Minister Ambrose meets with world class researchers in Vancouver

CDRD and UBC researchers are advancing science, developing new therapies and improving patient care

VANCOUVER, Aug. 21, 2014 /CNW/ - The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, along with Nina Grewal, Member of Parliament for Fleetwood-Port Kells, today visited world class research facilities in Vancouver. The facilities were The Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and the Brain Behaviour Laboratory at UBC.

The Minister and MP Grewal were accompanied by Dr. Joy Johnson, Scientific Director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Gender and Health, Dr. Anthony Phillips, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction, Ms. Karimah Es Sabar, President and CEO of CDRD, Dr. Helen Burt, Associate Vice President Research at UBC, Dr. Brian MacVicar, Co-Director of the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health at UBC and Dr. Lara Boyd, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Neurobiology of Motor Learning at UBC.

The Minister had the chance to interact with researchers and learn more about their research and how it impacts the health of all Canadians.

Quick Facts

• CDRD is supported under the Government of Canada's Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research program, the mandate of which is to bridge the gap between innovation and commercialization. The Government of Canada is investing $22.9 million in funding over 10 years.
• In 2012-2013, CIHR invested $110 million in health research at the University of British Columbia.
• UBC Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health focuses on brain research, training and clinical care. The centre is supported by private donations as well as investments from the Government of Canada through Industry Canada ($10M), Canada Foundation for Innovation and matching funds from the BC Knowledge Development Fund ($6.48M).
• The activities of the Brain Behaviour Laboratory at UBC are focused on rehabilitation for stroke, brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases. It is headed by Dr. Lara Boyd, a Canada Research Chair in Neurobiology of Motor Learning.

Quotes
''Our Government is committed to investing in research that will help improve the health of Canadians. The Centre for Drug Research and Development and the University of British Columbia are home to many of Canada's best researchers who are world leaders in their fields and whose hard work and dedication has produced breakthroughs in many areas of health. We are proud to support their efforts to advance science, develop new therapies and improve patient care."
Honourable Rona Ambrose
Minister of Health

"Through the cooperation of organizations, governments and research institutions, we are continuing to find sophisticated new research techniques that evolve our ability to improve health outcomes and increase treatment options for Canadians.  That is why we look to organizations such as the Centre for Drug Research and Development and UBC, because together with research and funding, we can begin to protect the health of our nation and improve the quality of life for Canadians."
Nina Grewal
MP (Fleetwood-Port Kells)

''CIHR is delighted to support outstanding researchers who devote their time and creativity to improve the health of all Canadians. Congratulations to CDRD and UBC for their national and international reputation in the field of health research.''
Anthony Phillips
Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction

''As Canada's fully-integrated national not-for-profit drug development and commercialization centre, The Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) along with its commercialization vehicle, CDRD Ventures Inc. (CVI), provides the infrastructure and expertise to de-risk discoveries stemming from publicly-funded health research, and transform them into investment opportunities for the private sector -- thereby bringing new treatments to patients while maximizing and capturing the related economic and societal benefits from these public investments here in Canada. Through our strong partnerships across government, industry, academia, and foundations, Canada can then be not only the generator of world-class health research it is today, but also the generator of world-class innovation from the translation of that research.''
Karimah Es Sabar,
President and CEO of The Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD)

''Minister Ambrose saw federal government support in action as she toured a ground-breaking facility that bridges brain research and patient care under one roof at the University of British Columbia."
Gavin Stuart
Dean of the UBC Faculty of Medicine

Associated Links

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research 
The Centre for Drug Research and Development
The University of British Columbia
Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
Brain Behaviour Laboratory
Networks of Centres of Excellence of Canada

Canadian Institutes of Health Research
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's health research investment agency. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened health care system for Canadians. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 13,200 health researchers and trainees across Canada.

Image with caption: "L to R: Brian MacVicar, Professor, Brain Research Centre, UBC / Lara A. Boyd, Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, UBC / Anthony G. Phillips, Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction/ Honourable Minister of Health Rona Ambrose/ Nina Grewal, Member of the Canadian Parliament for Fleetwood-Port Kells (CNW Group/Canadian Institutes of Health Research)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140821_C3284_PHOTO_EN_5040.jpg

Image with caption: "Honourable Minister of Health Rona Ambrose / Anthony G. Phillips, Scientific Director, CIHR institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction / Karimah Es Sabar, President and CEO, CDRD (CNW Group/Canadian Institutes of Health Research)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140821_C3284_PHOTO_EN_5041.jpg

SOURCE: Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Michael Bolkenius, Office of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of the Health, 613-957-0200; David Coulombe, Media Relations, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 613-941-4563, [email protected]