TORONTO, August 9, 2011 - York Professor Derek Wilson has been awarded $100,000 in funding under the Ontario government’s Early Researcher Awards program. York University’s research investment of $50,000 will match the funds for the award.
York West MPP Mario Sergio announced the funding for York’s recipient of the award today. The Early Researcher Awards program helps promising, recently appointed Ontario researchers build their research teams of undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research associates and technicians. The goal of the program is to improve Ontario’s ability to attract and retain the best and brightest research talent. Ontario’s Early Researcher Awards investment will support 71 projects and 334 researchers and their teams across the province.
“We’re proud of the remarkable talent we have at York University and the exceptional work our Toronto researchers do. Their contributions are making the world a better place, starting right here with new ideas and jobs in our community,” said York West MPP Mario Sergio.
“Some of the world’s best researchers work here and across Ontario. Their ideas fuel job creation and economic growth, and our government is proud to support them,” said Glen Murray, Minister of Research and Innovation.
Wilson, a professor of chemistry in the Faculty of Science & Engineering, is researching why and how misfolded protein “amyloid plaques” form in the brain and disrupt normal brain activity – a process that can lead to the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Professor Wilson’s team will conduct molecular level studies, which reveal the chemical interactions and structural features of proteins that cause them to misfold and clump together. Ultimately, his research aims to understand the underlying causes of neurodegenerative diseases and help identify new approaches for treatment.
“The Early Researcher Awards program is a prime example of the province’s ongoing commitment to strengthen and support globally competitive research being conducted at the University,” said Robert Haché, vice-president, research and innovation, at York University. “The awards recognize cutting-edge research that is undertaken by researchers early in their careers, as they seek effective solutions to real-world challenges.”
“This funding is crucial for young researchers,” said Professor Derek Wilson, who is also a member of York’s Centre for Research in Mass Spectrometry and York’s Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions. “I am grateful to the provincial government for supporting our research.”
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York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto – Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 200,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 10 Faculties and 28 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.
Media Contact:
Arielle Zomer, Research Communications, York University, 416-736-2100 ext. 21069, azomer@yorku.ca
