Farncombe Institute News...

Drs. EF Verdu, P Bercik and SM Collins receive Discovery Grant

Drs. Elena F. Verdu, Premysl Bercik and Steve M. Collins have received an AFM Network Discovery grant entitled "Examining the impact of diet and the intestinal microbiome on gut health and general well-being." This project is headed by Brent Selinger & Martin Kalmokoff

Dr. Elena Verdu receives CAG/CIHR Operating Grant & Canadian Celiac Association Summer Studentship

Dr. Elena F. Verdu has received a CAG/CIHR Operating Grant entitled: "Modulation of intestinal barrier function in gluten sensitivity."

Dr. Elena F. Verdu's student, Michelle Wiepjes, has been awarded a Summer Studentship from the Canadian Celiac Association (Hamilton Chapter).

Dr. David Armstrong receives Innovation Grant

Dr. David Armstrong has received a $200,000 "Innovation Grant" from the Hamilton Academic Health Sciences Organization for his project entitled "The McMaster HHS IBD Clinic - An Integrated, Advanced Practice-Nurse-Based, Patient-Centred, Chronic Care Model for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)".

Heather Galipeau, a graduate student working with Dr. Elena Verdu, has received an Ontario Graduate Scholarship.

Dr. Stephen Collins receives "CCFC Research Leadership Award"

Dr. Stephen Collinshas received the "Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada Research Leadership Award" in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the Foundation and to the IBD research community over the past 25 years.

Congratulation to Dr. Wali Khan, Dr. Elena Verdu and Dr. Premsyl Bercik

Congratulations to Dr. Wali Khan on receiving a CFI award for over $250,000. Also, congratulations to Dr. Elena Verdu for receiving an "Internal Career Research Award" from the Department of Medicine and to Dr. Premsyl Bercik for receiving an "AFP Internal Career Research Award" from the Department of Medicine.

Joint Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Gastroenterology

Dr. Paul Moayyedi has been appointed joint Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Gastroenterology. AJG is the official journal of the American College of Gastroenterology and is the highest impact factor clinical GI journal. This is the first time someone working outside of the US has been awarded this prestigious position.

March 17, 2009

Farncombe Researchers Awarded Grants

A trio of researchers in the Farncombe Institute have secured significant research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The CIHR is the most prestigious source of medical research funding in Canada, and competition for such funding is extremely competitive. Dr. Stephen Collins received a grant for $855,635 and Dr. Waliul Khan received a grant for $607,095. These funds will support research by these investigators into the causes and prevention of chronic digestive diseases.

March 11, 2009

Prestigious Education Award for Dr. David Armstrong

Dr. David Armstrong's contributions to digestive health education in Canada were recently recognized by the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology. David has received the prestigious "CAG Excellence in Education" award.

March 11, 2009

Gift launches new Digestive Health Institute

The Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute has officially opened with the announcement of a $15 million gift towards its work identifying the causes and cures of digestive diseases.

The McMaster University institute will have a research focus on understanding the causes of common gastroenterology conditions, particularly inflammatory and other bowel diseases, with particular attention on the role of the intestinal microbial environment.

This research will generate new therapeutic approaches to the disorders which affect more than 2 million Canadians and impact many aspects of health.

The institute has been initiated by the Farncombe family of Oakville. They have donated the funds to provide capital for new facilities, as well as the creation of endowed leadership positions and the development of a team of young researchers.

The institute will build on the successful digestive health research program developed at McMaster for more than 25 years, considered one of the top 10 gastroenterology research groups in the world.

"We sincerely appreciate the leadership of the Farncombe family," said Peter George, president and vice-chancellor of McMaster University, in making the announcement.  "Their gift is the fourth largest gift ever to a Canadian medical school.  Three of these four gifts have come to the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, which attests to the world-renowned work being done here.

"The Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute will greatly enhance our capacity to help the thousands who suffer from inflammatory bowel disease."

Kevin Glasgow, CEO of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada, said there is a profound need for additional research, as Canada has amongst the highest prevalence rates for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in the world.

"McMaster is already robust as a world leader in digestive health research, and from its young researchers has spawned the leaders of many other important gastrointestinal research centres. This will solidify its pre-eminent role."

The Farncombe family initially gave $3.5 million in 2004 to the intestinal diseases research program at McMaster, to establish a gnotobiotic or sterile laboratory unique in Canadian universities, as well as an endowed professorial chair, the Farncombe Family Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. In the next four years the program received $21.5 million in research grants; investments in additional facilities including DNA sequencing equipment and the allocation of two senior scientist positions, as well as the arrival of international graduate students.

The gift will provide:

• Capital for a new $3.5 million facility within the McMaster Health Sciences Centre, to include labs, offices and an innovation meeting area and atrium for multi-disciplinary scientists to share ideas and generate new collaborations. Construction is expected to begin in 2009.
• Establishment of a Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research chair with a $3 million endowment, to support the institute’s scientific director.
• Three chairs, endowed with $2 million each, to attract high potential junior researchers and allow them to establish their academic research career over a five year term.
• Scholarships for graduate students.

"This is a fascinating area of study. At a time when we hear of deadly digestive infections such as Listeria, there is increasing evidence that some infectious agents are required for the body to maintain health," said John Kelton, the dean and vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences and the dean of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.

"In other words, healthy individuals require a balance in the type and number of bacteria that live within their bodies. The Farncombe Family’s remarkable gift will allow McMaster to be the first Canadian university to systematically address this important question by studying the effects of bacteria on the entire well-being of humans."

Oct. 9, 2008