Nine McMaster researchers received funding from the Ontario Research Fund and the Early Researcher Awards Program, designed to support the development of homegrown ideas, products and technologies.

Richard Paige, professor of Computing and Software and director of the McMaster Centre for Software Certification (McSCert) was awarded $4M from the Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence Program for his project Accelerating and Automating mHealth Innovation for Ontario.

The funds will allow Paige and his team to commercialize technologies and develop multidisciplinary HQP in the field of mobile health, while enhancing healthcare in Ontario by creating innovative solutions and leading technologies.

Marla Beauchamp, assistant professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science and Rebecca Gannan, assistant professor in the School of Nursing, received Early Research Awards to help build their research programs.

The awards recognize promising researchers and their potential to become world-class innovators and are funded to a maximum of $140,000 from the government, with matching funding of $50,000 from the University over the next five years.

The focus of work for both researchers is mobility among older adults. Beauchamp will look at screening tools for fall prevention and Gannan will seek to promote physical and community mobility for people over 55 living in Hamilton experiencing health inequities.

Six researchers were awarded funding from the Ontario Research Fund – Research Infrastructure program, the provincial match to previously awarded CFI awards.

Recipients include:

Baraa Al-Khazraji, assistant Professor, Kinesiology, received $160,000 for her project: Cerebrovascular hemodynamics in health and disease.

Tobias Berg, associate professor, Oncology, received $250,000 for his project: Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) Research Laboratory to target acute myeloid leukemia.

Brian Coombes, professor, Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences, received $467,800 for his project: Optical imaging in the pre-clinical setting.

Dylan Kobsar, assistant professor, Kinesiology, received $80,000 for his project: Optical and wearable motion capture system for precision medicine solutions in osteoarthritis

Ray Truant, professor, Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences received $800,000 for his project: Dynamic Nanoimaging of DNA Damage and Repair in Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Hao Yang, assistant professor, Civil Engineering, received $102,580 for his project: AI-enhanced Mobility Lab.

Karen Mossman, McMaster’s vice-president, research, recognized the importance of the provincial investment in expanding the University’s research enterprise.

“This funding will allow these exceptional researchers to grow their research teams, upgrade their lab equipment and train the next generation of researchers,” she says.