Canada has long had a disproportionately strong impact on allergy research, says Dr. Kent HayGlass, an immunologist and a member of the New Emerging Team (NET) studying the origins of asthma in childhood. HayGlass is also head of a recently announced CIHR-sponsored strategic training initiative aimed at increasing research capacity in the areas of allergy and asthma.
HayGlass says that despite Canada's history of strength in allergy and asthma research, people are still suffering from these diseases. "We're really not a long way from where we were a hundred years ago in terms of our capacity to prevent or mitigate allergic diseases, despite the fact we know far more immunology, and far more physiology than we did a century ago." The training program proposal was created to address the shortage of research expertise in immunology in general, and in asthma and allergy research in particular. The program will bring together faculty with expertise in areas of allergy research as diverse as population health, cellular and molecular immunology, smooth muscle physiology and clinical medicine, says HayGlass. "We are going to offer our trainees a truly multidisciplinary program of research training. They will be highly competitive."
HayGlass emphasizes the interface between asthma and allergy, pointing out that the great majority of asthma sufferers is also allergic. Research in the area has often focused on either asthma or allergy, but HayGlass and his colleagues have traditionally focused on both and the relationships between them.
With both the NET and the strategic training initiative based in Winnipeg, there is potential for each to enhance the other. NET leader Dr. Allan Becker and team researcher Dr. Anita Kozyrskyj are members of the training team as well. Becker believes the overlap is enormously valuable. One provides training for the other, and the other provides support and spin-off research for the basic project. "I think the collaborative overlapping environment will be enormously effective in providing a dramatic multiplier effect, and giving these individuals a much better chance of becoming established as independent investigators."
HayGlass agrees. "I think to have a successful training program you've got to have your trainees working on something that's really relevant, very publishable, interesting and important, and I think the NET fits all those criteria. We're excited!"
