Minister Wong presents 2012 CIHR Institute of Aging Prizes

Vancouver (October 20, 2012) - The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors), attended the Canadian Association on Gerontology's 41st Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting in Vancouver from October 18 to 20, 2012. Along with Dr. Yves Joanette, Scientific Director for the CIHR Institute of Aging, she presented a number of researchers and trainees in the field of aging research with CIHR Institutes of Aging recognition prizes.

The following prizes were awarded:

• 2012 Betty Havens Prize for Knowledge Translation in Aging

  Dr. Neena Chappell from the University of Victoria

  Dr. Chappell's research contributions and related knowledge translation activities over her 30-plus years as a researcher have both directly and indirectly guided public policy and improved the lives of individuals involved in healthcare systems. She has been instrumental in furthering the field of social gerontology through her commitment to community-based research and knowledge translation. Her study on care, conducted with Dr. Betty Havens, revealed that long-term home care costs less than nursing home care when controlling for level of need, with cost savings increasing as level of need decreases. She was one the first to establish scientific measures of "good care" in her research outcomes for institutionalized seniors with dementia. Another example of Dr. Chappell's knowledge translation activities is her role as principal investigator in the Alzheimer Drug Therapy, which includes a province-wide cohort of caregivers to those with Alzheimer's disease to better understand their perceptions of the effects of cholinesterase inhibitors, information which will be used to advise BC PharmaCare.

  The aim of the CIHR-Institute of Aging Betty Havens Prize for Knowledge Translation in Aging is to recognize outstanding achievements and excellence in knowledge translation in aging at a local or regional level, and to provide financial support to further foster excellence and innovation in knowledge translation activities. The value of the prize is $50,000.

• Doctoral Prize of Excellence in Research on Aging

  Ting-Lin Yang from the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
  Recognized for project called: The role of Wnt pathway activation in the maintenance of telomere integrity in intestinal crypt cells of telomerase-deficient mice.

  The CIHR-IA Doctoral Prize of Excellence in Research on Aging encourages and honours the brightest rising stars. The $2,500 supplement is given to the highest ranking candidate conducting research on aging within the CIHR Research Personnel Awards competition.

• Fellowship Prize of Excellence in Research on Aging (Fall 2011 competition)

  Tara Stewart from Yale University (Connecticut)
  Recognized for her project called: Attribution of Illness to 'Old Age': Addressing an Age-Related Stereotype with Attributional Retraining

  The CIHR-IA Fellowship Prize of Excellence in Research on Aging encourages and honours IA's brightest rising stars. A $5,000 supplement is given to the highest ranking candidate conducting research on aging within the CIHR Research Personnel Awards competition.

• Fellowship Prize of Excellence in Research on Aging (Winter 2012 competition)

  Angela South from the University of Western Ontario
  Recognized for her project called: Non-motor Communication Impairments in Parkinson Disease and the Impact on HRQoL for Individuals with Parkinson disease and Family Care Partners

  The CIHR-IA Fellowship Prize of Excellence in Research on Aging encourages and honours IA's brightest rising stars. A $5,000 supplement is given to the highest ranking candidate conducting research on aging within the CIHR Research Personnel Awards competition.

• New Investigator Prize of Excellence in Research on Aging

  Xianping, Dong from Dalhousie University
  Recognized for project called: TRPML1 in intracellular Fe2+ and Ca2+ homeostasis/signaling

  The CIHR-IA New Investigator Prize of Excellence in Research on Aging encourages and honours IA's brightest rising stars. A $10,000 supplement is given to the highest ranking candidate conducting research on aging within the CIHR Research Personnel Awards competition.

News release about Minister Wong's participation at the Canadian Association on Gerontology's Annual Conference

For more information about these prizes, visit website or contact:

Sharon Nadeau
Associate, Strategic Initiatives, Institute of Aging
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-946-1270
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: sharon.nadeau@cihr-irsc.gc.ca