The Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA) has awarded a $10,000 Interdisciplinary Trainee award to CANARY team trainees Oswald Barral, Atri Chatterjee, Hyeju Jang, and Tom Soroski, as well as supervisors Dr. Thalia Field and Dr. Robin Hsiung.
The Interdisciplinary Trainee Research Innovation Challenge (ITRIC Program) is a multi-stage program designed to support and enable CCNA-affiliated trainees to keep the science of neurodegenerative diseases and aging in the spotlight at a time when most funding opportunities are for research related to COVID-19. The objectives of the ITRIC Program were to provide trainees with a unique experience focused on interdisciplinary research, mentorship, collaboration, and the stimulation of innovative ideas.
ITRIC Teams consisting of CCNA-affiliated trainees, investigator mentors, and research staff presented their final project proposals on November 26th, 2020 to the ITRIC Review Committee. ITRIC Team Members represent diverse disciplinary backgrounds including, Radiology, Kinesiology, Computer Science, and Psychology. Members cross 11 CCNA Teams and two Themes, and are clinicians, undergraduates, Masters and Doctoral students, and postdoctoral fellows.
The final stage of the program will see teams work on their projects over the course of a one-year period. Teams will share their progress with the CCNA community during the next CCNA Science Day in 2021.