Substantial investments into research at UBC and beyond were announced this week, with recipients including three UBC Pharm Sci researchers.
Firstly, the B.C. government announced recipients of the BC Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF), an investment of nearly $25 million in support of research projects designed to foster innovation and growth. $22.1 million of this funding was awarded to projects led by UBC researchers and two UBC Pharm Sci researchers have received funding in this round.
UBC Pharm Sci assistant professor Dr. Jacquelyn Cragg’s Data Science for Neurological Disorders Laboratory will receive a $125,000 contribution from the BCKDF. This award will help to establish the laboratory at UBC and help to support the discovery of personalized approaches to the prevention and management of neurological diseases.
UBC Pharm Sci assistant professor Dr. Sarah Hedtrich’s project titled “Complex human-based organ (disease) models for basic and preclinical research with a focus on human epithelia” will be awarded $101,408 in BCKDF funding. This award will support the development of advanced models of human tissues—such as skin, the lung, and the liver. The models will enable researchers to advance the study of human diseases and facilitate the development of safe and effective new drugs.
Also this week, UBC researchers received more than $5.7 million in funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund. The Fund was established to help support exceptional researchers across Canada acquire the tools and equipment needed to conduct their cutting-edge research. UBC Pharm Sci assistant professor Dr. Brent Page will receive $125,000 in support of his research project titled “Targeted Inhibition of Oncogenic STAT3 Signaling using Cutting edge Chemical Biology Techniques.”
To learn more about the BC Knowledge Development Fund, click here.
To learn more about the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund, click here.