Fundamental Science Review / en Canada's political parties should share plans to support basic research, U of T experts write in Toronto Star /news/canada-s-political-parties-should-share-plans-support-basic-research-u-t-experts-write-toronto <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Canada's political parties should share plans to support basic research, U of T experts write in Toronto Star</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT11415_20151125_UTSC_ChemistryStudentinLab_11.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=nlZFMg0Q 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/UofT11415_20151125_UTSC_ChemistryStudentinLab_11.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=YcB83lhU 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/UofT11415_20151125_UTSC_ChemistryStudentinLab_11.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=XJpUJPyW 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT11415_20151125_UTSC_ChemistryStudentinLab_11.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=nlZFMg0Q" alt="Student conducting an experiment in class"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-07-23T12:53:14-04:00" title="Tuesday, July 23, 2019 - 12:53" class="datetime">Tue, 07/23/2019 - 12:53</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(photo by Ken Jones)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemistry" hreflang="en">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/david-naylor" hreflang="en">David Naylor</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Two renowned&nbsp;Ƶ's researchers are urging Canada’s federal political parties to articulate their plans to support Canadian science and innovation ahead of October’s federal election.</p> <p>In a column for the <em>Toronto Star</em>, <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/#section_2">University Professor</a> <strong>Mark Lautens</strong>, from the department of chemistry, and President Emeritus <strong>David Naylor</strong>,<strong>&nbsp;</strong>who <a href="/news/bolstering-canadian-research-u-t-welcomes-federal-science-review">chaired the federal government's fundamental science review</a>, warn that Canada is falling behind the U.S., Germany and other industrialized nations when it comes to funding basic research.</p> <p>Policy-makers should also be wary of common misconceptions about research,&nbsp;write Lautens and Naylor. That includes the belief that Canada already spends heavily on research – “Canada sits about 20th in the OECD [Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development]&nbsp;in research spending as a fraction of GDP,” the authors say – and that focusing on applied, as opposed to fundamental, research yields better innovation outcomes.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Supporting academic research creates “an environment that nurtures the next generation of innovators for both the private sector and civil society,” according to Lautens and Naylor.&nbsp;</p> <p>“It’s mostly a bet on future talent. And it’s also a long-term investment that can pay big dividends – witness the revolution in artificial intelligence as the highest profile, most recent, Made-in-Canada example.”</p> <h3><a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2019/07/22/where-do-the-federal-parties-stand-on-basic-and-applied-research.html">Read the column in the <em>Toronto Star</em></a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 23 Jul 2019 16:53:14 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 157340 at U of T President Emeritus David Naylor calls for continued support of science: University Affairs /news/u-t-president-emeritus-david-naylor-calls-continued-support-science-university-affairs <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T President Emeritus David Naylor calls for continued support of science: University Affairs</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/naylor-lead_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=BfMNxqfN 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/naylor-lead_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=PRQBeAPq 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/naylor-lead_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=s48UbG-w 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/naylor-lead_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=BfMNxqfN" alt="Photo of David Naylor"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-06-05T11:47:15-04:00" title="Wednesday, June 5, 2019 - 11:47" class="datetime">Wed, 06/05/2019 - 11:47</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">U of T President Emeritus Dr. David Naylor spoke about the importance of investment in science at a research summit in Ottawa last month (photo by Tim Fraser)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/david-naylor" hreflang="en">David Naylor</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Speaking two years after he and his colleagues warned about flat-lining investments in research, Ƶ President Emeritus Dr. <strong>David Naylor</strong>&nbsp;recently reiterated the need for continued support of&nbsp;science to ensure the country’s future prosperity.</p> <p>An article this week in&nbsp;<em><a href="https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/canadas-research-community-needs-to-be-in-permanent-campaign-mode/">University Affairs</a>&nbsp;</em>recounted&nbsp;a keynote speech in which Naylor urged the scientific community to be in&nbsp;“permanent campaign mode.”&nbsp;The summit, held last month in Ottawa, was organized by the Canadian Consortium for Research, an umbrella group representing 50,000 researchers and 650,000 students at universities, government labs and the private sector.</p> <p>“We have thousands of people dying of measles because ignorance is an epidemic,” said Naylor, who&nbsp;led a blue-ribbon panel&nbsp;that looked at&nbsp;the state of science funding in Canada <a href="/news/bolstering-canadian-research-u-t-welcomes-federal-science-review">and made sweeping recommendations for reform</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Anti-science, anti-research views are a contagious, malign force in the world. Research is about the entire country’s future – public, private sector and civil society. It’s about talent, not technology. It’s about people, not patents. It’s about creating a critical capacity in young people and not about commercialization.”</p> <h3><a href="https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/canadas-research-community-needs-to-be-in-permanent-campaign-mode/">Read more about David Naylor’s remarks in <em>University Affairs</em></a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 05 Jun 2019 15:47:15 +0000 geoff.vendeville 156806 at Basic research 'at the root' of innovation in Canada: U of T's Molly Shoichet /news/basic-research-root-innovation-canada-u-t-s-molly-shoichet <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Basic research 'at the root' of innovation in Canada: U of T's Molly Shoichet</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-09-14-Molly-Shoichet-economic-club-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=nG18iNXi 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-09-14-Molly-Shoichet-economic-club-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Uxzm2sEK 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-09-14-Molly-Shoichet-economic-club-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=6Kqc2UPU 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-09-14-Molly-Shoichet-economic-club-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=nG18iNXi" alt="Photo of Molly Shoichet"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-09-14T15:48:19-04:00" title="Friday, September 14, 2018 - 15:48" class="datetime">Fri, 09/14/2018 - 15:48</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">U of T University Professor Molly Shoichet emphasized the importance of funding basic research at an Economic Club of Canada panel discussion (photo by Chris Sorensen)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-sorensen" hreflang="en">Chris Sorensen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/molly-shoichet" hreflang="en">Molly Shoichet</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/technology" hreflang="en">Technology</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Canada is well on its way to becoming a country where knowledge and ideas, not oil or timber, are its most important resources – but there’s more work to be done before we truly become an innovation nation.</p> <p>That was the message delivered by Ƶ researcher and former Ontario chief scientist&nbsp;<strong>Molly Shoichet</strong> and two other post-secondary heavy hitters – Martha Crago, McGill University’s vice-principal of research and innovation, and Paul Davidson, president of Universities Canada – during an Economic Club of Canada event today.