Bench to Bedside Institute Hosts Inaugural Research Symposium at the Ontario Veterinary College

On June 6, 2023, the Bench to Bedside Institute for Translational Health Research and Innovation at the Ontario Veterinary College hosted its first Translational Health Research Symposium: Addressing the Translational Gap to celebrate the launch of the institute. 

The inaugural event brought together veterinary and human health researchers, clinicians, industry experts, policymakers, and patient care advocates with a common goal of accelerating the therapy development pipeline for naturally occurring diseases that affect both humans and animals. The University of Guelph researchers who spoke at the event represented research initiatives in their respective fields, including cancer, epidemiology, neurological disease, and regenerative medicine. 

Facilitating Collaboration Between Veterinary and Human Health Researchers 

Dr. Jim Petrik, co-director of the Bench to Bedside Institute welcomed guests and speakers to the symposium and was then followed by introductory remarks from Dr. Shayan Sharif, Professor and Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies, OVC; MP Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament for Guelph; Dr. Malcolm Campbell, Vice President (Research), U of G; Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) McGregor CM, Member of the Order of Canada; and Dr. Howard Dobson, Professor Emeritus, Department of Clinical Studies, OVC. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The overarching theme of the symposium focused on the need for closer collaboration between veterinary and human health researchers to expand the range of animal models currently used in clinical trials and the need to work closely with industry partners to bring this research into the therapy development pipeline sooner.

The presenters expressed confidence in U of G’s long history of mobilizing knowledge from the academy out into the world at large to build momentum for the largely untapped potential of translational health research.

Several presenters shared personal stories of how a life-changing disease impacted their lives and the lives of their family members, reminding attendees of the universal experience of being affected by a disease that could be better understood through translational health research. 

Watch the introductory remarks from the Translational Health Research Symposium on YouTube.

Research Presentations 

Four U of G researchers currently engaged in translational research shared how their work may become intertwined and further facilitated by the Bench to Bedside Institute. 

• Dr. Geoffrey Wood, Associate Professor in the Department of Pathobiology at OVC and co-director of the Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation (ICCI) presented an overview of cancer research currently underway at U of G.  

• Dr. Lauren Grant, Assistant Professor of Environmental and Public Health in the Department of Population Medicine at OVC spoke about how epidemiology dovetails into translational research by bringing together health, social, and environmental data points from animal and human populations.  

• Dr. Fiona James, Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Studies at OVC spoke about neurodegenerative diseases that affect both humans and companion animals and the instrumental role of the Bench to Bedside Institute in progressing the clinical research program in comparative epilepsy.  

• Dr. Matthew Vickaryous, Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at OVC spoke about using leopard geckos as a unique translational research model for developing novel regenerative health therapies. 

• Charly McKenna, Research Manager of Clinical Trials in the Department of Clinical Studies at OVC spoke about the clinical trials that are currently underway at OVC’s Health Sciences Centre.  

Watch the full presentations from U of G researchers on YouTube.

Panel Discussion: Addressing the Translational Gap 

To close the symposium, a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Howard Dobson, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Clinical Studies at OVC, addressed the current challenges in therapy success rates and how a translational approach, including training, collaboration, and industry partnerships can help close the gap.  

The expert panel comprised of: 

• Dr. Betsy McGregor CM, Member of the Order of Canada 

• The Honorable Deb Schulte, Former Member of Parliament for King-Vaughan and Minister of Seniors 

• Dr. Sarah Lepage, Manager of Training Programs at OmniaBio (a subsidiary of CCRM) and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at OVC 

• Scott Woodrow, CEO of ABC Intelligence Inc.

• Dr. Michelle Oblak, Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Studies at OVC and co-director of the Bench to Bedside Institute 

• Dr. Trevor Shepherd, Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Western Ontario

Watch the full panel discussion on YouTube. 

To learn more about the Bench to Bedside Institute for Translational Health Research and Innovation, visit benchtobedside.uoguelph.ca.