March 15, 2013
McMaster awarded three new Canada Research Chairs
Hamilton, Ont. March 15, 2013—Research at McMaster University got a boost today with the announcement of three new Canada Research Chairs and the renewal of another.
The prestigious designation has been awarded to researchers who are pushing the limits of their disciplines to investigate how to optimize the aging and work processes, maximize the properties of natural drugs and exploit the non-invasive, non-destructive properties of microwave technology.
Two researchers from the Faculty of Health Science will focus on what happens naturally in the world: aging, disease and microorganisms.
Maureen Markle-Reid, associate professor, School of Nursing, will use her Canada Research Chair in Aging, Chronic Disease and Health Promotion Interventions (Tier 2) to develop and evaluate innovative interventions to reduce the burden and impact of chronic disease on the population of community living older adults and their family caregivers.
Her research program will build knowledge of the prevalence, determinants and costs of multiple chronic conditions, and work to enhance health outcomes.
As Canada Research Chair in Natural Product Drug Discovery (Tier 2) Nathan Magarvey, assistant professor in the departments of biochemistry and biomedical sciences, and chemistry and chemical biology, will use a number of integrated tools and technologies – from genomics to small molecules – to target drugs from nature.
Magarvey's focus will be to mine these natural source materials for new bioactive compounds, so they can be produced into a more efficacious and targeted therapy for diseases.
Catherine Connelly, Canada Research Chair in Organizational Behaviour (Tier 2), will extend mainstream organization behaviour and psychological theories to discover the true costs to organizations that hire contingent workers, identify the cues that determine how individuals react to – and interpret – electronic communications, and study the conditions, attributes and processes that result in knowledge hiding behaviours. Connelly, an associate professor of organizational behaviour and human resources management, will also examine how leaders can deal with the high-stress work environment while still maintaining their effectiveness.
Natalia Nikolova's Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in High Frequency Electromagnetics has been renewed for another five years. Nikolova, a professor of electrical and computer engineering will continue to develop novel engineering systems that harness the ability of microwaves to penetrate where sound and optical waves fail. Nikolova has already made significant advances in non-invasive diagnostics for early stage breast cancer detection, and concealed weapon detection for public security and surveillance in buildings and transportation.
"The Canada Research Chairs program provides our University with the opportunity to retain exceptional talent and to recognize the stellar research undertaken by Professors Connelly, Magarvey, Markle-Reid and Nikolova," said Mo Elbestawi, vice-president, Research and International Affairs. "Their ambitious research programs will create knowledge that is vitally important to our quality of life, and will have a direct impact on the processes, policies and technologies that will shape Canada's future."
McMaster University has been allocated 68 Canada Research Chairs; with today's announcement, our University currently boasts 61 Canada Research Chairholders.
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905-525-9140, ext. 24871