FREDERICTON, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ - The Cancer Populomix Institute (CPxI), a new Eastern Canada organization that will do research on the prevention and early detection of cancer, was officially launched today.
CPxI chairman Warren McKenzie announced the launch of the institute joined by Premier Bernard Lord, Dr. Lee Hartwell, president and director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and winner of the Nobel Prize in medicine for 2001.
The institute is the result of a collaborative effort among leading eastern Canadian research institutions, with the goal of substantially enhancing the region’s research capabilities in the critical area of early cancer detection. CPxI has already developed a partnership with the world-renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center of Seattle, Wash. The New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF) provided the first funding to initiate the Institute.
Researchers, government and business leaders joined CPxI’s founding partners UNB, Dalhousie University, University of Moncton, Institut de recherche medicale Beausejour for the announcement. Among those in attendance were: Dr. Gerry Johnston, associate dean of research, faculty of medicine, Dalhousie University; Dr. Rodney Ouellette, CEO and scientific director, Institut de recherche medicale Beausejour; and Dr. Marc E. Surette, professor, Canada research chair, Universite de Moncton.
CPxI is a research organization with the initial intent to: identify and manage resources to support research initiatives; identify opportunities and facilitate interactions among researchers in the region; and develop programs to support collaborative initiatives that draw on our strengths, and facilitate interactions and exchanges with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to build productive collaborations. The institute will be headquartered in Fredericton.
Baby boomers will enter a high-risk age group over the next 20 years, and will have a heavy impact on Atlantic Canada, as age is a major risk factor. The region’s stable population will provide the Cancer Populomix Institute with critical information about molecular keys, or biomarkers, and help to better understand, create diagnostic tests for, and develop strategies in the fight against the disease.
“The most important factor in saving the life of a cancer patient is whether the disease was diagnosed at an early stage before it had spread in the body,” Hartwell said. “There is a new opportunity to develop tests for detecting more cancer earlier, and it is very exciting that Eastern Canada is seizing this opportunity by forming the Cancer Populomix Institute.”
“This is a major step forward,” McKenzie said. “The CPxI will bring together the significant skill of researchers in science, health, medicine, computer science and statistics from institutions throughout the region. This collaborative effort will enhance the ability of the region to participate more fully in research for the prevention, early detection and cure of cancer. These and future partnership opportunities will link CPxI with the international research community, and support innovative research within the Maritimes. The support and personal commitment of our partners from throughout the region has been crucial in the creation of CPxI.”
“We created the NBIF to increase research and development and innovation in New Brunswick,” Lord said. “Today I am very proud to see the NBIF taking a leadership role in drawing together the tremendous research potential of Eastern Canada in this important initiative.”
“Over the past few years, new and innovative technologies have provided researchers with unimaginable insights into diseases such as cancer,” Johnston said. “CPxI represents an unprecedented opportunity to harness this new information and draw together the research strengths within our region for the benefit of all Canadians.”
Starting today, CPxI will work to find solutions to increase the capacity to detect and prevent cancer at its earliest stage, and to contribute to effective treatments.
Cancer Populomix Institute
CONTACT: MEDIA: Brian Cormier, (506) 381-2840; and Chisholm Pothier,Office of the Premier, (506) 444-2286
