Canada must urgently invest in research into the health impacts of climate change [Toronto Star]
To fight climate change, Canada needs to increasing funding research, particularly to early-career researchers in health and biomedical sciences. To continue reading about the need to increase funding for early-career researchers, click here for the article on the Toronto Star’s…
Canada can’t afford to leave research out of the innovation conversation [The Hill Times]
To date, in the hopes of commercializing key biopharma products like vaccines, Canada has delivered significant dollars directly to companies. While this will certainly help bolster the industry—or at least elements of its operation—what’s further needed are investments in fundamental…
Other countries are investing in young researchers. Canada must up its game or fall behind [Toronto Star]
‘We need focused investments to attract and retain the top young scientists who can contribute to all spheres of health.’ To read more about this piece, click here for the article on the Toronto Star.
In the global race for science talent, is Canada investing enough? [Policy Options]
Now is the time for Canada to also invest in people, and in particular young people. For our part, the Banting Research Foundation, and the Dr. Charles H. Best Foundation have proposed creating a discovery-investigator program on par with our global competitors for…
New Mitacs-Banting Fellowship Program will Address Climate Change, Health and Equity
Toronto — A new partnership between Mitacs and the Banting Research Foundation will address health disparity and inequality in Canada to support postdoctoral scholars in research to reduce the health risks and inequities caused by climate change. The Mitacs-Banting Discovery…
Banting-CANSSI Discovery Award Winners
The Banting Research Foundation and CANSSI Ontario are pleased to announce that the 2021 Discovery Award in Data Science scholars are Drs. Glen McGee and Alanna Weisman. Dr. Glen McGee intends to develop statistical tools to characterize and correct biases…
96th Annual Banting Discovery Award Winners
Every year, the Foundation presents six awards but this year is special. To mark the centenary year of the discovery of insulin, we have partnered with Mitacs to double the number of awards. A very special thanks to our partners…
Announcing the 2021 Discovery Awards
Toronto, ON – Mitacs and the Banting Research Foundation are proud to announce the winners of the 96th Annual Banting Research Foundation Discovery Awards. This year, 12 investigators – 50% of whom are women – have been awarded one-year grants…
Remembering Banting Alumni, “founding father of genetics”…
Dr. Lou Siminovitch (Discovery Award recipient 1958) was a lover of science – an outstanding Canadian scientist who made brilliant contributions to cell virology, stem cell research and the field of genetics. As a scientific visionary, he mentored and influenced several generations…
New Mitacs-Banting Discovery Awards invest in early career researchers
OTTAWA — Mitacs is expanding its support for early career researchers across Canada by funding six new Banting Research Foundation Discovery Awards, valued at $25,000 each, for researchers in the first three years of a faculty position following their post-doctoral…
Combat a deadly fungal pathogen with gene-editing technology (CRISPR-Cas)…
While the public is aware of the potentially deadly pathogens invading our hospitals, such as the highly infectious agents C. difficile or drug resistant Staph aureus (MRSA), a newer and much lesser known fungal pathogen has been emerging. This deadly,…
Reduce or Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis…see what Dr. Ali Abdul-Sater has to say…
York University Team Works to Reduce or Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis TRAF1 is a protein our bodies make naturally, and people with a specific variation of TRAF1 have an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Removing or adjusting TRAF1 to reduce…
Banting-CANSSI Discovery Award Winner!
