New centre moves innovations from lab to clinic

The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry awarded a new Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research grant of $13.3 million to The Centre for Imaging Technology Commercialization and Research, a collaboration between Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI) and the University of Western Ontario, aimed at helping researchers and small companies commercialize medical imaging and digital pathology innovations in Canada.

"Our ultimate goal is to move ideas and inventions from the lab to the clinic to further support the health care community and to benefit patients," says Dr. Martin Yaffe, who is collaborating with lead Dr. Aaron Fenster for the new centre.

The grant of $13.3 million to the centre is part of an overall $61.1 million investment over five years awarded by the federal government to five new Centres of Excellence for Commercialization Research to fast-track innovations from the lab to the marketplace and to support economic growth.

This centre will facilitate and expedite the translation of medical imaging and digital pathology developments for commercial and clinical use in Canada that will lead to the improved understanding, diagnosis and treatment of disease.