Canadian Stroke Network provides $1 million in seed funding to link, strengthen research hubs across the country
OTTAWA, Oct. 29, 2012 /CNW/ - The Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery and the Canadian Stroke Network (CSN) have partnered to promote a major national expansion of stroke recovery research, beginning with $1 million in seed funding from the CSN over two years to bolster scientific efforts and bring together researchers across the country.
"Canada has a strong track record in doing research in stroke rehabilitation and recovery," says CSN Executive Director Katie Lafferty. "We are excited there is a mechanism to forge new partnerships, speed research progress and further strengthen the scientific community."
There are more than 50,000 strokes in Canada every year. Another 300,000 Canadians are living with the after-effects of stroke. Today is World Stroke Day - a global effort to draw attention to the fact that one in six people will have a stroke in their lifetime.
Expansion of the Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery - now operating at the University of Ottawa, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Baycrest and Sunnybrook hospitals in Toronto and Memorial University in St. John's, NL - will coalesce research expertise. Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability in Canada.
"We are really excited to link in more centres in Canada doing amazing work in stroke recovery research," says Dr. Dale Corbett, Scientific Director and CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery. "Collectively, we are going to make a big difference for people who have had strokes and for their families." Already, the CSR is investigating new tools and technologies - looking at things like the impact of the "cafeteria diet" on stroke severity and recovery, analyzing the benefits of exercise and examining the use of new technologies such as virtual reality.
Funding from CSN will support catalyst grants to forge new national collaborations and fund research trainees. The Centre for Stroke Recovery is focused primarily on three areas of research: exercise to improve stroke recovery and brain health; small vessel disease; and, regenerative approaches to stroke recovery and brain health.
The Canadian Stroke Network (www.canadianstrokenetwork.ca) is a national research network headquartered at the University of Ottawa. It includes scientists, clinicians and health-policy experts committed to reducing the impact of stroke.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery (CSR) (www.centreforstrokerecovery.ca) is a unique, multi-site research institute dedicated solely to innovative research into ways to promote faster, more complete stroke recovery.
SOURCE: CANADIAN STROKE NETWORK
Cathy Campbell, Canadian Stroke Network, 613-562-5696, 613-852-2303 (cell)
[email protected]
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