Two University of British Columbia faculty members — a cardiovascular
researcher and a health-care economist and policy analyst — will
lead two of 13 national virtual health research institutes recently
established by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
Dr. Bruce McManus will lead the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory
Health. It will support research into the causes, prevention and
treatment of conditions associated with heart, lung, blood and stroke.
Prof. Morris Barer will lead the Institute of Health Services
and Policy Research. It will support research on how health care
services are regulated, funded, organized and delivered and their
effects on patient health.
“This is a strong endorsement of our reputation in the national
research community,” says UBC President Martha Piper. “This network
of scholars will contribute significantly to biomedical, clinical,
and health-care system knowledge in both in Canada and internationally.”
Thirteen Canadian researchers were named to lead the network of
virtual health research institutes which seek to co-ordinate and
consolidate investigations and translate research into improved
health care. The scientific directors will work with public, private
and voluntary sectors to build national health research initiatives
in areas ranging from healthy aging to infection and immunity to
health services.
McManus directs the Cardiovascular Research Laboratory and Cardiovascular
Registry at Vancouver’s St. Paul’s Hospital, part of Providence
Health Care. He is also the co-director of the iCAPTURE Centre at
St. Paul’s, a research facility that seeks to find innovative solutions
to cardiac, pulmonary and blood vessel diseases. He joined UBC in
1993 and served as professor and head in the Dept. of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine until this month.
A UBC alumnus, Barer joined UBC in 1979 and in 1990 founded UBC’s
Centre for Health Services and Policy Research. A professor in the
Dept. of Health Care and Epidemiology, his research has focused
on issues such as health-care financing, health human resource policy,
pharmaceutical policy and evidence-based health-care policy.
The 13 institutes will start implementing strategic plans by April
2001. Directors will lead the institutes from their current work
locations. Each appointment is for an initial period of four years.
CIHR is the major federal agency responsible for funding health
research in Canada. It has replaced the Medical Research Council
of Canada. More information on CIHR can be found at www.cihr.ca.
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