Health and Life Science Partnerships at UCalgary

Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics (ACAD) is a fully integrated diagnostics ecosystem containing the physical infrastructure required to prototype and validate new technologies, including:

• State-of-the-art mass spectrometry  
• Fabrication and prototyping facilities 
• Access to patient specimens and healthcare records  
• Diagnostic evaluation facilities integrated into the healthcare system 
• Direct feedback from Alberta’s diagnostic testing providers 
• Commercialization and finance partners  

ACAD's core resources are:

Calgary Metabolomics Research Facility

• The CMRF is one of Canada’s largest mass spectrometry facilities and is the CIHR national core microbiome reference centre. The CMRF is uniquely integrated into biosafety level 2 microbiology laboratories and can uniquely work with live microbial and viral pathogens. The CMRF specializes in understanding complex host-pathogen dynamics and uses a range biomarker discovery, metabolic flux analysis, and targeted quantification approaches to identify specific molecular mechanisms underpinning infectious disease dynamics.  

Diagnostics Prototyping Facility (DPF)

• The DPF is Canada’s first biosafety level two device fabrication and prototyping facility that was built specifically to enable the development of new diagnostic tools for infectious diseases. The DEF is integrated into a suite of microbiology and analytical labs (CMRF) that creates a unique environment for fast-tracking the development of and refinement of new diagnostic tools for infections.  

Diagnostics Evaluation Facility (DEF)

• The DEF is a 3,000 ft2 laboratory suite that is built at the interface of Alberta’s south-sector hub laboratory serving over 1.4 million people. The DEF enables preclinical performance testing and early end-user feedback, which can have a profound impact on successful commercialization of new diagnostic technologies. The DEF provides direct access to clinical resources, expertise, and partnerships to enable head-to-head performance trials against established clinical workflows. 

APEX partnership program

• The Alberta Precision EXchange (APEX) program connects innovators with Alberta’s healthcare leadership to provide the critical early feedback on new diagnostic tools need to help shape the development of new innovations. APEX connects successful concepts with the commercial and financial partners needed to make new concepts a reality.  

The Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute is a community of researchers and educators dedicated to achieving a cancer-free future. Charbonneau is meeting the cancer challenge through discovery and innovation in basic and applied research. The Institute brings together scientists and physicians to integrate research and care across disciplines – from understanding and preventing cancer, to transforming its detection and treatment, to improving life with and after cancer.  

The Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute at the University of Calgary is ‘meeting the cancer challenge’ in three critical areas of discovery and innovation: 

1. Through our focus on understanding the biology of cancer leading to new diagnostics and treatments and to clinical trials that will redefine standards of care. 
2. Through our focus on new technologies to detect early cancers and prevent cancer altogether by lifestyle modification, silencing cancer-causing inherited susceptibilities, and swaying public health policy in ways that greatly reduce cancer risk. 
3. Through our focus on the psychosocial and physical effects of cancer and the challenges that accompany life after cancer for the increasing number of long term survivors. 

Biomedical Engineering at UCalgary is advancing knowledge and solving problems in biology, medicine and health care and educating the next generation of leaders. We target health problems with the highest burden in terms of decreased quality of life, financial cost, mortality and morbidity, particularly cardiovascular disease, cancer, injuries, musculoskeletal diseases and neurological conditions.

Located in the engineering capital of Canada, the Biomedical Engineering Department at the Schulich School of Engineering is advancing knowledge and solving problems in animal and human biology, medicine and health-care and educating the next generation of leaders. We provide an anchor for researchers across campus targeting health problems with the highest burden in terms of decreased quality of life, financial cost, mortality and morbidity — particularly cardiovascular disease, cancer, injuries, musculoskeletal diseases and neurological conditions. 

Biomedical Engineering facilities in the Schulich School of Engineering include the core CCIT BME labs, Microsystems Hub, the Maker Multiplex, and a number of individual research labs across many engineering programs (chemical, civil, electrical, geomatics, mechanical, software), as well as strong collaborations with labs, institutes and centers across campus.

