When it became clear Sunnybrook had the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the country, Dr. Samira Mubareka (pictured above) knew she would have to think quickly and creatively. The infectious diseases physician and microbiologist was eager to gain a better understanding of the virus causing COVID-19.
Swabs were collected that enabled Dr. Mubareka and her colleagues from McMaster University and University of Toronto to quickly get to work replicating the virus in a high containment lab.
To continue working around the clock, she even offered one of her colleagues a spare room in her family home to avoid his lengthy commute.
It’s a move that paid off. Within a matter of weeks, the team was able to isolate the virus that causes COVID-19.
It’s an accomplishment that is helping researchers in Canada and across the world in the race to develop better diagnostic testing, treatments and vaccines.
It’s also a feat that enabled the launch of a team of top infectious diseases experts dedicated exclusively to COVID-19 research. The Sunnybrook Translational Research Group for Emerging and Respiratory Viruses (SERV) was established in March 2020, shortly after the virus was isolated, with a $1-million investment from QuestCap Inc. and an overwhelming number of gifts from across our community.
“Early support showed donors believed in us and the work we are doing. Donors made all the difference,” says Dr. Mubareka.
Thanks to continued donor generosity, Dr. Mubareka’s team has been hard at work, and early results are promising across all three areas of SERV’s research:
Preventing spread
SERV has launched a simulation study to better understand how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spreads in the environment. Results of the study will help hospitals care for COVID-19 patients while protecting front-line staff. Learn more here.
Finding treatments
SERV has ramped up research in a Level 3 containment lab, which is a high-security area located at the University of Toronto designed to study viruses. Thanks to donor support, the team is actively screening anti-viral drugs in cells, and work is underway to begin preclinical studies so the team can start testing drugs and vaccines.
Understanding the virus
SERV’s donor-funded work to sequence the virus’s genetic code has brought Sunnybrook’s genomics research into the spotlight internationally. The ability to genetically sequence large amounts of SARS-CoV-2 samples rapidly will paint a picture of how the virus is transmitted. With this information in hand, we can create predictive modeling to support policy makers in life-saving public health decisions.
