Collaborating with researchers across Canada, addressing the health burden of lung disease
Launched in February 2014, The Canadian Respiratory Research Network is a national research network that brings together researchers from across Canada to work together to improve understanding and treatment of asthma and COPD, which together affect almost 15% of Canadians.
Overall, chronic lung disease accounts for more than six per cent of annual health-care costs in Canada, and COPD is the leading cause of hospitalization. A large number of Canadians with COPD and asthma also remain undiagnosed. As the network matures, other lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis and neonatal lung disease will be studied.
The Canadian Respiratory Research Network will bring researchers across disciplines together to improve our understanding of the origins and progression of chronic lung diseases in Canada.
The network will also provide significant investment into a comprehensive training program that will promote interdisciplinary research and offer support to new researchers.
The Canadian Lung Association will invest $1.08 million towards the new Canadian Respiratory Research Network over the next five years. The British Columbia Lung Association will contribute another $200,000 over the same period. Other funders include the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and industry partners.
Dr. Shawn Aaron, a senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, is co-director of the Canadian Respiratory Network along with Dr. James Martin of McGill University’s Department of Medicine.
For more information, visit: www.respiratoryresearchnetwork.ca
