The Value of Networking in Allergy & Asthma Research

Judah A. Denburg, MD, FRCP(C)Scientific Director and CEO

The Allergy Genes and Environment NetworkGenes & the Environment : The Genesis of

Allergy and Asthma WorkshopMarch 1-3, 2009, Vancouver, BC

Networks of Centres of ExcellenceMission

Mobilize Canada’s research talent

in the academic, private and public

sectors and apply it to developing

the economy and improving the

quality of life of Canadians

Why Canada Built Networks

Vast country

Dispersed institutions

Link strengths

Create critical mass

MicronetMicronet

CANVACCANVAC

AllerGenAllerGenHEALNetHEALNet

SFMSFMPENCEPENCE

Wood-PulpsWood-Pulps

MITACSMITACS

CITRCITR

CBDNCBDN

AquaNetAquaNet

GEOIDEGEOIDECIPICIPI

CGDNCGDN

TL•NCETL•NCE

IRISIRISCSNCSNCANCAN

ISISISIS

Auto21 Auto21 CLLRnetCLLRnetStemNetStemNetCWNCWN

Innovation from cell to society

Federal S&T Strategy

• The Knowledge Advantage

• The People Advantage

• The Entrepreneurial Advantage

Innovation from cell to society

Strategic Positioning of Network Investments

Innovation from cell to society

Innovation from cell to society

Need for AllerGen NCE • Increase in allergic diseases, including asthma,

prevalence: the “Atopic March”

• ~40% of Canadians suffer from allergies

• 1 in 12 Canadians have asthma – chronic

• Allergy and asthma are major policy and public health issues in Canada

• Research and development focused on impact in partnership with industry, healthcare, policy and not-for-profit sectors

Innovation from cell to society

AllerGen’s VISION

To create an enduring network of allergy

and immune disease experts whose

discovery and development efforts contribute

to reductions in the impact of allergic and

related immune diseases nationally and

globally.

Innovation from cell to society

AllerGen’s MISSION

To catalyze and support discovery, development, networking, capacity building, commercialization and knowledge translation that contribute to reducing the morbidity, mortality and socio-economic burden of allergic and related immune diseases.

Networking:Making the connection

• 30 academic institutions

• 28 research institutes

• 200 scientists

• 300 trainees

• 8 global foci

• 7 provinces

Innovation from cell to society

Six Key Accomplishments

• Clinical Investigator Collaborative (CIC)

• Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study

• Genomics and genetics research

• Food allergy research programme

• New training opportunities & partnerships

• International leadership (IPI programme)

Innovation from cell to society

Integrated Programmatic Research Structure

Innovation from cell to society

Integrated Programmatic Research Structure

2007-2012

CHILD CIC

Biomarkers/GeneticsFood Allergy

Mind-Body InteractionsEnvironmental ExposuresPublic Policy, Ethics & Law

Occupational and Work-relatedallergy & asthma

Innovation from cell to society

Networking and Partnerships Progress

• >250 partner organizations• AllerGen leveraging of partner

cash and in-kind contributions exceeds 1:1 target by >100% (2008)

Innovation from cell to society

International Partnership Initiatives

• 5 new international partnerships facilitated by an NCE/IDRC pilot grant 2007-9– GA2LEN (Belgium/EU)– IUALTD (France/ El Salvador/Mexico)– Karolinska Institute (Sweden)– St. John’s Institute (India)– WHO/GARD/ARIA (Montpelier/Geneva)

• New, emerging international collaborations: Europe (GABRIEL), Germany (Humboldt/Helmholtz), Taiwan, China, Israel, USA

Building new relationships industry government academia not-for-profit healthcare

A network of people

“Research is to see what everybody has seen

and to think what nobody has thought."

Albert Szent-Györgyi, 1937 Nobel Prize Winner, Physiology/ Medicine