NEW CIHR PRESIDENT ASSUMES DUTIES

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000910 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAN, OES/STC, AND EUR/FRA HHS/OGHA PASS FOR NIH/FOGARTY CENTER PARIS PASS FOR USMISSION OECD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON TBID CA SUBJECT: NEW CIHR PRESIDENT ASSUMES DUTIES ¶1. (U) Minister of Health Tony Clement appointed Dr. Alain Beaudet to the presidency of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR),effective July 1. Dr. Beaudet replaces Dr. Pierre Chartrand, the acting CIHR head since the resignation of longtime president Alan Bernstein in October of 2007. Dr. Beaudet has served as the president and CEO of Fond de la recherche en sante du Quebec (FRSQ),the government of Quebec's medical research funding agency, since ¶2004. ¶2. (U) Minister Clement cites Dr. Beaudet's "extensive management experience and strong health science background" as assets to the CIHR. He is the first of the last three presidents to hold a medical degree, which he received from Universite de Montreal along with a Ph.D. in neuroscience. Dr. Beaudet did his postdoctoral training in France and Switzerland and has taught at McGill University. He served as the assistant director of research at the Montreal Neurological Institute and as president of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience. He was also the director of scientific affairs and programs at FRSQ before becoming president and CEO. In addition, Dr. Beaudet has received numerous grants and distinctions and is extensively published in academic journals. ¶3. (U) The CIHR is the GOC's organization for health research whose mission is to develop new scientific knowledge and apply it to enhancing overall health, improving health services and products, and strengthening Canada's health care system. Divided into 13 institutes, the CIHR grants leadership and funding to approximately 11,000 health researchers and students in Canada. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada WILKINS