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Federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly visited campus earlier this week, touring Western Research Parks to learn more about the university’s strategic focus on life sciences innovation. Joly toured the future home of the Pathogen Research Centre and BioNext, Western’s medical innovation incubator. She was joined by Peter Fragiskatos, MP, London Centre and Arielle Kayabaga, MP, London West. “In a changing world, Canada’s strength comes from our people and their ability to innovate,” Joly said. “Western University is helping transform breakthrough research into Canadian-made health solutions that will create jobs, improve health outcomes and strengthen our economy. From infectious disease research to medical technologies and start-ups, the work being done here is positioning Canada as a leader in life sciences innovation. Our government is proud to support the researchers and entrepreneurs who are building a healthier, more prosperous future for Canadians.” President Alan Shepard welcomed Joly on behalf of the university and highlighted Western’s role in translating life sciences research into real-world and commercial applications. “Western is a key anchor in London’s life sciences innovation ecosystem – helping to drive discoveries, create companies and jobs and prepare the next generation of talented leaders to contribute to Canada’s success,” said President Shepard. “It was a pleasure to share some of our current research strengths and ambitions with Minister Joly and thank the government for its continued investment in research and innovation.

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  Pathogen Research Centre: Understanding, preventing and treating infectious diseases Currently under construction, Western’s Pathogen Research Centre, is a new facility within the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, located on the Western Research Parks site. The $44-million centre, supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund and the Ontario Research Fund, will position London, Ont. as a national leader in the understanding, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Set to open in 2027, the Pathogen Research Centre will be home to two new state-of-the-art, biocontainment level 3 facilities:

• A Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Facility – where Canadian and international biomedical innovation will fuel the production and testing of biotherapeutics and vaccines
• A Microbial Transmission Facility – a 575 square-foot containment level 3 space designed for the testing and prevention of pathogen transmission in real-world environments

These new facilities will operate alongside Western’s existing ImPaKT (Imaging Pathogens for Knowledge Translation) Facility, which specializes in early-stage research by using advanced imaging techniques to observe how diseases behave inside the body. Richard Gibson, director of operations for ImPaKT, led Joly through the future home of the centre, which will bring real-world testing environments, advanced containment and the manufacturing of therapeutics for clinical trials under one roof. Gibson pointed to the benefits of the expansive area designated for the microbial transmission facility, comparing it to the four-foot biosafety cabinets currently used for testing. “Prior to this environment, we could only conduct experiments within that small area, where it would be impossible to test in a car or a functioning furnace. This new space will allow us to conduct real-world testing on cars, airplane cabins, and inside test conditions set up as surgical suites, classrooms and livestock barns, where we will be able to study the spread of live pathogens under Containment Level 3 conditions, allowing us to better understand how a virus can be transmitted from point A to point B.” The centre is one of the very few of its kind in Canada, providing the ability to produce Canadian-made vaccines and biotherapeutics for clinical trials, alongside world-class research expertise.     BioNext: From prototype to regulatory approval to commercialization Joly also visited BioNext, Western’s medical innovation incubator helping entrepreneurs bridge the gap between initial concept and clinical application. Working out of Western Research Parks, BioNext supports innovators developing medical devices, biologics and pharmaceuticals, by providing space, expertise and industry connections to help move ideas from early prototypes through testing, regulatory approval and ultimately to market. It also offers start-ups access to specialized research infrastructure, including technical tools, clinical networks and expert mentorships. Joly met with founders of three companies led by Western alumni whose life sciences companies have been supported by BioNext. Tenomix is a medical technology company developing AI-enabled robotics for cancer diagnostics. The platform uses robotics, ultrasound imaging and AI to automate and improve lymph node identification during cancer staging, a traditionally manual, lengthy and error-prone pathology process. Tenomix technology aims to improve accuracy, reduce pathology workload, and accelerate cancer diagnosis workflows. Vessl Prosthetics is a medical device company focused on improving comfort and mobility for lower-limb amputees through smart prosthetic socket technology. Its flagship product is an automatically adjusting prosthetic socket system that adapts in real time to changes in limb volume, reducing the need for manual adjustments, sock layering and frequent clinical visits. The system has recently received approval for commercial sales and is positioned to enhance independence, comfort and day-to-day usability for prosthetic users.

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Step Sciences is a Canadian health and industrial solutions company specializing in onsite, custom orthotics and supportive devices for workers in manufacturing and physically demanding environments. The company creates tailored ergonomic and orthotic solutions designed to improve comfort, reduce injury risk and support workforce productivity. Step Sciences CEO Matt Bellia walked Joly through the approximately six-minute testing and diagnostic process used onsite at manufacturing companies, and in rural, industrial settings and remote Indigenous communities where health care is less accessible. “The employer benefits from decreased injury and disability claim costs, while the worker gets access to orthotics technology they may otherwise be unable to access,” Bellia said.   Learn more about how Western is turning curiosity into solutions.