York receives a $2.5 million grant from the CIHR to drive positive change in healthcare
York University’s cutting-edge research endeavors have received a substantial financial boost, with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) awarding more than $2.5 million to two research projects that are designed to support community health and well-being.
The first project – led by Associate Professors Yvonne Bohr and Nicole Muir from York’s Faculty of Health, in collaboration with Assistant Professors Matthew Keough and Skye Fitzpatrick and supported by an international team of researchers – will receive $1,797,752 over four years to support the mental health of Inuit youth in remote Nunavut communities, where suicide rates are disproportionately high as a result of systemic discrimination and intergenerational trauma. By collaborating with community elders, the researchers plan to develop culturally sensitive virtual mental health resources, including e-games and immersive virtual reality, that are deeply rooted in traditional Inuit philosophy and scientific knowledge.
The second research project, led by Professor Peter Backx from the Faculty of Science, will receive $749,700 over five years to investigate the causes of atrial fibrillation, the most common kind of cardiac arrhythmia. The researchers aim to gain a better understanding of the condition in order to expand the range of treatment options in ways that reduce the significant individual, social, and economic burden caused by increased stroke and heart failure risks.