UBC scientists receive $3M for COVID-19 research projects

New funding to cover urgent need for research equipment

Scientists at the University of British Columbia are receiving $3 million to support COVID-19 research projects through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

The funding—announced today by Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry—is part of $28 million that will support 79 projects at 52 universities and research hospitals, colleges, polytechnics and Cégeps across Canada. The funding covers the urgent need for equipment for ongoing research related to COVID-19.

UBC-led projects receiving funding include the following:

Research Project: The ABCD Consortium (“Accelerating Blood and Cardiopulmonary COVID-19 Diagnostics”)
Principal Investigator: Mari DeMarco, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine
Funding Amount: $502,600

Research Project: Linking Transmission Metadata to Viral Genotype and Serological Response of COVID-19
Principal Investigator: Mel Krajden, Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine
Funding Amount: $630,000

Research Project: Preparing for the Next Wave: Technology to Detect and Analyze SARS-CoV-2
Principal Investigator: Marco Marra, Professor, Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine
Funding Amount: $377,738

Research Project: Assessing the effect of aerosol and droplet control measures in indoor spaces
Principal Investigator: Steven Rogak, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Funding Amount: $250,000

Research Project: Expanding COVID19 structure-based therapeutic development at UBC through enhanced CryoEM and CryoET data acquisition
Principal Investigator: Natalie Strynadka, Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine
Funding Amount: $1,225,000