Grant: Training Grant

The Multidisciplinary Training in Drug Development (M-TraDD) program is a Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) initiative. CDRD is the first of its kind in Canada. Its mission is to take drug discoveries from the Universities and Teaching Hospitals of British Columbia and develop them into new medicines to treat diseases. The process of drug discovery and development takes a long time and requires the expertise of many different disciplines such as chemistry, biology, etc. Therefore, researchers who are experts in one field often do not have the expertise or the access to the specialized equipment and personnel to move their discoveries from the laboratory to the clinic. This is where CDRD gets involved. CDRD offers both specialized equipment and personnel who are knowledgeable in drug discovery and development. CDRD assists with the identification of disease targets and the drugs that act on them, the development of new, more effective drugs, the formulation of drugs into medicines suitable for human use, and the testing of the medicines to ensure they are effective and safe. Because CDRD offers not only a variety of expertise, but also the latest in equipment and technology, it is an ideal environment to train talented individuals in drug discovery and development. The trainees will take specialized courses and modules. Further, they will become part of multidisciplinary teams working to develop new medicines. They will have a unique opportunity to work with different technologies and alongside colleagues with very different scientific backgrounds to their own. The trainees will not only develop a vast array of scientific skills but also communication and organizational skills. Such well-rounded individuals with an understanding of the entire drug development process are highly sought after. We expect M-TraDD graduates to become leaders in the drive to develop new and more effective medicines for the benefit of Canadians and patients worldwide.