Three McMaster researchers have been awarded infrastructure funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to advance their work in materials processing, respiratory medicine, and mental health.
The projects are funded through CFI’s John Evans Leaders Fund (JELF), designated for exceptional researchers to conduct leading-edge research by giving them the requisite tools and equipment to become leaders in their fields. The awards were part of a national funding announcement made today by Minister of Science, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan.
The McMaster projects include:
André Phillion
, associate professor, materials science and engineering, will receive $200,000 for his project: Liquid Metal Engineering of Lightweight High Strength Low Alloy Steels and Aluminum-Zinc Alloys.
Jeremy Hirota, Canada Research Chair in Respiratory Mucosal Immunology and assistant professor of medicine, was awarded $180,000 for his project: The Tissue Engineering for Advanced Medicine (TEAM) Lab: A Platform for Precision Prevention, Diagnosis, and Medicine.
Dr. Flavio Kapczinski, professor of psychiatry & behavioural neurosciences, will receive $140,000 for his project: The Biological Signatures of Clinical Progression in Bipolar Disorder.
Project descriptions can be found here.
“Access to state-of-the-art tools and research infrastructure will allow researchers to explore some of our most pressing questions,” says Minister Duncan. “The answers they find will contribute to the evidence our government needs to build a stronger economy and a more prosperous future for all Canadians.”
CFI’s President and CEO, Rosann O’Reilly Runte, says that investing in a new generation of research talent is more important than ever before for Canada. “The Canada Foundation for Innovation is making it possible for our brilliant researchers to remain in Canada, to build our economy, and to contribute to solving the problems of the world,” she said.
John R. Evans was the founding dean of McMaster’s Faculty of Health Sciences (1965-1972) and the CFI’s first Board Chair.