Backgrounder

August 4, 2010

Early Researcher Awards

Ontario is providing more than $11 million to support 80 emerging researchers and their teams at 16 institutions across Ontario through the Early Researcher Awards program. Lead researchers will receive up to $140,000 through the program.

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Pharmacogenetics in psychiatry: specific genetic hypotheses for predicting response and side effects
Finding the best drugs and dosages for psychiatric disorders
Lead researcher: Dr. Daniel Josef Mueller
Number of researchers benefiting: 2

Dr. Daniel Josef Mueller at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is studying the genes that help the liver break down antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs. The results could help us find the best combination of drugs and dosages for psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. This would lead to better treatment and reduced health care costs in Ontario.

Hospital for Sick Children

Pregnancy complications, perinatal outcomes and use of health care resources in adult survivors of childhood cancer
Combing existing data to learn more about the outcomes of childhood cancer
Lead researcher: Dr. Paul Craig Nathan
Number of researchers benefiting: 3

Dr. Paul Nathan at the Hospital for Sick Children is creating a comprehensive database of children and adolescents treated for cancer in Ontario over a 20-year period. This registry is expected to become an important resource for examining acute outcomes in children with cancer, and for understanding the long-term physical and psychological challenges faced by the growing population of childhood cancer survivors.

Structural studies of tetherin, a host cell protein that inhibits viral replication
Seeking new antiviral drugs that make use of a protein naturally produced by our bodies
Lead researcher: Dr. Simon Sharpe
Number of researchers benefiting: 3

The protein tetherin protects our bodies by preventing cells infected by certain viruses from releasing new virus particles into the rest of the body. Some viruses, however, can fight back. The HIV-1 virus, for instance, has a protein that can overcome tetherin’s protective effect. At the Hospital for Sick Children, Dr. Simon Sharpe’s research on the interaction between tetherin and the HIV-1 virus could lead to new antiviral therapies.

St. Michael's Hospital

Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying chronic kidney disease
Enhancing our understanding of the origins of kidney disease
Lead researcher: Dr. Katalin Szaszi
Number of researchers benefiting: 4

At St Michael’s Hospital, Dr. Katalin Szaszi is researching the molecular mechanisms behind the origins of kidney disease. She is examining the effects of inflammation-promoting cell stress, as well as a substance produced in the kidneys during injury. Her findings could bring us closer to a cure or better treatment for kidney disease.

University of Toronto

Understanding how cellular systems are encoded in the genome
Learning how cell components work together
Lead researcher: Dr. Gary David Bader
Number of researchers benefiting: 3

Dr. Gary Bader at the University of Toronto is mapping the interactions of the components of the cell using computers. This will help us understand how genes function in cellular processes and what happens when specific genes fail in conditions like cancer, heart disease and autism. This could lead to more timely diagnoses and better treatments.

A novel approach to energy recovery from slag
Turning the waste heat from metal production into an energy source
Lead researcher: Dr. Mansoor Barati
Number of researchers benefiting: 4

Metal manufacturing produces a high-temperature liquid waste, known as slag, which must be cooled in the air or in water, releasing a vast amount of heat in the process. Dr. Mansoor Barati at the University of Toronto is investigating a new approach for harnessing the energy of the waste heat. Energy recovery from slag presents a tremendous potential for both energy savings and carbon dioxide emission reduction.

Program of drug safety and effectiveness research
Improving how we study the safety and effectiveness of drugs
Lead researcher: Dr. Suzanne M. Cadarette
Number of researchers benefiting: 3

Dr. Suzanne M. Cadarette at the University of Toronto is researching how we study the safety and effectiveness of drugs. She is focusing on the safety and effectiveness of osteoporosis drugs, and the impact of non-osteoporosis medications on fracture risk. Her research is a first step towards building a new research and training program that could help Ontario become a world leader in drug safety and effectiveness research.

Role of nuclear receptors in metabolic disease
Finding anti-inflammatory drugs without the side effects of glucocorticoid drugs
Lead researcher: Dr. Carolyn Cummins
Number of researchers benefiting: 3

While glucocorticoid drugs are widely prescribed to treat inflammation, their long-term use can cause severe complications including the onset of Type II diabetes, osteoporosis and muscle wasting. At the University of Toronto, Dr. Carolyn L. Cummins is working to develop safer anti-inflammatory drugs, leading to improved quality of life for patients taking glucocorticoid drugs and increased health care savings for Ontario.

