Prestigious National Fellowship Awarded at Lakehead University

(September 26, Thunder Bay, ON) Good news always comes in a run. After Sean Bryan of the department of Biology received Lakehead University's first ever Master's studentship award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Dr. Ajay Machha at Lakehead University has received the first ever Post-doctoral fellowship award. This national post-doctoral fellowship is one of only seven awarded in Ontario, and only 22 in all of Canada. The award is valued at $40,000 per year for 2 years, in addition to $1,500 in travel funds.


Dr. Ajay Machha, a cardiovascular pharmacologist from India, is working with Dr. Rui Wang at Lakehead University's Cardiovascular Research Center. "It is an honor to be the first post-doctoral fellow from Lakehead University to receive this prestigious award. I wish to thank the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada's selection committee for its confidence in me and my research project," Machha said.

Selection for the award is based on the quality of a proposed research project entitled "Hydrogen sulphide and hypertension development" and its relevance to the HSFC mission "to eliminate heart disease and stroke through the advancement of research and its application." Dr Machha's research will primarily focus on the characterization of the importance of hydrogen sulphide, a gas that is continuously produced in our body at low concentrations, in the regulation of cardiovascular functions. The research excellence of Dr. Machha to date, as well as the research environment provided by Lakehead University and Dr. Rui Wang's research team, were also important considerations in the final selection for this award.

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Media: Rui Wang, Vice President - Research is available for media interview and may be reached at 807-343-8180 to determine a time. Dr. Ajay Machha is available for media interview and may be reached at 346-7857. For more information, please contact Lisa Pelot Communications Officer, 807-343-8177, commun@lakeheadu.ca, or Eleanor Abaya, Director of Communications, 807-343-8372, eleanor.abaya@lakeheadu.ca.


About Lakehead

Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a campus in Orillia, Ontario, Lakehead has over 7,500 students and 2,000 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead University Canada's Research University of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca