This project has been approved in March 2009 for three years and is in collaboration with the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa, in Canada (PI at University of Ottawa: Dr. Malek Batal; PI at AUB: Dr. Salma Talhouk) 

The project is fully sponsored by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) which is a Crown corporation created by the Parliament of Canada in 1970 to help developing countries use science and technology to find practical, long-term solutions to the social, economic, and environmental problems they face. (www.idrc.ca)