Two York researchers received a total of $273,956 in infrastructure funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to support their research projects.
Christian Haas
Christian Haas, professor in the Department of Earth and Space Science in the Lassonde School of Engineering and Canada Research Chair in Arctic Sea Ice Geophysics, will receive $139,999 for an airborne sea ice thickness sensor to perform observations of sea ice variability and change in the Arctic. The Arctic environment is changing more rapidly than most other regions of the world and its sea ice cover is strongly retreating with the consequence of accelerating climate warming, and impacting the ecosystem as well as the socio-economic and political situation. The sea ice sensor will help to obtain more systematic and extensive ice thickness data by airplanes from larger regions in the Arctic, to better observe changes and to support modeling and satellite remote sensing. Results will help Canada adapt to an Arctic with less ice and improved access to natural resources and shipping routes.
Christopher Perry
Christopher Perry, professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science, Faculty of Health, will receive $133,957 to create an Integrative Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Facility to help support his research program. The program has two critical aims: to identify novel cellular pathways responsible for muscle wasting in aging and muscular dystrophy and to identify pharmacological compounds that normalize these pathways in muscle wasting diseases. The funding will help support his research program in the pursuit of innovative therapies for slowing muscle wasting in aging and dystrophic Canadians.
The funding from CFI is from the John R. Evans Leaders Fund designed to help universities attract and retain the very best of today’s and tomorrow’s researchers at a time of intense international competition.
“These projects demonstrate York’s strengths in research in Engineering and Health,” said Robert Haché, vice-president Research & Innovation. “CFI’s investments will help to provide York’s researchers with funding for state-of-the-art infrastructure to support and continue to build their innovative research programs.”
A complete list of CFI recipients is available on the CFI website.