MHRC'09 Annual Report by edge advertising

Inspiring Innovation. Encouraging Excellence.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Manitoba Health Research Council P216-770 Bannatyne Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3E 0W3 Telephone: (204) 775-1096 Fax: (204) 786-5401 E-mail: info@mhrc.mb.ca Website: www.mhrc.mb.ca

Table of Contents 3

Council Members

Committees of Council

Message from the Chair

6|7

Message from the Executive Director

Staff

Grant & Award Programs 10

Manitoba Research Chairs

Establishment Grants

Operating Grants

Clinical Fellowship Awards

Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards

20|23 Graduate Studentship Awards 24

Bridge Funding Awards

Regional Partnership Grants â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Operating Grants

Regional Partnership Personnel Awards

Sponsorship

Review Committees 26

Manitoba Research Chairs Review Committee

Operating & Establishment Scientific Review Committee

Social/Population Health Scientific Review Committee

Studentship Review Committee

Fellowship Review Committee

2008-2009 Financial Report I

Auditor Report

II-VIII Financial Statements

2008 | 2009 Annual Report 1

For more information contact:

Manitoba Health Research Council P216-770 Bannatyne Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3E 0W3 Telephone: (204) 775-1096 Fax: (204) 786-5401 E-mail: info@mhrc.mb.ca Website: www.mhrc.mb.ca

“ To promote the growth and co-ordination of the health research enterprise in Manitoba” MISSION STATEMENT

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Members of the Manitoba Health Research Council

Dr. Dean Sandham, Chairperson, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba Dr. Judith Bartlett Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba and Health & Wellness Department, Manitoba Metis Federation Mr. F. Lynn Bishop Past General Manager Prairie Region, Cargojet Canada Mr. John Clarkson Deputy Minister, Department of Science, Technology, Energy & Mines, Province of Manitoba Dr. Albert Friesen President, Medicure Inc.

Dr. Henry Friesen Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba Mr. David Graves President/CEO, IMRIS (to Feb, 2009) Mr. Ray Hoemsen Director, Applied Research and Commercialization, Red River College Dr. Digvir Jayas Vice-President (Research) University of Manitoba (from March 2009) Dr. Joanne Keselman Vice-President (Research), University of Manitoba (to March 2009) Dr. Arnold Naimark, Vice Chairperson Director, Centre for the Advancement of Medicine

Dr. Brian Postl, Secretary Treasurer President/CEO, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Dr. Brent Schacter CEO, Canadian Association of Provincial Cancer Agencies Dr. Ian Smith Director General, Institute for Biodiagnostics, National Research Council Ms Arlene Wilgosh Deputy Minister, Manitoba Health Province of Manitoba

2008 | 2009 Annual Report 3

Manitoba Health Research Council Committees

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Dr. Dean Sandham, Chair Dr. Arnold Naimark, Vice-Chair Dr. Brian Postl, Secretary/Treasurer Dr. Ian Smith

NOMINATING AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE Dr. Dean Sandham, Chair Mr. Lynn Bishop Dr. Henry Friesen Dr. Digvir Jayas ( from March 2009) Dr. Joanne Keselman (to March 2009) Dr. Arnold Nairmark

FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE Dr. Brian Postl, Chair Dr. Dean Sandham Dr. Ray Hoemsen Dr. David Graves (to February 2009) Dr. Albert Friesen Mr. Paul Kochan (External member)

RESEARCH ADVISORY COMMITTEE Dr. Harvey Chochinov, Chair Dr. Judith Bartlett (Council Representative) Dr. Charles Bernstein Dr. Peter Cattini Dr. Judy Chipperfield Dr. Jim Davie (to January 2009) Dr. Lesley Degner Dr. Brenda Elias Dr. Brian Hasinoff Dr. Kent HayGlass Dr. Geoff Hicks Dr. Michael Moffatt Dr. James Peeling Dr. Grant Pierce Dr. Brent Schacter (Council representative) Dr. George Zhanel

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Message from the Chair Excitement has been the watch word at MHRC this year. We participated in implementation of new programs, the evolution of our grant management systems, and the engagement of MHRC more broadly in its advisory role to the Provincial Government. Building on the Council’s strategic plan MHRC will focus on promoting the advances of health research, building on existing health promotion campaigns and working to foster partnerships that engage the whole research community. DR. DEAN SANDHAM

The implementation of our Manitoba Research Chair program was very successful, supporting the research programs of Manitoba research stars. Congratulations to Dr. Keith Fowke, Dr. Spencer Gibson, and Dr. Jeffrey Wigle, who are tackling research questions that will lead to new treatments in AIDS and cancer.

The success of our coordinated studentship, fellowship and clinical research fellowship programs is a clear demonstration of the powerful benefit of alignment and collaboration. New partnerships with Manitoba Lung Association, University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowships, Manitoba Medical College Foundation in addition to our original four partners, CancerCare Manitoba, Manitoba Institute of Child Health, Health Sciences Centre Foundation and St. Boniface Hospital and Research Foundation are very effective. The benefits of these programs are several, including a centralized review process, which has reduced the financial costs to our partners in managing the review process and reduced the demand on researcher’s volunteering time to review applications. The success of these programs in terms in reducing costs and demands on the scientific community speak volumes of the benefits of Manitoba Universities, Institutes and Foundations in working together. Moving towards a paperless process, we successfully implemented the electronic grant management system for trainee awards. Along with this new electronic system, we undertook the development of the Manitoba Directory of Heath Researchers, providing a much needed source of Manitoba’s health research talent. This year the Research Advisory Committee was established with representation from different sectors of the Manitoba Health Research Community. We welcome Dr. Harvey Chochinov MD, PhD, FRCPC as Chair of this committee. The committee serves an important role and provides science based recommendations to MHRC Council for new research programs, research related opportunities and peer review issues. The New Year began with a great start at MHRC when we recruited Dr. Jim Davie as the Executive Director. The genesis of a new post, the Chief Operating Officer, held by Christina Weise, expanded our skill set and effectiveness. Working with MHRC Council and the Research Advisory Committee, Jim and Christina have established the framework for two exciting new advisory roles for MHRC. Fulfilling the mandate of MHRC to provide advice to the Provincial Government in matters pertaining to Health Research, at the request of the Department of Science, Technology, Energy and Mines, MHRC is engaged in two activities; 1) providing advice and recommendations on the indirect costs of health research and 2) providing advice on the merits of the proposals received by Department of Science, Technology, Energy and Mines from health care institutions/foundations for financial support for initiatives, include proposed development of infrastructure and operating costs related to health research. In closing I thank those health researchers that volunteered their time to reviewing grant applications in our various competitions. Your support provides the backbone of the Manitoba health research enterprise and is invaluable in the success of MHRC in enhancing the competitiveness and success of the health research community.

