Friday was the grand opening of a new translational research facility at Queen’s University’s Biosciences Complex.
The 8000-square foot facility took about five years of planning and construction.
“We wanted to put the basic scientists and the clinicians, all in one facility, to accelerate or catalyze discovery,” said Dr. Stephen Archer, the principal investigator at the Queen’s CardioPulmonary Unit (QCPU).
The unit will be focusing on heart, lungs, blood and vascular research and clinical studies, using the latest in basic science and technology.
For example, in one room is an echocardiogram, which acts like a cardiac ultrasound.
“We can check to see how well the heart is functioning and if the structure of the heart has been changed because of the disease,” explained Amer Johri, a clinician scientist.
The new facility is made possible thanks to $7.7 million in funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science.
“It’s very important that we make sure we support our hospitals, our universities and in particular medical research in the province of Ontario,” said Sophie Kiwala the MPP for Kingston and The Islands.
Housing clinical care and research with the use of cutting-edge technology all under one roof is rare at a national and even international level.
Researchers believe the work done at the new site will once again put Queen’s University on the map using QCPU’S ‘molecules to population’ approach.
Comments