Canadian university gets $750K grant for cardiac genetics research

Memorial University in St. John's, Newfoundland has received a $750,000 grant from the Provincial Government and the Research & Development Corporation to support research into the genetics of heart diseases. The goal of the studies, which will employ advanced genomic tools, is to develop diagnostic tools to help prevent sudden cardiac death. The university intends to use the grant money to acquire a next-generation DNA sequencing platform. "Genetic researchers in this province, and across Atlantic Canada, currently outsource all services related to Next-Generation DNA Sequencing to other regions of the country, costing valuable time and money," said Terry-Lynn Young, an associate professor of genetics at Memorial University, said in a statement. "Today's funding announcement will allow us to continue to solve genetic puzzles of medical importance to our province and the world and train the next generation of researchers at Memorial University." The research funded by the grant also will delve into the ethical, economic, environmental, legal, and social implications of sudden death due to inherited heart conditions. The RDC, which is a provincial corporation charged with improving R&D performance in Newfoundland and Labrador, is providing C$500,000 of the funding, while the remaining funds are coming from Newfoundland's Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development