December 18, 2019
Almost 100 years ago, Canadian researchers successfully isolated insulin to treat type 1 diabetes (T1D) in what is considered one of the most dramatic and important breakthroughs in medicine. This Nobel prize-winning discovery revolutionized treatment options for people with T1D, allowing them to live longer and healthier lives. Since then, millions of lives have been saved, yet the prevalence of T1D continues to increase – and as of today, there is no cure for the disease.
In a new funding opportunity led by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), JDRF will partner with the federal agency to fund several new team grants that aim to uncover new mechanisms that control the onset and progression of diabetes and its related complications. The new team grants will also hope to develop new translational solutions aimed at prevention, treatment and delivery of care for diabetes. This funding opportunity is part of JDRF and CIHR’s ongoing Partnership to Defeat Diabetes first announced in 2017.
“As we approach the insulin centenary, JDRF is aiming to fund new research that takes us beyond insulin therapy as we know it, and into an era where we have multiple options for improved management of T1D, and ultimately find cures for the disease,” says Dr. Sarah Linklater, Chief Scientific Officer at JDRF Canada. “This opportunity to fund multidisciplinary research in partnership with CIHR is one of several ways we are striving towards that aim.”
Other organizations partnering in this funding opportunity include Diabetes Canada, Fonds de recherche du Québec–Santé (FRQS), Kidney Foundation of Canada (KFOC) and Mitacs. For more information, please click here.