Inventing better tools for building molecular architecture
Building organic molecules for pharmaceutical research and manufacturing
Lead researcher: Dr. Vy Maria Dong
Number of researchers benefiting: 5

Dr. Vy Maria Dong at the University of Toronto is devising green strategies for making organic molecules. Her goals are to invent cleaner and more environmentally friendly technologies for pharmaceutical research and manufacturing, and train chemists to become expert at building complicated molecules. This will ultimately enhance Ontario’s ability to lead in the discovery of new medicines and materials.

Algebraic structures in generalized geometry
Developing new mathematical tools for geometry and physics
Lead researcher: Dr. Marco Gualtieri
Number of researchers benefiting: 13

The University of Toronto’s Dr. Marco Gualtieri is developing generalized geometry – a novel type of high-dimensional space that plays an important role in theoretical physics. This field encompasses a variety of new geometric structures that we are only beginning to understand. Solving such problems would raise the international profile of Ontario mathematicians, positioning the province as a global leader in pure mathematics.

Developing novel Uba1 molecular therapeutics: suppressing the side effects of aggressive chemotherapy
Developing new molecular types of chemotherapy to fight leukemia and lymphomas
Lead researcher: Dr. Patrick Thomas Gunning
Number of researchers benefiting: 3

The University of Toronto’s Dr. Gunning is developing new types of chemotherapy to fight leukemia and lymphomas. He is developing molecules that will inhibit Uba1, an enzyme that helps break down unneeded proteins inside cells. Dr. Gunning proposes that when these molecules are used on cancer cells, they will cause protein “trash” to build up inside the cells, overwhelming and ultimately killing them.

Development of combined mass spectrometry and laser spectroscopy techniques for bioanalysis
Investigating new techniques to learn more about how biological molecules function
Lead researcher: Dr. Rebecca A. Jockusch
Number of researchers benefiting: 3

Dr. Rebecca A. Jockusch at the University of Toronto is developing combined mass spectrometric and laser spectroscopic techniques. In addition to providing students with crucial interdisciplinary training within the field of biotechnology, these techniques hold promise for future biological and medical research.

Geometry and representation theory
Determining the relationship between geometry and groups of symmetries
Lead researcher: Dr. Joel Kamnitzer
Number of researchers benefiting: 9

Symmetry is an important mathematical concept: all objects in nature have symmetries. University of Toronto mathematician Dr. Joel Kamnitzer is applying geometric techniques to the study of the groups of symmetries that underlie the structure of elementary particles, in order to uncover new structures important for number theory and mathematical physics. Similar research has resulted in applications that include cryptography for wireless communications.

Towards greener skies: reducing harmful emissions from aircraft through active flow control
Finding new technologies that reduce harmful emissions from aircraft
Lead researcher: Dr. Philippe Lavoie
Number of researchers benefiting: 4

At the University of Toronto, Dr. Philippe Lavoie is researching more effective ways to control the flow of air over civil aircraft. He is manipulating the dynamics of airflow around airplanes to produce improved flow characteristics that can reduce drag, structural vibration, noise and harmful emissions. His findings hold great potential for reducing the environmental impact and cost of operating airplanes.

Computer-assisted cancer diagnosis and treatment planning
Using computer algorithms to match cancer treatments with individual tumours
Lead researcher: Dr. Quaid D. Morris
Number of researchers benefiting: 5

At the University of Toronto, Dr. Quaid D. Morris is developing computer algorithms capable of processing molecular RNA signatures of cancer and normal tissues. The goal is to identify patterns that predict cancer types and their response to drug and/or radiation treatments. This research could, ultimately, improve our ability to match cancer treatments to individual tumours, leading to more effective treatment.

Dynamic microsimulation modelling of urban commercial vehicle operations using electronic on board recorder data
Microsimulating commercial vehicle operations
Lead researcher: Dr. Matthew John Roorda
Number of researchers benefiting: 4

The University of Toronto’s Dr. Matthew John Roorda is using Global Positioning System data to develop a model of commercial vehicle operations in order to create a decision-support software program. This could provide policy makers with better tools to analyze and predict the impact of public sector decisions on the transportation network, leading to more responsive and effective solutions.

