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University of Lethbridge Receiving Money From Federal Government

Mar 14, 2016 | 3:55 PM

The federal government has announced $23 million in funding to help 26 universities across the country, including three in Alberta.

The money is to help pay for infrastructure and equipment for researchers to carry out their work.

At the University of Lethbridge, Dr. Nehal Thakor, a Campus Alberta Innovation Program (CAIP) Chair in the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI) and assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, will receive $130,000 and Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk (MSc ’00), a Tier II Canada Research Chair and neuroscience professor, will receive $49,600.

Thakor will use the funding to further his investigations into protein translation as it relates to cancer progression and resistance to chemotherapy and radiation treatments. While Iwaniuk’s research into the neural control of behaviour in wild animals, such as grouse and ground squirrels, will be greatly assisted by the addition of a mobile lab.

Elsewhere, the University of Alberta is getting more than $2 million for nine projects and the University of Calgary will be getting about $1 million.

The money comes from the Canada Foundation for Innovation.