Dr. Dean Sandham 2008 | 2009 Annual Report 5

Message from the Executive Director

CHRISTINA WEISE

This year was also the first for the coordinated trainee competition which brought together MHRC, CancerCare Manitoba, Health Science Centre Foundation, Manitoba Institute of Child Health and St. Boniface Hospital and Research Foundation. By collaborating with the different institutions in one competition, we increased the amount of trainees supported and reduced the workload on the reviewers who used to sit on the

The Council also spent part of the year developing a set of bylaws and governance policies which enhance the organization’s accountability framework, critical for any organization which is using tax payers money to support its mandate. One outcome of this work was the establishment of the Research Advisory Committee which was created to provide the Council with scientific advice on its review processes and committees, provide strategic advice on health

2008/09 was a transformative year for MHRC, beginning with the full implementation of two new programs. We supported three new Manitoba Research Chairs to scientists who were identified as rising stars in health research. We also provided salaries for three clinical fellows which supports clinicians in their research training, a fundamental component of any successful health research environment. numerous committees when the competitions were held separately. In 2009, three additional partners were added to the competition – the Manitoba Lung Association, the Manitoba Medical College Foundation, and the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship Program. In 2008/09 MHRC adopted the Canadian Common CV (CCCV) as the mechanism for applicants to provide their CV information to MHRC and also moved to an electronic grants management system for the trainee award competitions. Modeled after a system in Quebec, the eGMS allows the applicants to enter and submit their CV and application information electronically and continues the process through the review meetings. In its inaugural use, the system worked well and was well received by the applicants and reviewers. I would like to thank the MHRC staff and Andrea Downey-Franchuk, who worked tirelessly on the implementation throughout the year to get the system ready for our December launch. I would also like to thank the staff at eVision for their expertise and support of the implementation. Developing indicators to measure the impact of MHRC’s funding continued to develop in partnership with the NAPHRO organizations. One highlight was the release of the assessment report by the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences entitled “Making an Impact: A preferred Framework and Indicators to Measure Returns on Investment in Health Research”.

6 Manitoba Health Research Council

research trends and support the Council in its advisory role to the Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mines. This year also saw many changes to the staff of MHRC. For four months beginning in April, Dr. Don Smyth did a wonderful job as Executive Director while I was on maternity leave. We welcomed Kristen Hooper as our new full time Administrative Assistant in August and Dr. Jim Davie in his new role as Executive Director in January. In conclusion, it has been a very exciting year for the Council, undertaking new initiatives and adding staff and increasing the coordination and collaboration of the activities of the health research community in Manitoba. On a personal note, I would like to thank the staff for their continued dedication and hard work in support of our mandate, thank the RAC and committee members for their advice which is the core of any granting agency and thank the Council members for their sage strategic direction which has allowed the MHRC to grow beyond its granting council roots into an organization which builds the capacity of health research in the province.

Christina Weise Executive Director April – December 2008

Message from the Executive Director

DR. JIM DAVIE

The success of this program to support talented graduate students and postdoctoral fellows rests initially with the eagerness of the 2008 partners; Manitoba Institute of Child Health, St. Boniface Research Centre, CancerCare Manitoba and the Health Sciences Centre Foundation. These partners helped MHRC streamline the review process and support as many gifted trainees as possible. We all appreciate that these trainees are the “life-blood” of research labs in Manitoba and supporting this component of the research enterprise is a strength of collaborative venture of MHRC and its partners. New to the review process of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows was the introduction of the electronic management system. The MHRC staff persevered and worked out most of the “bugs” in the electronic management system, and the system was ready to receive a flood of applications for the 2009-2010 competition.

Taking the role of Executive Director of the Manitoba Health Research Council has been an exciting transition in my career path. Among the various programs delivered by MHRC, the coordinated competition stands out. Working with the MHRC Council, Research Advisory Committee and Christina Weise, we embarked on two endeavours in which the MHRC advisory role to the Provincial Government was engaged. These proceedings included providing advice on a program to support the indirect costs of health research in Manitoba and on the health related infrastructure projects. It has been an exciting beginning in which I have come to appreciate the talents and dedication of the staff, Council members and the Research Advisory Committee of the Manitoba Health Research Council.

Dr. Jim Davie Executive Director From January 2009

2008 | 2009 Annual Report 7

Council Secretariat

Dr. Jim Davie Executive Director (from January 2009) Ms Christina Weise Executive Director (to January 2009) Chief Operating Officer (from January 2009) Ms Shannon Rogalski Manager, Funding Programs Ms Liz Ford Administrative Officer Ms Kristen Hooper Administrative Assistant

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Grants and Awards FUNDING PROGRAMS

MHRC was established by an Act of the Legislature June 30, 1982 to promote and assist basic, clinical and applied research in the health sciences in Manitoba and advise the Minister on health research matters that are referred to Council. Our funding programs remain the core mechanism by which the Council achieves its mandate.

Through MHRCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long history, our focus has been on building capacity for health research in Manitoba by targeting funding towards new researchers, new recruits to Manitoba and research trainees. In each of our programs we encourage and support a broad range of human health research including basic biomedical, clinical research, health services and health systems research and research into the cultural, social and environmental determinants of health.

In 2008/09 Council approved over $2.79 million in research grants, awards and sponsorships (See Table 1 for details). The following section describes the funding programs and offers a list of recipients approved this year.

Table 1: 2008 NEW APPLICATIONS, FUNDABLE AND FUNDED AWARDS Grant Category Manitoba Research Chairs Establishment Grants Operating Grants Clinical Fellowship Awards Fellowship Awards Studentship Awards PhD Dissertation Awards Bridge Funding CIHR-RPP Grants Sponsorships TOTAL

Received No. $ 8 800,000 15 680,985 18 977,548 6 219,000 31 1,185,750 99 1,767,150 0 0 2 53,000 5 184

15,500 5,698,933

Recommended No. $ 7 700,000 9 441,166 7 423,813 5 182,500 26 994,500 63 1,124,550 0 0 2 53,000 14 647,310 5 15,500 138 4,582,339

Approved No. $ 3 300,000 6 319,070 5 273,523 3 109,500 17 459,000 53 703,092 0 0 2 53,000 13 563,186 5 15,500 107 2,795,871

2008 | 2009 Annual Report 9

“The support my lab has received from MHRC is terrific. It’s provided us with the freedom and flexibility to pursue our goals without worrying about other funding. As a result, we’re not dependent on multisource funding and it’s created opportunities for us to be more global in our scope.” DR. SPENCER GIBSON

“The support of MHRC has accelerated my research, allowing me to use state-of-theart techniques to test research questions. In addition, the stability in funding has allowed me to retain key technical personnel. I’m very grateful for MHRC’s support for myself and my trainees.” DR. JEFFREY WIGLE

“This award has allowed me to significantly increase my research team and to explore new areas of research such as testing novel herbal compounds that are used by herbalists in Nigeria to treat the symptoms of HIV infection.” DR. KEITH FOWKE

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Manitoba Research Chairs DR. JEFFREY WIGLE DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY & MEDICAL GENETICS, ST. BONIFACE HOSPITAL RESEARCH CENTRE

DR. KEITH FOWKE DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY, FACULTY OF SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

DR. SPENCER GIBSON DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY & MEDICAL GENETICS, MANITOBA INSTITUTE OF CELL BIOLOGY, CANCER CARE MANITOBA

Discovering New Ways to Regulate Vascular Growth

Allowing Nature to Direct Vaccine Design

Defining Signals of Death and Survival in Cancer Cells

In healthy humans, blood vessels supply oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues while lymphatic vessels perform similarly but do not transport red blood cells. In some diseases, such as heart attack, reduced blood supply restricts the growth of blood vessels that rescue damaged heart muscle. Cancer, on the other hand, activates the lymphatics, which leads to new vessels that help tumours grow and spread.

