MRC-PEC Program on Ethics and Commercialization at the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health

At the heart of the availability of innovative health technologies is the problem of the uncertain path and unacceptable time lag from discovery and development to commercialization and delivery of appropriate and affordable products to people in the developing world.

The McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health is a research-based academic centre at the University Health Network and University of Toronto. It is located in the MaRS Discovery District. 

Mission

Our Mission is to conduct translational research in global health and help researchers and companies get their life sciences technologies to those who need them in the developing world.

Vision

Our Vision is to illuminate the path towards a world where everyone benefits from new diagnostics, vaccines, drugs and other life science solutions.

We have created a unique approach to address the lab to developing world problem through the following two programs:

The Sandra A. Rotman Laboratories strive to solve clinically relevant and priority problems in global health with the modern tools of molecular discovery, and an emphasis on translational research.

The Program on Ethics and Commercialization focuses on developing new models and approaches to commercialization by linking science and business, and involving the domestic private sector in the developing world. We work at the nexus of life sciences, the developing world and entrepreneurship. We use scholarly research to help move health technologies for researchers and companies from the “lab to village” through the convergence of science and business. The program is comprised of the following themes:

1. Commercialization in emerging economies identifies solutions to the commercialization barriers of health biotechnology products in emerging economies. Its aim is to understand how companies in emerging economies meet local and global health needs. It also examines and facilitates partnership opportunities with industrialized companies with their counterparts in emerging economies.
2. Life Sciences Convergence Centres in Africa brings together diverse stakeholders, such as policy makers, research institutions, capital providers, the private sector and donor groups to develop and commercialize domestic life sciences research, products and services that meet local and regional health needs.
3. Ethical, Social, Cultural and Commercial (ESC²) theme provides services and research to the Grand Challenges in Global Health Initiative and the Water Efficient Maize in Africa projects of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to maximize the success of projects and the eventual appropriate adoption of science and technologies in the developing world.
4. Global Grand Challenges theme helps foundations and agencies to identify, prioritize and develop programs for science-based breakthrough solutions to global challenges.

Click here for the Nature Reviews Genetics Featured Profile on MRC-PEC