The University of Ottawa has been awarded five new Canada Research Chairs in areas that address pressing societal challenges. Four are affiliated with the Faculty of medicine.
These latest chair holders will expand the University of Ottawa’s breadth and depth of research and expertise; they will work on novel ways to understand and treat cancer and protect mental health.
“Thanks to the considerable support of the Canada Research Chairs program, the University of Ottawa continues to offer a highly conducive research environment to some of the most accomplished scientists in the country and the world,” said Sylvain Charbonneau, vice-president, research.
Meet the Faculty of Medicine’s new Canada Research Chairs:
Kin Chan, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology
Canada Research Chair in Molecular Basis of Cancer Mutagenesis
Kin Chan’s discoveries shed new light on the origin of mutations in cancer. This new information will inform policies that aim to curb harmful environmental exposure. It will also lead to more in-depth diagnoses of cancers at the molecular level and to the development of more tailored treatments.
Damien D’Amours, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Canada Research Chair in Chromatin Dynamics and Genome Architecture
Damien D’Amours’ research will lead to a better understanding of how cells disrupt genome architecture to promote cancer formation. Using a combination of leading-edge techniques in proteomics and cell imaging, D’Amours aims to reveal the core mechanisms of genome organization during the cell cycle of normal and cancerous cells.
Julie St-Pierre, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology
Canada Research Chair in Cancer Metabolism
Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canadian women and is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Julie St-Pierre’s objective is to identify metabolic strategies to target breast cancers that are harder to treat and are associated with poor outcome in patients. She hopes to develop cancer metabolic therapies that could be used in combination with other anti-cancer drugs to improve survival.
Tracy Vaillancourt, Brain and Mind Research Institute
Canada Research Chair in School-Based Mental Health and Violence Prevention
Between 15 and 20% of Canadian children have serious mental health problems that are linked to notable distress and impairment. Mental health problems in youth are a leading cause of health-related burden and, in adults, they are the leading cause of disability. Tracy Vaillancourt studies the long-term effects of bullying on mental health and academic achievement in order to identify areas for intervention and prevention.
Canada Research Chair holders dedicate their life’s work to achieving research excellence in their respective field. Their work contributes to strengthening Canada’s international competitiveness and the University’s research reputation.
Media inquiries:
Isabelle Mailloux Pulkinghorn
Manager (acting), Media Relations
Cell.: 613-240-0275
[email protected]
