Three University of Guelph researchers have received $1.7 million from the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program to support projects advancing pain research, exploring antibiotic alternatives for animal health, and enhancing water safety and sanitation control.
This investment is part of more than $690 million in federal funding to support science and research, of which $198 million will support 259 new and renewed CRCs. The funding was announced today by Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.
“We thank the federal government for supporting our researchers as they work to uncover solutions for complex human, animal and environmental health challenges,” says Dr. Shayan Sharif, interim vice-president (research and innovation). “This investment will strengthen our research enterprise and help drive impacts that contribute to healthier communities and more sustainable systems.”
U of G’s three CRC awardees are:
- Dr. Giannina Descalzi, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), will hold a new Tier 2 Chair in Neuroscience of Pain.
- Dr. Nicole Ricker, Department of Pathobiology, OVC, will hold a new Tier 2 Chair in Systems Approaches to Reducing Antimicrobial Resistance.
- Dr. Heather Murphy, Department of Pathobiology, OVC, will receive renewed support for her existing Tier 2 Chair in One Health.
Tier 2 Chairs are recognized as exceptional emerging leaders in their fields. They receive $100,000 annually for five years, with an additional $20,000 yearly research stipend for first-term chairholders. The CRC program helps Canadian postsecondary institutions attract and retain outstanding researchers across various disciplines to reinforce institutional excellence in research and training.
“This federal investment in the University of Guelph is a testament to the world-class research happening right here in our community,” says Guelph MP Dominique O’Rourke.
“By supporting emerging leaders in pain research, antimicrobial resistance, and water safety, our government is helping to drive innovation that improves lives— locally and globally. I’m proud to see Guelph researchers at the forefront of solving some of today’s most pressing health and environmental challenges.”
Dr. Giannina Descalzi, CRC in Neuroscience of Pain
Descalzi is exploring the mechanisms behind chronic pain and related mental health conditions to fuel the development of new, more effective therapeutic strategies.
Building on her experience with translational animal models, molecular biology techniques and genomic analyses, Descalzi will investigate how chronic pain and coexisting psychological symptoms develop at the molecular and cellular levels and use this knowledge to inform future treatments.
Specifically, she will look at how acute pain evolves into chronic pain through changes in the brain’s emotion-pain circuit, how the emotion-pain circuit develops over time – including the impacts of early childhood pain and trauma on pain perception, depression and anxiety – and how brain communication pathways influence pain-induced circuit activation.
Dr. Nicole Ricker, CRC in Systems Approaches to Reducing Antimicrobial Resistance
Ricker is investigating a holistic, One Health approach to livestock health and disease management in efforts to reduce antibiotic use and help combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Through her research program, Ricker will test the effectiveness of alternatives to antibiotics at treating diseases and identify livestock management practices that promote healthy microbiome development. By combining information from various practices, she will create models to help predict the impacts of management strategies and interventions on the prevalence of gut pathogens and the development of AMR in both animals and their environment.
By examining AMR dynamics at the individual, farm and ecosystem scales, Ricker is uncovering different ways to keep animals healthy while lowering reliance on antimicrobial solutions and mitigating the continued spread of AMR genes.
The announcement also included an award of almost $7.6 million from the Research Support Fund (RSF), including the Incremental Project Grant and Research Security Funding. The RSF supports Canadian post-secondary institutions with funding to help manage research enterprises and maintain world-class research environments and to bolster Canada as a global leader in research and development.