Diabetes Canada awards nearly $6 million in funding to new research projects
Toronto, Jan. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diabetes Canada is proud to announce the winners of its End Diabetes Awards, an annual competition that aims to improve the lives of people living with, or at risk of, diabetes through innovative research. Thanks to our generous donors and partners, 13 new research projects will receive a 3-year grant of up to $450,000 each—for a total of almost $6 million. Among the exciting projects funded in this year’s competition, here are a few highlights:
- Dr. Elizabeth Rideout at the University of British Columbia is investigating whether the hormone glucagon helps protect beta cells in female mice, which could lead to better-targeted treatments for type 2 diabetes. This research aims to improve diabetes management for both women and men.
- Dr. Bruce Verchere at the BC Children’s Hospital is investigating whether a deficiency of a key enzyme in pancreatic beta cells contributes to type 1 diabetes. By studying this enzyme in a mouse model, he aims to develop new treatments that could potentially prevent or reverse type 1 diabetes.
- Dr. Mahavir Agarwal at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is investigating whether disrupted insulin activity in the brain contributes to the shared risk of depression and type 2 diabetes. This research could lead to earlier, more holistic treatments that improve the quality of life for people affected by both conditions. This project is being funded in partnership with Brain Canada through the Canada Brain Research Fund, an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada and Brain Canada Foundation, which is the co-funder of two research grants in the program.
- Dr. Mathieu Laplante at Laval University is studying a protein called FBXO that helps regulate blood sugar levels in the liver. This research aims to develop more effective and personalized treatments for type 2 diabetes by understanding and leveraging FBXO's role in glucose metabolism.
The research projects awarded through the End Diabetes Awards were rigorously evaluated by both scientists with expertise in diabetes research and by people with lived experience—all overseen by Diabetes Canada’s National Research Council.
“Investing in Canadian researcher projects means investing in better treatments, better technologies, and better outcomes for the millions of people managing diabetes across this country,” says Laura Syron, President & CEO of Diabetes Canada.
Diabetes Canada currently supports:
- 13 projects aiming to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes
- 26 projects aiming to develop better diabetes treatments
- 19 projects aiming to address diabetes complications
- 8 projects aiming to discover a cure for diabetes
Learn more about this year’s winning research projects.
Leah Siversky Diabetes Canada 1 416-408-7041 leah.siversky@diabetes.ca
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