Ottawa, March 15, 2010 - Eight outstanding Canadian researchers have been awarded a
total of $1.12 million in the 43rd annual competition for Killam Research
Fellowships, administered by the Canada Council for the Arts. The Fellowships
provide $70,000 a year for two years to each of the researchers.

The fellowships are awarded to the individual recipients to devote time to full-time
research, but the funds are paid to and administered by universities or research
institutes. The awards support scholars engaged in research projects of outstanding
merit in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences,
engineering and interdisciplinary studies within these fields.

Among Canada's most distinguished research awards, the Canada Council for the Arts
Killam Research Fellowships are made possible by a bequest of Mrs. Dorothy J. Killam
and a gift she made before her death in 1965.

The recipients are chosen by the Killam Selection Committee, which comprises 15
eminent scientists and scholars representing a broad range of disciplines. After
considering 83 applications, the Killam Selection Committee chose the following
individuals:

Engineering - Electrical/Computer
Frank Kschischang, University of Toronto, Coding for Efficient Information
Transmission in Long-Haul Fiber-Optic Systems and Radio Relay Networks
The research will develop approaches to improve transmission rate and reliability of
communications through wireless relay networks and fiber-optic communications
channels. A significant focus is on self-organizing radio networks that may be
useful in public safety and disaster recovery efforts.

Engineering - Mechanical
Andreas Mandelis, University of Toronto, Research and development of two analytical
instrumentation techniques for early osteoporotic bone loss and density variation
diagnosis
This research is expected to lead to the development of a portable laser-radar-based
instrument that can be used for early detection and monitoring of osteoporosis. It
will enable preventive, quantitative measurement of bone density and would be
available to people living in areas with little access to hospital facilities and to
astronauts on long-duration space flight missions.

Humanities - Linguistics
Marie-Odile Junker, Carleton University, Ontologies for Cree and Innu Dictionaries
The project will enable her to research the word formations used for Cree and Innu,
two Eastern Canada Aboriginal languages, with particular emphasis on understanding
traditional ecological knowledge and human cognition. The work will be used to
produce online specialized topical dictionaries in these two endangered languages as
well as contribute to the advancement of knowledge in linguistics.

Health Sciences - Medicine
Donald F. Weaver, Dalhousie University, Design and Discovery of a Curative Drug for
Alzheimer's Disease The research will build on work already underway to develop a
drug to halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease. This would go beyond current
drugs which are used to relieve the symptoms of the disease.

Natural Sciences - Chemistry
Philip Jessop, Queen's University, Switchable Chemistry
   The project will examine the design of switchable materials (materials that
change their properties on command) in order to reduce the environmental impact
of human activities. The research will explore a number of areas including a
method to remove contaminants from water, switchable solvents to extract
vegetable oils from seeds instead of using the current energy-intensive
distillation process, and switchable paints that would harden on the wall, not in
the can.
Natural Sciences - Chemistry
Eugenia Kumacheva, University of Toronto, Combining microfluidics and polymer
science to create biological environments for cell studies
The research will enable the use of microfluidics (the flow of liquids through micro
channels) to create biological microenvironments where they can study the behaviours
of cells. A second component would create a 3D microenvironment to study stem cell
growth.

Natural Sciences - Earth Sciences
   Brendan Murphy, St. Francis Xavier University, The origin of Pangea
   The research will focus on examining the tectonic history of key rock formations
in two distinct types of ancient oceans that existed over 400 million years ago
remnants of which are preserved in Iberia and eastern Australia. The examination
of the geodynamic forces that created the formation of new oceans at that time
will help better understand the natural pace of long-term global change.

Natural Sciences - Physics/Space Science
Victoria M. Kaspi, McGill University, A New Window on the High Energy Universe
The project will focus on the study of magnetars, a small group of known neutron
stars with the highest magnetic fields known in the universe that retain and
occasionally release high amounts of energy. The research will form a component of
the observing schedule of a new x-ray telescope, NuSTAR to be launched by NASA in
2011.

For a list of the 15 members of the selection committee, which included scholars,
researchers and experts, please click here. The list also includes the Killam
Trustees who monitored the selection process.

General information
In addition to its principal role of promoting and fostering the arts in Canada, the
Canada Council for the Arts administers and awards a number of distinguished prizes
in the arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences and
engineering. These prizes and fellowships recognize the achievements of outstanding
Canadian artists, scholars, and administrators. The Canada Council for the Arts is
committed to raising public awareness and celebration of these exceptional people
and organizations on both a national and international level.

Please visit our website (www.canadacouncil.ca<http://www.canadacouncil.ca/>) for a
complete listing of these awards<http://www.canadacouncil.ca/prizes>.