Newsroom

Ottawa researchers shine in SPOR funding announcement


April 12, 2016



Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital are playing a lead role in two of the five chronic disease networks recently funded by Canada's Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR), managed by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research. Dr. Patricia Poulin is a co-principal investigator of the Chronic Pain Network, a group which also includes Dr. Colin McCartney and Dr. Catherine Smyth. This team of researchers, patients, educators, policy advisors and health-care professionals aims to increase access to care for people living with chronic pain and speed up the translation of pain research to healthcare. Dr. Kevin Burns is a co-principal investigator for a chronic kidney disease network called Can-SOLVE CKD. In collaboration with Dr. Duncan Stewart and Dr. Richard Gilbert from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, he will lead a clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of progenitor cells (which have stem cell-like properties) for advanced diabetic kidney disease. Dr. Burns will also join Dr. Dylan Burger as co-investigators on a study to find biomarkers to identify young people with this disease. Each network received a total of $25 million over five years.

About The Ottawa Hospital


The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals with over 1,100 beds, approximately 12,000 staff and an annual budget of over $1.2 billion. Our focus on research and learning helps us develop new and innovative ways to treat patients and improve care. As a multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, we deliver specialized care to the Eastern Ontario region, but our techniques and research discoveries are adopted around the world. We engage the community at all levels to support our vision for better patient care.

About the University of Ottawa


The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. www.uottawa.ca

For further information, please contact


Amelia Buchanan
Senior Communication Specialist
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Office: 613-798-5555 x 73687
Cell: 613-297-8315
ambuchanan@ohri.ca