Almost a year since it was founded, Sudbury's Advanced Medical Research Institute of Canada (AMRIC) has looked for inspiration across Ontario to pave a unique path for health research.
Dr. Francisco Diaz-Mitoma, AMRIC's CEO, has grand plans for the new research centre, and hopes Sudbury can mimic what has been achieved with the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute, incorporated in 2007.
“We can have similar success,” Diaz- Mitoma said.
That city attracted more than $50 million in startup funding to launch the institute, and has since attracted a steady stream of research funding, with a strong focus on the commercialization of new medical devices.
“The idea is to take our scientists' research and to translate it into devices that will have an economic impact, but also a health impact,” said Dr. Roxanne Deslauriers, the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute's CEO.
The first medical device to make it past the initial research stage has been the X-ray light valve, a component to make mammography more cost-effective.
Researchers created a new company, called XLV Diagnostics, that is now perfecting the valve and preparing it for the market.
“We anticipate we'll begin distributing this machine in 2015,” said Sorin Marcovici, CEO of XLV Diagnostics.
AMRIC has taken a similar approach. In July, the research institute announced a partnership with a European software company called Elekta to improve a program that helps schedule and treat cancer patients.
The partnership created six jobs and has the potential to create another six. AMRIC researchers have also partnered with not-for-profit organizations, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to develop a nicotine vaccine.
So far, AMRIC has secured $3.7 million in grants for research and created 60 jobs at Health Sciences North, the former Sudbury Regional Hospital.
A top priority is exploring solutions to the most pressing health concerns in Northern Ontario such as cancer, heart disease, obseity and senior care.
AMRIC has faced some roadblocks.
Its research hub currently occupies 12,000 square feet of space in the Northeast Cancer Centre in Sudbury. Diaz-Mitoma wants to expand it to 75,000 square feet.
“Right now we can not do any hiring,” due to limited space.
The first stage of Diaz-Mitoma's plan would be to convert the former elementary school into 20,000 square feet of research space. He has asked for all three levels of government to fund the $15.5-million project.
In early December, Greater Sudbury council approved $1.75 million to help renovate the former school building.
If Diaz-Mitoma can secure funding to renovate the school into a new research facility, he wants to turn his sights to a new standalone building that would have around 53,000 square feet of research space. “We need the new space if we want to continue with the rate we have,” he said.
