McMaster awarded three new Canada Research Chairs

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McMaster research got a boost today with the announcement of three new Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) and the renewal of an existing Tier 2 Chair.

The prestigious designation has been awarded to researchers who are pushing the limits of their respective disciplines to investigate how to optimize the aging and work processes, maximize the properties of natural drugs and exploit the non-invasive, non-destructive properties of microwave technology.

Maureen Markle-Reid, associate professor in the School of Nursing, will use her Canada Research Chair in Aging, Chronic Disease and Health Promotion Interventions (Tier 2)  to develop interventions to reduce the burden of chronic disease on older adults in community living and their family caregivers. Her research program will build knowledge of the prevalence, determinants and costs of multiple chronic conditions, and work to enhance health outcomes.

As Canada Research Chair in Natural Product Drug Discovery (Tier 2) Nathan Magarvey, assistant professor in the departments of biochemistry and biomedical sciences, and chemistry and chemical biology, will use a number of integrated tools and technologies – from genomics to small molecules – to target drugs from nature. Magarvey’s focus will be to mine these natural source materials for new bioactive compounds, so they can be produced into more effective and targeted therapies for diseases.

Catherine Connelly, Canada Research Chair in Organizational Behaviour (Tier 2), will extend mainstream organization behaviour and psychological theories to discover the true costs to organizations that hire contingent workers, identify the cues that determine how individuals react to – and interpret – electronic communications, and study the conditions, attributes and processes that result in knowledge-hiding behaviours. Connelly, an associate professor of organizational behaviour and human resources management, will also examine how leaders can deal with high-stress work environments while maintaining their effectiveness.

 Natalia Nikolova’s Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in High Frequency Electromagnetics has been renewed for another five years. Nikolova, a professor of electrical and computer engineering will continue to develop novel engineering systems that harness the ability of microwaves to penetrate where sound and optical waves fail. Nikolova has already made significant advances in non-invasive diagnostics for early stage breast cancer detection, and concealed weapon detection for public security and surveillance in buildings and transportation.

“The Canada Research Chairs program provides our University with the opportunity to retain exceptional talent and to recognize the stellar research undertaken by Professors Connelly, Magarvey, Markle-Reid and Nikolova,” said Mo Elbestawi, vice-president research and international affairs. “Their ambitious research programs will create knowledge that is vitally important to our quality of life, and will have a direct impact on the processes, policies and technologies that will shape Canada’s future.”

Tier 2 Chairs, tenable for five years and renewable for one, are for exceptional emerging researchers, acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field. For each Tier 2 Chair, the University receives $100,000 annually.

McMaster University has been allocated 68 Canada Research Chairs; with today’s announcement, the University currently boasts 61 Canada Research Chair-holders.