VZCZCXRO1280
PP RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHMT RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #0910 1892017
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 072017Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8146
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1007
RUEAUSA/HHS WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY

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