Dr. Keith Fowke’s research into understanding how the human immune response fights off viral infections has taken him around the world and he trusts that his work will lead to new vaccines for HIV and influenza. The Manitoba-trained researcher directs the Viral Immunology Laboratory at the University of Manitoba and he and his team are currently studying the role of a class of white blood cells, or T-cells, in HIV and influenza infections.

Dr. Jeffrey Wigle, who arrived in Winnipeg in 2001 after studying at Queen’s University, the University of Ottawa and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, is studying how a group of homeobox genes called transcription factors – specifically Prox1 (lymphatics) and Meox1 and Meox2 (blood vessels) – can control the growth of the blood and lymphatic systems by regulating the expression of key target genes.

“The central theme of the lab is utilizing natural exceptions to the rule,” Dr. Fowkes states. “By studying people who are exposed to HIV and not infected, those who are infected with HIV but who are controlling their virus, those who are highly susceptible to HIV infection and those that control influenza infection, we’re able to gain insight into the correlates of protection from viral infection or disease progression that are so vital for the development of vaccines.”

Dr. Spencer Gibson is defining the signals controlling death and survival in cancer cells by determining the regulation of a death receptor-induced death and the role of proteins BNIP3 and Md-un. By using molecular targeting approaches, Dr. Gibson and his laboratory staff are selectively activating the death signals within cancer cells and investigating growth factor proteins such as EGF and how molecular therapies could block this survival mechanism.

“Our research will lead to improved methods of regulating the growth of lymphatic and blood vessels which will aid in the treatment of cancer and heart disease,” explains Dr. Wigle. “With new clinical approaches, we’ll be able to block the growth and spread of tumours and promote blood vessel growth to help in heart attack recovery. And, by nurturing lymphatic growth, we’ll help resolve symptoms of lymphatic insufficiency which is a frequent side effect of breast cancer treatment.”

To achieve its research goals, the lab is collaborating with a group of partners within the international scientific community. “The future benefit of our focused and collaborative research will be a vaccine for HIV and advanced treatments for those who are already infected,” notes Dr. Fowkes.

Dr. Jeffrey Wigle

Dr. Keith Fowke

“The balance between cell death and survival is fundamentally important in maintaining the integrity of complex organisms, such as humans, and when this balance is altered, diseases such as cancer can occur,” relates Dr. Gibson who established his lab with Cancer Care Manitoba in 1998. “Our research, we believe, will lead to rationale targeted strategies that treat cancers by selectively inducing cell death and blocking cell survival pathways in cancer cells.” Dr. Gibson has also established a transitional research program to bring these discoveries to cancer patients through population health studies that identify groups of people with aggressive disease. “We ‘re verifying potential therapies and developing clinical trials with treatment that targets these cell death and survival proteins,” he notes. “The program truly embraces the motto, benchside to bedside and back again for a cancer-free Manitoba.”

Dr. Spencer Gibson

“Support from MHRC is a critical starting point for my research program. It can be difficult for young researchers to obtain the support necessary to start a research program and to get the necessary data to compete for funding from other funding sources. MHRC’s support has already facilitated other grants which helps me build on the present project.” DR. RUTH ANN MARRIE

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Establishment Grants

DR. RUTH ANN MARRIE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA Translating Findings into Treatments The long-term goal of Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie’s research into the impact of co-existing health conditions on multiple sclerosis (MS) is improve the health and well-being of patients with the chronic and disabling disease that affects more than 50,000 Canadians. Dr. Marrie, who received her Ph.D. in epidemiology from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, is confident that her research will lead to improved individual prognoses, fresh research paths and new treatment methods. “My interest is in the relationship of comorbidities, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, to MS and this study will identify what comorbidities occur, how often and whether this differs from what we see in persons without multiple sclerosis,” she says. According to Dr. Marrie, comorbidities, which increase with age, are common in the general population and are associated with higher mortality, increased use of health care services and reduced quality of life. Little is known about which comorbidities are most common in MS and her program will help determine their influence on MS-related health outcomes. The ultimate goal, she says, is to translate the project’s findings into treatments. “By discovering if a particular comorbidity negatively affects MS, then treating that condition more aggressively could potentially improve outcome,” she explains.

Establishment Grants support recently recruited faculty members, who show exceptional promise. These funds allow the establishment of their research programs which will enable successful application for national and international research funding. The awards, for up to $100,000 to be used within a 3-year period, provide support for a variety of purposes, e.g. buy-out of teaching time, salary for research personnel (other than the applicant’s salary), purchase of equipment and supplies, etc. RECIPIENT, DEPARTMENT, INSTITUTION Chelikani, Prashen, Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Manitoba. Title: Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of g-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) Fernyhough, Paul, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba/SBRC. Title: Mechanisms of axonal degeneration in diabetes. Fry, Mark, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba. Title: Neuronal plasticity in the area postrema: roles in regulation of energy homeostasis. Kumar, Anand, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: Optimization and Development of Novel Antimicrobial Strategies for Therapy of Septic Shock. Li, Xin-Min, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: Neuroprotective effects and new mechanisms of action of antidepressants and atypical antipsychotics. Marrie, Ruth Ann, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: The impact of Comorbidity on Multiple Sclerosis and its Complications. McGavock, Jonathan, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: Physical activity for the prevention and management of Type 2 Diabetes in Youth. Miller, Donald, Department of Pharmacolgy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: Modulation of blood-brain barrier permeability in health disease. Smith, Stephen, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Winnipeg. Title: The functional Consequences of Neurological Treatments for Medial-Temporal-Lobe Epilepsy.

Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie

2008 | 2009 Annual Report 13

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The funding from MHRC has enabled me to further develop my program of research and be able to recruit graduate student trainees to work on this project. This is extremely important, given the shortage of researchers working in this field.â&#x20AC;? DR. SHAHIN SHOOSHTARI

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Operating Grants

DR. SHAHIN SHOOSHTARI DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY SOCIAL SCIENCES, FACULTY OF HUMAN ECOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA Providing Invaluable Information About Disabled Children Although extensive information exists about the general health of Manitoba children, there is a lack of knowledge and data about the well-being of children living with intellectual/developmental disabilities. Dr. Shahin Shooshtari and several colleagues are linking data from multiple sources – medical, educational and social – to describe and compare health status, changes in health and use of health care and social services between children with disabilities and those without. “Using the linked administrative data from multiple sources, we’re looking at a number of indicators to describe health status and changes over time that include mortality rates, chronic conditions such as diabetes, depression, other mental illnesses, respiratory conditions, rates of injuries, proportion of experienced violence and any indications of child abuse,” remarks Dr. Shooshtari who received her Ph.D. in Community Health Sciences from the University of Manitoba. With the study, Dr. Shooshtari and his colleagues aspire to provide invaluable information on common health issues and conditions and unmet health and social services needs among children living with intellectual/developmental disabilities in Manitoba.

