His talk, Circadian rhythms: Molecules, Neurons and Circuits, will take place Wednesday, Oct. 24, from 1:30 to 2:30pm, in the Senate chamber, Ross N920, Keele campus, as part of Gairdner鈥檚 National Program lecture series.

Rosbash of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Brandeis University, is the 2012 Canada Gairdner Award winner. He鈥檒l delve into the mysteries of how the human body鈥檚 biological clock works. Despite the fact that it鈥檚 been known for centuries that the human body is controlled by a biological clock, it has remained a mystery. Rosbash will look at how this internal clock guides the body through the day.

Michael Rosbash

Circadian clocks are active throughout the body鈥檚 cells, where they use a common genetic mechanism to control the rhythmic activities of various tissues. This is important as circadian clocks affect patterns of sleep and wakefulness, metabolism and the body鈥檚 response to disease. Understanding how the biological clock works has already allowed scientists to pinpoint irregularities in important sleep disorders.

鈥淭he opportunity to learn from the world鈥檚 greatest medical minds is one we hope will inspire students across the country to be imaginers, innovators, and ultimately, cultivators of the future of medicine in Canada and around the world,鈥� said Dr. John Dirks, president and scientific director of Gairdner. 鈥淕airdner鈥檚 National Program is our way of helping to ensure that Canada continues to grow as a global leader in medical science.鈥�

The Gairdner awards are among the world鈥檚 most important biomedical research honours and a major indicator of leading scientific discovery. The Gairdner National Program is a month-long lecture series given by Canada Gairdner Award winners to over 6,000 students at 21 universities from St John's to Vancouver.

The National Program reaches students across the country, making the superstars of science accessible and inspiring the next generation of researchers. Along with the Canada Gairdner Awards, the National Program is part of Gairdner's efforts to promote a stronger culture of research and innovation across the country.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin to research stories on the research website.

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After accepting an invitation from the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, Dr. Alain Beaudet, president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), made his first visit to 91亚色 on Jan. 19.

During the visit, Beaudet聽met with a strong and diverse group of 91亚色 researchers and conducted a town hall meeting. The visit also gave 91亚色 the opportunity to highlight life science and health-related research underway across the University鈥檚 Faculties, research centres and institutes, to emphasize its research accomplishments and future initiatives.

Right: Dr. Alain Beaudet

The town hall meeting featured聽a presentation by Beaudet聽on 鈥檚 five-year , which seeks to expand the funding council鈥檚 $974-million budget to support researcher-driven and strategic projects in 13 institutes across CIHR鈥檚 four pillars: biomedical research; clinical research; health systems and health services; and the health of populations, societal and cultural dimensions of health and environmental influences on health.

CIHR plans to allocate approximately 30 per cent of its funds to support strategic research priorities. These priorities include聽investing in world-class research, addressing the needs of Canada鈥檚 health care system, accelerating the capture of the health and economic benefits of health research, and achieving organizational excellence while fostering ethical research activity and demonstrating impact. Several key areas include encouraging more Canadian participation and leadership in global health research initiatives, preparing young researchers for health-related careers and reducing health inequities faced by aboriginal Canadians and other minority populations.

91亚色 currently has聽more than聽9,000 undergraduate students studying kinesiology聽& health science, psychology, nursing and health policy聽& management. Over 400 faculty members are engaged in health research across the full spectrum of academic disciplines. Since 2001, the University鈥檚 total CIHR funding has increased six times to over $4 million. This achievement is particularly notable due to 91亚色鈥檚 non-medical school designation.

In 2010, the Sherman Health Sciences Research Centre is scheduled to open on the Keele campus, providing over 40,000 square feet of research space for vision science, kinesiology, and psychology. In 2011, the Sherman Centre will be complemented by the Life Sciences Building, which will provide 160,000 square feet to meet growing demand for graduate and undergraduate students in Life and Health Sciences.

As well, 91亚色 is forging vital external research and development linkages with hospitals, industry, health care and social agencies, developing innovative ways to mobilize health-related findings, and exploring the full spectrum of health research challenges to better understand and remove barriers to health and wellness.

The is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. It creates new scientific knowledge and enables its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health-care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 13,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.

Submitted by聽Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer

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