Two UCalgary Institutes awarded over $3 million in funding

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Posted on June 24, 2009

By Kyle Glennie

The Canadian Atherosclerosis Imaging Network (CAIN) has been awarded a multi-million dollar National Platforms grant from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI)-and over $3 million of that will be given to the Calgary site which is one of CAIN's five principle centres.

The funding is a boon for researchers studying stroke, cardiac and vascular disease.  CAIN is a national imaging network conducting research projects that involve the application of advanced imaging technologies to carotid (brain) and coronary (heart) atherosclerotic (vessel wall) disease.  The multi-centre network also links atherosclerosis experts from across the country, and is already supported by a 2008 $10 million CFI/CIHR Clinical Research Initiative award.

As part of the new funding, Calgary will lead the development of the cerebrovascular and cardiovascular MR core facilities, which will be jointly headed by Dr. Richard Frayne, a professor in the Departments of Radiology and Clinical Neurosciences; and by Dr. Matthias Friedrich, associate professor in the Departments of Cardiac Sciences, Medicine, and Radiology. Calgary will also be the beneficiary of a dedicated, high speed computer linkage between it and the other four CAIN centres in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and London, Ontario.  Calgary's funding will benefit clinical research activities in the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, as well as within the Departments of Cardiology, Clinical Neurosciences and Radiology. 

CAIN's proposal to the CFI requested $21 million in infrastructure predominantly for computer and network equipment to link the five sites, and for a limited amount of new imaging equipment and upgrades.