TORONTO, Aug. 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, one of the world’s leading non-governmental funders of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis research, announces over $2.8 million in grants to eleven Canadian investigators and their teams.
These annual research grants, which are funded entirely by donors, fuel the most promising projects to deliver new therapeutic hope for the 270,000 Canadians living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) – a number set to top 400,000 by 2030.
“Canada has among the highest rates of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in the world and we are determined to drive discovery, the only way to prevent and cure these chronic and debilitating diseases,” says Mina Mawani, President and CEO of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. “Next to CIHR, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada invests the greatest amount in Canadian IBD research – high-potential work that enables our organization to improve lives and relentlessly press forward toward finding the cures.”
While taking a $2.6 billion annual toll on the Canadian economy, IBD impedes quality of life for those who live with it; in fact, patients are at twice the risk of depression and anxiety disorders as the general population. Rates of IBD in older adults are climbing the fastest, and rates among children have risen more than 50 per cent in the past 10 years – with treatment challenges unique to both groups.
In a bid to confront this challenge, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada delivers grants-in-aid at $125,000 each year for three years, and innovation awards at $50,000 for one year.
“Our competition is open to all types of research, and a collective review team built with scientific experts, nurses, and people living with IBD ensures that we direct funding to the most promising projects for real impact,” says Kate Lee, Vice-President of Research and Patient Programs. “These eleven projects bring diverse strategies to the table for driving new therapies and diagnostics – and we have our donors to thank for funding them.”
2019 Grants-in-Aid of Research Award Recipients:
2019 Innovations in IBD Research Award Recipients:
About Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada is the only national, volunteer-based charity focused on finding cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and improving the lives of everyone impacted by these diseases. We are the world’s second largest health charity funder of Crohn’s and colitis research, and our patient programs and advocacy efforts support the people affected by these chronic autoimmune diseases, which cause the body to attack healthy tissue, leading to the inflammation of all or part of the gastrointestinal tract. Visit crohnsandcolitis.ca for more information.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Stacey Sheehan
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
416-920-5035 ext. 243
ssheehan@crohnsandcolitis.ca
Matthew Curtis
Smithcom
647-209-9735
matthew.curtis@smithcom.ca