The Banting Foundation and CANSSI Ontario are pleased to announce the first Discovery Award in Data Science Scholar: Dylan Kobsar, who is Assistant Professor of Neuromechanics in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University. Dr. Kobsar received this year’s award for…
Announcing the 2020 Discovery Award Winners
The 95th Annual Banting Research Foundation Discovery Awards honour seven investigators for new projects in innovative health and biomedical research. Each award is valued up to $25,000. The Foundation is pleased to note the 62 applications received were divided equally…
Discovery Awardee Profile – Dr. Gareth Lim
By Krista Lamb – While we often think of obesity as a condition related to diet and exercise, the reality is that it’s much more complicated than just those two things. Many people who develop obesity will do so because…
Lindsay Bodell brings her science to the public
The Royal Canadian Institute for Science (RCIScience) recently held a public event in Toronto exploring the science behind dieting and healthy eating. The event entitled, “New Year New You: The Science of Healthy Eating,” featured a panel discussion with four…
2020 Banting Research Foundation/ McLaughlin Centre Discovery Award
The Banting Research Foundation and the University of Toronto McLaughlin Centre are pleased to announce that the application period is now open for the 2020 Banting Research Foundation/ McLaughlin Centre Discovery Award. This marks the fourth year of a funding…
Updates from the 2018 Discovery Awardees
With generous support from donors and volunteers in 2018, we supported 9 outstanding early career researchers across Canada. These researchers have since made significant progress on their research projects, expanded their research teams, received additional honours and awards, and secured…
Launching Discovery – September 10, 2019
On Tuesday September 10th, award recipients, volunteers, and friends of The Banting Research Foundation came together to celebrate a fantastic year at the Foundation. Dr. Susan George (1988 Award recipient) shared with us how critical funding from The Banting Research…
Recipient of the 2019 Discovery Award supported by Dystonia Medical Research Foundation Canada
The 2019 Banting Research Foundation Discovery Award supported by Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) Canada has been awarded to Dr. Nicholas Strzalkowski from the Department of Biology at Mount Royal University. The Banting Research Foundation and DMRF Canada are thrilled…
Nicholas Strzalkowski, PhD
Department of Biology, Mount Royal University – Sensory Feedback in Dystonia Muscle sensory feedback is thought to contribute to dystonia, however this has not been investigated directly. Dr. Strzalkowski’s research group believes that abnormal sensory feedback from specialized muscle receptors contributes…
Arneet Saltzman, PhD
Department of Cell and Systems Biology University of Toronto Investigating the role of heterochromatin readers in genome stability Chromosomes consist of DNA packaged with proteins to form chromatin. The organization of our DNA into chromatin is important for controlling which…
Daiva Nielsen, PhD
Department of Human NutritionMcGill University Characterization of the workplace food environment in Montreal Canada: New directions for gene-environment interaction and health research The retail food environment is acknowledged to play a significant role in public health and while previous studies…
Benoit Laurent, PhD
Department of BiochemistryUniversité de Sherbrooke Deciphering the epigenetic regulation of alternative splicing in neurons Aging can reduce the birth of new neurons, a process called neurogenesis. The challenge is to prevent our neurons from dying in old age and keep…
Mahsa Jessri, PhD
Department of Food, Nutrition, and Health, University of British Columbia Dietary Patterns and Food Policies: Measuring the Impact on Health With the dramatic increase in life expectancy that occurred during the 20th century, we can be more optimistic than ever…
Andrea Bombak, PhD
Department of Sociology, University of New Brunswick Intersections of Weight Stigma in New Brunswick Weight stigma affects risk for stress, diabetes, and heart disease. Little research has explored how people facing other stigmas (like racism, ageism, or classism) are affected by…
Lindsay Bodell, PhD
Department of PsychologyWestern University Negative Affect and Reward Processing in Individuals with Binge Eating Binge eating is defined by consuming a large amount of food over a short time period and feeling out of control while eating. This behavior is…
2019 Discovery Award Recipients
We are thrilled to announce the Banting Research Foundation 2019 Discovery Award recipients! This year, we were able to fund six projects from outstanding applicants, chosen out of 79 applications. These applicants were the highest ranking in our 2019 peer-reviewed competition.…
John Trant, PhD
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor Dendronized enzymatically-resistant carbohydrate vaccines for treating lung cancer Therapeutic vaccines incorporating sugar molecules could provide new cancer treatments. Because over 85% of carcinoma cancer cells, regardless of organ, display the same few…
Rebecca Shapiro, PhD
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph Genetic and functional genomic analysis of antifungal drug resistance in Candida auris Combating infectious disease pathogens is a pressing global health challenge. Due to limited treatment options, fungal pathogens pose a…
Ian Rodrigue-Gervais, PhD
Department of Infectious Diseases, INRS – Institut Armand-Frappier Function of mitochondrial proteases on inflammation and necrosis in influenza virus pathogenesis Every year, people fall ill with the flu, a respiratory disease caused by the influenza virus. Our main tools for…
Salim Islam, PhD
Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, INRS – Institut Armand-Frappier Bacterial social networking via outer-membrane extrusion: towards an understanding of colonization and persistence Bacteria can colonize both living and non-living surfaces, leading to the development of a microbial community. However, the…
Robert Huber, PhD
