1. CIHR Personalized Medicine Initiative
Introduction choices to individual patient characteristics.
The CIHR Institute of Cancer Research, Institute of Genetics, and 3) To foster the development and validation of diagnostics
Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, in partnership based on such biomarkers, targets and genomic signatures, and
with several CIHR institutes, and in close consultation with of innovative devices for the application to patient practice.
provincial and federal funders, are leading a new strategic initiative
in Personalized Medicine. The goal of this initiative is to engage Developing a National Research
biomedical, clinical, population health, health economics, ethics Agenda
and policy researchers, as well as provincial health authorities, in The proposed initiative will build on significant Canadian
an undertaking to identify health care burdens in disease that are strengths in discovery research, clinical trials, biomarkers, and
suitable for a personalized medicine approach. This initiative will nanotechnology. It will also build on Canada’s strong existing
ultimately support translational research for the effective infrastructure, including genome centers, large-scale cohort
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. studies, and tissue/tumor/serum banks. This initiative will
engage provincial health authorities, multiple funding parties,
Scope of Personalized Medicine clinicians and researchers to develop a personalized medicine
Personalized medicine promises to transform the delivery of pipeline to enable effective policy leading to preventative
healthcare to patients. Healthcare will evolve from a reactive “one- interventions as well as molecular, evidence-based medicine
size-fits-all” system towards a system of predictive, preventive, to the health care system.
and precision care. Personalized medicine will not only focus on
the identification of Partnerships
biomarkers and This personalized medicine initiative will interface with
genetic signatures CIHR’s Strategy on Patient-Oriented Research, as well as with
for prevention and other existing and developing CIHR initiatives. We are
prediction of working in close collaboration with provincial and federal
therapeutic response, funders to develop a coordinated approach. Workshops
but will also enhance scheduled for 2011 will engage provincial health authorities,
awareness about Health Canada, voluntary health organizations, researchers in
lifestyle and biomedical, clinical, health services, and policy research,
preventive lifestyle provincial funders, and others, to foster a dialogue on a
changes. Areas in national health research agenda that will address pressing
which personalized priorities relevant to personalized medicine. The aim of these
approaches are workshops is to identify gaps and priorities in personalized
particularly medicine and to develop a national framework for
promising include oncology, cardiovascular diseases, personalized medicine. We also hope to engage other potential
neurodegenerative diseases, psychiatric disorders, diabetes and partners and seek their expertise to further enhance this
obesity, arthritis, pain, and Alzheimer’s disease. In all of these initiative.
fields, and others, a personalized molecular medicine approach is
expected to lead to better health outcomes, improved treatments, Contact Information
and reduction in toxicity due to variable or adverse drug responses. Dr. Morag Park / Dr. Inga Murawski
CIHR Institute of Cancer Research
Objectives Dr. Paul Lasko / Ms. Stephanie Robertson
The specific objectives of the Personalized Medicine Initiative are: CIHR Institute Genetics
1) To develop an evidence base on how to assess and, where Dr. Robyn Tamblyn / Ms. Maude Ruest Archambault
appropriate, integrate innovative diagnostics (including laboratory CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
diagnostics and medical imaging) into health policy and practice. 160 Elgin Street, 9th Floor, Address Locator 4809A
2) To stimulate the discovery, validation, and translation of Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9 Canada
biomarkers, targets and genomic signatures for risk prevention and Tel: 514-398-2981
for diseases, which have the potential to improve the outcomes of inga.murawski@mcgill.ca
therapeutic interventions by selecting tailoring of treatment www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca