The University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine has received four Early Researcher Awards from the Ontario government. The award program aims to help new researchers build their research teams.
“For our researchers, receiving the Early Researcher Award is a testimony of their research excellence and promising potential,” said Vice-President, Research Sylvain Charbonneau. “We applaud the fact that their research work will be reinforced with the creation of a new team and encourage them to pursue their quest for excellence.”
The 2019 recipients are:
Emilio Alarcon is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology and the director of the Bio-nanomaterials Chemistry and Engineering Laboratory at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Professor Alarcon’s research focuses on the fabrication, development and implementation of new biomaterials and nanomaterials with regenerative capabilities for tissue regeneration of heart, skin, cornea and other connective tissues.
Marceline Côté is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology. Professor Côté’s lab works on emerging viruses, such as the Ebola virus and the corona viruses, and uses molecular virology, chemical biology, and genetic approaches to identify host proteins critical to viral infection. The team seeks to improve our understanding of how to target mechanisms of viral penetration to block the spread of a virus with a view to find new antiviral therapies.
Daniel McIsaac is a professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine who leads the Aging Innovation in Perioperative Medicine and Surgery Research Group at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. His research focuses on improving surgery outcomes for older people with frailty by evaluating interventions and health system performance.
Tiago Mestre is a professor in the Division of Neurology (Department of Medicine) and a scientist with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the uOttawa Brain and Mind Research Institute. Professor Mestre leads the implementation of the clinical program for advanced treatments of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. His clinical research in movement disorders has focused on developing innovative care delivery models for Parkinson’s disease, as well as drug development for unmet needs in Parkinson’s disease.
To read about all 10 University of Ottawa recipients of Ontario’s Early Researcher Awards, view the original article published by the Office of the Vice-President, Research (OVPR).
