University of British Columbia research in climate change, chemistry, medical imaging and physical therapy received a $2.9 million boost today from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).
CFI’s Leaders Opportunity Fund will support 20 UBC projects by providing funding for research equipment, facilities and other infrastructure.
The funding awarded to UBC researchers was part of $53 million in new funds for 207 projects at 42 institutions across Canada, announced today by Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), in Winnipeg.
“Support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation has been instrumental in creating innovative research and training opportunities for UBC faculty and students,” said John Hepburn, UBC Vice President Research and International, at today’s announcement at UBC’s Vancouver campus. “We are grateful to the Government of Canada for their ongoing support and I congratulate all researchers at UBC and across British Columbia who received funding in today’s announcement.”
Hepburn was joined by Wai Young, Member of Parliament for Vancouver South, and Kristin Campbell, assistant professor of physical therapy at UBC, at today’s event announcing the grants awarded to researchers in British Columbia.
Campbell, one of the researchers awarded funding under the Leaders Opportunity Fund, studies the effects of exercise on people living with or recovering from cancer. The funds given to her will be used for various pieces of equipment to measure the intensity of exercise, level of fitness, and changes in body composition of the people engaged in the exercise regimen.
“This award will provide me and my research team with funding for essential laboratory equipment to examine the role of physical activity in cancer rehabilitation and survivorship,” says Campbell, who works in collaboration with the Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. “In the past, the common advice during and following cancer treatment was to rest. But emerging research is showing that physical activity can improve quality of life and help cancer survivors return to everyday activities. The key research question is to understand specifically how physical activity can help, and why.”
For more information and a complete list of projects, please visit: www.innovation.ca.
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