New PEI research centre to play a critical role in advancing health care

Charlottetown, PEI – A new research and service centre made possible by partnerships formed among governments and the private sector is now open for business on the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) campus.

The Atlantic Veterinary College’s Atlantic Centre for BioProducts Valuation (ACBV) will be a key component for the growing research area of biomedical sciences. Studies and clinical testing carried out at the facility will be critical in determining if a new medication or treatment is effective and able to move on to further development stages.

The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency is contributing up to $3 million for this project. The provincial government will be investing $1.5 million over two years. UPEI has contributed over $2 million towards the project.

The research and development at the facility will focus on three key themes: neurodegeneration, as it relates to damage caused by a stroke; neuroinflammation, with a focus on Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis; and metabolic disorders, with emphasis on blood cholesterol/triglycerides.

Development of the centre is led by the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI and will help support research within the university and with cluster partners such as the National Research Council Institute for Nutrisciences and Health (NRC-INH), which is also located on the UPEI campus. The ACBV is the only centre of its kind in Eastern Canada and north of Boston.