Published by Ontario Veterinary College (519) 824-4120, Ext. 54401

September 25, 2006

Celebration marks completion of $27-million infrastructure project

New research and laboratory facilities at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) are making it easier to attract, and keep, top-notch researchers.
On Monday, Oct. 2, OVC will celebrate completion of the final phase in the development of the Institute for Animal-Human Links in Health Science Research. Approximately $27.5 million has been invested in the project over the past five years.
“The amount of translational biomedical research we’re doing, and the quality of research that we’re doing, has stepped up enormously. And it’s only just beginning,” said Dr. John Leatherland, the former chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences who played a key role in steering the project from conception to completion.
The graduate program in the Department of Biomedical Sciences has grown by 25 per cent in the last year alone, in large part due to the new facilities and equipment.
“Now we can apply for research grants that we couldn’t have in the past, to do work that we would not have been able to do before,” he said.
The institute builds upon the unique strengths of OVC, which already has strong links with five Ontario medical schools. By studying naturally occurring diseases such as arthritis and cancer in a variety of animal species, scientists hope to develop more effective treatments and cures for the same illnesses in humans.
Facilities include two research laboratory complexes on the third floor and ground level of the main OVC building, a surgical-diagnostic laboratory linked to the MRI unit, and specialized animal holding facilities.
The project was funded with grants of $11-million each from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and Ontario Innovation Trust (OIT), with the balance invested by the University of Guelph and the OVC Pet Trust Fund.
Leatherland said U of G is now very well-positioned to be on the leading edge of proteomics — the study of proteins at the molecular level — which after sequencing the genome is the next, and likely more difficult, phase of understanding cellular biochemistry and the mechanisms of disease.
The institute’s Reproductive Biotechnology Laboratory is on the leading edge of stem cell research.
Guelph is also becoming a hub for neuroscience research under the leadership of current Biomedical Sciences chair Dr. Neil MacLusky.
In addition, OVC and Pet Trust have embarked on a campaign to create a new cancer centre for animals, an endeavour that would not have been possible without the foundation laid by the CFI and OIT grants.
“The facilities have been developed to improve the health of many species, and will support the work of scientists in a variety of disciplines for years to come,” said Dr. Elizabeth Stone, OVC dean. “We are grateful to all the funding partners who made this project possible. Their tremendous support is a tribute to the excellence our faculty, staff and students.”
OVC will mark the completion of the Institute for Animal-Human Links in Health Science Research with a celebration on Oct. 2 beginning at 1 p.m. in the Lifetime Learning Centre. The program includes guest speakers and tours followed by a reception at 4 p.m.