What is the CCFC IBD Research Institute?
In the summer of 2003, the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC) launched the CCFC IBD Research Institute (IBDRI). This "virtual" Institute was created to coordinate expanded and innovative research initiatives in Canada. The CCFC has invested more than $25 million in IBD research in the first five years of the Institute. We are confident that the CCFC IBDRI will change the face of IBD research in Canada.
IBDRI Leadership
The Scientific and Medical Advisory Council (SMAC) of the IBDRI provides the collective voice and leadership for entire IBDRI membership. The CCFC relies on guidance from this group of experts as it strives to deliver on its mission to find the cure and to educate stakeholders about the CCFC and about IBD. As of October 1st, 2008, the SMAC includes:
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
Term |
Dr. Hillary Steinhart |
Chair |
Mount Sinai Hospital / University of Toronto |
2008-2011 |
Dr. Ken Croitoru |
Past Chair |
Mount Sinai Hospital / University of Toronto |
2008-2010 |
Dr. John L. Wallace |
Vice Chair |
McMaster University |
2008-2011 |
Dr. Nicola Jones |
Research Chair |
Hospital for Sick Children / University of Toronto |
2008-2010 |
Dr. Remo Panaccione |
Clinical Research Chair |
University of Calgary |
2008-2010 |
Dr. Bruce Vallance |
Research Capacity Building Chair |
University of British Columbia |
2008-2011 |
Dr. Mark Ropeleski |
Scientific Symposia Chair |
Queen's University |
2008-2010 |
Dr. Alain Bitton |
Member-at-large |
McGill University |
2008-2011 |
Dr. Kevan Jacobsen |
Member-at-large |
University of British Columbia |
2008-2011 |
Dr. Stephen P. James |
Member-at-large (International) |
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, USA |
2008-2010 |
Dr. John Marshall |
Member-at-large |
McMaster University |
2008-2010 |
Dr. Elena Verdu |
Member-at-large |
McMaster University |
2008-2011 |
Dr. Kevin Glasgow |
CEO, CCFC |
CCFC |
Ongoing |
IBDRI Membership
The membership of the IBDRI consists of researchers and interested individuals who:
- At any time received CCFC funding.
- Are or were research trainees or faculty members who have received funding from the CCFC in partnership with other granting agencies.
- Members of the IBD research community who have been part of CCFC grants review panels or who have been invited to do external reviews of project proposals.
- International experts who were invited to and/or participated in CCFC-sponsored research planning symposia (IBD 2002, IBD 2005 and IBD 2009).
- Other parties at the discretion of the CCFC.
This inclusive membership policy carries the requirement that members are still actively interested in pursuing and keeping up to date with IBD research.
Research Highlights
Major Expansion of the CCFC research grants
Grants in Aid of Research fund up to a maximum of $125,000 per year for up to three years. Our goal is to keep top Canadian IBD researchers in the field and to attract talented young researchers to the field of IBD research.
Grants in Aid of Research have been awarded to all applicants who have met the peer-review panel’s criteria of excellence and relevance to our mission to finding cures for IBD.
International IBD Science Development Program.
The CCFC Visiting Scientist Program promotes the exchange of ideas and information by sending Canadian scientists abroad and bringing international scientists to Canada.
Personnel Awards
The CCFC continues to expand its student scholarship and fellowship partnerships to attract the best and brightest medical students to the field of IBD research. The Foundation also provides funding at different levels of the career path to attract and retain new and established research professionals. Recent partnership agreements with provincial research funding organizations add to the current Canadian Institutes of Health Research partnership administered by the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology.
GEM Project
The Michael J. Howorth IBD GEM Project: A Human Study on The Genetic, Environmental and Microbial Interactions that Cause IBD. This exciting project is currently enrolling subjects in its multi-disciplinary, multi-centered prospective study focused on persons at risk for developing Crohn’s disease. Please see www.gemproject.ca for information on the GEM project.
The Burden of IBD in Canada Report
This document brings together research findings in a reader-friendly format describing the burden to our country in terms of health care costs, time lost from work due to illness, etc. attributable to Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis. Estimates for 2008 were done in preparation of Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness month (November). Click here to read the report.
IBD 2009: Advancing on the path to a cure
Leading IBD researchers from across Canada and around the world gathered again for the third in a series of CCFC-funded conferences in late April, 2009. Serving as a forum to discuss cutting-edge IBD research, the conference also included a planning session that set the course for the CCFC's IBD Research Institute for the next three to five years.
Funding National and International Collaborations through partnerships
The CCFC will continue to support collaborative, multidisciplinary research that linking researchers within Canadian and, in some cases, across borders with the goals of leveraging CCFC funds with other funders of projects consistent with the mission of finding cures for IBD.
How can I get involved?
Click here if you are interested in joining the IBDRI as a member to stay informed about Institute activities through our quarterly publication Gut Reaction.
