Canada’s Immuno-Engineering and Biomanufacturing Hub (CIEBH) is a new UBC-led national research hub aimed at strengthening Canada’s pandemic preparedness and developing lifesaving new medicines that will transform the health of Canadians.
Objectives
CIEBH has an overarching set of objectives critically required to move the needle on pandemic preparedness at a national scale. These include:
- Enhance pandemic responsiveness through biomedical engineering
- Develop therapies and flexible, nimble biomanufacturing capacity that can be rapidly scaled and address a range of pathogens
- Build a world-class immuno-engineering research and technology hub
- Leverage strong and coordinated governance to create powerful new interdisciplinary synergies
- Develop the next generation of multidisciplinary talent
- Work with government to change regulatory processes necessary for a pandemic response
- Translate research into new policies
- Create new wealth and Canadian health security through innovation
- Attract clinical trials and ensure access to this research and its products for all, including Indigenous, remote, and other equity-deserving populations
This process begins with pathogen discovery, genomic analysis, and population-based modelling and monitoring of the spread of the infectious agent. It requires rapid design of vaccines and therapeutics, development, research in bioprocessing, biomanufacturing, and expedited clinical evaluation of therapeutic agents. Throughout this pipeline, rapid and effective communication will be essential to ensure an optimized response to health threats, including a 100-day response to priority pathogens.