UCalgary launches Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics

Calgary, AB – University of Calgary’s Faculty of Science has partnered with PrairiesCan and DynaLIFE Medical Labs to launch the Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics (ACAD) – a new hub in the global push to advance diagnostic technology for healthcare. Diagnostic technology plays a role in 70 per cent of medical treatment decisions and better tools can help improve patient health. Despite this, many frontline diagnostics rely on outdated technology. To address this, the University of Calgary, PrairiesCan, Genome Canada and the Canada Foundation for Innovation have invested $14.6 million to establish a new research and testing centre. Additional funding and support for ACAD is made possible by Alberta Innovates, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Alberta Precision Laboratories. In addition to fast-tracking new technology, ACAD will also spur the growth of Alberta’s health technology sector and help accelerate the adoption of new life-saving technology.

Great communities are anchored by great research universities, and investing in research and innovation is the foundation of attracting global investment and supporting local economies. With this investment, ACAD will equip Alberta to compete in the global diagnostics market.

Dr. William Ghali, vice-president (research), UCalgary

ACAD is a fully integrated ecosystem containing the laboratory spaces, advanced instrumentation and network of partnerships needed to transition diagnostic concepts from prototypes into real-world tools that can be deployed across Alberta and beyond. Although ACAD will support a wide range of diagnostic projects, it has been specifically designed around the unique challenges inherent to detecting infections—one of the fastest-growing segments of the diagnostic market and a critical element of national pandemic readiness.

Investing in the development of new medical diagnostic technologies is the right thing to do for the health and well-being of Albertans, and the smart thing to do for our economy. Our government’s investment in the Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics will support jobs and growth in Alberta’s life sciences sector by enabling companies to more quickly test, validate and get their products to market.

The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan

New tools face major cost, time and logistical barriers to commercialization that place small companies at a serious disadvantage when competing against large multinationals.

Today’s launch of the Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics further cements the University of Calgary’s leadership in supporting innovators and entrepreneurs to bring Alberta-made technologies to the global market. I’m proud that our government is investing in the growth and competitiveness of Alberta’s medical diagnostic sector, which will create quality jobs for Calgarians and help create a resilient economy for years to come.

George Chahal, Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview

ACAD leverages Alberta’s consolidated healthcare system to drastically accelerate the research and development pipeline and give Alberta-based companies a significant edge in this rapidly growing market. ACAD will connect early-stage innovators with the facilities, equipment and healthcare contacts needed to prototype new diagnostics and evaluate them against established tools, while reducing both the time and cost needed to commercialize prototypes.

ACAD’s fully integrated ecosystem contains the key infrastructure and partnerships needed to prototype and validate new diagnostic tools and connect them with Alberta’s end users. It’s a privilege to help advance Alberta’s diagnostic industry.

Jason Pincock, CEO, DynaLIFE Medical Labs

Located in the Faculty of Science at UCalgary, ACAD enables the launch of new training programs, industry internships, research scholarships and fellowships, and training tools. Its resources include extensive fabrication and analytical resources; laboratory space for performance trials; feedback from Alberta’s healthcare end-users; and a path to pan-Alberta implementation and potentially global uptake – all critical components to shorten the time and expense required to bring diagnostic technology to market.  

UCalgary’s commitment to research excellence and entrepreneurial thinking aligns well with the goals of Alberta Innovates, Genome Canada, PrairiesCan and industry partners like Thermo Fisher Scientific and DynaLIFE Medical Labs. We thank all of ACAD’s partners for their generous support.

Dr. Ian Lewis, Director of ACAD, associate professor and translational health chair in metabolomics, faculty of science, UCalgary

To learn more about ACAD, visit: www.albertadiagnostics.ca

Media inquiries

Michelle Crossland
Senior Communications Specialist
Media & Issues Management
403-975-5832
michelle.crossland@ucalgary.ca

About the University of Calgary
UCalgary is Canada’s entrepreneurial university, located in Canada’s most enterprising city. It is a top-five research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 35,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada’s leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary.

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