</p> <p>Shoichet, who holds a <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/#section_2">University Professor</a> designation in U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, noted “things are really happening” in cities like Toronto and Montreal, which have both seen huge investments by Silicon Valley heavyweights and multinationals in recent years.</p> <p>However, she cautioned the current <a href="/news/toronto-added-more-tech-jobs-last-year-silicon-valley-or-anywhere-else-report">tech boom</a> – much of it focused on artificial intelligence and its myriad applications, from medicine to transportation – wouldn’t have happened without strategic government investments in fundamental research&nbsp;decades ago.&nbsp;</p> <p>“It’s really important to recognize that research is at the root of innovation and commercialization,” Shoichet said during the lunch-time panel discussion.</p> <p>“If you don’t invest in that research, we won't have those innovations and there won't be anything to&nbsp;commercialize.”</p> <p>All three participants in the event, titled “Research, Innovation &amp; the New Economy,” lauded the federal government for launching a federal panel in 2016, led by U of T President Emeritus <strong>Dr. David Naylor</strong>, to review how basic science is funded in this country, and for responding to its findings with<a href="/news/u-t-welcomes-federal-budget-s-boost-fundamental-research"> significant investments in fundamental research in its most recent budget</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Davidson, for his part, said visits to campuses of Universities Canada’s 96 member institutions left him with the impression that serious progress is being made. In particular, he cited growing efforts to foster collaboration&nbsp;between universities and business, as well as between universities themselves, through vehicles like the federal government’s <a href="/news/u-t-expertise-helps-drive-two-supercluster-bids-success">supercluster initiative</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>He also noted Canada is making progress when it comes to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the country’s higher education system.&nbsp;</p> <p>“You can’t have excellence unless you’re inclusive,” he said. “That’s a big shift [in thinking].”&nbsp;</p> <p>Yet, despite the changes, the panelists stressed the need for Canada to continue improving the country’s research and commercialization infrastructure, while simultaneously working to instil&nbsp;a culture of innovation among Canadians.&nbsp;</p> <p>Crago, one of nine members on Canada’s Fundamental Science Review panel, emphasized the importance of continuing to fund young researchers in future budgets.&nbsp;</p> <p>“What is working in this country is students are learning research and innovation by doing it,” Crago said. “They are the engine.”</p> <p>She added Canada could also use more of a risk-taking culture like the one found in Israel, which has built one of the most successful tech sectors outside of Silicon Valley.</p> <p>Shoichet, meantime, suggested there is a need for more research and development jobs in Canada, particularly in key sectors like pharmaceuticals. There was also a lengthy discussion about the best way for universities to work with both giant multinationals&nbsp;and small- and medium-sized businesses and startups.&nbsp;</p> <p>One audience member – OCAD University President Sara Diamond – suggested Canada could do a better job at leveraging Canada’s strengths in fields like design, as well as arts and humanities more generally, to create an innovation sector driven by more than just pure science.&nbsp;</p> <p>Agreeing, Crago pointed to the video game sector in Montreal, which is anchored by firms like France’s Ubisoft.&nbsp;</p> <p>“They’re hiring all these people out of the humanities,” Crago said, “because they are among the most creative thinkers.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Davidson concluded the discussion with a warning about complacency. He cited a 2017 survey by the Pew Research Centre that found nearly 60 per cent of Republican Party supporters believed U.S. colleges and universities were having a negative impact on America.&nbsp;</p> <p>Just think of what these institutions have done for a country like the U.S., in terms of knowledge and innovation,&nbsp;over the past 70 years, Davidson said.&nbsp;</p> <p>“All of that is at risk if we take it for granted.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 14 Sep 2018 19:48:19 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 142887 at Who needs science advice anyway? Governments do, says U of T's Jim Woodgett /news/who-needs-science-advice-anyway-governments-do-says-u-t-s-jim-woodgett <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Who needs science advice anyway? Governments do, says U of T's Jim Woodgett</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-07-20-shoichet-RESIZED.jpg?h=58088d8b&amp;itok=iZpJU_Ud 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-07-20-shoichet-RESIZED.jpg?h=58088d8b&amp;itok=GWOZPjl- 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-07-20-shoichet-RESIZED.jpg?h=58088d8b&amp;itok=SD3kn9zs 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-07-20-shoichet-RESIZED.jpg?h=58088d8b&amp;itok=iZpJU_Ud" alt="Photo of Molly Shoichet"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-07-20T12:57:35-04:00" title="Friday, July 20, 2018 - 12:57" class="datetime">Fri, 07/20/2018 - 12:57</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Molly Shoichet, Ontario’s first chief scientist, was fired by the province's newly elected premier, Doug Ford (photo by Roberta Baker) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jim-woodgett" hreflang="en">Jim Woodgett</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/david-naylor" hreflang="en">David Naylor</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/conversation" hreflang="en">The Conversation</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item"> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>There has been much consternation within the Ontario research community since Premier Doug Ford <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/07/04/doug-ford-ontario-chief-scientist_a_23474870/">summarily dismissed</a> the province’s first chief scientist, <a href="http://www.ecf.utoronto.ca/%7Emolly/home.html">Molly Shoichet</a>, after she’d been in the job for only six months.</p> <p>The new government, elected on a populist wave in June, quickly fired the esteemed scientist – widely lauded for her biomedical engineering expertise and skill at communicating science – only a few days after being sworn in. Yet the new government has promised to appoint a replacement.</p> <p>The move raises the question: What is the role of a “chief scientist” within government?</p> <h3>Spotty history</h3> <p>Canada has had a spotty history with such scientific advisory positions.</p> <p>Arthur Carty was Canada’s first national science adviser, holding the position from 2004 to 2008, until it <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/scientists-lament-closing-of-key-advisory-office-1.756700">ended unceremoniously</a>, as his office was largely neglected. Justin Trudeau’s government appointed <a href="https://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2017/09/26/prime-minister-introduces-canadas-new-top-scientist">Mona Nemer as chief science adviser</a> in 2016. <a href="http://www.scientifique-en-chef.gouv.qc.ca/en/le-scientifique-en-chef/">Quebec</a> and <a href="https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2017/11/ontario-names-molly-shoichet-the-provinces-first-chief-scientist.html">Ontario</a> have also created similar roles.</p> <p>These appointments offer several benefits. These advisers are a signal to the public that governments care about science, they have held leadership roles for reports on scientific questions important to Canadians – including the <a href="http://www.sciencereview.ca">Naylor Report on Fundamental Science</a>, which reviewed the status of publicly funded research in Canada – and they’ve acted as ambassadors for <a href="https://twitter.com/ChiefSciCan/status/1016381084240629761">international scientific co-operation</a>.</p> <h3 data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{&quot;tweetId&quot;:&quot;1016381084240629761&quot;}">Science connections</h3> <p>Around the world, governments engage various mechanisms to connect to scientific advice and knowledge, from dedicated offices to formal engagements of arms-length scientific bodies to, well, nothing.</p> <p>The U.K., for example, has had a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-office-for-science#management">chief science adviser</a> since 1964. It has been held by 13 people (all men) and reports to the prime minister and cabinet.