The University of British Columbia and its affiliated research institutes today welcomed Dr. Matthew Farrer as its first Canada Excellence Research Chair in Neurogenetics and Translational Neuroscience. Nineteen inaugural chairholders at 13 universities were announced earlier today in Toronto.
The Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) program was established by the federal government in 2008 to help build a critical mass of expertise in strategic areas. For each chair, universities will receive up to $10 million over seven years to support chairholders and their teams.
Farrer will join the UBC Faculty of Medicine from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida and establish research teams and laboratories at the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics (CMMT) at the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI) and at the Brain Research Centre (BRC) at UBC and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. The teams will study the molecular origins of brain diseases and pioneer new strategies for early detection and improved treatments for Parkinson’s disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders in adults and children.
UBC Vice President Research and International John Hepburn was joined today by Member of Parliament Ed Fast, CMMT Director Dr. Michael Hayden and BRC Director Dr. Max Cynader in a welcoming ceremony at CFRI.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Farrer to Vancouver to join an already stellar cluster of world-renowned brain and neuroscience researchers based here,” said Hepburn. “The investment that the Government of Canada has made through the Canada Excellence Research Chair program will undoubtedly yield breakthroughs in knowledge and treatment for brain diseases and injuries.”
“Despite remarkable discoveries throughout the last century about the brains’ anatomy and functions, far less is known about how best to intervene when these functions become disordered or diseased,” said Farrer. “The multidisciplinary collaborations at the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics and the Brain Research Centre, coupled with UBC’s enviable track record of successful knowledge transfer, will greatly enhance our ability to gain new knowledge.
“Most importantly, it will shorten the amount of time it takes to apply leading edge research to real world solutions for people suffering from brain diseases and injuries,” Farrer added.
“Having Dr. Farrer join our team creates incredible opportunities for collaborative work,” said Hayden. “Dr. Farrer is a vanguard of personalized medicine and his commitment to translational work is in alignment with the mission of CMMT.”
“Dr. Farrer’s work sits at the interface of revolutions in genetics and neuroscience,” said Cynader. “We are optimistic that his discoveries will lead to new diagnostics and therapeutics for the many people who suffer from brain disorders.”
It is estimated that 10 million Canadians – nearly one-third of Canada’s population – will be affected by brain disease, disorder or injuries at some time in their lives. The financial burden of treating these conditions is estimated to cost the Canadian healthcare systems $30 billion annually.
The CERC national announcement is available at www.cerc.gc.ca.
BIOGRAPHY: Dr. Matthew Farrer, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Neurogenetics and Translational Neuroscience at UBC
An expert in the field of molecular genetics, Dr. Matthew Farrer has made several influential discoveries in neurogenetics and is critically acclaimed for his work on the genetics of Parkinson’s disease.
Before accepting his position as the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Neurogenetics and Translational Neuroscience at UBC, Farrer was a Professor of Molecular Neuroscience and Director of the Neurogenetics Division at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. At the Clinic, he worked on finding innovative new treatments for patients suffering from neurologic diseases by refining diagnoses and identifying biomarkers of early and progressive disease.
In 2008, Dr. Farrer was named Mayo Clinic Distinguished Investigator, the institution’s highest award for research excellence. He has studied patient populations and families world-wide and his molecular insights have led to model systems that are helping to define the biologic processes perturbed by genetic mutations, and have laid the foundation for new and effective therapies.
Dr. Farrer’s research has been funded by the U.S. National Institute of Aging, the Pacific Alzheimer’s Research Foundation and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. He is a member of the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board.
Farrer holds a PhD in Human Genetics from Imperial College London and a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from King’s College London in the UK. He was also a postdoctoral fellow in medical and community genetics at St. Mark’s National Health Service Trust, UK.
His current research interests are neurodegenerative disorders, with a focus on the molecular genetics and functional modelling of movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
The Brain Research Centre comprises more than 200 investigators with multidisciplinary expertise in neuroscience research ranging from the test tube, to the bedside, to industrial spin-offs. The centre is a partnership of UBC and VCH Research Institute. For more information, visit www.brain.ubc.ca.
The Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics is a synergistic group of scientists and researchers who share a strong sense of commitment to solve the many genetic questions surrounding human illness and well being. Affiliated with the University of British Columbia and the Child & Family Research Institute, CMMT conducts discovery research and translates that research into effective clinical and therapeutic strategies to promote health. For more information, visit www.cmmt.ubc.ca.
The Child & Family Research Institute conducts discovery, clinical and applied research to benefit the health of children and families. It is the largest institute of its kind in Western Canada. CFRI works in close partnership with the University of British Columbia, BC Children’s Hospital and Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre, agencies of the Provincial Health Services Authority, and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. CFRI has additional important relationships with BC’s five regional health authorities and with BC academic institutions Simon Fraser University, the University of Victoria, the University of Northern British Columbia, and the British Columbia Institute of Technology. For more information, visit www.cfri.ca.
The UBC Faculty of Medicine provides innovative education programs in health and life sciences, teaching over 3,000 students at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels. In addition, over 700 researchers/faculty members representing all of the Faculty’s 19 departments, two schools and 15 research centres and institutes received research grants. In 2008/09 the Faculty generated more than one-half of the total research funding of the university ($475.3M). For more information visit www.med.ubc.ca.
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute is the research body of Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, which includes BC’s largest academic and teaching health sciences centres: Vancouver General Hospital, UBC Hospital, and GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre. The institute, academically affiliated with UBC Faculty of Medicine, is one of Canada’s top funded research centres, with $102 million in total research funding for 2008/2009. VCH Research Institute brings innovation and discovery to patient care, advancing healthier lives in healthy communities across British Columbia, Canada, and beyond. www.vchri.ca.