MHRC’s Operating grants are open to recently recruited faculty members and are designed to defray the normal costs of research. Grants are awarded for either one or two years enabling researchers to successfully obtain national and international funding. RECIPIENT, DEPARTMENT, INSTITUTION Bolton, James, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: Suicide attempts in the general population: examining risk and protective factors. Chelikani, Prashen, Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Manitoba. Title: Towards elucidation of the active state structures of beta2-adrenergic rectpor (ß2-AR) (Equipment only) Jassal, Davinder, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre. Title: The prophylactic use of renin inhibition, ACE inhibition and/or angiotensin receptor blockade in the prevention of trastuzumab mediated cardiomyopathy. Jilkina, Olga, Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Manitoba. Title: Evalutaion of coronary microvessel disease in rodent models or diabetes and heart failure. Kung, Sam, Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: Expression level of CD40 is a key regulator of dendritic cell functions. Mookherjee, Neeloffer, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: Analysis of immunomodulatory peptides for selectively limiting escalation of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. Shooshtari, Shahin, Department of Family Social Sicneces, Faculty of Human Ecology, University of Manitoba. Title: Trajectories in health and use of health and social services by children with developmental disabilities: A populationbased longitutdinal study.

“This information can be used by health and social planners and government officials to make evidence-informed decisions about these children as they develop through childhood, adolescence and into adulthood,” Dr. Shooshtari explains.

Dr. Shahin Shooshtari

2008 | 2009 Annual Report 15

Clinical Fellowship Awards

“It’s vitally important to receive financial support from MHRC. It allows me to grow and develop as a researcher. Through MHRC’s generosity, I’m able to study a relatively rare disease but also to investigate a potentially useful, non-invasive neuroimaging technique that can have broad applications.”

RECIPIENT (SUPERVISOR) DEPARTMENT, INSTITUTION Kumar, Kanwal (Dr. Rakesh C. Arora & Dr. Davinder S. Jassal) Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: Can Statin Therapy Alter the Natural History of Bioprosthetic Valves? Leung, Edward (Dr. Cheryl R Greenberg) Department of Pediatrics & Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: Utilization of MR spectroscopy for the Assessment of Efficacy of Treatment for Glutaric Aciduria Type 1. Wicklow, Brandy (Dr. Jon McGavock & Dr. Elizabeth Sellers) Department of Pediatrics, & Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: The role of pancreatic steatosis in the pathophysiology and progression of type 2 diabetes in adolescents.

DR. EDWARD LEUNG

“As a clinician, it’s imperative that the foundation of a research career is fostered prior to taking on a full-time clinical practice. The two years of funding from MHRC provides an opportunity to learn and expand on various techniques that will help form a strong footing on which to build my future research endeavours.” DR. BRANDY WICKLOW

“As a Manitoba graduate, with roots and ties to this province, it’s very important to have MHRC recognize this novel research so that I may stay and work here. Because my research is in a new field with significant bench-to-bedside potential, being funded through MHRC is the Manitoba connection that makes it all possible.” DR. KANWAL KUMAR

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DR. KANWAL KUMAR DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

DR. EDWARD LEUNG DEPARTMENT OF PEDIATRICS, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

DR. BRANDY WICKLOW DEPARTMENT OF PEDIATRICS, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

Extending the Lifespan and Use of Tissue Heart Valves

Using Technology to Understand Brain Injury in Children

Expanding Knowledge About T2DM in Youth

Heart valve surgery is the world’s second most common heart surgery procedure. Surgeons have two main artificial replacements at their disposal – metal and tissue – but both types have significant risks. Metal valves are durable but the patient must take life-long, blood-thinning drugs, which in some cases can be life threatening. Tissue valves do not require blood-thinning drugs but they will eventually fail and lead to high risk, openheart surgery.

Glutaric Acidiemia Type 1 (GA1) is a hereditary metabolic disease that causes severe brain injury in children around the world but it also occurs more frequently in Canadian Oji-Cree First Nation communities (approximately one in 400 children). It is an irreversible disease whose rarity makes it difficult to determine the effectiveness of treatment. As well, research with animal models has so far been unable to uncover the precise mechanism of injury.

Once considered an adults-only disease, Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasingly affecting youth, thanks to growing obesity in this age group. Studies with animals suggest that fat accumulation within the pancreas interferes with insulin secretion and is a causal mechanism involved in early-onset T2DM.

Dr. Kanwal Kumar, a Manitoba-trained cardiac surgery resident, is researching how tissue valves fail and if medications can be utilized extend their use “Though tissue valves are employed in over 60 per cent of heart valve surgeries, little is known as to how and why they eventually fail,” Dr. Kumar notes. “Our research will help provide insight into this mechanism.” With his research, Dr. Kumar is confident that if the methods of failure can be explained. He believes that better engineering and medical interventions can be employed, with the goal of developing tissue valves that are as durable as metal but do not require blood-thinning therapy. “This will provide younger, active individuals, and women of child-bearing age an opportunity to have a tissue valve implanted without risking failure and high risk open-heart surgery,” Dr. Kumar explains.

Dr. Edward Leung, a research fellow at the University of Manitoba, is utilizing magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to noninvasively image the specific brain areas that are prone to GA1 injuries. MRS procedures will be performed on GA1 patients in acute crisis prior to and after standardized treatment that follows international guidelines. “The results will be correlated with the clinical course in the patients to help us understand the mechanisms of brain injury in GA1 and to determine the utility of MRS as a diagnostic and evaluative technique,” relates Dr. Leung, who studied in Toronto, Saskatoon and at the Mayo Clinic. By using MRS to develop chemical evaluation techniques, Dr. Leung hopes to be able to diagnose and treat diseases other than GA1 that also involve chemical abnormalities in the brain.

Dr. Brandy Wicklow, a pediatric edocrinologist who received her initial medical degree from the University of Manitoba, is conducting research into T2DM using non-invasive MRI techniques to measure fat inside the pancreas of youth with the disease. She’s trying to ascertain if a similar mechanism as that found in the animal studies explains the condition of youth with T2DM. “This technology will help us understand the earliest metabolic disturbances involved in the progression to diabetes in overweight individuals,” says Dr. Wicklow. “We’ll compare the amount of pancreatic fat between three groups: lean youth without diabetes, overweight at risk of T2DM and overweight and diagnosed. We’ll also test their pancreatic function with a sophisticated glucose challenge. We expect that adolescents with elevated levels of pancreatic fat will have lower levels of insulin secretion when glucose challenged.” According to Dr. Wicklow, the ultimate goal of her study is to expand the understanding of T2DM’s causes in youth, potentially allowing for earlier detection and enhanced development of targeted treatment and prevention strategies.

