Six Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) students received research awards valued at $6,000 each from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario (HSFO) on Wednesday.
The awards provide NOSM medical students with the opportunity to conduct research on cardiovascular health issues of relevance to Northern Ontarians.
The HSFO Summer Medical Student Awards for NOSM began in 2006. The
program is a five-year commitment valued at nearly $250,000.
Student research projects provide northern medical students with the opportunity to gain cardiovascular research training while working with an established researcher at NOSM. The projects are carried out all across Northern Ontario.
“The Heart and Stroke Foundation is thrilled to continue working with
the Northern Ontario School of Medicine to help increase its research
funding commitment in thenNorth,” says Bev Heim-Myers, Director,
Research Programs, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, in a news release.
"It is important to build capacity in cardiovascular research to ensure the sustainability of heart and stroke research in the future. By
attracting research talent in this area, we hope it will lead to a
better understanding of cardiovascular disease in the north as well as
encourage these students to continue their medical careers in Northern
Ontario.”
Medical school founding dean, Dr. Roger Strasser, said it is fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario.
“Cardiovascular disease is a prevalent health issue for
Northern Ontarians," said Strasser. "The HSFO Summer Medical Student Awards provides NOSM students, our future physicians, with valuable hands-on experience in researching an area of medicine that is extremely important for Northern Ontario communities.”
This year’s student projects cover a full range of research studies,
including:
* The impact of cardiovascular disease on Northwestern Ontario
women;
* The impact of stroke programs in Northeastern Ontario;
* Obesity, diabetes and hypertension in Northern Ontario
communities, with a focus on Aboriginal children;
* The infrastructure of hospital settings in relation to heart
disease; and,
* Assessing timely treatment options for heart attack patients who
live at various distances away from tertiary care centres.
The 2007 recipients of the HSFO Summer Medical Student Awards for NOSM
are Alex Anawati, Abdel-Kareem Chehadi, Lise Mozzon, Marc-André Roy, Tracy Michano Stewart and Ching Yeung
The Heart and Stroke Foundation, a volunteer-based organization, leads
in eliminating heart disease and stroke through the advancement of
research and its application, the promotion of healthy living, and
advocacy.
