Canada Foundation for Innovation infrastructure grants awarded to TMU researchers

JELF funding will support research to enhance personalized medical treatment and improve patient outcomes

September 13, 2024

Headshots of TMU professors Owas Khan (left) and Mojca Mattiazzi Usaj

Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science professor Owais Khan (left) and Faculty of Science professor Mojca Mattiazzi Usaj have been awarded CFI JELF funding.

The Government of Canada announced new funding through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) for investments in research infrastructure. Two Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) researchers received support for projects focused on improving personalized medicine and patient outcomes through CFI’s John R. Evans Fund (JELF).

This funding will support Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science professor Owais Khan’s and Faculty of Science professor Mojca Mattiazzi Usaj’s research to improve cardiovascular disease outcomes and therapeutic interventions.

“I am delighted to congratulate professors Khan and Mattiazzi Usaj for securing this important infrastructure investment,” said Steven N. Liss, TMU’s vice-president, research and innovation. “Their research has the potential to enhance the quality of life of individuals facing high-risk diseases and advance the health and well-being of Canadians.”

Electrical, computer and biomedical engineering professor Khan’s project, Cardiovascular Biomechanics Measurement Facility for Blood Flow and Biomechanical Testing,

is developing computational technologies to facilitate novel, non-invasive, personalized treatment of cardiovascular diseases. These tools integrate engineering principles with cardiovascular medicine to improve treatment and outcomes for patients.

Chemistry and biology professor Mattiazzi Usaj‘s project, Studying Phenotypic Heterogeneity and Aging in Budding Yeast with Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting, examines how environmental and other non-genetic sources contribute to diversity in cell populations with shared genetic makeup. This research will support the development of strategies for therapeutic intervention and personalized medicine, including innovative approaches to limit the emergence of drug resistance.