About the Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine

CCARM’s vision is to add value to agricultural commodities and finished products through innovative functional food and nutraceutical research. The CCARM research program aims to translate positive results from basic laboratory science into new and safe dietary supplements and food products that will directly impact the health of the Canadian public. From laboratory to human research, CCARM conducts clinical research studies (clinical trials) of functional and healthy food products and nutraceuticals identified by our laboratories as having potential beneficial effects on diseases that are of clinical and financial significance to Canadians. Diseases targeted thus far include immune disorders, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular and vascular diseases.

CCARM represents an ongoing unique partnership between St. Boniface Hospital, the University of Manitoba, The University of Winnipeg and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and is located within the St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre and the I.H. Asper Clinical Research Institute.

Other partnerships and collaborations include the Manitoba Agri-Health Research Network (MAHRN); Granotec, a leading cereal technology company in Latin America; and the Food Development Centre.

To learn more about the type of research being conducted at CCARM – follow the below hyperlinks

Dedicated to understanding the health-related benefits of nutraceuticals, functional foods and natural health products (health food), CCARM’s mandate is two-fold: to perform research on natural health products, and to provide the results and related information to the relevant scientific community and to the general public. The research on various natural products is delivered through both basic science experimentation and clinical trials. This approach provides mechanistic information to better understand how the product works and the relevance of this information to the human population. CCARM is supported by Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, St. Boniface Hospital and the University of Manitoba. CCARM scientists have affiliations with the Faculties of Medicine, Pharmacy, Human Ecology, Dentistry and Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Manitoba and the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and the Division of Neurodegenerative Disease at St. Boniface Hospital Research.

Mandate:

To investigate the health-related effects of functional foods and nutraceuticals
To develop reliable, scientific, evidence-based information concerning FFN

Disease Targets:

diabetes/obesity
cardiovascular disease
immune disorders

Laboratory Component:

Twelve research labs are located on the second floor of the St-Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, occupied by 6 researchers from the University of Manitoba and 6 researchers from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. Two open laboratories will house common equipment that will enable our researchers to take advantage of the latest state-of-the-art technologies. The focus of these labs will be to conduct non-human studies with animal and cell culture models of disease that will ascertain safety, tolerance, active constituents and mechanism of action. The R.O. Burrell Laboratory, a level 2 biohazard animal facility located within St. Boniface Hospital Research, is assisting the investigators to develop unique animal models capable of assessing the benefits of novel bioactive compounds.

Clinical Study Capacity: CCARM will be leading studies to investigate the safety and efficacy of FFN in humans. To reach these objectives, space on the third floor of the Asper Clinical Research Institute has been developed for conducting studies involving human subjects through the assistance of CCARM-affiliated physicians. In addition, CCARM can assist with protocol development and provide consultation on regulatory issues.

To learn more about the type of research being conducted at CCARM, please watch our virtual tour.

About the Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine

Mandate:

Disease Targets:

Laboratory Component:

Annual Reports

Our Partners