Brampton City Council is throwing its support behind a proposal to bring wet lab facilities and a diabetes innovation hub to the Toronto Metropolitan University School of Medicine.<\/p>\n
TMU wants to develop a facility to address the \u201ccritical shortage\u201d of wet lab space across the Greater Toronto Area, according to a presentation to council on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Wet labs are specialized laboratory spaces where researchers work with biological or chemical materials, and Discovery science and biomedical research.<\/p>\n
And TMU says developing wet labs in Brampton to expand medical research and development in southern Ontario will \u201ctranslate into tangible outcomes for communities,\u201d like accelerating medical science start-ups and positioning Brampton \u201cas a competitive, investment-ready life sciences centre.\u201d<\/p>\n
The proposal also includes developing a Diabetes Innovation Hub, which would create a dedicated platform for diabetes-focused research, and support companies developing diagnostics, monitoring tools, digital-health solutions, and metabolic technologies.<\/p>\n
As one of Ontario\u2019s fastest-growing and culturally diverse cities, the William Osler Health System has said Brampton has the highest rate of diabetes across the province.<\/p>\n
\u201cTMU has a unique opportunity to position Brampton as a hub of Ontario-made innovation, job creation and commercialization in life sciences, bio tech, medical devices, digital health and clean technologies,\u201d TMU Provost and Vice-President, Academic Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano told a committee of council on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
In 2023, council gifted the $48 million Bramalea Civic Centre building and most of the surrounding land to TMU for the school \u2013 a move that led to the eviction of the Chinguacousy library branch upset many Brampton residents<\/a>.<\/p>\n TMU is now asking the city to \u201cexplore available land or retrofittable facilities\u201d near the TMU School of Medicine for the proposed project.<\/p>\n A motion from Coun. Harkirat Singh was passed by a committee of council on Wednesday in support of the wet lab proposal to\u00a0\u201cdetermine a way forward.\u201d<\/p>\n The motion made no financial commitments, but supports and endorses moving the proposal along.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re at a good point where we have strategies how to move forward, and really look forward to unlocking the economic benefits of a medical school here at the City of Brampton,\u201d Singh said.<\/p>\n