Grant: Collaborative Research and Training Experience

Microfluidics has been compared to microelectronics in its potential to influence the way we live our lives. Perhaps the greatest scientific, social, and economic impact of this technological revolution will be its application to the discovery and development of novel therapies to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death and greatest economic burden of illness in Canada. Chief biotechnology, pharmaceutical, life science, and synthetic chemistry companies all see chemical and biological microsystems as key enabling technologies for their multi-billion dollar industries and are readying themselves for their widespread adoption. To achieve the anticipated growth and innovation, there is unprecedented demand for research collaboration between academia and industry and for engineers and scientists who possess interdisciplinary skills in microfluidic technologies and related biomedical, bioanalytical, and materials synthesis research.The NSERC CREATE Program in Microfluidic Applications and Training in Cardiovascular Health (MATCH) will meet these demands by identifying, training, and enabling future leaders in the target area of Health and Related Life Sciences and Technologies. The MATCH Program will capitalize on our multidisciplinary team of world-renowned researchers and on existing and new research and training infrastructure and resources at the University of Toronto and York University. We have partnered with premiere Canadian and international companies to develop a transformative research training program that develops technical and professional skills through collaborative research, cross-discipline coursework, industrial internships, and networking events. The immediate impact of the MATCH Program will be to equip highly qualified personnel with the interdisciplinary tools required to turn ideas into innovations that ultimately will solve Canada's most important health challenges and improve our economic competitiveness.