News Release

Alberta funding focused on improving treatment of diabetes

Grant and Award Announcement

University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry

(Edmonton, AB) The Alberta Diabetes Institute at the University of Alberta has awarded important financial support to another Alberta-based diabetes research project and renewed two projects to continue research that has already shown promising results. The Alberta Diabetes Institute: Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Research Fund is aimed at supporting research in diabetes with a focus on novel discoveries with a high potential for commercialization.

The research fund is a $600,000 partnership between the Alberta Diabetes Institute, Janssen Inc. in Canada (part of the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson), the Government of Alberta and the Alberta Diabetes Foundation.

"The impact that this research could have, on helping thousands in Alberta manage type 1 and 2 diabetes is incredible," said Brad Fournier, Executive Director -- Alberta Diabetes Foundation. "Each investment must deliver benefit to Albertans and we are confident this will be achieved with these worthy investments."

"Alberta is rapidly becoming a global leader when it comes to diabetes research. By supporting these innovative projects, our government is helping improve the prevention, treatment and management of diabetes. This investment is part of our government's commitment to building a stronger and more diverse economy," said the Honourable Deron Bilous, Minister of Economic Development and Trade.

"This fund represents a unique partnership between Janssen, the Government of Alberta and the Alberta Diabetes Foundation that is directly aimed at transforming great ideas into real-world solutions for people living with diabetes," said Dr. Peter Light, director of the Alberta Diabetes Institute.

In collaboration with the Alberta Diabetes Institute, experts from Johnson & Johnson Innovation identified the high-potential opportunities from projects submitted by medical researchers across Alberta.

The selected fund recipients are:

Selective Angiostatin Neutralization for the Promotion of Therapeutic Angiogenesis in Diabetic Peripheral Artery Disease
Principal Investigator: Dr. Paul Jurasz, University of Alberta

Cuff-Based Electronic Mosquito: A Minimally-Invasive Microsystem for Pseudo-Continuous Monitoring of Glucose Levels in Diabetics (renewal)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Martin P. Mintchev, University of Calgary

Characterization of Islet-Specific ZMIZ1 Knockout Mice (renewal)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Patrick MacDonald, University of Alberta

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For further details on the J&J: ADI Research Fund, please visit http://www.adi.ualberta.ca

More than three million Canadians currently live with diabetes. This private-public partnership fund will accelerate the development of health-care technologies within Alberta, a province known for life-changing research in the causes, prevention, treatment and management of diabetes.


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