Two national cardiac research centres at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) have been awarded a total of more than $10 million by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to identify and treat the causes of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). Matching funding from the province, expected in a few months, coupled with other financial support will push the research investment to some $20 million.
UOHI’s Ruddy Canadian Cardiovascular Genetics Centre received CFI funding of $4.7 million to support a significant program that employs advanced gene sequencing, DNA analysis and microchip technology to identify and map the genetic makeup of CAD.
Another $3.3 million went to the Heart Institute’s National Cardiac PET Centre to develop a Molecular Imaging Program applying Positron Emission Tomography (PET) as a research tool for evaluating the function of cell and molecular processes in heart disease. Both research centres are the only such facilities in Canada dedicated to cardiovascular disease. An associated infrastructure operating award of some $2.4 million brings the overall amount of CFI funding to more than $10 million.
