Career Spotlight

genome Canada launches competition

in bioinformatics and computational biology

Genome Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) have launched a new competition they hope will lead to new technologies that will help researchers better understand the biology of living things.

The idea behind the competition says Genome Canada is to create the next generation of tools needed to deal with the massive and ongoing influx of data from ‘omics research’, in particular large-scale sequencing projects. The focus of the competition will be on bioinformatics and computational biology. Specifically, bioinformatics expands the use of genomics data through the research, development or application of computational tools and approaches. It enables better ways to acquire, store, organize, archive, analyze and visualize data. Computational biology helps make sense of genomics data through computational analysis, modelling, and prediction.

Competition applications are expected to propose new approaches to data analysis and data interpretation in the area of genomics, including development of software tools and algorithms. Of particular interest will be proposals addressing problems associated with current data handling and analysis and proposals addressing challenges arising from handling and analysis of data emerging from new technologies. Pierre Meulien, president and CEO, Genome Canada explains, “The genomics research community has an urgent need for efficient computational tools to collect and analyze data. Genome Canada has made it a priority to invest in this area so that key economic sectors from forestry to fisheries, agriculture to environment, energy to mining and human health have the ability to reap the full value of genomics research.”

The competition is backed by $5 million in funding from Genome Canada and $1.25 million from CIHR. Of this, $4 million will support large-scale projects by multi-disciplinary teams to develop robust, user-friendly tools needed by the genomics research community. As well, $2.25 million will support small-scale projects by individuals or groups to propose innovative ideas with the potential for significant impact. CIHR’s funding preference will be in support of the smaller scale projects. The projects, in collaboration with Canada’s six regional Genome Centres, are expected to secure an additional $4 million in co-funding for the large-scale applied projects.

Career sPoTlighT

Bio-economy Career Profile

Compiled by BioTalent Canada

Position: Executive Director of Research Name: Dr. Grant Pierce Company: St. Boniface Research Centre Salary Range: $100,000 and up per year

What I do:

My job is to coordinate research activities for the St. Boniface Research Centre and direct research activities for my own laboratory. My day-to-day activities include dealing with issues directly related to the operation of the Research Centre. I review and write grant applications, review data from the laboratory, and advise students and technicians on their research. I prepare and write articles for scientific and medical journals. I am the Chair of the Scientific Review Committee for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, which adds another interesting element. Travel is about 25 per cent of my time and becoming ever more important. The majority of travel is in Canada and the U.S., and I have the opportunity to travel to more exotic locations, like Turkey. I present keynote speeches for conferences, announcing the research in which the St. Boniface Research Centre is involved.

What education and skills do candidates need for this position?

A Ph.D. or an MD degree is required with managerial experience. Experience in clinical trial and scientific research is also required. Experiences nationally and internationally are assets in this position. An Executive Director of Research needs to be a visionary and look at the big picture. Essential skills include the ability to manage projects, people, and finances. People in this role should have organizational skills and patience, and a strong personality to act as a leader of a team. You must be part of a larger team, being a team player while communicating direction to the whole. One needs a great amount of energy to take a position such as this, as the hours can be long.

What are the best parts of your job?

The best thing about the job is the opportunity to influence more lives than any other occupation. Research into diseases such as cancer could influence millions of people and generations to come. It is an incredibly exciting field, and there is also the opportunity for great flexibility and to achieve great wealth for you and your research centre by creating intellectual property through research.

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