[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Weitz_Pavlos09.jpg” caption=”(Pictured above) Jeffrey Weitz, Canada Research Chair in Thrombosis. File Photo. (Pictured below) Pavlos Kanaroglou, Canada Research Chair in Spatial Analysis. File Photo.”]Three McMaster professors have had their Canada Research Chairs renewed, a federal research investment totaling nearly $3.7 million.

Dr. Jeffrey Weitz, Canada Research Chair in Thrombosis and Pavlos Kanaroglou, Canada Research Chair in Spatial Analysis, were awarded $1.4 million each for their Tier 1 Chairs. Gregory Slater, Canada Research Chair in Environmental Isotope Biogeochemistry, was awarded $500,000 for his Tier 2 Chair.

Tier 1 Chairs, tenable for seven years, are for outstanding researchers acknowledged by their peers as world leaders in their field. Tier 2 Chairs, tenable for five years and renewable once, are for exceptional emerging researchers, acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field.

The Canada Foundation for Innovation also provided Weitz and Slater $325,515 and $64,000 respectively for infrastructure related to their Canada Research Chairs.

Greg Slater,Canada Research Chair in Environmental Isotope Biogeochemistry. File Photo.

Making the announcement earlier today, the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), noted the important role that research excellence plays in furthering innovation and competitiveness, two main elements of the federal science and technology strategy.

“This is why we announced a $5.1-billion investment in science and technology in Budget 2009 – Canada's Economic Action Plan. The Canada Research Chairs Program helps universities attract and retain the best researchers in the world, which promotes job creation, enhances the quality of life of Canadians and strengthens the economy for future generations,” he said.

Mo Elbestawi, vice-president of research and international affairs, said the Canada Research Chairs program is fulfilling its goal of helping universities increase their research capacity.

“The Chairs program has allowed us to build on our research strengths like no other funding program. It's allowed us to retain our world-renowned researchers while, at the same time, given us the ability to recruit international and emerging stars to complement our existing talent.”

While their work is disparate, their collective results will help to improve the quality of life for Canadians.

Dr. Weitz, director of the Henderson Research Centre, is focusing on new techniques for identifying and treating the underlying causes of blood clot formation. New and improved therapies could enhance the quality of life for patients and reduce costs to the health care system. For more information, please click here.

Slater, who came to McMaster from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the U.S., is looking at the transportation and distribution of organic contaminants in the environment from sources such as spills, urban runoff and atmospheric degradation. He has developed new techniques to study what happens to contaminants and analyze the microbial processes that affect them. For more information, please click here.

McMaster currently has 68 Canada Research Chairs.