Scientific contributions
For over 50 years, Manitoba Blue Cross has been the primary contributor of funding and administrative support for the Manitoba Medical Service Foundation (MMSF). The MMSF was established in 1971 with a vision to serve Manitobans through health education and research. Its mission is to promote and fund scientific and educational research to improve the health and well-being of Manitobans.
Since inception, the MMSF has awarded over $24 million to cutting-edge, Manitoba-based research and education, ranging from medical and scientific studies to the work of allied health professionals such as social workers and nurses.
By providing local researchers with much-needed funding, the MMSF is a strong ally in our commitment to improve the health and well-being of Manitobans.
MMSF grants have contributed to the incredible work of local researchers who have changed the health care landscape. A few of the researchers MMSF has funded include:
- Dr. Tracie Afifi is a leading authority in the field of adverse childhood experiences. Her research focuses on the areas of child maltreatment and mental health, with a focus on resilience, intervention and prevention.
- Dr. Heather Armstrong is a founding member of the Manitoba Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Research Centre. She seeks to understand the underlying mechanisms of diet-associated inflammation in inflammatory diseases, including MS, inflammatory bowel diseases and rheumatoid arthritis, which are mediated by gut microbes.
- Dr. Meghan Azad studies breastfeeding and breastmilk and its implications on overall health. She is one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject.
- Dr. Jason Kindrachuk discovered that Ebola can be sexually transmitted and has studied its effects on the reproductive system. He is an expert on emerging and re-emerging viruses that impact global health and is currently doing research on COVID-19.
- Dr. Grant Pierce is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the highest distinction for a scientist in Canada. He is currently serving as World President of the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences (2022-2025).
- Health researchers at the University of Manitoba are working on pandemic-preparedness research using record-breaking federal funding. All U of M health researchers – Dr. Keith Fowke, Dr. Xiao-Jian Yao, Dr. Peter Pelka, Dr. Jason Kindrachuk and Dr. Barbara Porto – have previously received MMSF funding. Learn more
