The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) have released the results of their latest Project Grant competition. Seven Queen’s researchers were awarded funds for projects spanning from cancer to autism and social determinants of health. Another three researchers were listed as Priority Announcements, that provide additional sources of potential funding to projects that are relevant to CIHR and partners. In total, Queen’s secured $6.48 million in federal funding for health research.
Christopher Mueller (Queen’s Cancer Research Institute) has been investigating new strategies to extend the lives of women with metastatic breast cancer. He led the development of a blood test that will be used to determine if a given patient is responding well to the treatment of choice within the first few weeks of therapy. This grant will allow the team to start a clinical trial in Kingston and Ottawa that will show if the new blood test can be used to guide clinical decisions and help physicians provide the most effective treatment for each patient. Funding amount: $891,226.
Xiaolong Yang (Pathology and Molecular Medicine) researches how cancer initiates, progresses, and resists to drugs. This program will investigate the role of a group of genes called “Hippo” in breast cancer spreading and metastasis. The results will inform the development of new treatment strategies that target metastasis, which accounts for over 90 per cent of breast cancer fatalities. Funding amount: $956,250