A group of Vancouver scientists will join a team of European researchers in examining how the human genome behaves in various diseases.
Dr. Elizabeth M. Simpson, senior scientist at the Child and Family Research Institute, will lead the CanEuCre team of Canadian scientists. Simpson is best known for her research into brain disorders.
The Canadian team is made of 20 scientists from Vancouver. They will be researching the genome of mice. That research will provide the basis for further research into possible genomic factors in human disorders of the brain, eye and spinal cord – Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, for example.
"This is a 'tools' project," Simpson said in a news release. "It will put in the hands of scientists worldwide the tools needed to explore what every gene in the genome does, both under normal circumstances, and when diseased."
European funding partners will contribute 12 million Euros to the project; Genome BC is contributing $2 million.
Nelson Bennett