News & Media

November 2003
Director's Corner: Funding for Research

Recent commitments by the federal and provincial governments to support research, especially research related to the health sciences, have created attractive incentives for scientists to work in Canada. These commitments now must be deepened and strengthened as the success and impact of the initial investments becomes apparent.

As an example, the Canada Research Chairs program and Canada Foundation for Innovation grants provide wonderful mechanisms to attract scientists from all over the world to work here. These awards serve to properly ‘set up’ a researcher’s laboratory, providing salary support and funds to purchase equipment and supplies. The awards position the scientist to begin work, but the labs need both personnel (junior scientists, postdoctoral fellows and students) and ‘fuel’ - the funds to operate for the several years it takes to complete most research projects.

These funds usually come in the form of operating grants which are highly competitive and are awarded by government, foundations and, in some instances, corporations. In general, the probability of success for a given grant application is about 20 to 30% because the selection criteria are rigorous and the competition is keen. Each application is reviewed by a team of scientists, critiqued, and either recommended for immediate funding or returned to the applicant for improvement and resubmission.

This peer review system of funding scientific research works well when there are enough funds to support all of the worthwhile applications. The problem comes when the amount of money needed to support the highly ranked scientific projects greatly exceeds the amount available, as happens when the budgets of the funding agencies do not keep pace with the explosion of scientific progress. The Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), the primary agency responsible for funding health scientists, is rapidly encountering this problem. The CIHR budget is currently allocated each year and has not grown with the success of the scientists who depend on it. Innovative salary support programs and new research infrastructure have spawned fast growth in health science in Canada but these investments must be protected by increasing – and stabilizing over the long-term - the funds for operating grants.

The CIHR annual budget for grants is relatively small when compared with the health research budgets in other developed countries. For example, in the United States, each person contributes about $80 to support health research. In Canada, each of us contributes $20 from our taxes towards research funded through the CIHR. This is not nearly enough to sustain a burgeoning health sciences enterprise that will give us the treatments of the future, train and retain our medical specialists, and create jobs in the health industry. The strategic plan for CIHR calls for a sustained multi-year commitment to expand the CIHR budget from its current level of $620 million to $1 billion. We strongly support this step and encourage members of Parliament to act on this important investment in the future well-being of all Canadians.

Please send any comments about the Director's Corner to David Colman

News and Events

The McNaughton lecture by Dr. Don Cleveland of the University of California, San Diego and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research of San Diego, will be on “Neuronal Growth and Death: Mechanisms of Selective Motor Neuron Death in ALS”, November 21 at 9 am in the Jeanne Timmins Amphitheatre.

International Symposium on Tuberous Sclerosis: Genetic behavioral and surgical aspects will be held in the MNI Jeanne Timmins Amphitheatre on December 4 from 8:30 to 6:00. Everyone is invited to attend, please contact Faye Rourke-Frew at andermannf@qc.aibn.com. For detailed program information, please visit our website at: http://www.mni.mcgill.ca/announce/Inttuberoussclerosis.htm.

Frontiers of Neuroscience, the second annual Neuro-hosted neuroscience retreat will take place February 6-8, 2004. Developing the theme, Systems Neuroscience, the speakers will include Drs. Daphne Bavelier (Rochester), Michael Goldberg (Columbia), John Kalaska (U de Montréal), Nikos Logothetis (Max-Planck), Randolph Nudo (Kansas), Peter Strick (Pittsburgh), Mriganka Sur (MIT), Anthony Wagner (Stanford) and Matthew Wilson (MIT).

Rounds at the Neuro

Drs. Antel, Arnold and Owens gave Grand Rounds on Multiple Sclerosis on October 27. Well received by a packed house in the de Grandpré Communications Centre, the session stimulated physicians, researchers and trainees to think about advances in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease and challenged current thinking on the nature of the problem. The second in this series of Afternoon Grand Rounds was a presentation November 17 about Brain Tumours by Dr. Del Maestro’s group. Watch for notices of future rounds at 4 pm in the deGrandpré Centre. The Morning Neurology and Neurosurgery Rounds are each Friday at 8:30 am. These sessions presenting research and clinical advances rotate among the Neuro (Jeanne Timmins), Childrens and the General. Hosted by sponsors who provide a light breakfast, these rounds are an amazing way to keep current with clinical advances and to interact with the clinical staff and trainees.

Recent Events

Wilder Penfield Lecture Dr. Shirley Tilghman’s stimulating lecture in October, “Public Dialogues: Science and Society”, drew on her own experiences at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) where she participated in the cloning of the first mammalian gene and her involvement on the NIH committee that established guidelines for the use of stem cells. This lecture brought together the Princeton and McGill communities, demonstrating the close association through participation of prominent Princeton grads who have contributed so much to McGill. In addition, two of Dr. Penfield’s children, Priscilla and Jefferson, were joined at the event by other family members. Priscilla Chester is married to William Chester, a graduate of Princeton and the son of Dr. Penfield’s Princeton roommate. Jefferson Penfield is also a graduate of Princeton.