Dr. Kanwal Kumar Dr. Edward Leung

Dr. Brandy Wicklow

“Receiving support from MHRC is pivotal for my training to become an independent research scientist. Moreover, it allows me to interact on an international platform, further shaping an important network. This may lead to fruitful collaborations and ultimately better understanding of chronic airway diseases.” DR. DEDMER SCHAAFSMA

DR. DEDMER SCHAAFSMA DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY AND INTERNAL MEDICINE, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA Pinpointing New Treatment Targets in Asthma Research Through his research, Dr. Dedmer Schaafsma is seeking to identify new treatment targets that may inhibit and perhaps even reverse the progression of asthma, a disease whose prevalence and morbidity is steadily rising. In Canada alone, Dr. Schaafsma says, asthma inflicts 12 per cent of children and six per cent of adults. “The health effects and economic burden of asthma makes it absolutely crucial to pinpoint new targets and develop new treatments,” he says. Dr. Schaafsma’s research focuses on statins, a drug that is widely used in cardiovascular disease and well tolerated. “Our studies assess the effects of statins on airway remodeling, and in particular, on airway wall fibrosis which is a process that contributes directly to airway wall thickening and as such to airflow limitation,” he explains. “We’re on the verge of investigating whether statins can prevent and/or reverse airway inflammation and remodeling in a live mouse model of chronic asthma.” Dr. Schaafsma, who received his PhD from the University of Groningen in The Netherlands, believes his analysis will help further explain the molecular mechanisms that drive pathological features of airway diseases. He says, his research may also help identify whether statins can be used as an effective pharmacological intervention in the treatment of airway wall remodeling.

Dr. Dedmer Schaafsma

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Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards A limited number of fellowships are available to outstanding candidates with a doctoral degree whose prior postdoctoral research training normally does not exceed 3 years. Postdoctoral Fellows are a critical component of the research enterprise enhancing the work of established investigators and these awards support the development of the next generation of researchers. RECIPIENT (SUPERVISOR) DEPARTMENT, INSTITUTION

RECIPIENT (SUPERVISOR) DEPARTMENT, INSTITUTION

Ande, Sudharsana Rao (Dr. Suresh Mishra) Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Fellowship Award Title: Insight into the role of prohibitin in EGF mediated signalling mechanisms.

Loewen, Mark (Dr. Allan Becker) Department of Pediatrics & Child Health, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/ MICH Fellowship Award Title: Origins of Asthma in early life: What is the role of Perfluorinated chemicals in indoor enviroment.

Bai, Aiping (Dr. Zhikang Peng) Department of Pediatrics & Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/MICH Fellowship Award Title: A new therapeutic strategy for treatment and study of immune mechanisms in IBDnovel vaccines to down-regulate pathogenic cytokines and induce immune anergy in murine colitis

Ozturk, Arzu (Dr. Geoff Hicks) Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: CancerCare Fellowship Award Title: The Molecular Mechanism of De Novo Transforming Activities of TLSERG in vivo.

Bai, Hong (Dr. Xi Yang) Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Fellowship Award Title: Effect of Natural Killer T Cells (NKT) on Dendritic Cells (DCs) development in allergy and asthma Begic, Sanela (Dr. Leigh Murphy) Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/CancerCare Fellowship Award Title: Breast Cancer Progression to Estrogen Independence Determining the Mechanisms by which human breast cancer cells progress from estrogen dependence to independence and how breast cancers develop resistance to antiestrogens

Patel, Trushar (Dr. Jรถrg Stetefeld) Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/CancerCare/MICH Fellowship Award Title: Investigation of Recombinant agrin as a therapeutic agent. Schaafsma, Dedmer (Dr. Andrew Halayko) Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/MICH Fellowship Award Title: Statins as a therapeutical intervention in airway remodelling in asthma? Sekar, Ashok Kumar (Dr. Spencer Gibson) Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: CancerCare Fellowship Award Title: Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptors as potential targets for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) treatment.

Ishdorj, Ganchimeg (Dr. Spencer Gibson) Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/CancerCare Fellowship Award. Title: Lysophospatidic Acid (LPA) and its Survival Mechanism in CLL cells.

Zhang, Handi (Dr. Xin-Min Li) Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Fellowship Award Title: New Insights into the Action of Atypical Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Schizophrenia: Effects on Cuprizone-induced Demyelination and Remyelination.

Lacoste, Sandrine (Dr. Sabine Mai) Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: CancerCare Fellowship Award Title: Genomic instability and three-dimensional telomere organization in freshly EBV-infected human B cells.

Zhao, Zhaohui (Dr. Mohammed Moghadasian) Department of Human Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Human Ecology, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Fellowship Award Title: An investigation of pharmacokinetic and mechanisms of anti-atherogenic properties of ferulic acid in experimental animals.

Lawrence, Jane (Dr. Jonathan Marotta) Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Fellowship Award Title: Neuroimaging of the neural networks of visuomotor adaptation in humans. Louis, Sherif (Dr. Peter Zahradka) Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Fellowship Award Title: Modulation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype by AngII

2008 | 2009 Annual Report 19

“MHRC is a prestigious support agency and the studentships provided by it are coveted by any graduate student in science. By achieving this studentship, I have been placed among successful researchers who won this award in the past. It’s given me more confidence to continue the work I’m doing.” ALINA-GABRIELA SOFRONESCU

20 Manitoba Health Research Council

Graduate Studentship Awards

ALINA-GABRIELA SOFRONESCU DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA Identifying the Gene that Controls Cell Growth in the Heart Until death, our hearts contains essentially the same number of muscle cells that were present at birth. That’s sufficient until we suffer a heart attack and some of our heart muscle dies. Because the remaining cells are no longer efficient at dividing and regenerating, the heart then compensates by increasing in size (hypertrophy). Beyond a certain capacity, the heart will fail. Through her work, Alina-Gabriela Sofronescu has helped identify a gene coding for the growth factor FGF-16 that switches on around the time of birth and is linked to growth changes during this period. Ms. Sonfronescu is interested in the signals that might contribute to changes in the growth of heart muscle cells around birth and how they’re controlled. So far, she says, her research has focused on how the gene is regulated. “The research will give us a more complete understanding of how genes are switched on in the heart,” states Ms. Sofronescu, a native of Romania who is studying for her Ph.D. at the University of Manitoba. “Also, if FGF-16 or its signaling are shown to be potentially beneficial after heart injury, then there’s a real possibility of identifying additional therapeutic targets to reduce the negative effect to a survivor of a heart attack.”

A limited number of studentships are offered to excellent graduate students who are undertaking full-time Master’s or Doctoral programs in the Province of Manitoba. These awards also aim to develop the next generation of researchers and improve the productivity of a research lab by funding graduate students. RECIPIENT (SUPERVISOR) DEPARTMENT, INSTITUTION Ahmadie, Roien (Dr. Davinder Jassal) Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/SBRC Studentship Award Title: The interaction of hyperlipidemia and NOS3 on left ventricular remodelling after pressure-induced overload. Alpuche Aviles, Jorge Edmundo (Dr. Stephen Pistorius) Department of Physics & Astronomy, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/ CancerCare Studentship Award Title: Quantitative scatter enhanced computed tomography (CT) for improved breast tissue diagnosis. Azordegan, Nazila (Dr. M. Moghadasian) Department of Human Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Human Ecology, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/SBRC Studentship Award Title: Characterizations of transplant coronary atherosclerosis in rats: Prevention of transplant coronary atherosclerosis by dietary plant sterols. Baudry, Patricia (Dr. Daryl Hoban) Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Characterization of Multi-Drug Resistant Extended-Spectrum BetaLactamase Producing Escherichia coli from Patients in Canadian Hospitals. Begum, Farhana (Dr. Emma Frost) Department of Human Anatomy & Cell Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/ MICH Studentship Award Title: Multiple Sclerosis induced neuropathic pain. Camus, Gaelle (Dr. Steven Jones) Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Characterization of the immune response to vaccines against Lassa Fever. Chan, Mable (Dr. Ute Stroeher) Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Characterizing the effectiveness of SKI-1 inhibitors as a therapeutic strategy against New and Old World Arenaviruses. Chopek, Jeremy (Dr. Philip Gardiner) Faculty of Kinesiology & Recreation Management, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: The effect of aging and caloric restriction has on motor neuron properties and viability. Desanghere, Loni (Dr. Jonathan Marotta) Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Eye movements and visuomotor behaviour: What are you looking at?

