Western’s Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping (CFMM) is the recipient of a $2.7 million Platform Support Grant from the Canada Brain Research Fund, as part of $29 million in funding announced today by Jane Philpott, Minister of Health.
“This grant means that we can continue to be the leading MR Centre and the leading neuroscience core facility in the country,” said Ravi Menon, PhD, director of CFMM located at Robarts Research Institute.
The funding – just under $1 million dollars per year over three years – covers the cost of salary and service contracts to support the CFMM.
“Brain-related illnesses have a profound impact on patients and their families as well as health care professionals. Research in the field of brain health is critical to the well-being of many Canadians. I applaud the scientists who are making real strides in neuroscience in this country. Their research brings hope to the millions of Canadians affected by brain diseases and disorders, as well as to their loved ones,” said Minister Philpott in a press release.
The CFMM enables research for more than 100 local, regional and national faculty and several dozen Canadian and multinational companies. Each of these researchers are exploring various aspects of neuroscience from disease-based research in Alzheimer’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis to fundamental questions about cognition and memory.
“Having this kind of funding to enable the expertise to run the scanners and support the faculty and groups that come from coast to coast to use it, is absolutely critical,” said Menon.
The Canada Brain Research Fund, is a public-private research fund administered by the Brain Canada Foundation.
All of the funded projects can be found here: http://www.braincanada.ca/files/List_of_projects_for_Minister_Announcement_2015_EN_final.pdf