The CFI Invests $3.8 Million in International HIV/AIDS Research

January 15, 2004

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WINNIPEG, January 15, 2004—A group of leading Canadian HIV/AIDS researchers, led by Dr. Frank Plummer from the University of Manitoba was awarded $3.8 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to continue a successful collaborative research project on HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases in Africa. This research collaboration is an international undertaking involving the Universities of Nairobi, Oxford, and Washington.

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This funding provides researchers with unprecedented access to biologic materials, fieldwork and clinical data, and scientific information. Suzanne Corbeil, Vice-President of External Relations at the CFI, on behalf of Dr. David Strangway, President and CEO of the CFI, was joined by the Honourable Lucienne Robillard, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, to make today’s announcement at the University of Manitoba.

“Although great strides have been made in the last decade, HIV/AIDS is still an epidemic that affects millions of people and causes enormous suffering,” said Ms. Corbeil. “The CFI is proud to provide Dr. Plummer and his world-class team of researchers with cutting-edge tools that will help those who are living with HIV/AIDS.”

Canadians involved in this project will oversee and manage this investment in the construction, refitting, and equipping of state-of-the-art laboratories that focus on retrovirology, hemorrhagic fever virology, functional immunology, and emerging pathogens. Facilities for imaging, flow cytometry, molecular biology (including DNA preparation), serology, genomics, and bioinformatics will also be established.

“With over 40 million people affected worldwide, HIV/AIDS is killing more people than any other infectious disease,” said Minister Robillard. “Today’s announcement by the CFI will reinforce Canada’s contributions in the highly competitive international field of HIV/AIDS research.”

This project will bring together a consortium of researchers from five Canadian universities. The administrative centre will be located at the University of Manitoba where the project leader, Dr. Frank Plummer, is a Professor of Medical Microbiology (Internal Medicine and Community Health Sciences).

This announcement is the seventh of nine large-scale international research projects being funded under the CFI’s two International Funds—the International Joint Ventures Fund and the International Access Fund. TheInternational Access Fund, which includes projects such as the Canada-Kenya project, provides access for Canadian institutions and their researchers to facilities in other countries and major international collaborative programs. They will perform innovative research through unique collaborative research opportunities that will lead to significant benefits for Canada.

The CFI is an independent corporation established by the Government of Canada in 1997 to strengthen the capacity of Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals, and other non-profit research organizations to carry out world-class research and technology development.

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