March 9, 2021 – Today, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, William Amos, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry (Science), announced $2.7 million in federal support through Genome Canada to two Ontario Genomics applied genomics research projects that will improve the well-being of Ontarians & Canadians. Working in collaboration with industry, health-care players, as well as provincial and other federal partners—with co-funding valued at $2.8 million—this represents a total investment of $8.4 million in projects that will deliver tangible benefits to Ontarians and Canadians.
Today’s announcement will support research on early detection and better treatment for atrial fibrillation. This disease affects 25% of Canadians aged 70 and over, increasing their risk of strokes, heart failure and other complications. Peter Liu at the University of Ottawa, in collaboration with Roche Diagnostics, will identify and classify atrial fibrillation biomarkers—improving disease diagnosis, risk prediction, and patient care and outcomes, while also reducing health-care costs.
This investment also includes funding for an epigenomic profiling tool to better understand the unique progression of breast cancer in individuals. Working with Thermo Fisher Scientific, John Bartlett at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research is investigating the effects of differences in ethnicity with the aim of more equitable delivery of targeted breast cancer treatment to Black and Asian women.
Ontario Genomics is proud to be working with these talented teams. These programs fund translational research and development projects that address real-world challenges and opportunities as identified by industry, government, not-for-profits, and other “receptors” of genomics knowledge and technology.
Learn more about this announcement: Genome Canada News Release
Quotes
“Genomics to the rescue yet again – partnerships between researchers and industry support critical technological advancements that will grow Ontario\’s economy and save lives,” Dr. Bettina Hamelin, President & CEO of Ontario Genomics.
“Investing in genomics research with a line of sight to application is critical for the health and well-being of Canadians,” Dr. Rob Annan, President and CEO of Genome Canada.
“Thermo Fisher is proud to partner with the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research to enable their clinicians to integrate epigenomic profiling to breast cancer treatment, creating greater equity in healthcare delivery and improving care for all,” Jeff Smith, Global Lead, NGS Precision Medicine Initiatives, Thermo Fisher Scientific.
“Moving forward we want to understand how the complex relationship between biology and ethnicity can accelerate the delivery of the best treatments to patients, treating everyone as an individual based on the biology of their disease,” Dr. John Bartlett, Director, Diagnostic Development, OICR.
“Atrial fibrillation is an important public health issue to address. Its early detection and the appropriate triage to treatment is an area identified as a high priority for patients and physicians, as well as for the healthcare industries. We believe that a validated, accurate diagnostic biomarker panel for atrial fibrillation is key for improved care of patients with this condition,” Dr. Peter Liu\’s Vice-President of Research and Chief Scientific Officer, University of Ottawa Heart Institute.
