Regenerative Medicine and Nanomedicine: A major challenge for neuroscientists is to find new ways of repairing the brain. Two Requests for Applications (RFAs) were developed in collaboration with partners who share a common strategic priority in regenerative medicine and nanomedicine, including other federal agencies (e.g. NSERC, NRC, CSA, etc.), voluntary health sector partners (e.g. JDRF International, HSFC, etc.), and Networks of Centres of Excellence (e.g. SCN, CSN, etc.),:
You can find out more about workshops and meetings that have been developed as a result of this initiative.
Nicotine Addiction and Tobacco Abuse: Another major project led by INMHA and the Institute of Cancer Research - in partnership with the Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative (CTCRI). We want to address the greatest preventable cause of early death in adults and develop a national research agenda. The goal is determining more effective prevention and cessation strategies, and a more thorough understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in nicotine addiction and dependence.
Co-morbidity: Another important priority - and one that may best embody our diverse community - led us to launch a New Emerging Team (NET) to consider issues related to co-morbidity. This initiative is the first step in developing a major RFA, planned for 2006.
Early Life Events and First Episodes:
Neuroethics: We recognize the relationship between innovative research practices and ethical questions. IAB member Gordon DuVal, a bio-ethicist at the University of Toronto's Joint Centre for Bioethics, and Remi Quirion, INMHA's Scientific Director, have led this initiative and the development of a National Workshop on ethics. In June 2003 INMHA plans to release a neuroethics RFA. Our efforts in this field have led to front-page stories in national newspapers and a presentation to the Washington, D.C.-based President's Council on Bio-Ethics.
Suicide: A joint initiative with Health Canada, our team co-organized the first National Suicide Workshop in Montreal early in 2003 - a gathering of over 40 of Canada's top researchers in the field of suicide. The result is a national research strategy to address the No. 1 cause of death of Canadian males between the ages of 20 and 40 - another CIHR multi-institute initiative.
Autism: INMHA and CIHR continue to try and better understand autism spectrum disorders - from genetic aspects to the delivery of treatments. A multidisciplinary team will try to uncover the genetics of autism disorders. In October 2002, INMHA co-sponsored a national workshop with the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) in collaboration with the Autism Society Canada - which led to two training grants. We are closer to a national research agenda to support researchers and help the families of those affected by the disorder.
