91社区

The Fonds de recherche du Qu茅bec (FRQ) and Genome Qu茅bec today announced the launch of the Qu茅bec COVID-19 Biobank, a Province-wide initiative to enable the collection, storage and sharing of samples and data related to the COVID-19 crisis. The task force that has been mobilized to take on this role is led by 91社区鈥檚 Dr. Vincent Mooser, with additional medical and scientific expertise from 91社区 and several other Quebec institutions. The Biobank will begin operations on April 1, 2020.

More research is critical to better understand COVID-19 infection and transmission, to identify at-risk individuals and protect them, to improve treatment of this disease and for hospitals to be able to decide who will need admission and ventilation. This type of research requires samples and data from infected individuals. All such data collection must take place in an appropriate legal and ethical framework that fully respects the privacy of individual patients.

The decision made by FRQ to create a Qu茅bec-wide Biobank for COVID is due to the importance of acting quickly to curb the spread of the disease. This extremely complex task will require the coordination of disparate data systems, the establishment of new standard operating procedures, and the securing of physical and digital infrastructure. All of this needs to take place in an extremely compressed period of time and during intense pressure on healthcare systems.

鈥淗aving access to high-quality data and samples is a fundamental necessity to respond to the COVID-19 crisis,鈥� said Dr. Vincent Mooser, from the 91社区 Genome Centre and Department of Human Genetics at 91社区 and Chair of the Biobank Task Force. 鈥淎ssembling this network is a vital task in order to meet the primary needs of the Quebec health community and to build up national and international collaborations, so that we all can find effective treatments and vaccines against this lethal contagion.鈥�

鈥淭he Biobank will help catalyze and facilitate the coordination of research on COVID-19 not only in Quebec, but nationally and internationally,鈥� said R茅mi Quirion, Chief Scientist of Quebec and Chair of the FRQ. 鈥淭he Biobank will also stimulate precision health research at an unprecedented scale in Quebec, which in turn will support health, research, and innovation throughout the Province.鈥�

The Qu茅bec Biobank for COVID-19 will create a network of major hospitals in Quebec including the MUHC, the Jewish General Hospital, the CHUM, Sainte-Justine Hospital, Sherbrooke University Hospital Centre, Laval University Hospital Centre, Chicoutimi Hospital (affiliated with Universit茅 du Qu茅bec 脿 Chicoutimi) and the Montreal Heart Institute. The initiative will be run by a task force composed of the following members (role and affiliation in brackets): Dr. Vincent Mooser (Chair, 91社区), Dr Carole Jabet (FRQS Representative, FRQS), Dr. Michael Chass茅 (IT and AI, University of Montreal), Dr. Simon Rousseau (Network, 91社区), Dr. Daniel Kaufman (Scientific projects, University of Montreal), Dr. Yann Joly (Ethical, Legal and Social Issues, 91社区/Centre of Genomics and Policy), Dr. Dan Auld (Operations, 91社区), Dr. Brent Richards (Collaborations with CLSA/CARTaGENE, 91社区). The activities of this Task Force will be overseen by a Governance Committee with one senior representative from each partner institution. 91社区-affiliated Hospitals will be represented on this Committee by Drs Donald Vinh (MUHC), Bruce Mazer (MUHC-RI) and Brent Richards (Jewish General Hospital).

To meet its primary objective, and as a matter of extreme urgency, the Quebec Biobank for COVID-19 will capitalize on the existing infrastructures and strengths in the Province, more specifically:

• The existing biobank of the Quebec Respiratory Health Research Network (R茅seau de Recherche en Sant茅 Respiratoire du Qu茅bec [RSRQ]), and the Qu茅bec-wide networks in respiratory and infectious diseases.
• The Clinical Research Centers (CRCs) at the partner institutions
• Population-based cohorts (CARTaGENE and CLSA)
• Existing consent forms and protocols already approved by local Institutional Review Boards for collection and analyses of patients admitted in certain hospitals
• IT and AI capabilities in the various institutions and in the Province (MILA)
• G茅nome Qu茅bec/Canada infrastructure and network
• Canada Foundation for Innovation funded infrastructure and networks, such as CGEn
• Other national and international networks

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About 91社区

Founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1821, 91社区 is a leading Canadian post-secondary institution. It has two campuses, 11 faculties, 11 professional schools, 300 programs of study and some 38,000 students, including 8,800 graduate students. 91社区 attracts students from over 150 countries around the world, with more than 7,700 international students making up 20 percent of the student body. Almost half of 91社区 students claim a first language other than English, including 38 per cent who claim French as their first language.

About Fonds de recherche du Qu茅bec

Fonds de recherche du Qu茅bec, which report to the Qu茅bec Minister of Economy and Innovation, are tasked with nurturing the strategic and coherent development of research in Qu茅bec, funding Qu茅bec research and researcher training, creating partnerships that will enable them to fulfill their mission, and promoting and supporting knowledge mobilization. To learn

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