Alina-Gabriela Sofronescu

Dionne, Benjamin (Dr. Mike Butler) Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Title: Determining and Understanding the glycosylation patterns of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.

2008 | 2009 Annual Report 21

Graduate Studentship Awards Douville, Josette (Dr. Jeffrey Wigle) Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Regulation of the FOXO4 gene by the homeodomain transcription factor MEOX2 in endothelial cells. Edmundson, Carmen (Dr. Donald W. Miller) Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Identifying novel agents to lessen neurological and functional deficits following stroke. Enns, Jennifer (Dr. Karmin O) Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Regulation of Lipid Metabolism by Natural Health Products. Fonseca, Mario (Dr. David Eisenstat) Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/CancerCare/MICH Studentship Award Title: DLX transcription factors in intestinal development and colon cancer. Hall, Lelanie (Dr. Jiming Kong) Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Protein oxidation as a mechanism of neuronal death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Hauff, Kristin (Dr. Grant Hatch) Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/ MICH Studentship Award Title: The Effect of the Barth Syndrome Gene, TAZ, on Cholesterol Biosynthesis. Hynes, Tyler (Dr. Andrew Halayko) Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/ MICH Studentship Award Title: Role of Caveolae and Caveolins in Pro-Inflammatory Responses and Changes in Lung Function in Acute Exposure to House Dust Mite. James, Terrence (Dr. Brian Mark) Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Determining the crystallographic structure of OUT-like Protease from the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus. Kaefer, Nadine (Dr. Francis Plummer) Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Gene expression in the female tract and the immune repsonse to HIV. Khan, Dilshad Hussain (Dr. Jim Davie) Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/CancerCare Studentship Award Title: Uncovering the role of HDAC2 Phosphorylation in regulating its interaction with Histone binding protein RbAp48. Kim, Eun Ran (Dr. Tooru Mizuno) Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: The Effect of Xenin on Energy Balance and Hypothalmic Activation

22 Manitoba Health Research Council

CONTINUED

Labine, Meaghan (Dr. Gerald Minuk) Department of Pharmacology Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: An epidemiological and laboratory based study of the association between cyanobacterial hepatoxins on the prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma in Canada, and the use of cyanobacterial hepatoxins in the therapeutic treatment of hepatocellular carcin Li, Hongzhao (Dr. Aaron Marshall) Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Role of TAPP Proteins in Regulating the Chemotaxis of B-Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells. Liu, Dong (Dr. Jude Uzonna) Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: The p110delta isoform of phosphoinostide 3 kinase (P13K) controls the quality of secondary anti-leishmanial immunity by regulating expansion and function of memory T cell subsets. Ma, Xin (Dr. Elissavet Kardami) Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Studies on the mechanism og high molecular weight FGF-2-induced cell death. Martinez, Lourdes (Dr. David McCrea) Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Contralateral reflexes during locomotion. Mohajeri, Sanaz (Dr. Ian Smith) Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Early Detection of Cholangiocarcinoma in PSC Patients In-vivo Using MR Imaging and Spectroscopy. Nafez, Solmaz (Dr. Benedict Albensi) Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/ MICH/SBHRF Studentship Award Title: The role of NF-kB in neuronal activity dependent gene expression. Panigrahi, Soumya (Dr. Janice Dodd & Dr. Spencer Gibson) Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/CancerCare Studentship Award Title: Apoptin and its derivatives as molecular clues towards the development of novel tyrosine kinase inhibitiors. Pollard, Gail (Dr. James Thliveris & Dr. James Scott) Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/MICH Studentship Award Title: Lung development and Fungal spores: in vitro and in vivo comparisons. Protudjer, Jennifer (Dr. Gustaaf Sevenhuysen & Dr. Allan Becker) Department of Human Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Human Ecology, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/MICH Studentship Award Title: Temporal Associations between obesity and asthma in pubertal children: A multimethod substudy of the genderrelated evolution of asthma team (GREATice) Rachid, Ousama (Dr. Keith Simons) Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/MICH Studentship Award Title: The Effects of Non-Medicinal ingredients on the absorption of epinephrine from sublingual tablets.

Rashedi, Iran (Dr. Philip Gardiner) Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: The role of Dnase-X in skeletal muscle function addressed by targeted disruption of the gene in murine model. Salame, Joumana (Dr. James Elliot Scott) Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/MICH Studentship Award Title: Periodontal ligament and respiratory lung cells altered MMPs expression upon exposure to cigarette smoke extract. Sandhu, Sumit (Dr. Hao Ding) Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Transgenic dissection of DNA helicase to determine its role in development of clorectal cancer. Sangle, Ganesh Vishwanath (Dr. Garry Shen) Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Signal transduction mechanisms involved in glycated oxidized LDL induced production of fibrinolytic regulators in vascular endothelial cells. Shepherd, Erin (Dr. Roberta Woodgate) , Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/MICH Studentship Award Title: The Lived Experience of Parents Caring for Children who have Completed Treatment for Childhood Cancer. Shields, Caroline (Dr. Michael Mowat) Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/CancerCare Studentship Award Title: The role of Dlc-2 in ceramide signalling to PGP synthase. Sivro, Aida (Dr. Francis Plummer) Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Effect of Interferon Regulatory Factor-1 Polymorphisms, Associated with Resistance to HIV-1 Infection in highly exposed uninfected Kenyan sex workers.

Vora, Parvez (Dr. Emma Frost) Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/MICH Studentship Award Title: Role of transcription factor,MeCP2 in regulation in Rett Syndrome. Weng, Jiequn (Dr. Jiming Kong) Department f Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/MICH Studentship Award Title: Protecting hypoxiainduced neuronal death by targeting the BNIP3 death gene family. Williamson, Kathryn (Dr. Lorna Jakobson) Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/MICH Studentship Award Title: Detection of biological motion in adolescents born prematurely and aged-matched controls. Wojciechowski, Peter (Dr. Thomas Netticadan) Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: The potential of resveratrol in preventing cardiac hypertrophy due to volume overload/ Cardiovascular Physiology. Wu, Nan (Dr. Karmin O) Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Regulation of Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) Expression during liver injury. Yan, Yi (Dr. Etienne Leygue) Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/CancerCare Studentship Award Title: The steroid receptor RNA activator (SRA)/SRAP regulates the expression of ERB. Young, Tamara (Dr. Yvonne Myal) Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Role of Cluadin 1 in Human Breast Cancer Tumor Progression and Metastasis. Zeng, Hongmei (Dr. Geoff Hicks) Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/Cancercare Studentship Award Title: Identification of stress-responsive TLS nucleolar relocalization domain.

Sofronescu, Alina-Gabriela (Dr. Peter A. Cattini) Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/MICH Studentship Award Title: Characterization of fibroblast growth factor 16 (FGF-16) promoter activity in postnatal cardiac cells in vitro and in vivo.

