University of Regina awarded more than $1.2 million in health research funding

News Release Release Date: February 5, 2013 1:15 p.m.

The Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) has awarded researchers at the University of Regina more than $1.2 million in funding. The funding will help further research in assisting people deal with chronic pain and elucidating the physical and functional interactome of mitochondria in yeast.

“This funding is a testament to the excellent research being conducted at the University of Regina,” said Vice-President, Research Dennis Fitzpatrick. “Our university is conducting world class research that is making a difference in people’s lives around the world.”

Nick Carleton, Assistant Professor of Psychology, has been awarded $467,499 over five years to use computer software to help deal with chronic pain.

“We have developed computer software that can help to reduce pain in people with fibromyalgia after only a few minutes a day,” said Carleton. “We can now administer this protocol through the internet, making it available to most Canadians. The project will explore this potentially revolutionary contribution to managing chronic pain.”

Mohan Babu, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, has been awarded $785,135 over five years to help fight a number of mitochondrial diseases.

“Mitochondria generate the majority of a cell's energy supply and are required for a large number of diverse cellular functions, including ion homeostasis, respiration, and programmed cell death,” said Babu. “Due to their importance in basic cellular processes, defects in mitochondrial function cause or contribute to many human diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. Yet, despite their known importance, the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in human diseases has been difficult to pinpoint due to incomplete information about mitochondrial proteins, interactions, and pathways. Our research is currently focusing on addressing this deficit by creating detailed mitochondrial physical and functional interaction maps in yeast, and leveraging this knowledge from yeast to map networks of mitochondrial interactions that have potential human disease associations.” The research program is expected to create avenues for new therapeutic targets as well as for the treatment of mitochondrial diseases.

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 Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 14,100 health researchers and trainees across Canada.