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PRECISE: Prepare, REact, Collect, Innovate, Share and Engage Diagnostic Platform

Image courtesy of Edward Jenner.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted significant gaps in Canada’s diagnostics and testing infrastructure. The Prepare, REact, Collect, Innovate, Share and Engage (PRECISE) initiative is a multi-institution, multi-disciplinary partnership that will establish a robust diagnostic pipeline that can be rapidly deployed in the event of another pandemic. PRECISE brings together over 50 leaders from across health sciences, including infectious diseases, immunology, microbiology, molecular diagnostics, social sciences, public health and both private and non-profit spheres into a unified network capable of responding to both current and emerging infectious threats facing Canadians.

PRECISE will be a multidisciplinary network built on four key domains:

  1. Clinical Domain: Rapid detection of currently endemic and emerging pathogens/diseases in our communities.
  2. Host and Pathogen Domain: Identification of novel pathogens and their variants, along with an understanding of the downstream host response in infected individuals.
  3. Cross-cutting Diagnostics Domain: Integration of clinical samples and host-pathogen data to accelerate the development and validation of diagnostic tests and assays.
  4. Engagement Domain: Collaboration among knowledge users, including policymakers, clinicians, scientists, industry, and local communities, to foster national and international engagement, ensuring Canada’s appropriate representation in the global health space.

PRECISE will build and test its diagnostics platform using exemplar pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, mpox, and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). A Steering Committee, chaired by Dr. Allison McGeer (University of Toronto) and composed of members from various crosscutting public health and healthcare sectors will define the focus areas, ensuring Canada is well-prepared to face future challenges.

Directors:

Jennie Johnstone (Sinai Health)
Anne-Claude Gingras (Sinai Health)

Team Members:

  • Vanessa Allen (Sinai Health)
  • Jimmy Dikeakos (Western University)
  • Christina Guzzo (University of Toronto)
  • Clara Juando Prats (Unity Health Toronto)
  • Chris Kandel (Michael Garron Hospital)
  • Rob Kozak (Sunnybrook Research Institute)
  • Samira Mubareka (Sunnybrook Research Institute)
  • Mario Ostrowski (Unity Health Toronto)
  • Susan Poutanen (Sinai Health)
  • Michelle Science (The Hospital for Sick Children)
  • Sharon Straus (Unity Health Toronto)
  • Jennifer Taher (Sinai Health)
  • Darrell H. Tan (Unity Health Toronto)
  • Sharon Walmsley (University Health Network)
  • Jeff Wrana (Sinai Health)

Partners:

  • AB Sciex
  • AffinityImmuno Inc
  • BioLytical Laboratories Inc
  • BlueDot
  • Canadian Blood Services
  • DiaSorin Canada (Luminex)
  • Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium (EPIC)
  • Illumina Canada
  • Health Commons Solutions Lab
  • Hospital for Sick Children
  • Luna Nanotech Inc
  • Microbix
  • National Research Council Canada
  • Nicoya Lifesciences
  • Ontario Ministry of Health
  • Pro-Lab Diagnostics
  • Providence Therapeutics
  • Public Health Agency of Canada (including National Microbiology Laboratory)
  • Public Health Ontario
  • Roche Diagnostics
  • Sinai Health System
  • Sunnybrook Research Institute
  • Toronto Public Health
  • Unity Health Toronto
  • University Health Network
  • University of Toronto
  • Western University

Funding:

$18.98M from the Canada Biomedical Research Fund (CBRF) for Research

Learn More:

Sinai Health's Award Announcement

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