April 23 2009

Innovation Anthology #219:

Alberta, Alberta Innovates Technology Futures, Health and Medicine

The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research has just announced its second round of funding for interdisciplinary scientific teams.

Five teams will each receive a million dollars per year for 5 years for a total investment of $25 million dollars.

Dr. Jacques Magnan of the Heritage Foundation explains the value of this concentrated research effort.

DR. JACQUES MAGNAN: First of all we know that there is a lot of capacity to do high quality research in Alberta. The Foundation has been involved for about 30 years in helping the institutions recruit individuals to the province. So we’re taking advantage of that capacity for doing research by bringing these people together and building on the individual strengths to sort of get a more collective approach to more complex, more elaborate health issues if you will.

The five new research teams will be better developing treatments and devices in several area. These include inflammatory bowel disease, diastolic heart failure, the management of chronic diseases like hypertension, and the prevention of sepsis after surgery. Another team is developing smart devices for people with spinal cord injuries

Thanks today to the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.

FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY, I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

NOTE: The former AHFMR is now called Alberta Innovates Health Solutions