CFI awards $854,098 to University of Montreal an...( This release is available in ...)

This release is available in French.

Montreal, April 8, 2009 Research infrastructure at the Universit de Montral and two of its affiliated research centres has received a boost, thanks to the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and matching funds from the Government of Quebec and the private sector. The CFI has awarded $854,098 to support the four projects submitted by the Universit de Montral, the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center and the Centre Hospitalier de l'Universit de Montral's research centre (CRCHUM). The Government of Quebec has provided equal contributions, while the private sector has pledged significant support for the following projects:

Dr. May Faraj, a scientist at the Department of Nutrition of the Universit de Montral's Faculty of Medicine and an invited researcher at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montral, received $131,284 in CFI funding or a total of $328,209 including contributions from the Government of Quebec and the private sector. She will study the number of particles that carry cholesterol in the blood, otherwise known as low density lipoproteins (LDL), as a risk factor for insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes.

"My research explores a novel hypothesis that high concentrations of LDL particles may be a promoter rather than a consequence of Type 2 diabetes," says Dr. Faraj, adding she will investigate whether decreasing LDL particles by behaviour modification or drug interventions can reduce the risk for Type 2 diabetes. "The hope is to improve the quality of life of Canadians, particularly those who are obese as they are more susceptible to Type 2 diabetes, which may lead to enormous savings to the Canadian health-care system."

Dr. Emile Levy, a nutrition and pediatri
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