April 25, 2019 – Vancouver, B.C.: Today, members of the TRIUMF community joined partners, funders, and project collaborators to celebrate the start of construction of the Institute for Advanced Medical Isotopes (IAMI). The IAMI project was announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on November 1st, 2018, and is enabled by the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia, and contributing research partners, including BC Cancer and the University of British Columbia.
The Institute will be a state-of-the-art facility for the research and production of next-generation, life-saving medical isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals. Located on the TRIUMF campus, IAMI will significantly increase Canada’s capacity for the sustainable research and production of a wide variety of medical isotopes, including technetium-99m and fluorine-18, thereby unlocking new economic opportunities and avenues for innovation. These isotopes are used in a number of medical treatments ranging from imaging and diagnosing cardiovascular and neurological diseases, to the development of new, targeted treatments for late-stage cancers.
“I am thrilled to mark the start of our journey towards realizing the Institute for Advanced Medical Isotopes,” said TRIUMF Director Dr. Jonathan Bagger. “Today, we celebrate the vision, dedication, and hard work of the many individuals and organizations involved in the IAMI project. Because of them, we are well on the way towards establishing a premier cluster of medical isotope expertise that will benefit of British Columbians, Canadians, and people around the world.”
“Alongside its network of partners in academia, healthcare, and industry, TRIUMF has developed a tremendous portfolio of expertise in critical radiopharmaceuticals,” said Dr. Digvir Jayas, Chair of the TRIUMF Board of Management. “Today’s IAMI groundbreaking is an important step towards our goal of fully leveraging that expertise and realizing our vision for a healthier, more innovative Canada.”
The ground-breaking ceremony was followed by a welcome reception in the TRIUMF Auditorium with brief remarks from Dr. Bagger, Dr. Jayas, the Honourable Joyce Murray, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government and Member of Parliament for Vancouver-Quadra, and the Honourable David Eby, Attorney General of British Columbia and MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey.
You can learn more about IAMI and its impact in TRIUMF’s 5-Year Plan 2020-2025.
Congratulations to the IAMI project and partner teams!
*This story was updated on 2020-02-06*