For Immediate Release
July 25, 2008

DRIVING THE INNOVATION ECONOMY IN LONDON

McGuinty Government Building Ontario’s Innovation-Driven Economy

NEWS

Research aimed at quickly detecting contamination in food, water and soil and improving early childhood learning for children with mathematical and reading difficulties are two of the 10 projects at The University of Western Ontario that will receive $1.4 million in funding from the province’s Early Researcher Awards program.

Funding leading research is part of Ontario’s plan to build an innovation economy.

The researchers include:

• Dr. Daniel Ansari, who is investigating how children develop mathematical difficulties and how these relate to reading impairments to help design and implement new learning tools.
• Dr. Savita Dhanvantari, who is developing ways to detect pre-diabetes damage to the pancreas leading to therapies that may delay or prevent this disease, which affects over 2 million Canadians.

• Dr. Elizabeth R. Gillies, who is using applied chemistry to improve the effects of medication by better targeting disease cells and developing new types of drugs that are effective on highly drug-resistant bacteria.
• Dr. François Lagugné-Labarthet, who is using state-of-the-art optical imaging technologies to learn more about nanomaterials, tiny materials used many products from high-tech devices to food packaging.

• Dr. Silvia Mittler, who is developing a “lab on a computer chip” that will quickly detect contamination in food, water and soil to inform public safety decision makers.

In total, 66 projects across the province worth $9.24 million will receive funding from the Early Researcher Awards program.

The goal of this program is to improve Ontario’s ability to attract and retain the best and brightest research talent from around the world. Today’s investment will ensure that leading Ontario researchers have the resources they need to build their research teams of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research assistants and associates from across Canada and abroad.

QUOTES

“London and southwestern Ontario are home to world-class researchers making groundbreaking discoveries in fields as diverse as health care, environmental protection and digital media. Ontario’s investment in our community today is helping to secure our place as leaders in the innovation economy of tomorrow,” said London West MPP Chris Bentley.

“Today’s investment is an important part of Ontario’s plan to build an innovation-driven economy. We are investing in the people that are pioneering the scientific breakthroughs that will improve health care, protect the environment, and ignite growth in the industries that will shape Ontario’s future,” said Minister of Research and Innovation John Wilkinson.

QUICK FACTS

• The Early Researcher Awards program is an important part of Ontario’s Innovation Agenda, a plan to make innovation the driving force of the provincial economy.

• Innovation is part of the McGuinty government’s five-point plan for the economy. The other parts of the plan are:
• Skills and training
• Building infrastructure
• Strategic business tax cuts to create investment
• Partnerships with business

LEARN MORE

Learn More about the Early Researcher Awards

Learn More about Ontario’s Innovation Agenda

Learn how Ontario’s Budget 2008 is supporting innovation

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See also:

• Backgrounder: Strengthening Ontario’s Innovation Economy