Message from the Director

We have hit full stride in our mission to advance genomic medicine through research and education. The Centre’s investments have been instrumental in bringing the University of Toronto to the forefront in genome sequencing and its applications in medicine. We support the world’s largest ‘open science’ genome sequencing project applied to autism. We have enabled a generous partnership between Illumina Inc. and our researchers, for the application of genome sequencing to any family in need of diagnosis. Additional partnerships have been forged with computer science academics and local start-up companies, to develop new infrastructure for storage and analysis of the ‘big data’ generated and its linkage to health records. Recognizing that such advances cascade into needs for delivery of complex findings to families, we are now financing an increased number of training spots for genetic counsellors. With Massey College, we proudly started the new Science Journalism Fellowship, which is unique in Canada. All of these activities link to the Canadian Personal Genome Project, moving forward our mission to illuminate the path for 21st century medical practice. I remain steadfast that each dollar investment be strategic, defined by Robert S. McLaughlin himself as, “one grade only, and that the best”.   

Stephen Scherer, PhD DSc FRSC,
Director, McLaughlin Centre