OTTAWA, June 25, 2024 — Researchers at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) have been awarded more than $700,000 in Discovery Grant (DG) funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The funding will support UOHI researchers to close knowledge gaps and inform strategies to improve heart disease diagnosis, treatment and healthcare systems design.
The researchers receiving DG project funding are Dr. Erin Mulvihill, Dr. Benjamin Rotstein and Dr. Christopher Sun. The NSERC DG Program assists in promoting and maintaining a diversified base of high-quality research capability in the natural sciences and engineering in Canada. The DG Program is NSERC's largest and longest-standing program.
Funded projects
Project: Postprandial signalling of glucagon like peptide 1 and 2 within the intestinal tract in conditions of nutrient scarcity and environmental stress
Principal investigator: Erin Mulvihill, PhD
Amount: $283,500 over five years
Dr. Erin Mulvihill’s project seeks to address a critical knowledge gap in the regulation of the metabolic changes that occur after a meal, following the absorption and processing of nutrients. Her research will focus on the pivotal roles of gut hormones known as GLP1 and GLP2 in lipid metabolism, immune responses, and gut growth.
Project: Rapid discovery of molecular tracers through convergent carbon dioxide fixation chemistry
Principal investigator: Benjamin Rotstein, PhD
Amount: $240,000 over five years
Dr. Benjamin Rotstein will research innovative approaches to improve radiotracer development and identify novel chemical reactions using carbon dioxide. This work will inform strategies to develop new imaging agents for a number of applications ranging from disease diagnosis to drug discovery and fundamental research.
Project: Fairness in systems with human-algorithm decision making through optimization and machine learning
Principal investigator: Christopher Sun, PhD
Amount: $180,000 over five years
Dr. Christopher Sun’s research will seek to advance and connect the study of algorithmic fairness and human-algorithm decision-making, bridging the research-to-practice disconnect in improving fairness through algorithms. The long-term goal is to leverage data-driven optimization and machine learning to inform the design of healthcare systems and ultimately the development of public health policies.
For more information
Media contact
To schedule an interview with the researchers mentioned in this announcement, please contact the liaison below.
Leigh B. Morris
Communications Officer
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
613-316-6409 (cell)
lmorris@ottawaheart.ca