MSL researchers awarded BC Knowledge Development Funds

Announced today, Drs. Marco Marra (Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Medical Genetics) and Marco Todesco (Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Botany, UBCO Department of Biology) have been awarded grants through the British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF). Their projects are among over 70 successfully funded projects at UBC, which have received a total of over $15 million.

BCKDF awards aim to foster innovation across a broad range of institutions in BC by providing funds to attract skilled researchers and technicians, as well as develop scientific infrastructure. Funds are provided in partnership with other funding bodies such as the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and other partners.

Projects funded:

Dr. Marco Marra

Multi-omic Analysis of Treatment Resistance and Cancer Heterogeneity (MATCH) led by Dr. Marco Marra

• BCKDF contribution: $600,000

“Cancer affects most of us, directly or indirectly, and is a major cause of harm and death in our country. Our ambition is to understand why cancer treatments do not work in many people, why cancers return after appearing to respond to treatments, and how to more directly attack cancers so they never come back. Genomics is ideally suited to our research and to many applications in cancer care, and investments in genomics have consistently yielded new insights in both research and care settings, with more to come. I’m deeply grateful to the BC Government for supporting our fight against cancer and for sharing our goal of working towards a future of precision cancer medicine.” – Dr. Marra

Dr. Marco Todesco

Plant Diversity, Adaptation and Bioengineering (PDAB lab) led by Dr. Marco Todesco.

• BCKDF contribution: $200,000

“We are grateful to the BCKDF for supporting our research on plant diversity and crop improvement. The genomics and molecular biology infrastructure provided by this BCKDF grant will help us identify the genes that allow plants to adapt to different (and changing) climates and stresses in nature. This knowledge will enable the generation of crops that are more productive, more resistant, and more sustainable, supporting BC agriculture and helping tackle the challenges of climate change and food security in BC, Canada, and globally.” – Dr. Todesco

Dr. Anna Blakney

Through the BCKDF and additional funding sources, Canada’s Immuno-Engineering and Biomanufacturing Hub (CIEBH) has also received funding across four of their projects to support the acceleration of drug development. One of these projects is co-led by Dr. Anna Blakney (Michael Smith Laboratories, School of Biomedical Engineering).

• Project: AVENGER: Advanced LNP RNA Vaccines Engineered with Next-Generation designs to Enhance Pandemic Readiness
• Lead Researchers: Pieter Cullis (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), Anna Blakney
• BCKDF contribution: $3.45 million

Congratulations to Drs. Marra, Todesco and Blakney for the successful funding of these important research initiatives.

Quick links:

• Learn more about the BCKDF support announced for UBC projects
• Read the press release from the Government of BC announcing funds to boost health emergency readiness and life-sciences jobs