A systems-level study of sensory information processing in C. elegans
How organisms transform sensory input into the appropriate response
Lead researcher: Mr. William S. Ryu
Number of researchers benefiting: 4

Dr. William S. Ryu at the University of Toronto isstudying how biochemical and neuronal networks in organisms process and measure sensory information and then adapt to them, in order to  increase their ability to survive.

Charge and energy transfer dynamics in molecular junctions: from fundamentals to functionality
Replacing electronic technology with molecular technology
Lead researcher: Dr. Dvira Segal
Number of researchers benefiting: 5

Dr. Dvira Segal at the University of Toronto is developing theoretical approaches and computational techniques to help us better understand chemical processes at the molecular level. Her findings on the basic mechanisms of charge transfer and energy transmission in single molecules could assist in replacing standard electronic semiconductor technology with highly efficient, low cost molecular technology.

The development of self-regulatory personality in adolescence
Seeking ways for youth with maladaptive personality to flourish as adults
Lead researcher: Dr. Jennifer L. Tackett
Number of researchers benefiting: 4

The University of Toronto’s Dr. Jennifer L. Tackett is seeking insights into maladaptive personality behaviour, one of the most treatment-resistant forms of mental disorder. Maladaptive personality disorders begin to develop in childhood and adolescence, and by adulthood become deeply ingrained patterns of behaviour. Dr. Tackett’s research aims to better understand both risk factors and resiliencies in youth to inform prevention and treatment.

Digital media and humanities synergy: a model of heroes and communities in Pir Sabzali’s journey to the roof of the world
Sharing humanities research using digital media
Lead researcher: Dr. Shafique Nizarali Virani
Number of researchers benefiting: 7

The University of Toronto’s Dr. Shafique Nizarali Virani is harnessing digital media and communications technology to share his humanities research with audiences across Ontario and around the world.

The role of end-state comfort in planning and executing actions in independent and social settings
Developing environments in which all people can move effectively
Lead researcher: Dr. Timothy Nevin Welsh
Number of researchers benefiting: 7

The University of Toronto’s Dr. Timothy Nevin Welsh is investigating the complex cognitive and neural processes that allow us to move with ease. This research will influence the design of environments and technologies that will benefit those with cognitive and motor disabilities, as well as the general public.

Rational mechanobiological-based design of tissue engineered bone
Discovering biomaterials to treat osteoporosis-related fractures by replacing bone
Lead researcher: Dr. Lidan You

Number of researchers benefiting: 4

Dr. Lidan You at the University of Toronto hopes one day to grow living replacement bone tissue that could treat osteoporosis-related fractures, which affect more women in Canada than breast and ovarian cancer combined. She will first establish what a “healthy bone cell” is, and then test different biomaterials for their ability to direct adult stem cells to become bone cells.

York University

Proteomics of Staphylococcus aureus response to antibiotics that target cell wall biosynthesis
Seeking new approaches to fighting microbes in our bodies
Lead researcher: Dr. Dasantila Golemi-Kotra
Number of researchers benefiting: 5

Extensive use of antibiotics has diminished their effectiveness against Staphylococcus aureus, or S. aureus – a bacteria that ranks as the leading cause of hospital- and community-acquired infections. Dr. Dasantila Golemi-Kotra at York University is investigating the genes that protect the S. aureus cell wall from antibiotics. Her goal is to identify the factors involved in antibiotic resistance, ultimately leading to new ways to fight bacteria.

Regulation of ion homeostasis in disease vector insects
Seeking new strategies to control mosquito and midge infestations
Lead researcher: Dr. Andrew Donini
Number of researchers benefiting: 4

The larvae of mosquitoes and midges live in the same bodies of water that people rely on for survival. These insects survive by taking in ions through specialized tissues. Dr. Andrew Donini at York University is investigating the ion transport mechanisms, which could lead to ways to control infestations and prevent disease.

Honey bee genes, behaviour and adaptation
Exploring the honey bee’s genome to explain its social behaviour
Lead researcher: Dr. Amro Zayed
Number of researchers benefiting: 2

Dr. Amro Zayed at York University is studying the genetic basis ofhoney bee behavior. He is investigating how genes (nature) and the environment (nurture) regulate social behaviour, the effect of changes in worker behaviour on colony fitness, and the evolution of the genes that control honey bee behaviour. His findings have significant implications, given the honey bee’s role in agriculture and its use as a model for understanding the genetic basis of behaviour.