</p> <p>The connection between government and scientific advice in the U.K. goes back much further, however. Since the 18<sup>th</sup> century, the government has referred questions of scientific import to the <a href="https://royalsociety.org/about-us/history/">Royal Society</a> for comment.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img alt src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/228093/original/file-20180717-44100-1rtdmut.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip"> <figcaption><em><span class="caption">President Barack Obama named his science adviser, physicist John Holdren, more quickly than any first-term president since 1976, when the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy was created&nbsp;</span><span class="attribution"><span class="source">(photo by Charles Dharapak/AP)</span></span></em></figcaption> </figure> <p>In the U.S., the science advisory role has traditionally been filled by the <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43935.pdf">Office of Science and Technology Policy</a> (OSTP). (Its predecessor, the Office of Science Research and Development, was famously helmed by the first U.S. science adviser, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1974/06/30/archives/dr-vannevar-bush-is-dead-at-84-dr-vannevar-bush-who-marshaled.html">Vannevar Bush</a>, during the Second World War.)</p> <p>There is currently no science adviser leading OSTP <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Science_and_Technology_Policy">after 27 continuous appointments</a>. Its current <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trump-rsquo-s-science-advisor-age-31-has-a-political-science-degree/">de facto head</a> has a degree in political science. His predecessor was a lauded <a href="https://www.belfercenter.org/person/john-p-holdren">physicist and environmental scientist</a>.</p> <h3>Vacant politics</h3> <p>The leadership vacancy in the OSTP is a political act, as it is in Ontario, raising the obvious question of whether the position of science adviser is a political one.</p> <p>Science, per se, doesn’t care what the political leanings are of the prevailing, elected body. But a human is required to distil that information and provide it in an advisory capacity.</p> <p><a href="https://www.nature.com/news/policy-the-art-of-science-advice-to-government-1.14838">Peter Gluckman</a>, New Zealand’s first science adviser (2009-2017), noted that, first and foremost, the role requires earning and keeping the public’s trust and to act as a broker rather than an advocate for science.</p> <p>Indeed, many scientists think these roles are a conduit to more funding for research. That is neither true nor desirable. If a government thought that every time they sought the wisdom of their chief scientist it would be accompanied by a bill of goods, there would be little consultation.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img alt src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/228099/original/file-20180717-44082-10s8aig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip"> <figcaption><em><span class="caption">After two large earthquakes struck Christchurch, New Zealand in 2011, Peter Gluckman, the country’s chief science adviser, worked with scientists to communicate future risks and calm the public</span>&nbsp;<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(photo by Mark Baker/AP)</span></span></em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The decision to act upon evidence or set it aside is neither the responsibility nor competency of a scientific adviser. That decision rests solely with elected politicians who, in turn, should demand all of the evidence, whether it is supportive or not for their purposes.</p> <p>But it pays to remember that advisers are human (and may inject some slant), and that politicians like those who make their decisions easier, even if that means receiving advice that is partially inaccurate or incomplete.</p> <p>In other words, the role of science adviser is not as straightforward as many may imagine. But it must be.</p> <h3>Science, dismissed</h3> <p>For example, the OSTP leadership vacancy sends a clear political message: The current U.S. administration does not see value in a chief science adviser – a message amplified by severe depletion and neglect of <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/07/trump-s-white-house-science-office-still-small-and-waiting-leadership">OSTP staff</a> and even its <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/">stub of a website</a>.</p> <p>There must be some input of science into decision-making in Washington, but the long-established structure is being dismantled and replaced by far less rigorous channels.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img alt src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/228495/original/file-20180719-142417-fzan3x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip"> <figcaption><em><span class="caption">Canada’s chief science adviser, Mona Nemer, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (photo by&nbsp;</span><span class="attribution"><span class="source">Adam Scotti/PMO)</span></span></em></figcaption> </figure> <p>At a time of ubiquitous fake information, pseudoscience and a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-13524677">King Canute-like resistance</a> to global warming and the benefits of vaccination, the wanton dereliction of the OSTP can only be seen as intentional dismissal of science as being relevant to policy.</p> <p>The wilful ignorance of often inconvenient scientific evidence is nothing new. But in the past its occurrence existed against the backdrop of a largely uneducated populace where science challenged the beliefs and desires of the powerful few, such as hereditary land owners and religious hierarchies.</p> <h3>Science is expensive, good advice is cheap</h3> <p>Modern society is now utterly dependent upon technologies based on physical principles few of us understand.</p> <p>We demand progress in our quality of life that can only be fuelled by more research and development. New technologies, in turn, drive substantive changes within those same societies that demand them, causing economic and population disruption — along with eradication of more diseases, less poverty and longer life expectancy.</p> <p>Along with the good, there are negative consequences as a result of scientific development, including urbanization, pollution, ecosystem destruction, species extinction, etc.</p> <p>In this context, the role of science advisers to government has never been more necessary and their purity of purpose more essential.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img alt src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/228485/original/file-20180719-142417-1g1e8e3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip"> <figcaption><em><span class="caption">Science advisers offer governments advice on a wide range of topics, from demographic changes in society to sustainable development to aerospace and biotechnology</span>&nbsp;<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(photo of Shutterstock)</span></span></em></figcaption> </figure> <p>These roles require a person of the highest integrity, with the ability to communicate complexity, who appreciates and can absorb the remarkable breadth of science and is also familiar with the political process.</p> <p>However, they must absolutely be aware of – and resist bias in – their advice. They must also require complete independence and respect for their role from their appointing governors. They must, first and foremost, be respected scientists who can bring the rigour of a scientific mind to government.</p> <p>In this light, the OSTP vacancy could be seen as a positive outcome – an adviser who provides government with only what it wants to hear is more dangerous than having no advice at all.</p> <p>Ontarians, on the other hand, are not there yet. They, and their elected representatives, should demand that the new chief science adviser must be at least as proficient, objective, rigorous, respected and gracious as Molly Shoichet.</p> <p>That will be one difficult seat to fill.