U of S Awarded $2.8 M for Three New Research Chairs and Equipment
Posted June 25, 2003
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Wednesday, June 25, 2003 2003-06-12-OTHER
U of S Awarded $2.8 M for Three New Research Chairs and Equipment
Today the University of Saskatchewan was awarded $2.4 million over the next
five to seven years to create three new Canada Research Chairs, as well as
$439,402 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) for related
laboratory equipment.
The new Chairholders will conduct cutting-edge research at two
soon-to-be-completed U of S research facilities -- the Canadian Light Source
(CLS) synchrotron (www.lightsource.ca) which opens next spring and the
Saskatchewan Structural Sciences Centre which opens this fall.
"This is great news for the U of S," said U of S President Peter MacKinnon.
"These outstanding scientists will increase leading-edge, multi-disciplinary
research at two U of S world-class facilities and provide exciting
opportunities for graduate student research and training in health and
environmental science areas."
"Today, we are celebrating the strategic partnership between the U of S, the
Canada Research Chairs Program and the CFI," said Industry Minister Allan
Rock. "The Government of Canada's investment in U of S researchers allows
them to advance their careers among world-class colleagues, mentor and train
top graduate students and gain access to state-of-the-art research
facilities."
The new Chairholders, who will assume their positions this summer, are:
- Canada Research Chair in Molecular Environmental Science
Human activities such as mining and natural events such as erosion and
weathering release toxic elements into the environment which can lead to
freshwater contamination and may increase the amount of toxins entering the
food chain.
Recruited to the U of S geological sciences department from Stanford
University, Ingrid Pickering will use the CLS to study the chemical fate of
toxic elements in the environment and their impact on ecosystem and human
health. Her work will increase understanding of these systems and provide a
foundation for possible remediation strategies for contaminated areas.
- Canada Research Chair in X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy
Humans are exposed daily to a complex mixture of chemical compounds from the
environment, many of which contain metals and other heavy elements that are
either essential to health or can be poisonous. In either case, the
molecular nature of the compound determines whether it has toxic or
beneficial properties.
Recruited to the U of S geological sciences department from Stanford
University, Graham George will use intense X-ray beams from the synchrotron
to study the molecular nature of metals and heavy elements such as mercury
in living systems. His research could lead to new treatments for heavy metal
poisoning and a better understanding of the role of metals and heavy
elements in human health.
- Canada Research Chair in Life Sciences Related to Human Health and Disease
The first step in the progression of diseases such as heart attack, angina,
stroke, and some forms of cancer occurs when cells clump together. Proteins
known as integrins on the surface of cancer cells and platelets (small blood
cells) regulate the stickiness of cells.
Recruited to the U of S department of anatomy and cell biology from the
Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Thomas Haas studies the structure-function
relationship of integrin communication within cells. He will design and test
a new generation of drugs that block the ability of platelet and cancer
cells to bind together, work that will help determine whether these drugs
can be used to treat heart attack, stroke, and cancer.
The new Chairs are among 31 allotted to the U of S under the $900-million
Chairs Program. For profiles of U of S Chairholders, visit:
http://www.chairs.gc.ca/english/profile/index.cfm
Nominations submitted by universities to the Chairs Program are reviewed by
a team of academic peers who choose only the most outstanding. U of S
research priority areas for the Chairs are: biotechnology, environmental
sciences, health sciences, identity and diversity, materials science, and
technology and change.
With the addition of the three new Chairs, the U of S has now been awarded a
total of $13.8 million to support 15 Chairs, as well as almost $1.7 million
in related CFI infrastructure funding.
Today's announcement was made in Ottawa by Minister Rock as part of a
$69.7-million investment to create 80 new Canada Research Chairs at 32
universities, along with $10.3 million million in CFI infrastructure
support.
The Chairs Program was created to enhance universities as centers of
world-class research excellence by attracting and retaining excellent
researchers in Canadian universities. By 2005, Canadian universities will
have 2,000 new Canada Research Chairs. So far, 926 Chairs have been awarded.
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For more information, contact:
Kathryn Warden
U of S Research Communications Officer
(306) 966-2506
kathryn.warden@usask.ca
www.usask.ca/research
