CANADA AND U.S. LAUNCH COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS FOR CIRCULATORY AND RESPIRATORY HEALTH
The leading federal health research agencies in Canada and the United
States – the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – have formed a partnership
to advance research of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
Three research programs are being launched collaboratively between
CIHR’s Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH)
and NIH’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
The programs will address novel strategies to resuscitate heart
attack and trauma patients; cellular and molecular imaging of heart,
lung, and blood systems; and management of thrombotic disorders
such as heart attack, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary
embolism. Each program will be conducted at multiple sites in Canada
and in the United States for several years, beginning in 2004.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide,
contributing to more than 16.6 million deaths — one-third
of all deaths — each year. CVD is becoming increasingly prevalent
in developing countries and, by 2010, CVD is expected to kill more
people in developing countries than infectious disease, according
to the World Health Organization.
“This unique programmatic collaboration will bring together
scientists who are international leaders in their fields to unravel
the complexities of circulatory and respiratory illness. I am very
hopeful that this is the first of many collaborative efforts between
our two institutes,” said Dr. Bruce McManus, ICRH Scientific
Director. “We are also pleased to have the support of other
Canadian partners in this collaboration like the Heart and Stroke
Foundation. The latter partnerships are crucial for our success
in advancing these North American programs.”
NHLBI Director Dr. Claude Lenfant added, “These first research
initiatives reflect a cooperative spirit between our two countries,
enabling us to create a synergy in our efforts to extend medical
research, train new scientists, and translate research findings
to practical applications.”
Other NIH components contributing support to the initiatives are
the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (resuscitation
consortium), and the National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and
Bioengineering (cellular and molecular imaging). NIH is part of
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Together, NHLBI and ICRH have launched three requests for grant
applications:
- “Clinical Research Consortium to Improve Resuscitation Outcomes”
will establish a consortium of several regional centers in which
investigators, emergency medical personnel, and community leaders
work cooperatively to translate promising research into effective
strategies to resuscitate patients who experience heart attacks
or life-threatening trauma outside of the hospital. The deadline
for applications is November 13, 2003; letters of intent must
be received by October 16, 2003. (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/inits/resus_faq.htm)
- “Cellular and molecular imaging of the cardiovascular, pulmonary,
and hematopoietic system” will support the development of
new cellular and molecular imaging technologies specific to cardiovascular,
pulmonary, and blood systems, which could ultimately contribute
to new non-invasive diagnostic tests and novel therapeutic approaches,
including cell-based therapies for diseases related to these systems.
Grant applications are due January 22, 2004, with letters of intent
due December 22, 2003. (http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HL-04-003.html)
- “Inflammation and Thrombosis,” will support research to study
the relationship of inflammation and thrombosis (eg, clotting)
in blood vessels and to discover ways that would improve current
methods to prevent and control blood clots, thereby improving
therapies for conditions such as heart attacks, stroke, deep vein
thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism. Grant applications are due
January 22, 2004, with letters of intent due December 22, 2003.
(http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HL-04-005.html)
NHLBI is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the
U.S. Federal Government's primary agency for biomedical and behavioral
research. NIH is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. NHLBI press releases, research funding announcements,
and other materials are available online on the NHLBI
Web site (www.nhlbi.nih.gov).
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government
of Canada’s premier agency for health research. One of CIHR's
13 Institutes, the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health
supports research into causes, mechanisms, prevention, screening,
diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide
range of conditions associated with the heart, lung, brain (stroke),
blood, blood vessels, critical care and sleep. For further information
please consult the Canadian
Institutes of Health Research Web site (www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca).
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