logo
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and the University of Ottawa Accelerate Low Dose Radiation Research and Foster Next Generation of Scientists

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and the University of Ottawa Accelerate Low Dose Radiation Research and Foster Next Generation of Scientists

CHALK RIVER, Ontario, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canada's premier nuclear science and technology organization, and the University of Ottawa (uOttawa), one of Canada's most innovative universities, are pleased to announce a new partnership to advance knowledge, education, research and innovation in low dose radiation (LDR) exposure health effects.
Leveraging the leading research organizations' complementary capabilities, the new partnership builds on CNL's global leadership in LDR research with the establishment of a CNL-led LDR innovation hub, accelerating research critical to public safety and the health of Canadians. It will also serve to increase capabilities, education and training opportunities to graduate students and early career researchers.
The partnership will also extend uOttawa researchers' access to Atomic Energy of Canada Limited's world class facilities at Chalk River Laboratories, including the unique Biological Research Facility, associated irradiation facilities and LDR Tissue Bank, and establishes a CNL satellite laboratory within uOttawa's new Advanced Medical Research Centre (AMRC) – set to open in 2026. This physical presence will be co-located with the Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology (OISB) as well as uOttawa state-of-the-art Core Facilities, which altogether will support new research directions in radiation sciences and advanced organoid-based systems biology. These areas are rapidly developing strengths at uOttawa, positioning the university as a national, and potentially international, leader in this field. uOttawa will also offer reciprocal access to key research facilities on campus, in addition to those located at the faculty of medicine and in AMRC.
'As a major player in the global research and development effort to support LDR research, CNL is focused on the prevention or reduction of radiation exposure effects in workers, patients and the larger population,' says Dr. Stephen Bushby, Vice-President, Science & Technology, CNL. 'We are very excited to include uOttawa as a major partner in the work needed to shed light on this complex field of research.'
As part of this partnership, CNL will be contributing towards the acquisition of a mass spectrometer, which will be installed in the in the Metabolomics Core Facility at uOttawa. This strategic investment, supporting collaborative initiatives between OISB and CNL, will enable leading-edge single-cell metabolomics and spatial metabolomics, a rapidly advancing field with transformative potential in biomedical research. This will be the only equipment of its kind in eastern Canada, offering unique capabilities for high-resolution chemical imaging at the cellular level. The instrument will not only serve researchers at uOttawa, but also attract national and international collaborators, firmly establishing uOttawa as a leader in metabolomics and precision health research.
The mass spectrometer will be a central component of the new Spatial Biology and Single-Cell Suite (3S) within the AMRC. This cutting-edge suite will integrate transformative new technologies into a coordinated workflow that complements and enhances five existing and intensively used Core Facilities: Flow Cytometry, Metabolomics, Gene Editing, Cellular Imaging, and Bioinformatics. By bridging these platforms, 3S will significantly expand research capabilities in some of uOttawa's strongest areas of discovery, particularly brain, heart, and cancer biology—driving breakthroughs in systems biology, precision medicine, and therapeutic development.
'This new equipment, the only one of its kind in Eastern Canada, positions the University of Ottawa as a leader in metabolomics and precision health research, while attracting national and international collaborations,' says Julie St-Pierre, Interim Vice-President, Research and Innovation, uOttawa.
This new partnership builds on over a decade of collaborative research involving CNL and multiple uOttawa faculties, including Engineering, Science and Medicine. These collaborations have advanced understanding of the biomedical impacts of LDR, including studies on DNA damage and repair, protein synthesis, epigenetics, mitochondrial biology, metabolism, immunity, and stem cell functions. As part of this partnership, CNL has also provided funding support for postdoctoral fellow stipends, further enabling high-impact research and talent development.
With the field of LDR research growing and Canadian leadership in LDR research well-recognized, both organizations will continue to explore additional opportunities to further strengthen this partnership.
About CNL
As Canada's premier nuclear science and technology laboratory and working under the direction of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), CNL is a world leader in the development of innovative nuclear science and technology products and services. Guided by an ambitious corporate strategy known as Vision 2030, CNL fulfills three strategic priorities of national importance – restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy technologies, and contributing to the health of Canadians.
By leveraging the assets owned by AECL, CNL also serves as the nexus between government, the nuclear industry, the broader private sector and the academic community. CNL works in collaboration with these sectors to advance innovative Canadian products and services towards real-world use, including carbon-free energy, cancer treatments and other therapies, non-proliferation technologies and waste management solutions.
To learn more about CNL, please visit www.cnl.ca.
The University of Ottawa is powered by research. Located in Canada's capital, we bring together energetic and creative scholars to tackle urgent global challenges and to respond to emerging opportunities.
As one of Canada's most innovative universities, we generate breakthroughs and discoveries that make a real difference in communities across Ontario, Canada and the world. Our thought leaders provide evidence-based insights that inform policy and support industry.
Our influence keeps growing due to our vast range of international partnerships, including our membership in the U7+ Alliance. As the world's largest French-English university, we are a driving force in the Francophonie.
To learn more about uOttawa, please visit www.uottawa.ca.
uOttawa contact:
media@uottawa.ca
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ex-CEO of Alberta health authority asks for quick ruling in wrongful dismissal suit
Ex-CEO of Alberta health authority asks for quick ruling in wrongful dismissal suit

Globe and Mail

time42 minutes ago

  • Globe and Mail

Ex-CEO of Alberta health authority asks for quick ruling in wrongful dismissal suit

