Sudbury’s AMRIC gets $5 million from federal government

The Advanced Medical Research Institute of Canada is receiving $5 million from the federal government through FedNor.

The money will be used to help construct and equip a new research lab in Sudbury.

The new 12,000 square foot facility will be located at the former St. Theresa elementary school on Walford Road.

According to Health Sciences North, the new facility will allow AMRIC to hire more researchers and lead to even more discoveries that will directly benefit patients in Greater Sudbury.

AMRIC's Interim chief operating officer, Mark Hartman, said the money from the federal government is the last of the funding needed to move the project forward.

“It provides an opportunity to link the latest improvements in health care to the clinical settings,” he said.

“The important thing is to really build on our successes, have focus and we’re really focused on four key areas of research, mainly existing cancer research that’s going on.”

Hartman added the other three areas of research include healthy aging, vaccines and personalized medicine.

AMRIC has also received funding from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, the City of Greater Sudbury and the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation.

Construction is scheduled to begin this spring and will be completed by 2016.