DR. JEAN L. ROULEAU APPOINTED SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR OF CIHR'S INSTITUTE OF
CIRCULATORY AND RESPIRATORY HEALTH

OTTAWA, Nov. 12 /CNW/ - Dr. Alain Beaudet, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), along with CIHR's Governing Council, announced today the appointment of Dr. Jean L. Rouleau as Scientific Director of CIHR's Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH). This appointment will be effective December 1, 2010.

"Dr. Rouleau is a welcome addition to the CIHR leadership team," said Dr. Beaudet. "His accomplishments in the investigation and intervention in human heart disease, ventricular remodelling and development of heart failure post-infarction, as well as his proven leadership in academic medicine make him the ideal candidate to take CIHR's Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (CIHR-ICRH) forward."

Dr. Rouleau is currently Dean of the University of Montreal's Faculty of Medicine, and practices cardiology at the Montreal Heart Institute. He has also served as a member of the CIHR Governing Council since 2005. A respected cardiologist and world-famous researcher, Dr. Rouleau previously taught at the University of Toronto and served as Director of the Cardiac Program and the cardiology departments at Toronto's University Health Network (UNH) and at Mount Sinai Hospital. With experience in many university hospitals, Dr. Rouleau possesses a vast understanding of the worlds of teaching, research and care settings. He earned his M.D. degree from the University of Ottawa, and completed his clinical training at McGill University followed by postdoctoral research in San Francisco.

"I am pleased and excited about having been given this opportunity of contributing to the advancement of research in cardio-respiratory health in Canada, and to the attainment of the goals of the CIHR, the cornerstone of health research in Canada", said Dr. Rouleau.

Dr. Rouleau has published over 300 scientific articles in journals such as the American Journal of Medicine, the American Journal of Cardiology, CMAJ, Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine. He has been awarded the Canadian Centennial Medal, the Exceptional Merit Award given by the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec (FRSQ), the Canadian Henry Friesen Award, and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society's Career Research Achievement Award.

"I would also like to thank Dr. Lori West who served as Interim Scientific Director of the Institute over the past five months," added Dr. Beaudet. "Thanks to her professionalism, thoroughness and commitment, the Institute continued to play a leadership role in Canadian health research during this period of transition."

The CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (CIHR-ICRH) supports research into causes, mechanisms, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions associated with the heart, lung, brain (stroke), blood, blood vessels, critical care and sleep.

For the past 10 years, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has supported better health and health care for Canadians. As the Government of Canada's health research investment agency, CIHR enables the creation of evidence-based knowledge and its transformation into improved treatments, prevention and diagnoses, new products and services, and a stronger, patient-oriented health-care system. Composed of 13 internationally recognized Institutes, CIHR supports more than 13,600 health researchers and trainees across Canada.

For further information:

David Coulombe
CIHR Media Relations
Phone: [phone]
Cell: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]