The University-wide transdisciplinary Engineering Solutions for Health: Biomedical Engineering research strategy has connected over 300 researchers from multiple faculties and built a strong foundation in research excellence, entrepreneurial thinking, innovation, and advanced technology with strong connections to industry and community.

The University of Calgary has a critical mass of facilities and research expertise and is leading biomedical engineering research with collaborative teams focused on human mobility, health monitoring, advanced biomedical imaging, precision biodiagnostics, regenerative medicine and novel medical technologies, our researchers are transforming quality of life and continuously improving the health system.

The University of Calgary’s clinical trial ecosystem allows industry partners to tap into broad expertise across a range of therapeutic areas that can provide a competitive edge in phase I-IV trials.  Our longstanding commitment to working with industry partners is reinforced by the programs, services, and knowledge we provide-all meant to help enable and enhance clinical trials. Our mission is to enable high-quality, efficiently conducted clinical trials. Our central research service teams support the start-up, execution, and closure of clinical trials through the following services. 

Industry liaison and Study start-up services:   

• Clinical Trial Concierge provides the first point of contact for the industry sponsors  
• Assist with site selection to study initiation such as processing and execution of CDAs/CTAs, feasibility questionnaires, regulatory documents, REB and institutional approval, etc 

Clinical trial contract and budget review and negotiations:   

• Our legal and Finance teams are highly experienced in reviewing and negotiating legal and budget terms 
• All legal and budget review activities are tracked through a contract management system to ensure fast turnaround times   

Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS):  

• The OnCore CTMS enables increased capacity for studies, standardization and adoption of best practices, and improved study quality, budget management, and regulatory compliance 
• Sponsors benefit from our use of OnCore through standard and efficient clinical trial workflows and well-documented studies  

Regulatory compliance and Quality Assurance services:  

• Provide training resources including N2 Standard Operating Procedures 
• Guide investigators through the regulations and guidelines governing clinical trials (e.g.: university policies, ICH-GCP, Health Canada/FDA regulations, etc.) 
• Assist to prepare for inspections from regulatory bodies 

Ethics services:  

• The Conjoint Health REB(CHREB) reviews clinical trial ethics applications using an electronic submission and review system.  
• The REB Exchange (REBX) feature of the system streamlines the ethics application process for multi-site health research in Alberta.  

The Hotchkiss Brain Institute was launched in October 2004, enabled by a transformational gift from Harley Hotchkiss. The institute is housed in the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine, and is home to over 300 members across nine different faculties, as well as over 1400 trainees, research and support staff. 

The Hotchkiss Brain Institute’s vision is “healthy brains for better lives” and is guided by a mission to propel research towards innovative solutions to understand and improve brain function and mental health. 

By exemplifying the values of creativity, collaboration, excellence, inclusiveness, integrity, impact, and relevance, the HBI creates impact in myriad ways: undertaking original research; making scientific discoveries that improve understanding of the brain; improving patient care through new devices, drugs, data or diagnostics; collaborating provincially, nationally and internationally to share open science data leading to new technology; and, by developing tomorrow’s leaders of innovation and science, who will shape and drive our future. 

The HBI operates in nine priority areas: Stroke, spinal cord and nerve injury, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, movement disorders, dementia and cognitive disorders, neurodevelopment, concussion and mental health. The mental health priority is led by the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education. 

Integrated Management Platform to Accelerate Clinical Trials (IMPACT) provides an accelerated path to health innovation market approval for less capital. The IMPACT program will help your early or mid-stage venture conduct clinical trials and secure regulatory approvals for your new health-related inventions.

IMPACT is the recognized clinical trial vendor for the Creative Destruction Lab, and has partnerships with McMaster Innovation Park and Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation. While we are proud to support our local Calgary innovation community, over half of our client ventures originate from across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

What to expect when you partner with IMPACT:

• An expert Navigator assigned to your project
• Comprehensive protocol development, trial design, budgeting, and forecasting
• Facilitation of necessary regulatory and ethics approvals
• Engagement of Key Opinion Leaders, trial investigators, and qualified trial sites
• Tailored quality management software, document templates, and guidance

The International Microbiome Centre (IMC) conducts ground breaking research by harnessing the power of the microbiome. Unique in Canada, with state-of-the art germ-free and wild microbiome research facilities, global expertise in intravital imaging, a one-stop-shop for microbial analysis, and an emphasis on forming strategic collaborations and partnerships.

Platforms and services: Consultation, fee for service, contract research, and training programs

• Germ-free and Gnotobiotic platform: Inbred and outbred germ-free (GF) mouse lines, GF rederivation, along with level 1 and level 2 experimental suites.
• Sample processing & Analytics platform: Amplicon sequencing (16S, cpn60, ITS), shotgun metagenomics, and wholegenome sequencing.
• Microbial genomics platform: Microbiome sample processing from feces, saliva, and small intestine.
• Metabolomics & proteomics platform: SCFA analysis, lipidomics, isotope tracing, metabolic boundary flux analysis, and microbial nutrient utilization assessments.
• Data science platform: Multivariate modelling and study design, multi-omics data integration, and bioinformatics.
• Mass Cytometry platform: Antibody panel design/labeling and acquisitions of samples.
• Advanced imaging & biomarker discovery platform: Antibody panel design/labeling and acquisition for multiplexed ion beam imaging (MIBI).
• Intravital imaging platform: Highly specialized expertise in visualization of microbes and immune cells using real time intravital imaging and whole-body imaging systems.
• Wild Microbiome & Immunology Centre (WIMIC): Translational research with re-wilded mice.

The Life Sciences Innovation Hub (LSIH) supports research intensive companies to bring commercially viable products and services to market, by providing access to infrastructure, equipment, expertise and startup support services. 

The LSI Hub features:

• 127,000 sq ft located in University Innovation Quarter
• 35,000 sq ft wet and dry lab space
• Access to central equipment including autoclaves, dishwashers, etc
• Trained technicians and equipment calibration
• Office, meeting and event spaces

The Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education is a centre dedicated to advancing research and education on early identification, treatment and prevention of mental illness. The centre is located at the University of Calgary and is based on a close partnership between the  Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Department of Psychiatry. The roles of the centre include the following: 

• Funding and supporting international researchers of tomorrow 
• Providing a hub for mental health research at the University of Calgary 
• Coordinating ‘state of the art’ learning events 
• Promoting and sharing research findings 
• Our Centre works closely with academic and community partners in Calgary, across the country and internationally to foster research and innovation to advance the mental health across the lifespan with particular focus on children, youth and emerging adults 

The One Child Every Child initiative focuses on three themes situated at intersections of greatest need and opportunity for discovery and impact.  

1. Better Beginnings addresses maternal, prenatal and neonatal health. 
2. Precision Health and Wellness develops innovative diagnostic, therapeutic and targeted social interventions. 
3. From Vulnerable to Thriving addresses neurodiversity and mental health including social determinants of health. 

Cross-cutting accelerators provide disciplinary expertise and resources to tackle Grand Challenges, including an accelerator dedicated to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Solutions include building capacity for Indigenous scholars and respect for Indigenous self-determination. Our Knowledge to Action strategy across sectors will drive transformational change for children, families, and communities. 

Interdisciplinary teams will address biomedical, societal, economic, and structural determinants to drive Grand Challenge projects. Each theme will benefit from transdisciplinary frameworks as they train future leaders in health research. 

View OCEC's brochure

Communities around the globe are experiencing environmental, social, and economic changes never seen before. These changes are impacting the health and wellness of people and animals within their shared environments. One Health at UCalgary builds transdisciplinary teams to develop adaptive and sustainable practices to address these global challenges.  

