The results of the Spring 2025 Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant funding competition have been announced. The Project Grant program is designed to offer scientists, at any stage of their careers, funding for ideas with the greatest potential to advance health-related knowledge, research methodologies, patient care, and overall outcomes.
The results of this round of funding were significant—31 research teams at UHN were awarded more than $27 million through 26 full research grants and 5 priority announcement grants. Totalling $411 million, 435 full research grants were awarded across Canada. An additional investment of $5.1 million supported 46 priority announcement grants, and 9 supplemental prizes totalling $310,000 were also awarded.
Some of the funded projects from UHN researchers include:
● Dr. Gregory Schwartz, who is investigating ways to identify and target cell-to-cell communication in colorectal cancer
● Dr. Sowmya Viswanathan, along with Drs. Slava Epelman and Igor Jurisica, for a project exploring the role of immune cells in osteoarthritis
● Drs. Mamatha Bhat, Michael Brudno, and Divya Sharma, to develop DynaGraft—an AI tool designed to detect fibrosis in liver transplants
● Dr. Isaac Bogoch, for a public health-centric project that aims to reduce infections by analyzing patterns of pathogen spread
● Dr. James Shiraz Khan, with co-Principal Investigator Dr. Keyvan Karkouti, to explore the potential benefits of vitamin C before knee replacement surgery through clinical trials
Thanks in part to the generous support of the CIHR, UHN researchers are breaking barriers across the full spectrum of health research. From improving our understanding of cancer biology to creating wearable devices that can help detect heart failure remotely, UHN is proud to see its researchers’ dedication and contributions recognized on a national level. Congratulations to all the awardees for their continued contributions to advancing health research.
See the full list of winners here.