Press Release

Wednesday, September 04, 2019

Marc Surette and Luc Boudreau Receive a $596,700 Grant from CIHR

Under its Project Grant Program, Marc Surette, Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and New Brunswick Innovation Research Chair at Université de Moncton, and Luc Boudreau, Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, have received a grant of $596,700 over five years from Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for the project entitled “Impact of dietary stearidonic acid-rich oil on rheumatoid arthritis.”

Mr. Surette, senior researcher, is also assisted by co-researcher Nicolas Flamand, Professor at Université Laval.

“The project will enable us to assess the impact of a food oil rich in stearidonic acid on the progression and severity of inflammatory arthritis,” said Mr. Surette. “In the context of the project, we will measure several inflammatory, cellular and molecular parameters, to determine the mechanisms at work by which this oil has an impact on this autoimmune disease that greatly effects the quality of life of patients.”

Francis LeBlanc, Associate Vice-President of Research and Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, is thrilled by the news. He emphasized that “health research is of the greatest importance,” adding that “the funding provided will allow Mr. Surette and his colleagues to continue to advance science for the benefit of all. Given the scope and size of his projects, Mr. Surette is a leader in his field of research.”

In Canada, 373 senior researchers received funding under the Project Grant Competition, a very competitive competition with a national success rate of just 15.6%. This is the only New Brunswick project to have received funding.


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