</p> <p><em><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jim-woodgett-511461">Jim Woodgett</a>&nbsp;is director of research at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-toronto-1281">Ƶ</a></span></em></p> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/who-needs-science-advice-anyway-governments-for-one-99500">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/99500/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" loading="lazy"></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 20 Jul 2018 16:57:35 +0000 noreen.rasbach 139170 at 'It all starts with discovery research,' federal science minister says of Canada's innovation pipeline /news/it-all-starts-discovery-research-federal-science-minister-says-canada-s-innovation-pipeline <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">'It all starts with discovery research,' federal science minister says of Canada's innovation pipeline</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-06-07-Kirsty-Duncan-Go-North-LP-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=57JbgckS 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-06-07-Kirsty-Duncan-Go-North-LP-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=SliE_JAE 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-06-07-Kirsty-Duncan-Go-North-LP-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=4WKchHK2 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-06-07-Kirsty-Duncan-Go-North-LP-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=57JbgckS" alt="Photo of Kirsty Duncan "> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-06-07T15:18:59-04:00" title="Thursday, June 7, 2018 - 15:18" class="datetime">Thu, 06/07/2018 - 15:18</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Kirsty Duncan, the federal minister of science, visits the lab of Elizabeth Edwards, a professor in U of T's department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry (photo by Laura Pedersen)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-sorensen" hreflang="en">Chris Sorensen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/david-naylor" hreflang="en">David Naylor</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>When <strong>Kirsty Duncan</strong>, Canada’s federal science minister, wants to illustrate the importance of fundamental science – research driven by human curiosity, not potential outcomes – she often reaches for the example of deep learning.&nbsp;</p> <p>The branch of artificial intelligence, which attempts to mimic the way the human brain learns, was pioneered by Ƶ researcher&nbsp;<strong>Ƶ</strong> and others and is now widely viewed as a potentially revolutionary technology that could transform Toronto – and Canada – into a global innovation hub.</p> <p>But if it weren’t for public funding of <a href="http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards/uprofessors.htm">University Professor</a> Hinton’s research decades ago, when he toiled in obscurity on a field of inquiry many considered crazy,&nbsp;the breakthrough may well have happened somewhere else – or perhaps not all.</p> <p>“There’s a lesson here: it’s investments in discovery research over decades,” Duncan said in an interview <a href="/news/go-north-event-u-t-inspires-young-stem-students">during a visit to U of T’s campus this week</a>, noting the federal government last year invested $125 million in a Canada-wide artificial intelligence strategy to capitalize on its early lead.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We built the talent and now everything exists – but it all starts with discovery research.”</p> <p>Yet, as a former researcher herself, Duncan was acutely aware&nbsp;that Canada’s research apparatus had suffered over the decades as budgets were cut and scientists muzzled. So, after being sworn into cabinet,&nbsp;she commissioned a blue-ribbon panel led by <strong>Dr. David Naylor</strong>, president emeritus of U of T, to review the federal government’s support of fundamental science in Canada.&nbsp;</p> <p>“That’s something that had never happened in our country before,” said Duncan, who is also minister of sport and persons with disabilities. “It had been 40 years since someone had looked at the whole ecosystem. What system goes un-reviewed in 40 years?”</p> <p>The final report, <a href="/news/bolstering-canadian-research-u-t-welcomes-federal-science-review">issued last year,</a> found per capita federal investment in fundamental science had indeed slumped in recent decades and recommended a set of sweeping changes – many of which were adopted in whole or in part by the federal government.&nbsp;</p> <p>In the most recent budget, for example, Ottawa earmarked <a href="/news/u-t-welcomes-federal-budget-s-boost-fundamental-research">$925 million in new funding</a> for fundamental&nbsp;research&nbsp;that will be handed out through Canada’s three federal research councils over the next five years. Another $275 million was earmarked for a new tri-council fund that will support “international, interdisciplinary, fast-breaking and higher-risk” research and $21 million to increase diversity in science. Duncan called it “the largest investment in research in our country’s history.”</p> <p>She also emphasized the importance of the government’s decision to provide stable funding for the Canada Foundation for Innovation, which supports scientific research infrastructure.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Taken together, Duncan said the government’s investments have helped restore Canada’s reputation as a research powerhouse and are paving the way for future breakthroughs in everything from disease cures&nbsp;to green technologies. However, she added it's critical for researchers at institutions like U of T to “keep telling their stories” in order to remind Canadians why their work is important.&nbsp;</p> <p>“My goal,” Duncan said, “is to return research to its rightful place, ensure we support our hard-working researchers and evidenced-based decision making, and to embed science and research in government so it can never be dismantled again.”<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 07 Jun 2018 19:18:59 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 136709 at How scientists will win the battle against the great challenges of our time: Professor Lewis Kay in the Globe and Mail /news/how-scientists-will-win-battle-against-great-challenges-our-time-professor-lewis-kay-globe-and <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">How scientists will win the battle against the great challenges of our time: Professor Lewis Kay in the Globe and Mail</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/lewis%20kay.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=OZIZ1-4h 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/lewis%20kay.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=jnNXHzd_ 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/lewis%20kay.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=gJSxhC3U 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/lewis%20kay.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=OZIZ1-4h" alt="Photo of Lewis Kay"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-05-22T10:28:16-04:00" title="Tuesday, May 22, 2018 - 10:28" class="datetime">Tue, 05/22/2018 - 10:28</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">"Think of your smartphone," writes University Professor Lewis Kay. "It wouldn't exist if scientists hadn't have been free to think about the nature of matter and free to play with semi-conductors back in the day."</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/biochemistry" hreflang="en">Biochemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemistry" hreflang="en">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/molecular-genetics" hreflang="en">Molecular Genetics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Scientists are fighting a war on many fronts, writes <strong>Lewis Kay</strong>, a <a href="http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards/uprofessors.htm">University Professor</a> appointed to the Ƶ's departments of chemistry, biochemistry and molecular&nbsp;genetics,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-what-will-happen-if-we-dont-nurture-the-next-generation-of-scientists/">in the <em>Globe and Mail</em>.</a></p> <p>Their battlefield is the laboratory, where they are combating microbes, neuro-degenerative diseases, climate change,&nbsp;future pandemics and many of the world's other complex problems.</p> <p>Kay, also a senior scientist at SickKids hospital and the winner of both the 2017 Canada Gairdner International Award and the 2018 NSERC Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal, says victory depends on a commitment to education and curiosity-driven research.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The history of science has proven that ultimately advances made in seemingly unrelated areas and on topics that don't appear to have any practical applications will shed light on the seminal problems of society,” he writes.</p> <h3><a href="/news/u-t-researchers-win-prestigious-nserc-awards">Read more about Lewis Kay</a></h3> <p>He praises <a href="/news/u-t-welcomes-federal-budget-s-boost-fundamental-research">the federal government's most recent budget</a>, which devotes $925 million in new funding for investigator-led research through Canada's three federal research councils over the next five years.