Department of Biology, Trent University Using the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum to study neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis Mutations in CLN5 cause late-infantile, juvenile, and adults forms of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), commonly known as Batten disease. This devastating neurological disorder, which…
Nomazulu Dlamini, MD PhD
Division of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children Neural network reorganization and maladaptive plasticity in dystonia post childhood basal ganglia stroke Dystonia is a disabling and often painful disorder characterized by involuntary, repetitive muscle contractions, twisting movements and abnormal posturing.…
Dylan Cooke, PhD
Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University Accelerated mapping of individual variation in brain organization with online detection of EMG activity Individuality is widely celebrated in human culture but rarely studied in the laboratory. As with dexterity and…
Kyle Biggar, PhD
Department of Biology, Carleton University Identification of new substrates of the histone methyltransferase enzyme, SMYD3, and their implication in lung cancer development Lysine methylation plays a critical role in the development of many human diseases. These small chemical protein modifications…
Ali Abdul-Sater, PhD
School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University Dissecting the role of TRAF1 in regulating inflammatory and autoimmune diseases Autoimmune diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) are largely driven by abnormal inflammatory responses. Recent research from Dr Abdul-Sater’s group showed that…
Mladen Vranic, OC MD DSc
Mladen Vranic is best known for his work in glucose tracer methodology to study the effects of exercise and stress in diabetes. He came to Canada to work with Charles H Best, co-discoverer of insulin, and was first funded by…
Charles H Hollenberg, OC MD FRSC
Charles Hollenberg was a physician, administrator, teacher and researcher. Born in Manitoba and educated at the University of Manitoba, he started his research career in 1960 at McGill University. After a decade there, he moved to the University of Toronto…
Brenda L Gallie, CM MD FRCSC
Brenda Gallie is a world-renowned ophthalmologist known for her contributions to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of retinoblastoma, a childhood eye cancer. In 1983, shortly after being appointed assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Toronto, Dr Gallie received…
Henry G Friesen, CC MD FRSC FCAHS
Henry Friesen is an internationally renowned endocrinologist best known for the discovery of human prolactin. Prolactin is a hormone that stimulates lactation in mammary glands and plays an important role in infertility and reproductive disorders. He was president of the…
Julien van Grevenynghe, PhD
Department of Infectious diseases, immunity, cancer and epidemiology, INRS – Institut Armand-Frappier and the Université du Québec Autophagy regulates CD8 T-cell killing activity during chronic HIV-1 infection Autophagy, a natural self-destructive process in cells, eliminates some viruses from cells, and…
Adena Scheer, MD
Department of Surgery, St Michael’s Hospital, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and the University of Toronto Cross-cultural communications in breast cancer treatment Among minorities, disparities in breast cancer treatments have been demonstrated across the developed world and have been associated…
Gareth Lim, PhD
CRCHUM, Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal Evaluating the therapeutic potential of 14-3-3ζ for the treatment of obesity Approximately 25% of Canadians are either overweight or obese. Current therapies have only modest success in reducing body weight, and surprisingly, none…
Catherine Larochelle, MD PhD
CRCHUM, Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal Molecular mechanisms underlying T lymphocytes interactions with oligodendrocytes in neuroinflammation In multiple sclerosis (MS), there is an abnormal response of immune cells against cells of the brain and spinal cord. Oligodendrocytes, the myelin-producing…
Jennifer Gordon, PhD
Department of Psychology, University of Regina HPA axis dysregulation in the etiology of perimenopausal depression Women are 2-4 times more likely to develop depression during perimenopause, the menopause transition phase, than at any other time in their lives. Dr Gordon…
Florian Bentzinger, PhD
Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Université de Sherbrooke Niche regulation of muscle stem cell specification Dr Bentzinger’s group studies the role of regulatory signals in the microenvironment where skeletal muscle stem cells (MuSCs) reside. Understanding how this so-called “stem cell niche” controls…
Imogen R Coe, PhD
Imogen Coe, Founding Dean of the Faculty of Science at Ryerson University, is internationally recognized for her research in the cell biology and biochemistry of membrane transport proteins. Dr Coe received a Banting Research Foundation grant in 1998, while at…
Funding the first clinical trials of heparin
The Banting Research Foundation funded the first clinical trials of heparin in 1935. Heparin is a powerful anticoagulant that is widely used in open-heart and organ transplant surgery to prevent the formation of blood clots. It was purified in the…
Adolfo J. de Bold, OC PhD FRSC
Adolfo de Bold is a cardiovascular researcher, best known for his discovery of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), a polypeptide hormone secreted by heart muscle cells. He was funded by the Banting Research Foundation in 1980 for his studies on storage…
Janet Rossant, CC PhD FRS FRSC
Janet Rossant is a world-renowned expert in developmental biology. Funded by the Banting Research Foundation in 1983, while at Brock University, for her early research in developmental biology, she has become a global leader in understanding the role of genes…
Banting’s Legacy – Art & Science of Discovery
In September 2016, the Banting Research Foundation welcomed 60 guests to a celebration of Banting’s Legacy, the Art and Science of Discovery. Frederick Banting’s accomplishments as a scientist and an artist inspired the theme for the evening.
