UCalgary professor wins 2009 Research Leadership Award

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Posted November 5, 2009

By Kyle Glennie

Dr. Keith Sharkey receives the CCFC Research Leadership Award for 2009 from Margaret Prouse, CCFC National Vice President, (Maritimes): photo courtesy the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of CanadaUCalgary professor Dr. Keith Sharkey's research has been funded by  the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC) for the past 18 years.  During that time he's been named the Faculty of Medicine's CCFC Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Research; he's helped those suffering from IBD through his research into the disease; and now he's been chosen to receive the CCFC's Research Leadership Award for 2009.

"It's a great honour, while at the same time it is also a very humbling experience, especially given the calibre of the past winners," says Sharkey, a professor in the Department of Physiology & Pharmacology.  "I work closely with the local chapter of the CCFC and show them the research being done in Calgary will lead to better and more effective treatments and ultimately a cure for IBD."

The award is given annually to an individual who has participated in the development and delivery of CCFC research programs, through participation in the IBD Research Institute and the promotion of IBD research in Canada.  During the course of his career, Sharkey has undertaken and led work focused on the nervous system of the gastrointestinal tract, which is critical in both preserving health and influencing inflammatory bowel diseases. 

"I am convinced that the research performed in my lab, as well as that of my colleagues, is invaluable in shedding light on the mechanisms of these diseases and therefore will ultimately make a major contribution to understanding and treating IBD," Sharkey says.

Along with the award, Sharkey has also been asked to join the Institute Advisory Board of the Canadian Institutes for Health Research Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (INMD).  As a member of the Board, Sharkey will ‘provide sage advice and guidance', according Dr. Phil Sherman, Scientific Director of the INMD.

"As a basic scientist in gastrointestinal and neuroscience research, sitting on this important Advisory Board, I hope I can use my wealth of experience and creativity to stimulate new ideas," says Sharkey.