U of M chair in advance stroke research unveiled

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This article was published 06/04/2023 (1256 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A neurologist and research scientist has been appointed to advance stroke research in Manitoba over the next five years, thanks in part to a generous charitable donation.

Dr. Nishita Singh, previously chief stroke fellow during a fellowship at the University of Calgary, is the new Heart & Stroke and Research Manitoba chair in clinical stroke research at the University of Manitoba.

With the imminent opening of a long-awaited stroke unit in Manitoba, “I’m confident that people who have a stroke in this province have the best chance of a good outcome,” Singh said.

Her research tries to pinpoint the causes of strokes by focusing on the main artery in the neck that carries blood and oxygen to the brain. Strokes can happen when carotid arteries are torn or narrowed because of blood clots. Singh’s work aims to study diseases of the carotid artery to help prevent strokes and improve stroke treatment.

“We are at a very historic moment here in Manitoba and in Canada” for stroke research, Singh said, adding her focus is going to be on “identifying causes of stroke, reducing disability, and improving stroke care.”

Patient involvement on treatment strategies will be crucial, she said. “I don’t want to be doing this without involving patients and partners in my journey.”

A first-of-its-kind research funding collaboration, funded partly with charitable donations from the Heart & Stroke Foundation, made the $1-million research chair position possible.

Heart & Stroke contributed $500,000, Research Manitoba contributed $300,000, and U of M gave $200,000 to the chair’s total funding of $1 million ($200,00 per year for five years).

A donation from “an extraordinary Manitoban whose generous gift to Heart & Stroke has made this possible,” as well as teamwork from Research Manitoba and the university, got the research position off the ground, said Christine Houde, Heart & Stroke director of health systems and policy in Manitoba.

Houde made the announcement Thursday, along with Research Manitoba chief executive officer Karen Dunlop and Mario Pinto, U of M vice-president for research and international.

Construction on the new stroke unit at Health Sciences Centre, which was announced in 2019, is “mostly complete,” Shared Health stated Thursday. It will be the first acute stroke unit in Manitoba.

“Staffing and implementation work is in progress, with some positions filled and others in the posting stage. We anticipate being ready to welcome our first patient to the unit in the next few months,” a Shared Health spokesperson stated.

katie.may@winnipegfreepress.com