Minister Parsons Highlights Research Investments

  • Industry, Energy and Technology

November 26, 2021

To celebrate Research Week in the province, the Provincial Government today announced nearly $1.2 million in funding for four projects led by researchers from Memorial University. These projects demonstrate the unique and innovative research that is advancing daily in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Many researchers in the province are working across multiple disciplines to help us better understand the world and connect with industry and innovation opportunities. These four projects are leveraging over $1.04 million from national and other sources.

Research and knowledge development across all sectors is critical for diversifying and growing our economy, including the following investments:

  • $486,331 for wave three of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) research project. Led by Dr. Gerald Mugford, a clinical epidemiologist, the project is aiming to better understand what biological, psychological, social, environmental and genetic factors contribute to healthy aging. The research will assist in the identification of conditions (including diseases, mobility impairment, disabilities, mental health, and cognitive decline, etc.) resulting in the development of preventative strategies to increase healthy and longer lifespans.
  • $280,378 for a research project led by Dr. Michael Katz. This project is studying how porous materials are made, the properties of the porous materials, and reactivity with gases. The project is using porous materials to study gas absorption, separation and phase catalysis/chemical transformations.
  • $272,179 for the acquisition of a confocal microscope to assist a research project led by Dr. Rodney Russell. This cutting edge equipment will be used to facilitate comprehensive investigations in research projects pertaining to Hepatitis C, cancer, heart disease, and covid-19. Research collaborators include Dr. Sherri Christian and Dr. Bruno Stuyvers.
  • $148,000 for a research project co-led by Dr. Deepika Dave and Dr. Chris Parrish with co-investigators Dr. Matthew Rise and Dr. Kelly Hawboldt. The project is focused on the development of processing methodology that will maximize the utilization of the province’s salmon, shrimp, and seaweed waste resources by extracting high value marine pharmaceutical products and shrimp extracts, which can be utilized in the aquafeed industry and pharmaceutical sector.

The aim of this year’s Research Week is to celebrate and raise awareness of Memorial’s internationally renowned exploration expertise, and encourage more multidisciplinary collaboration among the research community.

Quotes
“Memorial University and its teams continue to produce world-class research. In addition to expansion of knowledge, each of these projects assist industry with identification of new opportunities and solutions to ongoing challenges. Our government is pleased to support Memorial’s researchers, as they play a key role in driving innovation in our province, and we’re proud to highlight their capabilities especially during Research Week.”
Honourable Andrew Parsons
Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology

“This microscope not only replaces 10 year-old technology of its kind, but it will allow us to visualize molecular interactions at a resolution we have not been able to achieve before using other fluorescence microscopes. More importantly, this system allows us to do this in live cells. So we will now be able to study the regionalization of calcium regulatory proteins in cardiac tissue, watch how viruses kill cells, and visualize immune cells attacking cancer cells.”
Dr. Rodney Russell
Professor of Virology and Immunology

“Memorial University researchers are globally recognized for their groundbreaking studies in areas ranging from genetics to environmental-related issues. Investments in critical infrastructure and leading-edge research allow our teams to advance scientific studies and address real-life issues. This support enhances Memorial’s reputation as an international innovation leader.”
Dr. Neil Bose
Vice-President (Research), Memorial University

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Media contacts
Eric Humber
Industry, Energy and Technology
709-729-5777, 725-9655
erichumber@gov.nl.ca

Jeff Green
Office of the Vice-President (Research), Memorial University
709-864-4073, 687-9243
jeffg@mun.ca

2021 11 26 10:45 am