Genome Canada seeking renewed funding to strengthen applications-based research and pursue international partnerships

As the new president and CEO of Genome Canada, Marc LePage finds himself back in the same office he occupied 14 years ago when he was executive VP of the then fledging research agency. This time around, LePage is at the helm of a much larger, more sophisticated organization that has been instrumental in vaulting Canada back into the rapidly evolving field of genomics and proteomics. As president, he's seeking new federal support to extend its reach into priority sectors of the economy.

With its current funding fully committed, Genome Canada has submitted a detailed proposal to leverage its network of strong, stable research teams to pursue applications-based R&D at the national and international level.

"Our Budget ask is in keeping with our status as a major scientific power in genomics. We're second tier after the US … The real competition is outside Canada so we need to find things that are globally competitive," says LePage, who was recruited from Genome Quebec where he served a four-year term as president and CEO. "There are more international projects now and we have more to bring to the big programs than when we started."

LePage says there's been a remarkable maturation of the "science of the genome" since he left the organization in 2005 to take up senior government posts in San Francisco and Washington. The long-term plan for taking genomics to the application stage in Canada and elsewhere is now a reality and the potential for Canada to take on an increasingly meaningful role is recognized globally.

Canada's status in genomics is due in no small part to LePage's predecessor, Dr Pierre Meulien, who held the top positions until departing last year to head up the Innovative Medicines Initiative in Brussels (R$, July 13/15). During his five-year term, Meulien executed Genome Canada's sector-based strategy while maintaining support for fundamental research — a strategy he first helped to implement while serving as chief scientific officer at Genome British Columbia (R$, July 13/15).

Dr Martin Godbout — Genome Canada's first president and CEO and currently chair and interim president and CEO at Genome Quebec — describes Meulien as a visionary for branching out into sector-based applications projects and engaging industry as genomics enters an "inflection year" in 2016.

"We need to re-brand what genomics research is right now … We're looking for applications, not genomes," says Godbout, adding that Genome Canada and the regional centres need to re-focus on large projects and re-engage with major international partners while leaving smaller projects to the granting councils. "The money was not there for this in recent years. We need an envelope to have Canada as leading a consortium, not just participating," says Godbout. "Can Canada be number one in certain niches? Absolutely. There are several where Canada could and should lead."

But Godbout says Meulien's increase of Genome Canada leverage from 1:1 to 1:2 needs to be articulated and gauged according to the type of project being proposed.

"I would go back to one-to-one or one-to-one-and-a-half in certain cases," says Godbout. "It's a judgement call and should not be a policy. Every organization is asking for co-funding so a little fatigue is setting in."

LePage agrees, adding that a 1:2 leverage for basic research projects needs to be examined closely to determine whether it's appropriate.

"If you go too far down that road, it pushes you to work only with big multinationals and becomes self-defeating to promote innovation in your own country," says LePage. "It's better to engage a company and be comfortable with the technology than to maximize your leverage."

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