Canadian Medical Hall of Fame

The Neuro hosted a reception for Dr. Bill Feindel to celebrate his recent induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. His long service to the Neuro and to neuroscience was well recognized by this honour as he joins Drs. Penfield, Jasper and Milner in securing the Neuro’s place in history.

Recruitment

The recruitment initiative continues. A new recruitment ad has been sent to several leading neuroscience journals. A candidate for a faculty position, Dr. Leslie Fellows, a McGill trained physician now at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, visited the MNI on October 27. She spoke on her work, “Mapping the anatomy of decision making”.

Science Whiz Kids

Pfizer Discovery Days in Health Sciences on November 14 featured Dr. William Feindel, 2003 Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Laureate, as the keynote lecturer. He addressed Montreal area high school students on “Discovering the Human Brain” who participated in workshops and tours throughout McGill, including labs at the MNI.

Successful Golf Tournament Thanks to Lorena Cook and the members of the golf committee who planned and hosted another successful MNI Charity Golf Tournament. Proceeds this year exceeded $90,000 through participation by over 132 golfers and the generous support of more than 40 corporate friends. Congratulations to all who helped plan the event.

Condolences

To the family and friends of Dr. Pierre Gloor It is with great sadness that we report the death of Dr. Pierre Gloor, M.D., Ph.D., on October 24 , 2003. After suffering a major stroke in 1994, Dr. Gloor was a patient at the Montreal Neurological Hospital, maintaining a remarkable will to live as he was supported by the love of his devoted family. He is survived by his wife of forty-nine years, Luba Genush Gloor, his children Irene Gloor (wife of Dr. Eric Shoubridge) and Daniel Gloor (Donna MacDougall) and his grandchildren Amanda and Patrick Gloor, and Justin and Emilie Shoubridge. Dr. Gloor joined the Montreal Neurological Institute in 1952 and worked on many aspects of brain research, particularly in clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy. He was the recipient of numerous prizes for his achievements. He was a scientist, a teacher and a musician loved and respected in his field, the world over. Dr. Gloor was the author of nearly 250 publications and wrote an extensive monograph, "The Temporal Lobe and the Limbic System". A memorial service will take place Wednesday, December 3 2003 at 11:00 am at the McGill Chapel, Birks Building, 3520 University Street, Montreal, followed by a reception at 12:30 in the foyer of the Jeanne Timmins Amphitheatre, Montreal Neurological Institute. Donations may be sent to the Montreal Neurological Institute (Library Fund), in memory of Dr. Pierre Gloor at the following address: MNI Development Office, 3801 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2B4.

To the family of Dr. Irving Heller We mark with sadness the passing of Dr. Irving Heller on October 26. At the invitation of the family, Dr. Hanna Pappius offered these words at the funeral: “Irving was a McGill man through and through. He received his Bachelor of Science and MD degrees from McGill. …. he obtained his neurology training at McGill’s Montreal Neurological Institute (and) did his graduate work as a Research Fellow in Neurochemistry, obtaining Master of Science and PhD degrees. But Irving Heller was above all an outstanding practicing neurologist and he is remembered by vast numbers of patients as a caring and devoted physician. Former students think of him as a superb, most inspiring teacher. He rose to the rank of Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill, Neurologist at the Montreal Neurological Hospital, where he was Chief of Service for 15 years, Senior Neurologist at the Royal Victoria Hospital and a Consultant Neurologist at several other Montreal Hospitals. When poor health forced him to retire from medicine, Irving became an avid student of the Bible and ancient Near East, Greek and Roman history and then he shared this knowledge with others, serving as moderator at the McGill Institute for Learning in Retirement.”

The Honour Role

Dr. Edward Fon received a Bourse jeune chercheur Blaise Pascal, awarded by the government of France. This prestigious award will support his work with colleagues in Paris on Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases. In 2001, Dr. Edith Hamel was the first woman and the first Canadian to receive a chaire internationale de recherche Blaise Pascal.

Dr. Brenda Milner and Ms Kate Williams, granddaughter of Dr. Penfield, will be featured in the Wilder Penfield segment of TéléQuébec’s 100 Québecois qui ont fait le siècle XXe. Dr. Wilder Penfield is portrayed as one of "les découvreurs". Information about this series which started November 13 is available on the website www.100quebecois.tv. The program will be rebroadcast on Wednesday, November 19 at 12:30 am.