U of C welcomes two world-class researchers

Two respected researchers at the forefront of their fields have joined the University of Calgary thanks to a provincial program that allows universities to recruit worldclass talent.

Bruce Pike, a leading expert on brain imaging, and Marc Strous, a top microbiologist, have come to Calgary through the Campus Alberta Innovation Program. The new hires were officially announced by the U of C on Monday.

Strous, who began his seven-year CAIP mandate at the U of C in September, was recruited from Bremen, Germany. The microbiologist, chemical engineer and native of the Netherlands will focus his research on the energy and environment.

One of the projects he’ll focus on at the U of C aims to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions and diminish the environmental impact of electricity power plants and oilsands mining operations. Pike was previously the director of the McConnell Brain Imaging Centre at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital. His research focuses on applying quantitative methods to medical imaging.

His work has implications for studying normal brain development and neurological diseases including stroke, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, aging, dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

Both Pike and Strous will receive $650,000 per year for up to seven years to pay for salary and the costs associated with building and maintaining research programs.