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"Every human being has something creative to contribute to society. The key is unlocking the creative potential inside every person, every institution, every company, finding a way to harness it and unleash it on the world. If we can reach that goal in Ontario, then nothing will be beyond Ontario's reach."

Premier Dalton McGuinty, Minister of Research and Innovation

Ontario has a long history of generating new discoveries that have not only had an impact in our province but also around the world. Let this section inspire your imagination by reading about research and innovation accomplishments that have originated out of Ontario.

Great Ideas – Ontario – A Year In Review

From genomes to 3-D posters, Ontario’s doctors, scientists and researchers are breaking new ground and making discoveries that will have a profound effect on our province and the world. Here is a sampling of some of the innovative ideas from across Ontario in 2006. MORE

New Genome Map Will Help Trace Genetic Origins Of Diseases

Scientists in Toronto have a taken a huge step forward in the quest to discover the origins of heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's and different types of cancer.

A consortium of scientists led by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and institutions in the U.S., the U.K. and Japan has created the first map of DNA and gene copy number variation (CNVs) in the human genome.  The discovery of about 2900 genetic variations could help scientists explain everything from the uniqueness of each human to why disease develops. MORE

Ontario Cancer Research Network Success Stories

On the Cutting Edge of Cancer Treatments

Clinical trials are an integral part of cancer research. They help researchers develop news drugs and therapies, while giving patients access to new treatments before they become widely available. The Ontario Cancer Research Network has set a goal of doubling participation in cancer trials. With Ontario government funding, it has established the Clinical Trials Infrastructure Fund to help Ontario's cancer centres expand their clinical trials programs. MORE

Using Viruses to Fight Cancer

Usually people want nothing to do with viruses. However, a promising area in cancer research uses viruses to help destroy tumours. Researchers at the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre studied how one specific cancer-fighting virus is affected by the human immune system. They also gained valuable insight into how the virus destroys tumours and how it is introduced into the body to get the best results. MORE

Customizing Cancer Treatment

Sometimes a small number of cancer cells survive treatment because of their varied chemical make-up, leading to a recurrence of the disease. Researchers at York University have developed a powerful new technology to analyze cell chemistry. The results of this analysis can be used to customize patient treatment, making it more effective in the process. MORE

Early Researcher Award Success Stories

The Early Researcher Award program (ERA) is a new $30 million, 3-year program that aims to help promising, recently-appointed Ontario researchers build their research teams of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and research associates. The ultimate goal of the program is to improve Ontario’s ability to attract and retain the best and brightest research talent in high-priority economic areas.

• New Hybrid Materials (Brock University)
• Efficient Routing in Communications Networks (Carleton University)
• Neurodegenerative Diseases (Carleton University)
• Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology of Mammals (Laurentian University)
• Origin and Evolution of HIV/AIDS (McMaster University)
• Neural Basis of Visual Behaviour (Queen’s University)
• Biodiversity and Ecosystems (University of Guelph)
• Scalable Interactive Simulation-Based Technology for Distributed Collaborative Virtual Environments (University of Ottawa)
• Thrombophilia – Novel Disease Associations and Therapeutic Interventions (University of Ottawa)
• Alzheimer’s Disease (University of Toronto)
• Evaluation of the Sustainability Implications of Bioenergy Alternatives for Canada (University of Toronto)
• Laser Welding of Advanced High Strength Steels for Automotive Applications (University of Waterloo)
• Large-Scale Computational Simulations and Data Assimilation of Earthquake Fault Systems (University of Western Ontario)
• The Associations of Health Care, Social Welfare and Education Policies with Personal, Familial and Population Health Outcomes (University of Windsor)
• Fish Farming (York University)

University of Toronto professors receive award for discovery of first stem cell

Great discoveries have happened throughout Ontario's history and continue to happen today. Two scientists, James Edgar Till and Ernest Armstrong McCulloch proved the existence of stem cells in 1961. Stem cells are master cells that provide the source material for all organs and tissue.

Till and McCulloch continued with their work over the years and many other breakthroughs have led to the pioneering of bone marrow transplants, a procedure that saves lives.

Today, they're known as the "Fathers of Stem Cell Research" and their efforts have been recognized by one of the world's most prestigious honours - the Lasker Award. Both men have been inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.

Their ground-breaking work continues to inspire and encourage a new generation of researchers. The emergence of stem cell research has the potential to lead to many other new discoveries that will help people live healthier lives.

Ontario high school students demonstrate award-winning biotech competition projects

The great discoveries of the future will come from some of our youngest and brightest minds. High school students who competed in the 2005 Greater Toronto Sanofi-Aventis Biotech Challenge are already proving this.

The winning projects demonstrate the power of imagination, vision and experimentation.

This was no ordinary high school science fair. One team genetically modified Antarctic hairgrass to improve the way it removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Another team looked at a possible new treatment for Type-2 diabetes. Another team researched ways to make wounds heal faster.

If you have a success story that you would like to share, contact us.