&nbsp;</p> <p>But, he writes,&nbsp;now is not the&nbsp;time to stop.&nbsp;Canada must continue to nurture the next generation of scientists and researchers involved in curiosity-driven discovery.</p> <p>“We know that it is only by funding critical scientific endeavors that scientists will be able to continue to tackle the world’s most complex problems,” he says.</p> <h3><a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-what-will-happen-if-we-dont-nurture-the-next-generation-of-scientists/">Read the full article in the <em>Globe and Mail</em></a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 22 May 2018 14:28:16 +0000 geoff.vendeville 135781 at More funding for 'open' grant competitions needed to realize bold discoveries: U of T researcher /news/more-funding-open-grant-competitions-needed-realize-bold-discoveries-u-t-researcher <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">More funding for 'open' grant competitions needed to realize bold discoveries: U of T researcher</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-09-19-lautens-resized_1.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=a2BGMR-g 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-09-19-lautens-resized_1.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=CR5YMFpi 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-09-19-lautens-resized_1.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=3eLCBKAg 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-09-19-lautens-resized_1.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=a2BGMR-g" alt="Photo of Mark Lautens"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-05-07T13:35:53-04:00" title="Monday, May 7, 2018 - 13:35" class="datetime">Mon, 05/07/2018 - 13:35</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Mark Lautens is a University Professor in the Ƶ's department of chemistry (photo courtesy of Mark Lautens)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemistry" hreflang="en">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Further boosting grant funding of basic scientific research, as recommended by <a href="http://www.sciencereview.ca/eic/site/059.nsf/eng/home">Canada’s Fundamental Science Review</a>, would allow younger scientists to take bigger risks in pursuit of bolder discoveries, Ƶ researcher <strong>Mark Lautens</strong> tells the <em>Hill Times</em>.</p> <p>Lautens, a <a href="http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/Awards/uprofessors.htm">University Professor</a> in U of T’s department of chemistry, told the Ottawa-based publication that “wide open” funding competitions are desirable because they allow researchers' applications&nbsp;to be evaluated based purely on scientific merit as opposed to government priorities.</p> <p>“When you have a wide-open competition, there’s not somebody in the background saying, ‘this is what we want you to find,’” Lautens told the bi-weekly newspaper.</p> <p>Lautens’ remarks appeared in a story in which researchers&nbsp;lauded the 2018 federal budget's investment in science&nbsp;and&nbsp;looked at potential next steps when it comes to fulfilling the recommendations put forward last year by the blue-ribbon panel chaired by U of T President Emeritus Dr. <strong>David Naylor</strong>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>The panel, which analyzed the way research is funded in Canada, found per capita investment in fundamental science slumped in recent decades and recommended a comprehensive blueprint for making Canada a global research powerhouse.</p> <h3><a href="https://www.hilltimes.com/2018/05/07/impressed-2018-budget-scientists-eye-funding-open-grant-competitions-stronger-oversight-next-steps/143090">Read the full <em>Hill Times</em> article</a>&nbsp;</h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 07 May 2018 17:35:53 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 134880 at David Naylor upbeat about research funding in Canada, gives kudos to students and researchers for #SupportTheReport /news/david-naylor-upbeat-about-research-funding-canada-gives-kudos-students-and-researchers <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">David Naylor upbeat about research funding in Canada, gives kudos to students and researchers for #SupportTheReport</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-04-26-naylor.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=pbOdbw_t 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-04-26-naylor.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=qPNrNXgV 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-04-26-naylor.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=AOC-JHMv 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-04-26-naylor.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=pbOdbw_t" alt="david naylor"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-04-26T14:34:59-04:00" title="Thursday, April 26, 2018 - 14:34" class="datetime">Thu, 04/26/2018 - 14:34</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">U of T President Emeritus David Naylor led the nine-member Canada's Fundamental Science Review panel (photo by dave via Flickr)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jennifer-robinson" hreflang="en">Jennifer Robinson</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/david-naylor" hreflang="en">David Naylor</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>It has been a remarkable year for Dr. <strong>David Naylor</strong>, president emeritus&nbsp;of&nbsp;the Ƶ.</p> <p>A year ago, as chair of the nine-member <a href="http://www.sciencereview.ca/eic/site/059.nsf/eng/home">Canada’s Fundamental Science Review</a> panel, he unveiled a blueprint to strengthen the foundations of Canadian research at the request of federal Science Minister <strong>Kirsty Duncan</strong>. That review – the first of its kind in over 40 years –&nbsp;helped contribute to a historic bump in research funding contained in the recent federal budget.</p> <p>He was also recently awarded the <a href="http://www.fcihr.ca/prize/prizewinners/dr-david-naylor-2018-friesen-prize">2018 Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research</a> by the Friends of Canadian Institutes of Health Research for “major scholarly and policy contributions with a&nbsp;profound influence on health service delivery, public health&nbsp;and health research funding.”</p> <p><em>U of T News</em> sat down with Dr. Naylor, who also served as the dean of the Faculty of Medicine before being appointed president in 2005, to discuss what’s next for him and to get his thoughts on the importance of health experts engaging with the public, the power of grassroots activism and the status of research in Canada.</p> <hr> <p><strong>What does winning the 2018 Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research mean to you? </strong></p> <p>First, it’s a humbling honour to receive an award named for Dr. Henry Friesen –&nbsp;a great scientist who became a research leader with remarkable vision and persuasive powers.</p> <p>Second, this is also an opportunity for me to thank and acknowledge the extraordinary people with whom I’ve worked on a variety of health-related and broader science policy projects over the last 30 years. In a rational and fair universe, this award would be shared with scores of co-recipients.</p> <p><strong>In the news release announcing this honour, Dr. Aubie Angel mentioned your “capacity to analyze and unravel the complexities of the Canadian health-care system, together with the ability to communicate it eloquently and lucidly.”&nbsp;How important is it for health experts to explain their work to the general public?&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>It’s very important, but I’d say there’s been a welcome shift over the last 20 years with much better communication by experts&nbsp;and also a dramatic improvement in the quality of health-related and science journalism.</p> <p>What worries me more these days is the extent to which digital media have enabled charlatans to promote bad ideas –&nbsp;ranging from anti-vaccination falsehoods to bogus treatments for a wide range of conditions. We’re in a very challenging period of widespread populist sentiment and “truthiness.”</p> <p>Experts are often viewed skeptically as just another group of vested interests.&nbsp;We don’t help our cause when our critiques of junk science come off as smug or patronizing.</p> <p>I suspect the long-term solution is a stronger public grounding in critical thinking and scientific methods at every stage of education. But for now, experts need to find ways to set the record straight in a respectful and balanced way that doesn’t further alienate fellow citizens whose disillusionment with the status quo drove them in the first place to embrace “alternative facts”&nbsp;about health and illness.