Transcript
May 7, 2009
Transcript
Interview with Mick Bhatia
CHAM-AM Hamilton
Date: Thu May 07, 2009
Time: 13:17:00
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JOHN BIGGS (CHAM-AM): One of the more exciting things that’s happened in the world of science here in the province of Ontario has been an announcement by the Ontario government, a new plan that they are going to put in place. One of the scientists affected has been a guest on the Biggs Show before, and his name is Dr. Mick Bhatia, and he joins us on the line now. Dr. Bhatia, nice to have you back on the Biggs Show. How are you today?
DR. MICK BHATIA: Very good, and thank you for the invitation back.
JOHN BIGGS: I just want to talk, if I can, first of all the last time you and I were together, we were talking about how the study that you’ve done in McMaster shedding light on how stem cells develop into blood cells, I’m wondering if there’s anything further on that or if you’re still basically at the same stage.
DR. MICK BHATIA: Well, yeah, we’re certainly… that was probably a few months ago, so we’re at the same stage. We’re making progress, trying to build on our findings, but more importantly, trying to take our findings and collaborate with others that have great ideas around the world. Certainly we want to keep this as international as possible.
JOHN BIGGS: And one of the things that the announcement from the Ontario government might mean is finding that help here rather than somewhere else in the world because the Ontario government has started something they’re calling a global research competition. Is that correct?
DR. MICK BHATIA: Yes, that’s correct. It’s certainly… that was the intent, I believe. We were obviously very happy to hear that announcement, and it’s going to allow, I think, this kind of research and other kinds of research in the area of genomics to move forward in Ontario. I think we already are global leaders in this area. The question is now how do we use this stimulation, this new money. It’s going to be an open competition, for sure, but we certainly want to use it so that we can move our work to the next level and apply it to health care.
JOHN BIGGS: Now when they talk about it being a competition, how exactly… who runs the competition I guess is my first question.
DR. MICK BHATIA: Yeah. You know, it’s a great question. So the money’s been made available, but of course there’s a lot of people with great ideas in Ontario, fabulous research going on everywhere, and it sounds like a lot of money, and it is; I think it’s going to be very helpful, but you certainly want to place it at a priority list, and the only way to really do that is to have a competition where you basically have all of the ideas documented in a written proposal, and then that proposal would be reviewed by an international committee that’s arm’s-length from getting any benefit from who gets funded or not to decide on what some of the best science is and what’s going to be most impactful for Ontario, and that’s where the competition component comes in.
JOHN BIGGS: One of the things that you and I spoke about the last time that we were talking was there… now that it seems the United States government is going to be back on-side of doing stem cell research, there is a possibility of us losing… having a bit of a brain drain again. Now because they had… the Bush government had basically shut off that valve, we had the, I guess, the benefit of the minds who wanted to work in that field coming north of the 49th parallel. Then we became at-risk again where that research could go on in the States. This is something that could help keep those brains here. Is that right?
DR. MICK BHATIA: Yeah. I mean personally, I don’t think it’s a “could;” I think it will.
JOHN BIGGS: OK.
DR. MICK BHATIA: This money’s going to allow… going to anchor the scientists that have chose to come to Ontario, that are working in Ontario currently, to move their field forward, and most importantly, there’s really no reason to go anywhere else.
JOHN BIGGS: Right, and this is… it’s not just affecting your field. There are many other fields of science that the Ontario government is putting this umbrella over, correct?
DR. MICK BHATIA: Absolutely. There’s certainly some wonderful work going on in genomics trying to understand why we get disease and how we can tackle that at the genetic level. Those things are also hopefully be definitely be funded in this competition, and there’s lots of applications that’ll go in. So it’s certainly going to improve on both of those pillars, but the idea that the Ontario scientists are moving, I hope that… that certainly is not the case. I think they’re well anchored here, and what it really shows the government… the Ontario government gets this. They understand that the basic discoveries in the laboratories require stimulation from the government to move and take those observations, those discoveries, and apply them, apply them to health care and to making people healthier and a better Ontario. JOHN BIGGS: Absolutely, and hopefully we get to keep more nurses too, but that’s another subject altogether. [LAUGHTER.] Dr. Bhatia, thank you for doing this, and continued success in your research.
DR. MICK BHATIA: Thank you so much and a pleasure talking to you.
JOHN BIGGS: Alright, take care.
DR. MICK BHATIA: Bye bye.
JOHN BIGGS: Bye bye. Dr. Mick Bhatia from McMaster University, who’s deep into the field of stem cell research and cancer research with the news that the Ontario government is going to be putting even more money into keeping our best people, retaining our best people, here in the province.
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