Western University used World AIDS Day to unveil plans for a state-of-the-art facility that will "which will firmly place its researchers on the cutting-edge of medicine, science and technology in the study of HIV and other complex human pathogens"
Officials announced Monday that the Imaging Pathogens for Knowledge Translation Facility at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry will couple imaging technology with what the University calls a world class biocontainment facility.
Researchers will be able to study interactions between pathogens and their hosts, allowing for the development of new treatements of infectious diseases.
"World AIDS Day provides the perfect backdrop for this announcement," said Dr. Michael J. Strong, Dean, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. "This facility will allow us to build on our already strong foundation in HIV/AIDS research, so that we can bring our work in areas such as vaccine development and personalized medicine to the next level."
The facility is set to open next fall.
It's expected to draw world-class scientists to London and act as a training ground for new scientists in Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology, Public Health and Clinical Infectious Diseases.
"This provides support for many HIV-related pathogens, but also hospital-acquired infections like MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). This facility will not only engage in basic research but it will also be a focal point for patient treatment monitoring, new vaccine developments and new drug discovery," said Eric Arts, chair of the Schulich school's Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
