Federal government's health research investment will go to research on preventing and treating cardiovascular disease
(From left) Ayman El-Kadi and Paul Jurasz work in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Division within the faculty
(Edmonton) The combined Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) operating grants bring $1,085,888 to the research projects of Dr. Ayman El-Kadi, Associate Dean, Research & Graduate Studies and Dr. Paul Jurasz, Assistant Professor.
"It's a difficult grant to receive. It's outstanding to have two researchers receive over $1M in grants. It shows the continued quality of research coming from our faculty," said El-Kadi.
Dean Kehrer agrees with El-Kadi's point of view.
"These grants are a wonderful recognition of the excellent research done by our pharmacy faculty members that will help Canadians who have cardiovascular disease.
The researchers' cardiovascular disease focus lies in two different areas.
Jurasz hopes this funding will lead to a better understanding of cardiovascular biology and the mechanisms by which strokes and heart attacks occur.
"If successful, the funding could lead to prognostic tests that may help better predict the risk of stroke and heart attack."
El-Kadi's research will identify the molecules that are responsible for the enlargement of the heart and heart failure."This research will help to diminish health care costs, as well as to design strategies that improve treatment of heart failure."
Both researchers have received previous CIHR funding for separate projects.PI: Ayman El-Kadi
Project: Role of cytochrome P450 enzymes in pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy
$647,361 awarded over five years
PI: Paul Jurasz
Co-PI: Kenneth Butcher, Associate Professor, Division of Adult Neurology
Project: Characterization of platlet subpopulations based on heterogeneity of NOS signaling: significance of hemostasis and thrombosis
$438,527 awarded over four years