The Canadian Genetic Diseases Network (CGDN), a national Centre of Excellence
based at UBC, has been awarded $18 million in research funding by the federal
government.
The award allows the network to continue research into human genetic disease
for the next four years, with renewed funding committed for an additional three
years to 2005.
Funding was recommended by an international peer review panel.
“This award ensures that Canadian scientists remain at the forefront in
international human genetic disease research,” says network founder Prof.
Michael Hayden of the Dept. of Medical Genetics. “It will also form a basis for
strengthening our ongoing partnerships with Canadian industry and the
scientific and academic communities nationwide.”
Funding will be directed into an expanded research program, called From Genes
to Therapies — a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to genetic
diseases research.
The program’s four interrelated research themes will focus on gene
identification, gene function, development of clinical therapies and assessment
of genetic susceptibility to disease.
Since its founding in 1990, CGDN research has discovered genes connected with
diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington disease, and breast and ovarian
cancer. The research has also led to the launch of six biotechnology companies,
including NeuroVir Inc., which is located at UBC.
Seven network scientists are based in British Columbia — at UBC, B.C.’s
Children’s Hospital and the University of Victoria. They are part of a network
of 50 members and their research teams, located at 18 universities, hospitals
and research centres across Canada.
CGDN has provided an interdisciplinary training environment for over 300
scientists.
Approximately 60 per cent of Canadians will develop or die from a disease with
a significant genetic component.
The recent award brings the federal government’s total investment in CGDN to
over $50 million.
