Five Dal researchers have received a $750,000 investment from the Government of Canada to advance their innovative ideas.

The funding comes from the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) Exploration competition, which has an objective of supporting high risk, high reward and interdisciplinary research. This year’s awards, with grants up to $250,000 over two years, are supporting 117 research projects across Canada with the potential to yield game-changing results in social, cultural, economic, health-related or technological areas.

Researchers: Dr. Ingrid Waldron (Co-principal investigator), and Dr. Paola Marignani (Co-applicant)
Faculties: Health and Medicine
Project: Genes and Geography – Disparities in Cancer Incidence and Outcomes in a Black Canadian Community

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada, but little is known about Canadian cancer disparities despite numerous international studies reporting disparities in cancer incidence and outcomes for people with African ancestry. These disparities reflect the interplay of social determinants of health, the environment and genetics.

As the lack of Canadian cancer disparity data may be shortening the lifespan of marginalized communities, this project will focus on a Black Nova Scotian community (South Shelburne), which has an inordinately high incidence and family history of various cancers. This will require a high-risk framework incorporating natural and social sciences to determine if environmental, biological, genetic, socio-economic and lifestyle factors are associated with high cancer incidence and mortality among the Black community in South Shelburne, Nova Scotia.

This project is based on the research Dr. Waldron has been conducting in Black Nova Scotian in Shelburne and other regions in Nova Scotia over the past nine years.

Read the full article at https://www.dal.ca/news/2021/06/07/feds-boost-high-risk–high-reward-research-at-dal-with-new-front.html