Innovation Anthology #178:

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After a year and a half, the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research has completed its search for a scientific superstar.

And the recipient of its first Polaris Award is Dr. Bruce McNaughton.

This world renowned neuroscientist is moving from Arizona to join the Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge.

Financial support through the Polaris Award will provide Dr. McNaughton’s lab with up to $20 million dollars over 10 years, the largest health research award in Canada.

This allows him to build what he calls his dream team.

DR. BRUCE MCNAUGHTON: Coming to Lethbridge has advantages for me because we have a group here that is already established in the field that is known as behavioral neuroscience. They have a great deal of expertise in studying animal behavior, quantifying animal behavior and doing complementary kinds of neuroscience experimental work trying to understand how the brain computes.

Also contributing to the Polaris Award is iCORE, the informatics Circle of Research Excellence. This will help further Dr. McNaughton’s pioneering work in computational neuroscience.

FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY, I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

Note:  AHFMR is now called Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

Guest

Thomas Homer-Dixon, PhD,

University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada,

Sponsor

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates (formerly Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions)

As the newly formed Alberta Innovates corporation, we still fund top quality, internationally competitive health research and innovation activities to improve the health and wellbeing of Albertans. We provide leadership for Alberta’s health research and innovation enterprise by directing, coordinating, reviewing, funding and supporting research and innovation.

Working with our many partners  in the health system, we ensure that research achieves innovation in care, policy and practice, and that the needs of patients and clinicians influence research.

Our background

Alberta Innovates consolidation was launched November 1, 2016.

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions was established as part of the Alberta Innovates system by an Act of Legislation of the Government of Alberta. It is a agency  of the Government of Alberta. We receive a yearly allocation from the Ministry of Health and report through the ministry to the people of Alberta.

Our Mandate and Roles document reflects our role and responsibilities and outlines the government statues and regulations with which we comply.

Alberta’s Health Research and Innovation Strategy (AHRIS) sets out Alberta’s health research agenda for the coming decade to ensure our considerable investments in research align with our priority—to improve the health of Albertans.

Program Date: 2008-10-23