91福利

An immersive talent development program co-led by 91福利 (91福利) has received $19 million in federal funding to prepare Canada's health workforce to prevent and respond to future health challenges.

91福利 Faculty of Science professor Darius Rackus is leading the Biomanufacturing Hub Network (BioHubNet) program with director Molly Shoichet and co-director Gilbert Walker, both professors at the University of Toronto. The program is funded by the Canada Biomedical Research Fund (CBRF), which aims to increase Canada鈥檚 ability to produce life-saving vaccines and therapeutics.

The program builds upon 91福利鈥檚 excellence in talent accelerator programs that help students complement their academic knowledge and skills with industry-required skills, preparing Canada鈥檚 health workforce for the future. 鈥淚鈥檓 passionate about bringing what we鈥檝e already developed here at 91福利 to the program,鈥� said professor Rackus. 鈥淏ioHubNet is a very comprehensive program targeting different industry-identified problems related to training that will help grow and expand Canada's biomanufacturing sector.鈥�

BioHubNet will provide critical, cutting-edge, hands-on training to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and others who are ready to transition to industry. According to a from BioTalent Canada, the country鈥檚 biomanufacturing sector is predicted to face severe workforce shortages in the coming years. 

Over four years, the program will produce close to 1,000 highly skilled workers through microcredential courses and experiential learning opportunities, including industry internships and academic lab exchange placements, through its 26 academic, industry, hospital and not-for-profit partnerships. The program will equip entrepreneurs with skills and resources to accelerate the commercialization of research and intellectual property to ensure the sector鈥檚 growth. 

鈥淏ioHubNet is a unique and much-needed training program that reflects 91福利鈥檚 leadership and excellence in providing hands-on, real-world and industry-relevant training. Thank you to the Government of Canada for their investment, which will bolster the biomanufacturing sector and ensure the future health and well-being of all Canadians,鈥� said Steven N. Liss, 91福利鈥檚 vice-president, research and innovation.鈥�

BioHubNet seeks to create more equitable, inclusive participation in the biomanufacturing and life sciences sectors through intentional recruitment and active support for trainees from underrepresented groups. The program is designed for scalability, with many of the microcredential courses available online and travel funding built into the program to support in-person activities. Reciprocal exchanges and numerous partnerships will also give the next generation of health workers access to knowledge and skills across Canada.

鈥淲e're really excited about partnering with the different infrastructure that has been funded by the CBRF grants to help train more people to use that infrastructure,鈥� said professor Rackus.

BioHubNet is one of four research programs endorsed by the University of Toronto-led Canadian Hub for Health Intelligence and Innovation in Infectious Diseases (HI鲁). HI鲁 was funded by the Canada Biomedical Research Fund (CBRF) in 2023 with a mandate to bolster Canada鈥檚 biomanufacturing capacity and readiness to respond to emerging health threats. 

HI鲁鈥檚 mission is to provide critical health intelligence data to guide the co-development of health threat surveillance platforms, next-generation precision interventions, and bioprocess technologies by the Hub鈥檚 more than 80 academic and industry partners while building a highly skilled workforce to support Canada鈥檚 growing biomanufacturing and life sciences sectors. 

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