Canada: contribution for presbyopia research

David L. Emerson, Minister of Industry of Canada, announced today the creation of a new research chair in presbyopia and visual perception, funded by Science and Engineering Research Canada (also known by its acronym Nserc), at the Université de Montréal. The Chair will also receive support from Essilor Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of Essilor International, which is contributing $ 500,000 in cash and $ 150,000 in kind.

Presbyopia, or farsightedness, is a well-known consequence of aging in the human eye and affects most people in their fifties. The work of this new chair will contribute to the manufacturing and testing of improved corrective lenses to boost the quality of life of our aging population.

There are 70,000 new cases of presbyopia reported each year in Canada. 'The Nserc-Essilor Chair in Presbyopia and Visual Perception will have an innovative and timely research program that will certainly attract more top- notch researchers and additional investment from private industry in the Montréal area', stated Mr. Emerson.

The holder of the Chair, Dr. Jocelyn Faubert, explained that 'aging baby boomers want to maintain an active lifestyle. Presbyopia is an obstacle they face in both their professional and social lives. Better corrective lenses will help those with presbyopia perform tasks such as reading or using a computer more easily. It is expected that the Chair's research results will make it possible to design lenses more suited to their needs'.

The Chair will be training three master's or doctoral students each year. Qualified professionals in this field are highly sought-after.

Science and Engineering Research Canada is a key federal agency investing in people, discovery and innovation. It supports both basic university research through research grants, and project research through partnerships among postsecondary institutions, government and the private sector, as well as the advanced training of highly qualified people.