Montréal, February 28, 2025 – Génome Québec is pleased to announce today the 12 research teams from seven Québec universities that have been awarded major funding in genomics. The total investment, including contribution from public-private partners, represents over $4.4 million as part of the fourth cycle of the Genomics Integration Program – Human Health.
This collaboration between researchers and public-private sector stakeholders directly addresses the challenges in healthcare by harnessing the advancements in genomics, both to accelerate and enhance the development of faster, more accurate tests and integrate genomic medicine into clinical practice. The diversity of these projects testifies the excellence of research in Québec, and offers concrete solutions for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of various pathologies such as cancer, rare diseases and neurological and psychiatric disorders.
“Genomics plays a key role in the future of healthcare. Through these projects, we are investing in research and innovation, to deliver more precise, patient-centered solutions. This support enables the research community to explore new approaches which, in the long term, could have a direct impact on the quality of care and the overall health of the population.”
- Stéphanie Lord-Fontaine, Vice-President of Scientific Affairs at Génome Québec
Congratulations to the recipients
- Luigi Bouchard from Université de Sherbrooke in partnership with the CIUSSS du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean – Precision genetic screening for populations: A proof of concept applied to people from the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Charlevoix and Haute-Côte-Nord
- Alexandre Bureau from Université Laval in partnership with the CIUSSS de la Capitale-National – Rare mutations and early detection of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and recurrent major depression
- Thomas Durcan from McGill University in partnership with Simmunome Inc. – Integration of patient transcriptomic data into an in silico model for the discovery of therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Humphrey Fonge from Université Laval in partnership with Molecular Targeting Technologies Inc. – Enhancing immunotherapy in small cell lung cancer with a therapeutic radiopharmaceutical
- Simon Girard from Université du Québec à Chicoutimi in partnership with the CIUSSS du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean – Pre-diagnostic genetic and genealogical analysis of rare diseases in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region
- Steven Kembel and Nicolas Pilon from Université du Québec à Montréal in partnership with Neurenati Therapeutics Inc. – Using genomics to identify microbes that improve treatment efficacy for Hirschsprung disease
- Sandra Isabel from Université Laval in partnership with OPTILAB Capitale-Nationale – Blood liquid biopsy to identify the microbes causing complicated pneumonia
- Sébastien Lévesque from Université de Sherbrooke in partnership with the CIUSSS de l’Estrie – Non-Invasive Prenatal Genomic Test (NIPGT) for Severe Monogenic Diseases in the Fetus
- Natalie Mathews, Vincent-Philippe Lavallée and Tiago Nava from Université de Montréal in partnership with OPTILAB CHU Sainte-Justine – ARGUS Study: A Comprehensive Multilayer Approach to Investigate Genetic Causes of Inherited Hemostatic and Thrombotic Disorders
- Steve Shih from Concordia University in partnership with DropGenie – Advancing cellular therapies through high-throughput tri-drop transfection with microfluidics
- Dominique Trudel, Arielle Elkrief, Réjean Lapointe and Anne-Marie Mes-Masson from Université de Montréal in partnership with OPTILAB CHUM – Putting Together the Puzzle Pieces: A Path to Precision Medicine
- Funded in partnership with the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation: Mathias Cavaillé, Jacques Simard and Arnaud Droit from Université Laval in partnership with OPTILAB – Capitale Nationale and Illumina Canada – Integration of the polygenic risk score in the management of women at moderate genetic or familial risk of breast cancer
What is the Genomics Integration Program – Human Health?
This program provides funding for projects ranging from $100,000 to $400,000, covering half of the cost of partnerships between academic researchers and user partners who can implement or commercialize research results. The funds invested will be used to establish a proof-of-concept that could be used to obtain subsequent funding, or to integrate the results of the proof-of-concept by the user partner at the end of the project. Finally, projects must be related to human health and include an aspect of omics technology, for example, the development of new omics technologies, the exploitation of omics data by artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, synthetic biology, the validation of therapeutic targets or biomarkers identified through genomics, etc.
About Génome Québec
Génome Québec’s mission is to catalyze the development and excellence of genomics research and promote its integration and democratization. It is a pillar of the Québec bioeconomy and contributes to Québec’s influence and its social and sustainable development. The funds invested by Génome Québec are provided by the ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie du Québec (MEIE), the government of Canada, through Genome Canada, and private partners. To learn more, visit www.genomequebec.com.
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Contact
Antoine Gascon
Specialist, Communications and digital media
Génome Québec
514 377-5613
agascon@genomequebec.com