The former head of Alberta's health authority wants a judge to rule on her lawsuit against the provincial government, which she alleges fired her improperly, without the case going to trial. Athana Mentzelopoulos, Alberta Health Services's former chief executive, on Monday applied for a summary judgment in her dispute with the government. The application, filed in the Court of King's Bench in Edmonton, alleges the health minister usurped power accorded to AHS directors when she ordered Ms. Mentzelopoulos's firing in January. Ms. Mentzelopoulos is effectively asking the court to rule on the legality of how the government terminated her employment, rather than the validity of her allegations about why she was fired. The former executive alleges Premier Danielle Smith's government put pressure on her to sign deals that were to the benefit of private companies. Ms. Mentzelopoulos further alleges the government fired her for investigating the terms of some of the health authority's contracts and questioning how some deals came to fruition. The Globe and Mail first reported those allegations in February. Ms. Mentzelopoulos's $1.7-million lawsuit sparked multiple investigations, including an RCMP probe, and created a political headache for Ms. Smith's government. Exclusive: Alberta Justice Minister has personal relationship with man whose businesses are tied to AHS investigation Kyle Warner, a spokesman for the newly created ministry of primary and preventative health services, said the government intends to oppose Ms. Mentzelopoulos's application to forgo a trial. 'It is legally baseless and contains a litany of misinformation and false claims,' he said in a statement Tuesday. Ms. Mentzelopoulos's latest court filings contain fresh allegations about the government's interactions with the health authority's board. She alleges Adriana LaGrange, then the health minister and now the minister of primary and preventative health services, decided to fire her despite not having the authority. The former executive alleges only the board or its chair could terminate her contract because she was employed by AHS and reported to its directors, not the government. The government fired Ms. Mentzelopoulos on Jan. 8. But first Ms. LaGrange tried to persuade the board to oust the executive, Ms. Mentzelopoulos alleges. Ms. Mentzelopoulos alleges on Jan. 6 she informed the health ministry that she had a meeting scheduled for Jan. 10 with the Auditor-General, to update him on her investigations at the agency. After informing the ministry about the meeting, Ms. Mentzelopoulos alleges she heard Ms. LaGrange was organizing an informal meeting with directors for Jan. 7. 'The purpose of the meeting was to have the AHS Board agree to terminate my employment with AHS,' Ms. Mentzelopoulos alleges, adding that the directors refused. Ms. Mentzelopoulos claims she was not invited to the meeting but later learned what happened from others. 'When Minister LaGrange was asked why she wanted me terminated, she could give no substantive reason and gave none,' Ms. Mentzelopoulos alleges. When some directors said they would not sign off on the firing, the minister said she would have Andre Tremblay do it, the former executive alleges. At the time, Mr. Tremblay served as the deputy minister of health and an AHS board member. Ms. Mentzelopoulos's application for a summary judgment claims supporting evidence could be provided by compelled examination of three of the four board members who were not part of government. The three named in the filings are Paul Haggis, Lyle Oberg and Sandy Edmonstone. Mr. Haggis declined to comment, citing confidentiality requirements. Mr. Oberg and Mr. Edmonstone did not acknowledge requests for comment. The fourth independent board member, Angela Fong, also did not acknowledge a request for comment. Ms. LaGrange dissolved the board at the end of January. Ms. Mentzelopoulos alleges Ms. LaGrange wanted her to stop investigating the health care system's contract and procurement processes, but she refused. She alleges she was fired for pursuing the investigations. The Alberta government, in previous court filings and public statements, disputes Ms. Mentzelopoulos's allegations. The government alleges she was fired for incompetence. Further, Alberta alleges the former CEO resisted the government's strategy to reduce surgical waiting times by increasing the number of operations performed at private facilities. None of the allegations have been tested in court. The Premier in early March appointed a former chief judge of the Provincial Court of Manitoba to conduct an independent review based on Ms. Mentzelopoulos's allegations. Raymond Wyant was scheduled to deliver an interim written report by May 30 and a final report and recommendations by June 30. However, the government and Mr. Wyant agreed to extend the timeline, according to a press release from the province on May 30. Now, the interim report must be delivered by Sept. 24, with the final version and recommendations due Oct. 15. The United Conservative Party has restructured Alberta Health Services and the Premier, in a cabinet shuffle in May, created the ministries of hospital and surgical health services; and primary and preventative health services. Four ministers are now responsible for Alberta's health care system: Ms. LaGrange oversees primary and preventative health services; Matt Jones is in charge of hospital and surgical health services; Rick Wilson leads mental health and addiction; and Jason Nixon handles assisted living and social services.

Chinook Regional Hospital hospital receives $500K for cardiac care centre
Chinook Regional Hospital hospital receives $500K for cardiac care centre

CTV News

timean hour ago

  • CTV News

Chinook Regional Hospital hospital receives $500K for cardiac care centre

A Lethbridge couple gave $500,000 to the Chinook Regional Hospital to help build a cardiac care centre, as a part of the Bringing Hearts Home campaign. A local couple has made a big donation to the Chinook Regional Hospital. John and Laura Getkate gave $500,000 to help build a cardiac care centre in Lethbridge, as part of the Bringing Hearts Home campaign. The goal is to raise $30 million to help build the cardiac care centre. It's a personal cause for the Getkates. In 2014, Laura began suffering from cardiac issues. She eventually recovered, but she frequently had to travel to Calgary for treatments not available in Lethbridge. The Getkates hope families in the future won't have t go through what they did. 'We're happy to give back—we're very grateful patients and happy to give back,' Laura said. 'We just felt we needed to be a part of it, and we're so happy to be contributing to it today,' John said. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in southern Alberta. The region has a 26.6 per cent higher cardiac mortality rate than the provincial average.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store