The Government of Canada has announced the latest round of funding for the Canada Research Chair (CRC) program. Nearly $140 million will support 165 new and renewed CRCs.

Congratulations to the following UHN researchers who received new or renewed funding from the CRC program:

● Dr. Valerie Wallace, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Retina Regeneration (renewal). Dr. Wallace is a Senior Scientist and Research Director at UHN’s Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute and a Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto (U of T). Dr. Wallace’s research focuses on understanding retinal regeneration and tumour initiation in the brain—work that may uncover new therapeutic targets and strategies for vision loss and brain cancers.

● Dr. Emily Seto, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Accessible Virtual Care Innovations (new). Dr. Emily Seto is an Affiliate Scientist at UHN and an Associate Professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) at U of T. Funding from this Chair will support her research in designing and evaluating virtual care technologies to ensure digital health is accessible for all patients.

● Dr. Shiphra Ginsburg, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Health Professions Education (renewal). Dr. Ginsburg is a Clinician Scientist at The Institute for Education Research at UHN, a Clinician Scientist at Mount Sinai Hospital, a Scientist at the Wilson Centre, and a Professor in the Department of Medicine at U of T. Her research advances the knowledge and practice of assessment in medical education, with a particular focus on how clinical supervisors evaluate learner performance, how professionalism is conceptualized and judged across different contexts, and how language, bias, and identity shape the fairness and validity of evaluation of learners and supervisors.

● Dr. Shane Harding, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Radiation Biology (new). Dr. Harding is a Senior Scientist at UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and an Associate Professor in the Departments of Medical Biophysics, Immunology, and Radiation Oncology at U of T. His research focuses on understanding how to improve DNA-damaging therapeutics, such as radiotherapy, to make these kinds of cancer treatments more effective.

● Dr. Marianne Koritzinsky, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Cancer Redox and Radiation Biology (new). Dr. Koritzinksy is a Senior Scientist at UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a Professor in the Departments of Radiation Oncology and Medical Biophysics at U of T. The funding from this Chair will go toward improving cancer therapies by advancing research in redox homeostasis—the balance between oxidative and anti-oxidative molecules in a cell or tissue, which can be a key driver of cancer and a vulnerability for new targeted treatments.

● Dr. Tony Lam, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Diabetes and Obesity (renewal). Dr Lam is a Senior Scientist at UHN and a Professor in the Departments of Physiology and Medicine at U of T. He is also Associate Director, Research at the Banting and Best Diabetes Centre at U of T. His work aims to better understand the causes of obesity and diabetes by investigating how nutrients are sensed in the small intestine, kidney, and the brain.

The CRC Program is a national initiative designed to make Canada a global leader in research. Through this program, the federal government invests up to $311 million annually to support world-class researchers across disciplines, enhancing academic excellence, competitiveness, and the training of future skilled professionals.

See here for a full list of results and here for the press release.