Jeanette Boudreau, PhD
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University Directing natural killer cell cytotoxicity to the tumour’s susceptibilities Natural killer (NK) cells are white blood cells that kill tumours. The potential of each NK cell to kill tumours is counterbalanced by its…
Christopher Dennison, PhD
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta Impact severity metric for focal head and diffuse brain injury Whether or not today’s helmets protect the wearer from mild diffuse brain injuries, sometimes referred to as concussions, is the topic of intense…
Jeffrey Gagnon, PhD
Department of Biology, Laurentian University Investigating the role of H2S in the regulation of ghrelin secretion Ghrelin, a hormone produced in the endocrine cells of the stomach, regulates several aspects of metabolic health, including appetite and energy storage. Recently, meals…
Kaitlyn McLachlan, PhD
Department of Psychology, University of Guelph Evaluating novel neurobiomarkers in the identification of adults with FASD using portable eye tracking and EEG technology Individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. There is an…
Noam Miller, PhD
Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University Exploring neural mechanisms of social behavior using zebrafish (Danio rerio) This research study uses zebrafish, a small freshwater species of fish commonly used in genetic and developmental research, to explore the mechanisms of social…
Roxane Paulin, PhD
Department of Medicine, Université Laval Targeting ErbB2 by TAK-165 reverses pulmonary hypertension in vitro and in vivo In pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs), cells forming the walls of arteries in the lungs proliferate like cancer cells, narrowing…
Jeffrey Chen, PhD
VIDO-InterVac, University of Saskatchewan Towards a next generation of superior BCG tuberculosis vaccines Tuberculosis is a serious global health problem, with one-third of the world’s population having been infected by the infectious agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The only available tuberculosis vaccine,…
Jeremy Hirota, PhD
Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia A 3D-printed human airway model for studying respiratory mucosal immune responses Exposure to allergens and air pollutants in the air we breathe can lead to “lung attacks” in individuals with lung diseases, but…
Petra Kienesberger, PhD
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University Role of the adipokine autotaxin in obesity-associated insulin resistance Insulin resistance, a major complication of obesity, is a condition where tissues such as skeletal muscle become unresponsive to the blood sugar-lowering hormone…
Morgan Langille, PhD
Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University Design and implementation of a human microbiome interaction database It is becoming increasingly apparent that the microbes living on and in our bodies, called the human microbiome, are important for human health. These microbes help…
Joon Lee, PhD
School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo Personalized predictive analytics based on electronic medical data and patient similarity metrics As hospitals and doctors’ offices in Canada rapidly adopt electronic medical records (EMRs), the enormous clinical value of…
Catherine Martel, PhD
Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal/ Montreal Heart Institute Research Centre Lymphatic vessel function in atherosclerosis High blood cholesterol is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is called “good cholesterol” because it transports…
Michael Suits, PhD
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wilfrid Laurier University Protein structure-function relationships in periodontal disease In the mouth, a wide variety of microorganisms are embedded in biofilms that contribute to periodontal diseases such as gum disease and tooth decay. To understand…
Benoît Arsenault, PhD
Department of Medicine, Université Laval Impact of a lifestyle modification program on high-density lipoprotein function Plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, often referred to as “the good cholesterol”, are inversely associated with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes risk.…
Yannick Doyon, PhD
Department of Molecular Medicine, Université Laval In vivo genome editing as a novel class of human therapeutics to treat pediatric metabolic disorders Genetic disorders in children are individually rare but collectively frequent, affecting the lives of approximately 500,000 children in…
Jennifer Heisz, PhD
Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University Examining the dose-response relationship between physical exercise and cognitive function in older adults Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, causing severe cognitive impairment and interfering with daily life. As the population ages,…
Jeffrey Leyton, PhD
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Université de Sherbrooke An advanced development in targeted radiation against muscle invasive migrating bladder cancer cells Bladder cancer affects thousands of Canadians on an annual basis. Unfortunately, bladder cancer remains one of the most…
Ewa Niechwiej-Szwedo, PhD
Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo The role of binocular vision in the development of fine motor skills Seeing in depth is essential for guiding purposeful movements, such as reaching and grasping for toys or food, catching a ball or…
Emanuel Rosonina, PhD
Department of Biology, York University Regulation of transcription and splicing factors by sumoylation SUMO is a protein modification that plays important roles in regulating many cellular processes. Several proteins that are involved in neurodegenerative disease are modified by SUMO, and…
Craig Bailey, PhD
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph Nicotinic receptor signaling in a mouse model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Chronic prenatal exposure to alcohol can produce a spectrum of adverse effects known collectively as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Although…
Margaret K Hahn, MD PhD
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Central insulin to prevent olanzapine-induced adiposity: a rodent model Atypical antipsychotic (AAP) medications, the mainstay treatment for psychosis and schizophrenia, are defined by weight gain and metabolic problems that likely contribute to a 2-fold…
Pierre-Yves Lozach, PhD
Centre INRS – Institut Armand-Frappier Bunyavirus entry into mammalian cells Bunyaviridae is a large family of viruses mainly transmitted by arthropods such as mosquitos and ticks. Many bunyaviruses are important pathogens in humans and livestock. Due to their mode of transmission,…
Dave Richard, PhD
Département de microbiologie-infectiologie et d’immunologie, Université Laval Protein trafficking to the apical complex of the malaria parasite Malaria is one of the world’s most common infectious diseases, with approximately 274 million cases each year and 1 million deaths, and thus…
Marie-Ève Tremblay, PhD
Département de médecine moléculaire, Université Laval Microglial relationships with synaptic elements in Alzheimer’s disease A series of recent discoveries have challenged our view of microglia, the brain immune cells, showing unexpected roles in the active maintenance of neuronal circuits throughout…
Alexandre Douplik, PhD
Physics Department, Ryerson University Surface-enhanced Raman fiber sensor for endoscopic early detection of tumor-related biomolecules in gastroenterology The goal of the project is development of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy fiber probes for high sensitive and rapid non-invasive diagnostics including malignancy detection.…
Carl Ernst, PhD
Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Functional analysis of the 16p11.2 locus using patient-derived induced-pluripotent stem cells Large deletions of DNA on chromosome 16 are associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in about 1% of all Canadians with autism, and many…
Dennis Jensen, PhD
Department of Kinesiology & Physical Education, McGill University Physiological mechanisms of dyspnea relief and improved exercise tolerance after treatment with oral morphine in patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease…
Martin Lévesque, PhD
Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Université Laval Molecular mechanisms of axon guidance mediated by PlexinC1 in dopamine neuron axonal projections Degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons (mDA) is the principal cause of Parkinson’s disease. Grafts of dopaminergic neurons newly generated from…
Michelle Scott, PhD
Department of Biochemistry, Université de Sherbrooke Characterization of a novel function of small RNAs in alternative splicing The process of alternative splicing allows the production of multiple distinct proteins from a single gene, in a manner that can be cell-type…
Marcelo Berlim, MD
Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Remediating decision-making deficits in depressed subjects at high risk for suicide with transcranial magnetic stimulation We aim to assess whether high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, a safe and non-invasive method for modulating the activity…
Simon Lees, PhD
Faculty of Medicine, Lakehead University The IL-6 paradox in the development of insulin resistance Paradoxically, elevated IL-6 is associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, while at the same time strong evidence supports the notion that IL-6 may facilitate…
Tara Moriarty, PhD
Matrix Dynamics Group, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto Vascular adhesion mechanisms of the Lyme disease spirochete Blood-borne spread (dissemination) of pathogens is a critical step in the development of serious infectious disease, and is responsible for most of the mortality…
Takako Niikura, DVM PhD
Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University Regulation of amyloid beta metabolism In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), progressive brain atrophy and dementia appear because of neuronal cell death and synaptic dysfunction in brains. Amyloid beta plays a central toxic role in…
Jonathan Perreault, PhD
INRS – Institut Armand Frappier Regulation in the opportunistic pathogen Burkholderia by the MAEB RNA motif Aside from their role in storing hereditary information, DNA and RNA are now known to have many more functions. Living organisms have a plethora…