Montreal, December 2, 2013 – The Canada Research Chairs Program awarded a Tier 2 Chair in functional and evolutionary genomics of the immune system to Dr. Luis Barreiro, investigator in the Viral and Immune Disorders and Cancers research axis at Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center (CHU Sainte-Justine) and Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Université de Montréal.

Acknowledged by his peers as having the potential to lead in his field, Dr. Luis Barreiro will receive a $500,000 funding over five years, which is renewable once. The grant emphasizes the quality and excellence of his research program with a view toward making Canada one of the best countries in the world for research and development.

The grant will support his research on the identification of the genetic factors that contribute to differences in susceptibility to infectious diseases through a multidisciplinary approach that combines cutting-edge genomic techniques with immunological and evolutionary genetic tools.

Infectious diseases have always been a major public health problem throughout the world. Despite the recent development of vaccines and antibiotics, there are still nearly 15 million deaths every year attributable to the effects of infectious diseases. Although a significant proportion of inter-individual variation in susceptibility to particular microbes can be attributed to environmental factors such as malnutrition or poor hygienic conditions, a substantial portion is due to host genetic factors. Yet, to date, very little is known about the underlying genetic factors that contribute to differences in susceptibility to infectious diseases at the population level.

Dr. Barreiro’s research program should bring unique insights into the genetic basis and mechanisms underlying differences in immune response between different individuals. This will represent a key step toward the implementation of novel preventive strategies against infectious diseases and other immune-related disorders.