Zhang, Qi (Dr. David Eisenstat) Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/CancerCare/MICH Studentship Award Title: Identification and Characterization of DLX homeobox gene transcriptional targets in retinal development.

Udenigwe, Chibuike (Dr. Rotimi Aluko) Department of Human Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Human Ecology, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC Studentship Award Title: Novel Calmodulin-binding peptides from flaxseed proteins-potential benefits in human health and diseases.

Zheng, Yingfeng (Dr. Xiao-Jian) Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/MICH Studentship Award Title: Functional Role and Molecular Mechanism underlying the action of HIV-1 integrase during viral DNA chromatin targeting.

ur-Rehman, Fazal (Dr. Stephen Pistorius) Department of Physics and Astronomy (Medical Physics), Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/CancerCare Title: Characterization of 2D Planar Arrays of Transmission Ion Chamber Detector as an IMRT Dosimetric Tool.

Zhou, Yueqin (Dr. Geoff Hicks) Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/CancerCare Studentship Award Title: A functional role for TLS in the immunological synapse of activated lymphocytes.

Venugopal, Niranjan (Dr. Boyd McCurdy) Department of Medical Physics/ Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba. Name of Award: MHRC/CancerCare Studentship Award Title: Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging for Improved Treatment Planning of Prostate Cancer.

2008 | 2009 Annual Report 23

Bridge Funding Awards Bridge funding awards are once only, one-year awards designed to allow experienced, productive investigators, who have lost funding from a major national agency, to maintain their research operation while they attempt to regain national funding. This program leveraged an additional $140,000 in funding from local research institutions. RECIPIENT, DEPARTMENT, INSTITUTION Dodd, Janice Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: The role of PPAR gamma and IGF signaling pathway on progression of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) to prostrate cancer. Kupriyanov, Valerian Manitoba Institute for Biodiagnostics, , National Research Council. Title: Magnetic resonance and nearinfrared imaging of cryoinjury and repair by intrapericardial delivery of vascular growth factos.

Sponsorships The Council sponsored four events which intended to build research collaborations within their specific areas of interest: Assessing the Future of Extracranial Radiosurgery: A National Symposium. Canadian Student Health Research Forum: MHRC Postdoctoral Fellow Poster Award. CIHR’s Celebration of Excellence in Canadian Health Event: Sponsoring attendance of Drs. Bolton and Whyard International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences: 2nd Symposium on FUTURE OF HEART HEALTH International Forum on Knowledge Translation, Banff, Alberta. Traditions of Excellence Research Symposia, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Manitoba.

24 Manitoba Health Research Council

“For emerging researchers, it’s vital to have the support of organizations like MHRC. As a new investigator setting up my laboratory here in Manitoba, the funding I received was and is very crucial to my research program.” DR. PRASHEN CHELIKANI

DR. PRASHEN CHELIKANI DEPARTMENT OF ORAL BIOLOGY, FACULTY OF DENTISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

Regional Partnership Program Grants – Operating Grants

Broadening Our Understanding of Protein Action

The program provides partnership awards (matching funds) to individuals who have been awarded Canadian Institutes of Health Research Regional Partnership Program (CIHR-RPP) operating grants. Funding for this program is made available through the Department of Science, Technology, Energy and Mines and leaveraged an additional $940,000 into Manitoba from CIHR.

Dr. Prashen Chelikani’s research career has been dedicated to studying protein structure and function at the cellular and molecular level. Since graduating with a Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba, Dr. Chelikani’s projects have focused on G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), proteins that play an important role in such pathological processes as asthma, heart disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. According to Dr. Chelikani, GPCRs can interact with the environment inside and outside a cell and changes happen when molecules called ligands bind to them. “My research is focused on broadening the current understanding of the mechanisms of action of GPCRs at the cellular, molecular and atomic levels,” explains Dr Chelikani. “One of our ongoing projects is centred on Beta2-adrenergic receptor (B2-AR), a GPCR that mediates physiological responses to the hormones, adrenalin and noradrenaline. We’re comparing the structure and activity of wild-type receptor and specific site-directed mutants by using different biophysical techniques.” Global sales of GPCR ligands as pharmaceuticals is estimated to be $50 billion and 40 per cent of the top 100 drugs in the world target GPCRs. Dr. Chelikani’s belief is that his fundamental studies will help the scientific community decipher GPCR-drug interactions which will ultimately lead to the design of more effective drugs.

RECIPIENT, DEPARTMENT, INSTITUTION Burczynski, Frank Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba. Title: Role of intracellular fatty acid binding protein in oxidative stress. Campbell, Darren Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: Military Personnel with PTSD: Functional MRI brain imaging, psychotherapy, and emotional responses. Chelikani, Prashen Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Manitoba. Title: Towards elucidation of the active state structures of beta2adrenergic receptor. Kirouac, Gilbert Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Manitoba. Title: Thalamic regulation of the nucleus accumbens. Leygue, Etienne Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: Investigating cross-talks between steroid receptor RNA activator protein (SRAP) and estrogen receptor signalings in breast cancer cells. Li, Xin-Min Department of Psychiatry, Facutly of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: Testing the demyelination hypothesis of schizophrenia. Nyomba, Gregoire Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: Effects and mechanistic aspects of ethanol on postnatal glucose metabolism in offspring. Peng, Zhikang Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: A new strategy for treatment and study of immune mechanisms in inflammatory bowel disease. Rempel, Julia Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: Natural killer cell activity in th enhanced resistance to HCV infection observed in aboriginal people. Shaw, Richard Institute for Biodiagnostics, National Research Council Title: Point of care diagnostic and analytical metabolomic testing. Shen, Garry Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Title: Mechanism for glycated LDL-induced plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 production in vascular cells and diabetic animal models. Soussi Gounni, Abdelilah Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba Title: Glucocorticoid receptor signaling in survival of human neutrophils.

Dr. Prashen Chelikani

Triggs-Raine, Barbara Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba Title: Constitutive and regulated pathways of hyaluronan degradation. Woodgate, Roberta Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba. Title: Youth involvement in Health Care Decisions: Ethical, Social and Cultural Perspectives. 2008 | 2009 Annual Report 25

Regional Partnerships Program â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Personnel Awards RECIPIENT, DEPARTMENT, INSTITUTION

Bayrampour, Hamideh Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba. Type of Award: Doctoral Research Award Cunnington, Ryan Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre. Type of Award: Doctoral Research Award. Dhingra, Sanjiv Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Type of Award: Doctoral Research Award (start extende to start August 2009)

26 Manitoba Health Research Council

Review Committees 2008 Manitoba Research Chairs Committee Dr. Reinhart Reithmeier, Reithmeier (Chair), Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto Dr. Michael P. Walsh, (Scientific Officer), Smooth Muscle Research Group and the CIHR Group in Regulation of Vascular Contractility, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of Calgary Dr. Steve Kehl, Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Centre, University of British Columbia Dr. Russell D. Hull, Thrombosis Research Unit, Foothills Hospital, University of Calgary