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Speaking of digital media, you were active on social media last fall and earlier this winter to encourage people to #SupportTheReport. What did you make of the grassroots campaign? </strong></p> <p>Being part of that grassroots campaign was an exhilarating experience because of the wonderful convergence of researchers from different institutions, career stages&nbsp;and disciplines.</p> <p>Some colleagues have generously suggested the Fundamental Science Review report and recommendations were crafted in a way that made it easy for there to be a consensus in support of its implementation. It’s actually more the other way around. Our recommendations tracked closely not only to the analyses undertaken by and for the panel, but also to the phenomenal suggestions for improvement that we received from hundreds of research stakeholders. &nbsp;</p> <p>Within weeks of the report’s release in April 2017, it became clear the major stakeholder organizations were standing down advocacy for specific priorities and instead getting behind the case for broad reinvestment to restore the foundations of Canadian extramural research.</p> <p>That cause got additional momentum with the publication of an excellent report from the Global Youth Academy released in the summer of 2017.&nbsp;Two outstanding mid-career Canadian scientists – Julia Baum of Victoria and Jeremy Kerr of Ottawa –&nbsp;oversaw that independent analysis, and it yielded findings highly consistent with those of the Fundamental Science Review report.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Another unusual and very influential part of the campaign was strong engagement by countless front-line researchers and research leaders.&nbsp;Institutional executives and leaders of umbrella associations are highly credible advocates, of course, but the most authentic spokespeople on these matters are colleagues who dedicate their waking hours to doing research and mentoring research trainees.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>How important were students in galvanizing the research community into action? And how did using your dog for your humorous&nbsp;posts come into being? People loved that dog!</strong></p> <p>The activism of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers may well have been the single most important factor that tipped the balance in favour of action and investment by the government of Canada.</p> <p>The #Students4theReport initiative in its various forms –&nbsp;postcards, letters, visits to decision-makers, social media presence –&nbsp;is what brought home to federal politicians the hard reality that the future of Canadian science and scholarship was being put in jeopardy by gross underfunding, uneven grant-making policies, the proliferation of boutique initiatives, administrative inertia and weak governance.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>As to Oscar the border collie, I have no idea why our family pet kept taking over my Twitter account, digging material out of my computer and posting irreverent commentary.</p> <p>He’s a stubborn and highly literate canine, so I gave up and just went along with it.&nbsp;That’s why Oscar’s photo, not mine, turns up @cdavidnaylor.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">&nbsp; Oscar sniffed out buried slide library of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/supportthereport?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#supportthereport</a>. Online x 48h at <a href="https://t.co/4p9sksml9K">https://t.co/4p9sksml9K</a> Please download &amp; share freely <a href="https://t.co/pQvBIeOSlS">pic.twitter.com/pQvBIeOSlS</a></p> — David Naylor (@cdavidnaylor) <a href="https://twitter.com/cdavidnaylor/status/927369930084835328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <p><strong>The federal government has said its recent budget contained a historic amount of funding for basic research in Canada. The funding was welcomed, but the government has yet to act on all of the recommendations in the Fundamental Science Review panel’s report. Are those recommendations now considered dead or is work continuing to ensure a fuller implementation?&nbsp;Is research now really on a better trajectory? </strong></p> <p>Budget 2018 was a giant step forward.&nbsp;It set a new course qualitatively for how the government of Canada intends to approach the extramural research realm,&nbsp;one that I think was widely welcomed by the research community.</p> <p>I would also say the government of Canada responded in some way to the vast majority of our recommendations. Obviously, there were financial shortfalls.</p> <p>The biggest source of concern to me is the pace and endpoint for new investments in funding to open grant competitions.&nbsp;I think the science minister and finance minister have received the same message from the research community at large, and I would be surprised if adjustments were not made on that front over the next couple of years.&nbsp;</p> <p>In the case of&nbsp;personnel support for graduate students and trainees, the relevant Fundamental Science Review panel recommendation ostensibly went unfunded, but on page 89, the budget reads: “Over the next year, the government will be doing further work to determine how to better support students, the next generation of researchers, through scholarships and fellowships.”&nbsp;That’s a clear and encouraging signal.&nbsp;</p> <p>Another recommendation that I believe is still alive was for creation of an improved oversight body to keep an eye on federal extramural support for research and innovation.</p> <p>The government has already acted on our recommendation to wind down the Harper-era Science, Technology and Innovation Council and accepted our proposal in principle.</p> <p>However, politicians and public servants are always a bit skittish about setting up high-profile standing committees that might issue reports that embarrass the government of the day.&nbsp;I would not be surprised&nbsp;then, if the new body’s mandate and authority ends up more limited than would ideally be the case –&nbsp;or if that one got postponed until after the election.&nbsp;</p> <p>One recommendation that may be semi-comatose relates to federal grants to institutions that cover the so-called indirect or institutional costs of hosting research programs. We recommended a significant increase&nbsp;and got zero response. I now doubt there will much movement on that recommendation until the institutions, provincial governments and the government of Canada get together to figure out a&nbsp;fair cost-sharing formula. I hope that happens in the near future as part of renewed federal-provincial collaboration on research strategy – something we also flagged as necessary to optimize the national research eco-system.&nbsp;</p> <p>Last, I’m encouraged by the fact that a five-year framework was delineated.&nbsp;Some pessimists have argued the five-year plan means research can’t get more support until Budget 2024, but I think that’s way off base.</p> <p>The government has clearly shown a willingness to listen, act and invest.&nbsp;As I see it, the research community now has a multi-year period in which to continue making its case with a view to closing some of the gaps that remain.</p> <p>And even if the government were to change after the next election, the two opposition parties have both signalled a favourable view of the Fundamental Science Review panel report and the direction taken on research in Budget 2018.</p> <p>In short, more needs to be done to improve administration and governance of federal supports for research, and more investment is definitely needed. But extramural science and scholarship in Canada are in a much better place than was the case a year ago.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Are you currently conducting research, and if so what are you working on? </strong></p> <p>I don’t think what I do could really be called “conducting research”&nbsp;–&nbsp;it’s more like a random exploration of many areas of interest, all pursued in the company of smarter people who are doing most of the heavy lifting.</p> <p>Among other topics, current meanderings include the Canadian content in the Gairdner prizes for health research, a review of the applications of deep learning in medicine/health care, analysis of the evolution of the federal share in funding provincial and territorial health-care spending&nbsp;and an exploration of the interplay of biological, behavioral and environmental risk factors for cognitive decline among Canadian seniors.</p> <p><strong>In closing, I understand the Friesen award comes with the expectation of the winner giving a talk. Do you have any ideas yet on what you'll talk about, or where your presentation will take place?</strong></p> <p>There are two components.