Stroke research at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute received an international boost with a U.S. $6 million grant from the Transatlantic Networks of Excellence Program at the Fondation Leducq in France. UBC and VCHRI are the only Canadian institutions to receive funding from a 2007-2008 competition.
Prof. Brian MacVicar, a member of the Brain Research Centre at UBC and VCHRI, is the lead coordinator of this international research network. MacVicar and researchers from Canada, Denmark, France, England and the US will examine how the brain regulates blood supply and demand. They will also investigate how blood flow is changed in different disease states, such as following a stroke.
“Stroke is caused by loss of blood flow to the brain and is a leading cause of death and disability in North America,” says MacVicar. “By characterizing the mechanisms responsible for changes in the regulation of blood flow, we may be able to identify new strategies for treating stroke.”
The award is one of only three grants funded under the Fondation Leducq’s 2007-2008 Transatlantic Networks of Excellence Program and is the first of its kind at UBC and VCHRI.
“This generous grant from the Fondation Leducq brings together some of the world’s leading stroke investigators and provides a collaborative multinational opportunity for research,” says John Hepburn, UBC Vice- President, Research. “This investment strengthens UBC’s position as a world-leading research institution.”
“Breakthroughs from this collaboration will translate into better health outcomes for patients affected by stroke,” says Dr. Robert McMaster, VCHRI Interim Executive Director. “British Columbians will be at the front line to benefit with Dr. MacVicar leading this prestigious group.”
The Fondation Leducq is a French-based foundation dedicated to improving human health through international efforts to combat cardiovascular and neurovascular disease. www.fondationleducq.org
The Brain Research Centre is a partnership of UBC and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, the research body of the health authority. www.brain.ubc.ca
The Faculty of Medicine at UBC provides innovative programs in the health and life sciences, teaching students at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels, and generates more than $200 million in research funding each year. www.med.ubc.ca
VCHRI is the research body of Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. In academic partnership with UBC, the institute advances health research and innovation across B.C., Canada, and beyond. www.vchri.ca
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