and its transfer in mice
- Dr. Laura Trinkle-Mulcahy — “Contribution of phosphoprotein phosphatases to the maintenance of genomic stability”
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 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.
The OISB would like to congratulate the following OISB principal investigators who have been awarded funding in the Spring 2026 CIHR Project Grant:
Researchers in the Faculty of Medicine have secured new funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to advance impactful research that addresses complex health and societal challenges. These projects span disciplines and methodologies, generating new knowledge to inform policy, practice and health outcomes across Canada and beyond.
- Dr. Shawn Beug: "Unlocking T cell therapy for pediatric brain tumors"
- Dr. Shawn Beug: "Small molecule enhancement of immune cell function to drive anti-cancer responses"
- Dr. Damien D'Amours: "Mitotic regulation of the Condensin complex"
Congratulations to Dr. Lavallée-Adam on his nomination of Co-Director of the Ottawa Regional Proteomics Core Facility
The OISB congratulates Dr. Marceline Côté on being appointed Interim Director of Microbiology and Immunology Graduate Program.
The OISB congratulates Dr. Maxime Rousseaux, new Director of the Genome Editing and Molecular (GEM) Biology Core Facility.
Dr. Harper, the OISB Director was honoured by the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) for her leadership, excellence and achievements in academic medicine.
The OISB would like to congratulate the following OISB principal investigators who have been awarded funding in the CIHR Fall 2025 Competition
- William Stanford -Cellular and molecular pathogenesis of renal tuberous sclerosis complex – $1,191,105
- Lynn Megeney - Small molecule induction of physiologic hypertrophy to limit/reverse heart failure – $864,450
- Michael Rudnicki - Muscle stem cell dysfunction in cancer cachexia – $833,850
- Mireille Khacho - Redox signaling via protein S-glutathionylation in muscle stem cell function and muscle repair - $1,067,175