Minister Dan Vandal Visits Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics

From right to left: The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan, with Mirna Damergi, product manager for Rapid Infection Diagnostics Inc. (RID - a spin-out company from the Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics (ACAD)); Troy Feener, program manager for ACAD; Dr. Thomas Rydzak, chief scientific officer for RID; and Dr. Ian Lewis, Director of ACAD and CEO of RID.

[Calgary, June 26, 2023] - The Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics (ACAD) was honored to host the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan, at its recently established facilities at the University of Calgary.

ACAD is a new facility that provides resources, space, instrumentation, and expertise for Alberta-based academic innovators and SMEs to refine and test new technologies using state-of-the-art analytical tools. Funded by a $4.26M federal investment through PrairiesCan, ACAD is rapidly emerging as a leader for diagnostic research and development. Building on foundational support from Alberta Innovates, Genome Canada, and the Canadian Institute for Health Research, ACAD has directly assisted over 60 stakeholders in the diagnostic sector in transitioning new diagnostic technologies to market.

During the visit, Minister Vandal met with ACAD Director, Dr. Ian Lewis and a team of ACAD’s senior researchers and scientists. The Minister toured the facility, witnessing first-hand ACAD’s cutting-edge technology and equipment that is enabling the development of new diagnostic tools and supporting ongoing research projects aimed at enhancing patient care and outcomes.

The Minister praised ACAD’s impactful work, emphasizing the importance of the federal investments in cutting-edge medical technology innovation that is improving the delivery of healthcare across the prairies and beyond.

“Investing in the development of new medical diagnostic technologies is the right thing to do for the health and well being of Albertans and the smart thing to do for our economy,” said Minister Vandal. “Our government’s investment in the Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics is supporting jobs and growth in Alberta’s life sciences sector by enabling companies to more quickly test, validate and get their products to market.”

 The visit concluded with Minister Vandal expressing his gratitude to the ACAD team for their valuable contributions to the healthcare sector. He further iterated the importance of leveraging the knowledge and expertise within the Prairie region to strengthen healthcare systems, increase access to advanced diagnostics, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

About Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan)

PrairiesCan is the federal department that supports economic growth in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Its programs and services help businesses, not-for-profits and communities grow stronger. Its mandate is to support economic growth and diversification in the Prairie provinces and advance the interests of the region in national economic policy, programs and projects. Learn more at prairiescan.gc.ca.