KINGSTON, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 11/29/12 -- On behalf of the Defence family, Brigadier-General Jean-Robert Bernier, the Surgeon General, presented the Major Sir Frederick Banting Award at the 2012 Military and Veteran's Health Research Forum today to recognize and encourage high-quality research that addresses military health issues.

"It is with great pride that I present this award to Dr. Jacqueline Hebert, MD, Professor at the University of Alberta," said Brigadier-General Bernier. "This prestigious award honours Sir Frederick Banting's decorated career as a world-renowned researcher and medical officer in the Canadian Army and bestows the winner with appropriate recognition for their valuable research contribution to military and veterans' health." Sir Frederick Banting was a world-renowned physician, researcher, Nobel Prize winner and the discoverer of insulin.

The award is presented to the Canadian whose research paper is deemed to be of the greatest overall value to military health. True Patriot Love, a national foundation established by corporate and community leaders to raise funds for programs that support the well-being and morale of members of the Canadian Forces (CF) and their families, sponsors the award, which is adjudicated by the Surgeon General at the annual Canadian Institute for Military and Veterans Research's Forum.

"I congratulate Dr. Jacqueline Hebert, MD, as the second recipient of the Major Sir Frederick Banting Award for her significant research contribution to military health research," said the Honorable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence. "It is critical that we continue to advance military health research, through work such as Jacqueline's, in order to meet the protection, promotion and health care needs of Canadian Forces personnel of today and into the future."

The Military and Veteran's Health Research Forum has attracted over 450 Canadian researchers, clinicians, military personnel, veterans, industry stakeholders, government representatives and international delegates eager to learn and network at Canada's only conference that is dedicated to health research for the military and veterans.

"The challenges that military members and their families experience are unique to them," said Chief Warrant Officer Pierre Marchand, CF Health Services Chief Warrant Officer. "We need to continually pursue research that addresses their challenges and reward those whose research factors in such things contributing to scientific quality, military relevance and the overall value to the Canadian Forces."

The CF, with the support of their health care partners, are committed to providing full-spectrum care and the highest standard of health care possible to Canada's military personnel, at anytime and anywhere they serve. As part of this commitment, on September 12, 2012, the Minister of National Defence, the Honourable Peter MacKay, announced an additional $11.4 million in funding to augment mental health care and preventive programs in the CF. This initiative, spearheaded by Minister MacKay, brings the CF's annual health care budget to approximately $440 million.

Notes to editor/news director:

For more information on forum: http://www.cimvhr.ca

For more information on True Patriot Love: www.truepatriotlove.com

For information on the Canadian Forces and more: www.forces.gc.ca