Events

Genomics in the Park – The Future is on Our Genes

Queen's Park, Toronto

With the support of the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI), OGI hosted its second annual Genomics in the Park event at the Ontario legislature at Queen’s Park, providing an opportunity for Ontario MPPs and Ministry staff to learn about the impacts that genomics research is having here in Ontario and further afield. 

Eleven of Ontario’s leading genomics researchers were on hand during the drop-in session to share their success stories and talk about the potential impacts of their work on agriculture, biodiversity, energy, environment, forestry, human and animal health, and natural resource management.   OGI board members and staff were also on hand to talk about the role of the organization in supporting and promoting genomics research across the province.

The Honourable John Milloy, Minister of Research and Innovation, provided brief remarks, as did OGI’s President & CEO, Dr. Christian Burks.  The event drew around 45 MPPs and Ministry staff. 

L-R: George Ross, Deputy Minister, MRI; Dr. Christian Burks, President and CEO, OGI; Drs. Elizabeth Edwards; Tak Mak; Jayne Danska; Steve Scherer; The Honourable John Milloy, Minister of MRI; Drs. Shana Kelly; Quaid Morris; Scott Tanner; Basil Arif; Tony Pawson; Paul Hebert; Gary Bader; Dr. Bonnie Schmidt, OGI Board of Directors; Khalil Ramal, MPP, London Fanshawe; and Dr. Mark Posnanski, Chair, OGI Board of Directors. Click for photo gallery.

Showcased researchers:

The Future is in… New Knowledge

Dr. Tony Pawson, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, showcased his work studying protein interactions within human cells to better understand diseases such as cancer.  Download poster

Dr. Steve Scherer, Hospital for Sick Children, described the Database of Genomic Variants (DGV), which is facilitating research around the world on human disease and development by providing a comprehensive summary of structural variations in the human genome.  Download poster

The Future is in… New Tools

Drs. Gary Bader and Quaid Morris, University of Toronto, shared their development of a software tool and user-friendly website – a kind of ‘Google™ of Biology’ – that allows the global research community to use existing genomics and proteomics data to answer specific biological questions. Download poster
 
Dr. Shana Kelley, University of Toronto, showcased the novel microchip she and her team developed, which could change how cancer and infectious diseases are diagnosed and enable quicker and less invasive testing. Download poster

The Future is in… Healthy Citizens

Dr. Jayne Danska, Hospital for Sick Children, shared her work in identifying key genes underlying Type 1 Diabetes risk in humans, and new insights into the biological pathways that underlie disease progression.  Download poster

Dr. Tak W. Mak, University Health Network, discussed ongoing research to characterize cancer initiating cells, also known as cancer stem cells, which are now known to be responsible for the growth of many cancerous tumours.  Enhanced understanding of these cells will aid the development of new and more effective anti-cancer therapies.  Download poster

The Future is in… Healthy Environments

Dr. Elizabeth Edwards, University of Toronto, discussed her research into creating sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels by using plant-based or waste material to produce biofuels and other valuable, eco-friendly bioproducts.  Download poster
 
Dr. Paul Hebert, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, spoke about the International Barcode of Life (iBOL) project and how, in collaboration with researchers in 25 other countries around the world, he is helping to catalog the world’s biodiversity by building a database containing DNA barcodes of more than 500,000 species.  Download poster

The Future is in… Healthy Economies

Dr. Basil Arif, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, shared his work using genomics to better understand and combat pathogens threatening our forests and crops.   Download poster

Dr. Scott Tanner, University of Toronto and DVS Sciences, described the growing business of his Toronto-based company DVS Sciences, which produces an analytical instrument able to identify rare cells such as cancer initiating cells in patient samples, enabling early disease diagnoses and more efficient and personalized treatment.  Download poster

OGI posters:
- Research Programs Download poster
- Business Development Download poster
- Outreach Download poster