&nbsp;One is a visit to Ottawa in November, with a mix of presentations to the Ottawa health research community and at the Canadian Science Policy Conference. That’s also an opportunity to meet with senior public officials and ministers. The other involves site visits to several universities across Canada. I’m still thinking through titles and topics.</p> <p>The timing of the Ottawa visit is also auspicious.&nbsp;November 2018 is just about when Budget 2019 will be firming up.&nbsp;As you can imagine, I will take every opportunity on that visit to make the case for stronger federal support of extramural research –&nbsp;and Oscar will be barking in the background.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 26 Apr 2018 18:34:59 +0000 noreen.rasbach 134166 at U of T welcomes federal budget’s boost for fundamental research /news/u-t-welcomes-federal-budget-s-boost-fundamental-research <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T welcomes federal budget’s boost for fundamental research</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-02-27-labs-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=lJnDoq7E 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-02-27-labs-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=adFQ3Fs6 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-02-27-labs-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=zmweXbaS 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-02-27-labs-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=lJnDoq7E" alt="Photo of lab"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-02-27T16:46:51-05:00" title="Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - 16:46" class="datetime">Tue, 02/27/2018 - 16:46</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(photo by Ken Jones)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jennifer-robinson" hreflang="en">Jennifer Robinson</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/diversity" hreflang="en">Diversity</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/meric-gertler" hreflang="en">Meric Gertler</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/vivek-goel" hreflang="en">Vivek Goel</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Calling it a “significant set of new investments,” the Ƶ welcomed the multi-year provisions for research funding contained in the federal budget announced by Finance Minister Bill Morneau Tuesday.</p> <p>“We welcome the government’s support for fundamental research, a critical element of a national strategy to advance knowledge and build Canada’s prosperity,” said U of T President <strong>Meric Gertler</strong>.</p> <p>The budget provides $925 million in new funding for investigator-led research through Canada’s three federal research councils over the next five years, including $354.7 million each for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research over the next five years, and $215.5 million for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.</p> <p>An additional $275 million is earmarked for a new Tri-Council fund that will support research that is “international, interdisciplinary, fast-breaking and higher-risk,” according to the government, and $21 million will be allocated to increase diversity in science.</p> <p>Morneau said the 2018 federal budget “represents the single largest increase in investigator-led fundamental research in Canadian history.”</p> <p>“As Canada’s leading research university, the Ƶ is pleased to see the federal government augment funding for both operating grants and research infrastructure, helping us attract and retain top research talent from across Canada and around the world,” said President Gertler.</p> <p>“We also commend the government for its commitment to increasing the diversity of researchers across the country, complementing longstanding efforts at U of T,” President Gertler said.</p> <p><strong>Vivek Goel, </strong>U of T’s vice-president of research and innovation, said he welcomed the federal government’s recognition of the work of <a href="http://www.sciencereview.ca/eic/site/059.nsf/eng/home">Canada’s Fundamental Science Review</a>, led by U of T President Emeritus Dr. <strong>David Naylor</strong>.&nbsp; Goel also noted that the government acknowledged in the budget that it received a “strong and united message from Canada’s research community.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>The panel, commissioned by federal Science Minister <strong>Kirsty Duncan</strong>, found per capita federal investment in fundamental or curiosity-driven research had slumped in recent decades and made a comprehensive set of 35 recommendations.</p> <p>The 2018 budget, which addressed several of the report’s findings, also includes:</p> <ul> <li>The introduction of 250 new chairs through the Canada Research Chair program, with an investment of $210 million over five years to better support early-career researchers, while increasing diversity and creating more opportunity for women among nominated researchers.</li> <li>$763 million over five years for scientific research infrastructure through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).&nbsp;This includes $160 million for increased support to Canada’s nationally important research facilities through the foundation’s Major Science Initiatives Fund.&nbsp;<br> The government also proposes to establish permanent funding at an ongoing level of $462 million per year by 2023-24 for research tools and infrastructure through CFI.</li> <li>$572.5 million over five years to implement a Digital Research Infrastructure Strategy to deliver more open and equitable access to advanced computing and big data resources to researchers across Canada.</li> </ul> <p>“We applaud Minister Duncan for her ongoing support of research, which paved the way for today’s investments,” said Goel.</p> <p>“These investments will revitalize the Canadian scientific research community and enable our U of T researchers to continue to pursue outstanding work that is a benefit to all Canadians,” he said.&nbsp; “I thank all the members of our community for participating in efforts to raise awareness of their work and the need for support.”</p> <p>Goel said the university is looking forward to continuing to work with the government on important issues such as scholarships for students and noted that the budget commits to consultations in the coming year on this topic.</p> <p>The budget includes $231.3 million over five years for the Research Support Fund – a critical program that assists universities with the institutional costs of research, such as facility costs and technology transfer supports – but does not substantially increase the proportion of funding for these costs.&nbsp; The university will continue to work with government to ensure that the full costs of research are supported.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 27 Feb 2018 21:46:51 +0000 noreen.rasbach 130254 at How this U of T pediatrician came up with a solution to treat malnourished children around the world /news/how-u-t-pediatrician-came-solution-treat-malnourished-children-around-world <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">How this U of T pediatrician came up with a solution to treat malnourished children around the world</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-02-02-stanley-zlotkin.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_kQUixTn 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-02-02-stanley-zlotkin.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=x3BN1lVF 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-02-02-stanley-zlotkin.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=bKkYAgGv 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-02-02-stanley-zlotkin.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_kQUixTn" alt="Stanley Zlotkin"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-02-05T00:00:00-05:00" title="Monday, February 5, 2018 - 00:00" class="datetime">Mon, 02/05/2018 - 00:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Dr. Stanley Zlotkin developed a micronutrient powder now used by UNICEF, UNHCR and the World Food Program in 60 countries. Initially called Sprinkles, the product also goes by Vitalita, MixMe and Nutromix (photo by Noreen Ahmed-Ullah)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/noreen-ahmed-ullah" hreflang="en">Noreen Ahmed-Ullah</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/dalla-lana-school-public-health" hreflang="en">Dalla Lana School of Public Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Millions of babies in the developing world are getting treated for malnutrition and anemia with a nutrient-packed powder sprinkled onto their food.</p> <p>The pediatrician who developed “Sprinkles,” the fittingly named micronutrient powder, is Dr.<strong> Stanley Zlotkin</strong>, a professor at the Ƶ and a clinical nutritionist at SickKids.</p> <p>Zlotkin was first approached 20 years ago by UNICEF to try and figure out why global efforts to reduce iron deficiency in children were failing. An estimated 500 million children in the world suffer from anemia and iron deficiency.</p> <p>Not only was he able to identify the problem – children and their parents didn’t like the taste or the stained teeth left by existing iron drops – but he went on to accept UNICEF’s challenge to produce an alternative.</p> <p>Today, the micronutrient powder&nbsp;endorsed by the World Health Organization, is distributed by UNICEF, the <a href="http://www.wfp.org/nutrition/special-nutritional-products">World Food Program</a>&nbsp;and UNHCR to an estimated 15 million children under the age of five, in 60&nbsp;countries. In addition to Sprinkles, the powder goes by other names, including Vitalita, Bibomix, MixMe&nbsp;and Nutromix.</p> <p>“They help address iron deficiency anemia and add vital nutrients to children’s diets to fuel the growth of their bodies and brains,” says Dr. Roland Kupka, UNICEF’s senior adviser on nutrition. “At UNICEF, we are grateful for Dr. Zlotkin’s leadership in developing this product, especially since it was UNICEF that requested him some 20 years ago to develop an effective approach to address iron deficiency anemia.”</p> <p><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DaA6Wrx5CHo" width="750"></iframe></p> <p>UNICEF came to Zlotkin because of his unique credentials – he was a pediatrician and a researcher with a PhD in nutritional sciences. But the road to developing and distributing the powder to children who needed it would take a long time – nearly 10 years.</p> <p>First, Zlotkin determined that fortifying food that parents made at home with rice, grains and lentils was the way to go. A powder that was tasteless and invisible, once added to a meal, would be more appealing to children and their parents.&nbsp;</p> <p>He discovered that he could mask the taste of iron through a process called microencapsulation, and the product already existed on the market. Then came the packaging. Dining out one day, he noticed packets of salt and pepper and another light bulb went off.</p> <p>“Many mothers in developing countries are illiterate and can’t read complex instructions,” Zlotkin says.</p> <p>“They would simply have to be told to open the package and sprinkle it onto whatever food they were using to feed their infant. It had to be packaged with the right amount, otherwise it could be toxic. And because it’s the developing world, it would have to be inexpensive and simple to use.”</p> <p>But after he developed the powder, UNICEF came back with an even more challenging bar to cross. Not only would Zlotkin need to make sure it worked, he needed to run pilot tests in various countries to ensure that parents would use it, find companies in those countries that could package the powder cheaply at high volume, and then he needed to develop a distribution model.</p> <p>Initially Zlotkin and his research team would mix up batches of the powdered iron, zinc, folic acid and various vitamins in the kitchen at SickKids, after hours. Later, as he began running pilot tests in various countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ghana, Nigeria, Malaysia, Bolivia and Nicaragua, he met with manufacturers in those regions and showed them how to produce the powder in large volume.</p> <p>Getting the money to start piloting the product was a hurdle.</p> <p>“The challenge I had was finding funding for something no preliminary work was done on – I just had a good idea,” Zlotkin says.</p> <p>USAID stepped in to initially launch a pilot in Nicaragua, then the U.S. Agency for International Development helped them start efforts in other countries like Ghana and India. The Heinz Foundation’s $500,000-a-year donation for five years, helped him scale up pilot projects in different parts of the world.&nbsp;</p> <p>“It gave me the flexibility and speed to do research in ten different countries over a relatively short period of time,” he said. “That was probably one of the most important factors that allowed me to complete the research in a relatively short period of time.</p> <p>“I thought naively if I did one really great study, published in a good journal, we could go back to UNICEF and say it works, take it on. Not true. What we found out was that the ministries of health in countries around the world said our children are totally different from, say, the children in Ghana. Doesn’t matter if you did it in Ghana, you have to do the study in my country too.”</p> <p>In the end, the powder would have pilot trials in ten different countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mongolia, Bolivia and Guyana – all showing its success at treating anemia in children.</p> <p>Eventually, an independent meta-analysis of the pilot tests and the powder’s success, and a distribution model developed by Zlotkin helped UNICEF give the green light. The endorsement from the World Health Organization (WHO) opened the product to other NGOs and the product becoming available in new markets.</p> <p>“One of most important milestones in the development of micronutrient powders was the fact that WHO reviewed the literature on the prevention and treatment of mineral and vitamin deficiencies, including iron deficiencies because they realized there was nothing that was successful,” Zlotkin says. “They came out with a recommendation that if a country has mineral and vitamin deficiency or iron deficiency, they should use home fortification with micronutrient powders.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Dr. <strong>Trevor Young</strong>, dean of U of T’s Faculty of Medicine, praised Zlotkin’s research for improving the lives of so many children around the world.</p> <p>“He has helped millions of children who suffer from anemia and malnutrition across the developing world,” Young said. “He has influenced public health globally by using an innovative approach to tackling a problem that has puzzled NGOs for decades – how to improve the health of children in the developing world.”</p> <p>Zlotkin says he was in the right place at the right time, and the right person to develop the product.</p> <p>“I was interested in minerals and vitamins, and I worked at an incredible university, an incredible hospital that has a great research institute&nbsp;where I was able to basically spend my time – and I could get paid a salary for this – doing research that had a clear value proposition associated with it. If I could get this right, it was going to improve the lives of lots of kids.”</p> <p>For researchers like him, it’s the funding and opportunities that institutions provide that lead to great innovations.</p> <p>Without significant research funding, Zlotkin says, he would not have been able to develop Sprinkles, and that’s why he’s such a strong supporter of the recommendations made by Canada’s Fundamental Science Review, which was led by U of T President Emeritus <strong>David Naylor</strong>. The recommendations have called for a $1.3-billion increase in federal research funding over the next four years.</p> <p>“As a researcher, I think it’s phenomenally important that there is a huge focus in funding research,” Zlotkin says. “We will not go from the health advances of 2018 to the health advances of 2028, 2038 and 2048 without having funding for research, and the funding should come from the government and non-commercial sources.”</p> <h3><a href="http://gicr.utoronto.ca/support-the-report/">Interested in publicly funded research in Canada? Learn more at U of T’s #supportthereport advocacy campaign</a></h3> <p>And Canada has an even more important role when it comes to research that could impact the world and countries that may not be as prosperous as us, he says.</p> <p>“Canada certainly as a wealthy, as a principled country of the world, has an obligation to continue and augment its funding for all kinds of basic, translational and population-based research,” he says.</p> <p>“Given the fact that my research focuses on the developing world and of course I’m a Canadian researcher, I do feel that what affects children in the developing world also affects children in Canada. The world is a tiny place. Infectious diseases over the last 20 years that happen in the developing world can affect children in Canada, and the health advances of Canada can hopefully affect children in the developing world.</p> <p>"So, I strongly feel that Canada has an obligation to support research that will affect children in the developing world, as well as Canadian children.”</p> <h3><a href="/news/double-fortified-salt-developed-u-t-research-fights-iron-deficiency-india">Learn about another U of T innovation –&nbsp;double-fortified salt adds&nbsp;iodine and iron to children's diets</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 05 Feb 2018 05:00:00 +0000 ullahnor 128665 at