Press Release
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Three Université de Moncton Research Projects Receive Funding from the John R. Evans Leaders Fund
The Université de Moncton is proud to announce that three of its faculty members' research projects have been selected for funding under the Canada Foundation for Innovation's (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund.
Professors Nicolas Pichaud, Louis R. Lapierre, Lambert Giner, and Deny Hamel are the initiators behind these research projects, which will receive a total of nearly $400,000 in funding. CFI funding represents 40% of the total cost of each project.
The projects are as follows:
Metabolic and Mitochondrial Responses to Environmental Stress in Insects
Professor Pichaud's laboratory (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry) studies mitochondrial flexibility and its role in insect adaptation, using state-of-the-art techniques to measure mitochondrial functions when these organisms, which play an essential role in our ecosystems, are confronted with changes in food resources and temperature challenges. A better understanding of insect behaviour is particularly relevant to the long-term sustainability of the agricultural sector, especially in the context of climate change. The CFI funding will enable Prof. Pichaud to purchase instruments for three complementary modules that will enable his team to measure the metabolic and mitochondrial functions of insects, and identify strategies for controlling pest populations and maintaining insects of socioeconomic value, such as pollinators.
- Nicolas Pichaud ($149,952)
Infrastructure for Studying the Distribution and Dynamics of Subcellular Proteins in Disease and Aging
Professor Louis R. Lapierre's laboratory (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry) uses biochemical and genetic tools, as well as multiomics approaches, to further our understanding of aging and longevity. The infrastructure, supported by financial contributions from the CFI, the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation and ResearchNB, will enable the acquisition of three platforms to build new tools to study aging, find new biomarkers of aging, and develop new therapies for age-related disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
- Louis Lapierre ($149,952)
Infrastructure for the Development of a New Type of Quantum Measurement and Application to Quantum Technologies
The CFI-funded infrastructure is intended to create a new quantum photonics laboratory in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, to launch new research themes for the teams of Professors Lambert Giner and Deny Hamel. The various specialized pieces of equipment that will be acquired thanks to CFI funding will be used to carry out precise, sophisticated measurements and innovative experiments to characterize quantum states in the laboratory. Understanding these fundamental mechanisms is essential for advancing quantum technologies, which will revolutionize a number of fields, such as the creation of new, more precise medical diagnostic tools, more secure means of communication, more powerful computer systems and ultra-sensitive measuring devices.
- Lambert Giner and Deny Hamel ($73,487)
The John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JREF) is an essential strategic investment tool to help universities recruit and retain the best researchers of today and tomorrow. The CFI named this fund in recognition of the exceptional contribution of the first chairman of the CFI Board of Directors, Mr. John R. Evans.
The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) is a not-for-profit organization that invests in research infrastructure at Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions.
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