Announcements
Abilities Magazine
| October 23rd, 2003 | |
The ForumOntario Neurotrauma FoundationSpring 2003. Issue 54: p. 43 Forumby Meri Miojevic Injury to the brain and/or spinal cord (neurotrauma) is one of the most catastrophic and costly occurrences in our health system. A recent report funded by ONF to examine the cost of neurotrauma in Ontario identified that the direct cost alone of spinal cord injury (SCI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) to the provincial health care system exceeds $466-million annually. This cost does not reflect the significant financial and quality of life impact to the injured person, nor the service and societal costs associated with the long-term effects of SCI and TBI injury. Since 1998, ONF has provided $21-million in direct funding to more than 240 research initiatives across Ontario focusing on neurotrauma prevention, rehabilitation and functional recovery. ONF is pleased to announce the funding awards below in neurotrauma prevention and biomedical research, aimed at supporting research capacity building in Ontario in preventing spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation strategically invests in knowledge creation, knowledge transfer and research capacity building across the full continuum of need in neurotrauma. For more information on the 230+ neurotrauma research initiatives funded by ONF, please visit www.onf.org. ONF is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. ONF Mentor-Student Awards in Neurotrauma Prevention ONF�s Mentor-Student Awards in Neurotrauma Prevention aim to attract new and promising graduate students to the field of prevention research by promoting the mentor-student relationship where students can continue to specialize their training and learning under the supervision of some of the best prevention researchers in Ontario. In January, 2003, ONF announced $300,000 in funding for six Mentor-Student Awards in Neurotrauma Prevention that were successful in the foundation�s merit-review process. Sharing in this award are the following recipients: Student: Michael Whelan Mentor: William Pickett, Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences Institution: Queen�s University Area of Study: Etiology of head injuries occurring during cycling Student: Nandini Deshpande Mentor: Aftab Patla, Professor, Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Institution: University of Waterloo Area of Study: Evaluation of exercise interventions to prevent falls in the elderly Student: Helen Scott Mentor: Mary Chipman, Professor and Director of M.Sc. and Ph.D. Programs in Epidemiology, Department of Public Health Institution: University of Toronto Area of Study: Assessing social context and injury risk in youth using Canadian and international data Student: Andrea Tricco Mentor: Angela Colantonio, Associate Professor of Occupations Therapy, Rehabilitation and Public Health Sciences Institution: University of Toronto Area of Study: Factors related to work-related traumatic brain injury in Ontario Students: Emily Kovacs, Krista Bray Jenkyn Mentor: Mark Speechley, Associate Professor, Epidemiology Institution: University of Western Ontario Area of Study: Project to prevent falls in veterans ONF Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards in Biomedical Research The Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation is also pleased to announce the recipients of the foundation�s $257,950 funding award for postdoctoral fellowships in biomedical research. Recipient: Feng Bao Institute: John P. Robarts Research Institute Amount: $77,000 over 2 years Area of Study: Impact of a novel anti-inflammatory treatment on oxidative damage of the injured rat spinal cord Recipient: Isabelle Frapp� Institute: Sunnybrook and Women�s College Health Science Centre Amount: $77,000 over 2 years Area of Study: Transplantation of genetically modified cells to promote axonal regeneration in the injured adult brain. Recipient: Gordon Boyd Institute: Queen�s University Amount: $26,950 over 2 years Area of Study: Use of exogenous neurotrophic factors and implanted olfactory ensheathing cells to promote axon regeneration and functional recovery after compressive SCI Recipient: Andrea Mothe Institute: University Health Network (Toronto Hospital -Western Division) Amount: $77,000 over 2 years Area of Study: Endogenous ependymal stem/progenitor cells for spinal cord repair
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