CFI funds four "new" researchers

There was good news for four UVic researchers in the latest round of grants from the Canada Foundation for Innovation's New Opportunities Fund, announced June 29.

The researchers—two engineers and two biologists—received a total of $808,472 from the fund, which provides research infrastructure for newly recruited faculty members in their first full-time academic appointment in a Canadian degree-granting institution.

A $224,898 grant to Dr. Perry Howard (biology/biochemistry & microbiology) will be used to establish a molecular oncology laboratory for the study of alternative approaches to cancer therapeutics. Howard is investigating an innovative method of controlling cancer that is based on how cells signal, or "talk," to each other.

The new lab, to be located within the centre for biomedical research, will significantly enhance UVic's capacity for collaborative cancer-related research. It coincides with the advent of the Island Medical Program at UVic (the first medical students are expected at UVic in January) and expansion of the BC Cancer Agency research facility on Vancouver Island.

Stephen Neville (electrical & computer engineering) will use his $167,914 grant to develop a cyber-security research and testing facility. The new facility—the first of its kind in Canada—is designed to simulate user activities on corporate-scale networks (3,000-plus users) and develop automated methods to assess, manage and minimize corporate cyber-security risks.

Edward Park (mechanical engineering) will use a $266,924 grant to set up an advanced mechatronic systems and control laboratory. The facility will focus on the development and application of new devices and control technologies for more advanced next-generation machines and research tools. Potential users of these new technologies include the aerospace, automotive and biomedical industries.

John Taylor (biology) will use a $148,736 grant to equip a comparative genomics laboratory. The lab will combine bioinformatics and experimental molecular biology to identify and understand DNA sequences that play a role in turning genes on and off. The research will lead to a better understanding of human development, physiology and medicine.

The Canada Foundation for Innovation is an independent, not-for-profit corporation established by the federal government to support innovation in Canadian universities and research institutions.