2008 Operating & Establishment Grant Scientific Review Committee Dr. Jim Thornhill, Chair, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan Dr. Brent Fedirchuk, Scientific Officer, Department of Physiology, University of Manitoba Dr. Roxanne Deslaurier, Institute of Biodiagnostics, National Research Council Dr. Tammy Ivanco, Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba Dr. Valerie Kupriyanov, Institute for Biodiagnostics, National Research Council Dr. Thomas Netticaden, Department of Physiology, University of Manitoba Dr. Gregoire Nyomba, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba Dr. Fiona Parkinson, Department of Pharmacology, University of Manitoba Dr. Janice Richman-Eisenstat, Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology, CancerCare Manitoba Dr. Barbara Triggs-Raine, Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba Dr. Jude Uzonna, Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba Dr. John Wilkins, Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba Dr. Juiyong Xie, Department of Physiology, University of Manitoba

2008 Social/Population Health Review Committee Dr. Michelle Porter, Chair, Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, University of Manitoba Dr. Janice Dodd (Scientific Officer), Head, Department of Physiology, University of Manitoba Dr. Dauna Crooks, Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba Dr. Brenda Elias, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba Dr. Randy Fransoo, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba Dr. Rob Hoppa, Department of Anthropology, University of Manitoba Dr. Michelle Lobchuk, Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba Dr. Barbara Payne, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba Dr. Lori Wilkinson, Department of Sociology, University of Manitoba Dr. Dickie Yu, Director of Research, St. Amant Centre

2008 Studentship Review Committee

2008 Fellowship Review Committee

Dr. Pawan Singal, Chair, Department of Physiology, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre Dr. Catalina Birek, Department of Oral Biology, University of Manitoba Dr. Marc Del Bigio, Department of Pathology, University of Manitoba Dr. Mary Lynn Duckworth, Department of Physiology, University of Manitoba Dr. Andrew Goertzen, Department of

Dr. Leigh Murphy, Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, CancerCare Manitoba Dr. Judy Anderson, Scientific Officer, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba Dr. Jane Evans, Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba Dr. Gordon Glazner, Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre Dr. B.J. Hancock, Department of Surgery, University of Manitoba Dr. Thomas Klonisch, Department of Human Anatomy & Cell Science, University of Manitoba Dr. Brian Mark, Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba Dr. Karmin O, Department of Animal Science, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre Dr. Shayne Taback, Departments of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba Dr. Jeffrey Wigle, Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre

Radiology, University of Manitoba

Dr. Grant Hatch, Department of Pharmacology, University of Manitoba Dr. Mohammed Moghadasian, Department of Human Nutritional Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre Dr. Julia Rempel, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba Dr. Lawrence Ryner, Department of Medical Physics, CancerCare Manitoba Dr.. Maria Vrontakis, Department of Human Anatomy & Cell Science, University of Manitoba Dr. Jitender Sareen, Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba

Dr. Xiao Yao, Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba

2008 | 2009 Annual Report 27

Financial Statements Auditorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Report To the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba:

FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2009

Contents Financial Statements Statement of Financial Position Statement of Operations and Fund Balances

I II

Statement of Cash Flows

III

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Notes to Financial Statements

Supplementary Financial Information Schedule of Administrative Expenses

VIII

We have audited the statement of financial position of MANITOBA HEALTH RESEARCH COUNCIL as at March 31, 2009 and the statements of operations and fund balances and cash flows for the year then ended. These financial statements are the responsibility of the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform an audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. In our opinion, these financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the organization as at March 31, 2009 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles.

Chartered Accountants Winnipeg, Manitoba April 17, 2009

28 Manitoba Health Research Council

Statement of Financial Position March 31

2009

2008

Cash and bank (Note 2)

$99,964

$587,122

Short-term investments

2,273,722

365,721

Accounts receivable

7,860

791,557

Prepaid expenses

2,154

2,157

500

2,384,200

1,747,057

15,794

2,846

$2,399,994

$1,749,903

$107,590

$89,837

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

368,046

438,968

441,687

546,558

899,570

1,853,436

755,825

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

94,508

1,853,436

850,333

$2,399,994

$1,749,903

ASSETS Current Assets

Deposits

Capital assets (Note 3)

LIABILITIES AND FUND BALANCES Current Liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (Note 4) Deferred revenue Research grants payable

Commitments (Note 6) Fund Balances General Research Fund (Page II) Regional Partnerships Program Fund (Page II)

Approved on behalf of the board

Director

The accompanying Summary of significant accounting policies and notes are an integral part of these statements.

2008 | 2009 Annual Report I

Statement of Operations and Fund Balances For the year ended March 31

2009

2008

General Research Fund

Regional Partnership Fund

Total

$5,000,000

$1,000,000

$6,000,000

$5,103,276

153,500

16,423

169,923

98,822

57,645

—

57,645

65,479

5,211,145

1,016,423

6,227,568

5,267,577

Add deferred revenue, beginning of year

—

368,046

—

Less deferred revenue, end of year

—

368,046

5,211,145

1,384,469

6,595,614

4,899,531

733,746

—

733,746

440,220

Personnel awards

2,044,770

28,000

2,072,770

1,455,738

Research grants

2,010,002

775,993

2,785,995

2,412,649

4,788,518

803,993

5,592,511

4,308,607

Excess of revenue over expenditures for the year

422,627

580,476

1,003,103

590,924

Fund balances, beginning of year

755,825

94,508

850,333

259,409

Transfer Regional Partnership Fund to General Research Fund

674,984

(674,984)

—

$1,853,436

$850,333

Revenue Province of Manitoba grants Grants returned /rescinded Investment income

Expenditures Administration (Page VIII)

Fund balances, end of year (Page I)

II Manitoba Health Research Council

$1,853,436

The accompanying Summary of significant accounting policies and notes are an integral part of these statements.

Statement of Cash Flows For the year ended March 31

2009

2008

$1,003,103

$590,924

4,088

1,129

—

1,671

1,007,191

593,724

(1,908,001)

(177,603)

783,697

(522,364)

—

3,045

—

17,753

78,821

(368,046)

368,046

(2,719)

(361,969)

(470,122)

(18,300)

(17,036)

(1,278)

(487,158)

(19,578)

Cash (bank indebtedness),, beginning of year

587,122

606,700

Cash,, end of year

$99,964

$587,122

Supplementary Information Interest received

$56,456

$52,492

Cash Flows from Operating Activities Excess of revenue over expenditures for the year Adjustments for Amortization of capital assets Loss on disposal of capital assets

Changes in non-cash working capital balances Short-term investments Accounts receivable Accrued interest receivable Prepaid expenses Accounts payable and accrued liabilities Deferred revenue Research grants payable

Cash Flows from Investing Activities Purchase of capital assets Decrease in cash and cash equivalents during the year

The accompanying Summary of significant accounting policies and notes are an integral part of these statements.

2008 | 2009 Annual Report III

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies March 31, 2009 These financial statements have been prepared by management in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles. Financial Instruments

The organization utilizes various financial instruments. Unless otherwise noted, it is management’s opinion that the organization is not exposed to significant interest, currency or credit risks arising from these financial instruments and the carrying amounts approximate fair values. All transactions related to financial instruments are recorded on a trade date basis. The organization classifies its financial instruments as follows based on the purpose for which the asset was acquired and follows the disclosed accounting policy for each category. Assets/Liability