Genome Canada - Genomics on the Hill

OTTAWA, December 2011

Senators, MPs and scientists from across the country met on Parliament Hill to discuss scientific developments funded by Genome Canada. Some topics included rare pediatric diseases, the health of fish and livestock, and scientific advances in agriculture and environment. Conservative MP Mike Lake, whose son Jaden is diagnosed as autistic, spoke about the impact of genomics research on his family. Similarly, the O’Connor family shared their story of two sons with a rare pediatric disease known as D-bifunctional protein deficiency.

View the event videos

From left, Brian Barber of the Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resources BC, with Sally Aitken of the University of British Columbia, and leader of the Adaptree research project.
From left, Christopher McMaster of Dalhousie University and leader of the IGNITE project on orphan diseases, with Terah Sawler and her mother Cathy Sawler.
From left, Garth Patterson of Western Grains Research Foundation, and Chris Barker of Genome Prairie, manager of the CTAG project.
Julia Foght of the University of Alberta explaining the details of her research on metagenomics.
Lorne Hepworth, President of CropLife Canada.
Dr. Phillip Awadalla, Director of the CARTaGENE Biobank project of Quebec.
From left, Peter Phillips of the University of Saskatchewan, and leader of the VALGEN project, speaking with Mike Spear of Genome Alberta.
Genome Canada president Pierre Meulien, welcoming attendees to the event.
Willie Davidson of Simon Fraser University, and leader of the cGRASP research project.
From left, Dr. Thomas Caskey, Chair of Genome Canada’s Board of Directors, and Graham Plastow of the University of Alberta and leader of the Swine Health and Welfare research project.
Conservative MP Ray Boughen
From left, Franz Lang of the University of Montreal, Dr. Kym Boycott of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Kathy and Kevin O’Connor.
Senator Kelvin Kenneth Ogilvie welcomes scientists, MPs and fellow senators to the Genomics on the Hill event held on Parliament Hill in December 2011.
From left, Jaden Lake, Conservative MP Mike Lake, Genome Canada Chair Thomas Caskey, Kathy O’Connor, Senator Kelvin Kenneth Ogilvie, and Genome Canada President Pierre Meulien.
From left, Dr. Kym Boycott of Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, and Conservative MP Cheryl Gallant, with Kevin and Kathy O’Connor.
From left, Sylvie Clément, Alice Comeau-Butler, and Senator Kelvin Kenneth Ogilvie.