We focus our transdisciplinary research efforts in 4 thematic areas:  

Healthy Water Ecosystems: Ensure the world’s sustainable water future by protecting aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity.  

Infectious Diseases and the Microbiome: Mitigate the devastating consequences of infectious diseases by advancing understanding of the interactions between microbial populations and their environments, including human hosts.  

Healthy Communities: By empowering people through community-based research and engagement, health public policy, and political commitment, we can build a community’s capacity to improve community health and wellbeing. 

Antimicrobial Resistance: The Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) – One Health Consortium is a pan-Alberta collaborative platform focused on antimicrobial use and resistance research, innovation, policy, training, outreach, and commercialization.

The Consortium uses a transdisciplinary, multisectoral One Health approach to promote self-sustaining clinical, epidemiologic, basic, and social sciences, and translational research on AMR in Alberta that will be scalable to all of Canada and beyond. Our research focuses on treatment optimization, the prevention of transmission, and AMR surveillance. These projects span across 3 thematic areas: 1) Innovation and Commercialization 2) Education and Societal Impact 3) Policy, Economics, and Sustainability 

The AMR – One Health Consortium works collaboratively with Canadian and international partners to develop comprehensive solutions to contain AMR. The Consortium employs a One Health approach, an approach that integrates multiple sectors, disciplines, and communities to sustainably balance and optimize the health of all ecosystems. Antimicrobial use and resistance are very prevalent across our human, animal and environmental sectors and our research projects reflect this breadth. 

Since its founding in 2006, the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases has grown to be a thriving Institute with two major research themes: inflammation, and host-microbe interactions, (harmful disease-causing pathogens and beneficial microorganisms). Through these two themes, we focus our research on six main areas: Airway Inflammation, Bacterial Pathogenesis, Gastrointestinal Diseases, Immunology, Inflammation, and Precision Medicine in Nephrology. 

We study the impact of chronic inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), asthma, diabetes and other autoimmune diseases, with a particular interest in the microbiome and immunobiome, and viral, bacterial and parasitic infections. 

Our more than 400 Snyder Institute faculty members, research staff/scientists and trainees are basic science and clinical investigators working together, dedicated to uncovering new knowledge that will prevent disease, improve patient care, and transform the quality of life and well-being for those suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases. 

By ensuring the patient is centre-stage in our research agenda, and understanding that every patient is unique, we are dedicated to providing Albertans and those around the world with access to individualized prevention and treatment plans – also known as precision medicine.

The W21C Research and Innovation Centre (W21C) is based in the University of Calgary’s O’Brien Institute for Public Health, and the Calgary Zone of Alberta Health Services. 

W21C began in 2004 with the creation of a state-of-the-art Medical Unit – Unit 36 at the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary. This unit functions as a “Living Laboratory” – a place for researchers to explore prototypical hospital design, novel approaches to health care delivery, and the use of new and innovative medical technologies. In 2009, after receiving funding to expand its research space, W21C opened the W21C Research and Innovation Centre – an environment that facilitates interdisciplinary health research and is home to the Healthcare Human Factors and Simulation Laboratory. Since opening, W21C has evolved from primarily focusing on in-hospital technology innovations to broader innovation across the continuum of care. This shift includes a focus on policy, user experience and design, human factors, and implementation of ideas, technologies, and processes.  

W21C mission

W21C works with innovators from the health system, academia, industry, public sector, and community. W21C aims to improve the health system by bringing new ideas, prototypes, and products into health care for testing and evaluation. 

What does W21C do?

W21C acts as a research consultancy. Their interdisciplinary research team provides evidence design, implementation, evaluation, feedback and validation services. W21C receives funding from a variety of provincial, national, and international funding bodies, peer-reviewed granting agencies, and industry partners. This funding enables W21C to provide high quality research expertise and infrastructure on a cost-recovery basis, allowing them to deliver evaluation and validation services to support the advancement of health innovation.