UBC Faculty of Medicine researchers have been awarded more than $21 million from the Government of Canada through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) for cutting-edge research infrastructure that will accelerate scientific discovery and economic impact.
The funding supports six projects focused on key areas of health innovation including cancer treatment, brain health, infectious diseases, biomedical engineering and more.
The investment, made through the CFI’s Innovation Fund, provides researchers with the high-impact equipment they need to strengthen Canada’s innovation capacity, deliver lasting health benefits for Canadians and build economic resilience.
“Canada is focused on investing in researchers and innovators to advance bold scientific breakthroughs as we build the kind of scientific and academic powerhouse that drives the strongest economy in the G7,” said The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. “This investment through the Canada Foundation for Innovation will equip researchers with cutting-edge, world class facilities that strengthen Canada’s research infrastructure, accelerate discoveries, drive researchers to take their work to the next level and create new opportunities that will benefit Canadians across industries.”
The funding will help Canada remain at the forefront of discovery and knowledge generation by equipping researchers with specialized equipment, attracting and retaining top talent, and fostering collaboration between academia and industry.
The Government of Canada invested a total of $552 million in 92 major infrastructure projects across the country including 14 projects at UBC.
UBC Faculty of Medicine-led projects
- UBC’s Life Sciences Institute’s core facilities
Project Leads: Leonard Foster, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Pauline Johnson, Life Sciences Institute; Microbiology and Immunology
- BioDevice Foundry
Project Lead: Govind Kaigala, School of Biomedical Engineering
- UBC MRI Research Centre Expansion: Integration of Multi-nuclear MR Technology to Assess Brain Disease and Injury
Project Leads: Cornelia Laule, Radiology/Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Piotr Kozlowski, Radiology
- Mobility Innovation Core
Project Lead: Teresa Liu-Ambrose, Physical Therapy
- ASTRID consortium: From atomic to in situ structural analysis of drug target complexes at the host/pathogen interface
Project Lead: Natalie Strynadka, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Collaborating Institution: Simon Fraser University
- Cytometry Operations for Research Excellence (CORE): Redefining boundaries for transformative immune-oncology research
Project Lead: Leandro Venturutti, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine