ąúĂń˛ĘƱ Medical School has announced its leading research teams and strategic research priorities, following a months-long application and review process known as “The Wave.”
“We put out a call for two levels, or waves, of applications from our research community,” explains Dr. David Anderson, Dean of Medicine. “For Wave 1, we asked teams that see themselves as internationally competitive to come forward with proposals. For Wave 2, we were looking for proposals from teams with the potential to be internationally competitive within three to five years.”
The goal of the process was to reveal the medical school’s strongest research teams, uncover their aspirations, and identify what they need to take their work to the next level of productivity and impact.
“Across the board, we heard that our research teams need new faculty positions, scholarships for trainees, bridge funding, and matching funds,” says Dr. Roger McLeod, the medical school’s associate dean of research and executive lead on the Wave process. “Now that we have a firm grasp of our research strengths, the tremendous potential that we have, and what’s needed to propel the work forward, we can confidently pursue the required funds from granting agencies and donors.”
A total of 27 research teams, involving 275 researchers, submitted Wave applications in the spring; a panel of senior research, health care and development experts — chaired by Dr. Tom Marrie, former Dean of Medicine and Nova Scotia Health Authority’s current VP of research — reviewed the applications over the summer and early fall. The medical school announced the results of the panel’s deliberations at a celebration in October, identifying two Wave 1 and two Wave 2 teams.
Immune system, genomics on the crest of Wave 1
Two large research groups emerged as the Wave 1 leaders: Genomics in Medicine and I3V (Infection, Immunity, Inflammation & Vaccinology).
Each of these Wave 1 teams amalgamates several smaller groups with synergistic interests into a “super group” spanning the research spectrum from discovery science to preclinical and clinical research, as well as studies in health systems, epidemiology, policy, and ethics.
“One in fifteen babies is born with a genetic disease,” notes Dr. Chris McMaster (left), Genomics in Medicine team member and head of the Department of Pharmacology. “About 90 per cent of these are life limiting, and 95 per cent have no known treatment. This will change with new technologies that are dramatically accelerating the pace of genetic and drug discovery.”
The 70+ Genomics in Medicine researchers will not only advance the diagnosis and treatment of inherited genetic diseases—and unravel the genomes of disease-causing and health-promoting microbes—they will also identify and test targeted molecular treatments for the most prevalent genetic disease of all, cancer.
“We see the possibility of identifying the driver genes that are causing cancers and finding ways to turn them off,” Dr. McMaster says. “We aim to be on the leading edge of a new era of targeted, personalized treatment.â€