Genome Prairie Announces PrairieGen Project to drive healthcare and genomics data innovation improving healthcare delivery and patient outcomes in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Winnipeg, MB: (March 6, 2025) – Genome Prairie today announced that PrairieGen, a genomics-based data integration project, was successfully approved for funding support by Genome Canada.
PrairieGen is a $7.2 million, 4-year project headed by Dr. Cheryl Rockman-Greenberg and Dr. Athanasios Zovoilis from the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba. The Genome Canada funding support is via the Canadian Precision Health Initiative (CPHI), a genomics human-health research initiative recently launched by Genome Canada and the Canadian Ministry of Industry, Science and Economic Development (ISED).
PrairieGen will generate and analyze genomics sequencing data to unlock the genetic story of Manitoba and Saskatchewan populations. These insights will help improve healthcare delivery, resulting in better patient health outcomes. The project will characterize genetic variants that are more often observed in the people of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. These observations will aid in the early detection and treatment of chronic and genetic-related diseases, including various cancers, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, paediatric disorders and various rare genetic and metabolic disorders.
PrairieGen will draw from existing genomics sequencing data and patient cohorts from core health facilities in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. During the project, genome sequencing data from more than 3,000 individuals will be generated, providing greater insights into disorders disproportionately affecting the Prairies’ unique population.
This sequencing data will be integrated with clinical data to generate a single-source database containing the genomic profile of every consenting patient. This database will serve as a foundation for future health research and policymaking. It will further advance the region’s reputation as a leader in healthcare and genomics-based health innovation.
PrairieGen will be administrated by Genome Prairie from its Winnipeg and Saskatoon offices, with Genome British Columbia providing co-lead support. The PrairieGen project is slated to begin its research activities this spring. It is aiming to complete its major research focuses by the year 2029.
QUOTES
“We are delighted to receive funding supports from Genome Canada for what will be a very impactful human health project. The science of genomics is accelerating at a dizzying rate, and PrairieGen will not only provide valuable insights about diseases that affect millions of Canadians, it will also help set the standard for how we can leverage that data and knowledge for future advances. Genome Prairie is proud to play a part supporting Canadian health innovation that will benefit Canadians now and for many years to come.”
– Mike Cey, Genome Prairie President and CEO
“The award of the CHPI grant is a significant milestone for genomics research in Manitoba. The RFHS Statistical Genomics and Bioinformatics Core Platform and the CCMB Bioinformatics Core played a crucial role in securing this funding, bringing together expertise and infrastructure that are essential for integrating Manitoba’s genomic data into the national landscape. This grant not only advances precision health research but also strengthens our local capacity, ensuring that Manitoba remains at the forefront of genomic and bioinformatics innovation.”
– Dr. Athanasios Zovoilis, Associate Professor, University of Manitoba. Co-Lead, PrairieGen Project
“We are delighted to be the recipients of a CPHI award. This project brings together clinicians and scientists working together to enhance genomic research in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Working with our unique Prairie population we will be able contribute valuable data to the pan-Canadian Genome Library that will ensure our competitiveness in genomics innovation and drive advancement in precision medicine and improved patient care.”
- Cheryl Rockman-Greenberg MD, CM, FRCPC, FCCMG. Lead, PrairieGen Project
QUICK FACTS
- The Canadian Precision Health Initiative is led by Genome Canada and supported by $81 million in federal investment and an estimated total investment of $200 million, including co-funding.
- Genome Prairie is a regional not-for-profit organization with a mission to develop genomics innovations to solve real-world challenges, resulting in benefits to Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Canada.
- Founded in 2002, Genome Prairie will be recognizing and celebrating its 25th Anniversary through 2025. Since its founding, Genome Prairie has secured over 50 individual research projects, totalling nearly half a billion dollars in project investments.
- The PrarieGen project is a multi-omics approach to advancing data integration from patients in Manitoba and Saskatchewan into the PanCanadian Genome Library. For more information about this library, visit genomielibrary.ca
- PrairieGen will sequence and analyze genomics data from 3,000 individuals in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. PrairieGen will be one of the most comprehensive genomics and multi-omics initiatives ever undertaken in the Prairie region. It will provide invaluable insights into the genetic and molecular drivers of diseases that affect the general population.
- PrairieGen will expand the Prairie’s research capacity in genomics and bioinformatics. The project will integrate whole genome sequencing, transcriptomics, and epigenomics. It will also leverage state-of-the-art genome sequencing and bioinformatics core facilities at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences (RFHS) and CancerCare Manitoba (CCMB) in Winnipeg, MB, as well as support from the Manitoba Tumor Bank and the Manitoba Tomorrow Project at CCMB.
- Dr. Rockman-Greenberg is a member of Shared Health MB Program of Genetics and Metabolism, the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, and the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM) and Dr. Zovoilis is a member of the Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, CHRIM and a Senior Scientist at the Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba.
- PrairieGen will also include a variety of partners, such as The Max Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, the Manitoba Tomorrow Project and the Manitoba Tumour Bank (both located within CancerCare Manitoba). It also includes the participation of The Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, and the University of Saskatchewan as well as core facility support from the Max Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and the Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba.
- PrairieGen, together with the other projects funded by the Canadian Precision Health Initiative, will contribute to the creation of a secure, ethically governed nationwide genomics database, providing a critical foundation for future research, clinical applications, and policy development in data-driven healthcare.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Tony Bassett
Director of Communications
Genome Prairie
text/voice: 306.881.0255
email: tbassett@genomeprairie.ca
