International partnership accelerates pandemic preparedness and microbial medicine solutions

Cumming gifts power joint Melbourne-Calgary Collaborative Seed Funding Program in infectious disease research

Thanks to a research partnership — sparked by Geoff and Anna Cumming’s generosity — between the University of Calgary and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne, researchers at both institutions are now working shoulder-to-shoulder to advance innovative projects in infectious diseases research and microbial medicine.

More than $175,000 AUD in collective grant funding was awarded in 2024 in two streams. Projects focused on One Health (how human health is linked to animals and the environment) and antimicrobial resistance, diagnostics and clinical trials received three Melbourne-Calgary Collaborative Seed Grants. Two additional seed grants, jointly funded by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics and the CSM’s Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, were also awarded with a focus on technologies that will ease the burden of the next pandemic. Each project has co-principal investigators based at UCalgary and the Doherty Institute. 

“Throughout the application process, it was heartening to see our talented researchers working together across institutes to come up with new ideas that could lead to the next critical breakthrough in tackling infectious diseases globally,” says Dr. Todd Anderson, MD’85, dean of the CSM.

The partnership between institutions grew out of shared strength in researching infectious diseases, immunology and the microbiome, as well as a connection born from the generosity of philanthropist Geoff Cumming, BA’74, Hon. LLD’16. Cumming made a $100-million gift to UCalgary in June 2014, establishing the CSM, and, in August 2022, he and his wife, Anna made a $250-million gift to the University of Melbourne via the Doherty Institute establishing the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics.

Other Melbourne-Calgary Collaborative Seed grant recipients include University of Calgary’s Dr. Dylan Pillai, MD, PhD, who is developing rapid diagnostics for the mpox virus with the Doherty Institute’s Dr. Shivani Pasricha, MD; and UCalgary’s Dr. Ranjani Somayaji, MD‘10, PGME‘15, an associate professor who is working alongside the Doherty Institute’s Dr. Steven Tong, PhD, on a clinical trials-focused project on electronic health records of patients with enterococcal bacteraemia, a bloodstream infection that predominantly affects elderly and immunocompromised people.

University of Calgary’s Dr. Simon Hirota, PhD, with the Doherty Institute’s Dr. Laura Cook, PhD, were awarded a Melbourne-Calgary Enabling Capabilities Collaborative Seed Grant to consolidate their expertise in human organoids (small organs made in the lab from stem cells) to aid pandemic therapeutic research.

The Doherty Institute and the Florey Institute are excited to welcome collaborators from the University of Calgary this September for a joint research symposium focused on infectious diseases and neurosciences. This event presents another valuable opportunity to exchange insights, explore new research, and strengthen our partnership.
 

This article was first published by the University of Calgary.

Professor Kathy McCoy, PhD, a professor at the CSM and scientific director of the International Microbiome Centre (IMC), the largest academic germ-free facility in the world, was awarded two grants, one in each funding stream. She is currently in Melbourne working on the projects. Working with the Doherty Institute’s Dr Maximilien Evard, PhD, one project explores whether mice colonised with a wild microbiome (naturally occurring in the environment) have a stronger immune response to viral infections. In the other project, Professor McCoy is studying how microbiome therapeutics can be used to fight harmful antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the gut.

“While both of these two projects are fundamental research, our goal is to leverage the new information to better understand host-microbiome interactions and how the microbiome impacts human health and disease,” says Professor McCoy. “Our ultimate goal is to generate precise microbial therapeutics to treat patients affected by many diseases, including inflammation, cancer, infections, autoimmunity and more.”

Professor McCoy adds the work they are doing also extends to future pandemics, which is the core mission of the Cumming Global Centre.

During her exchange in Melbourne, Professor McCoy is also sharing information about University of Calgary and its microbiome research program, fostering new collaborations and identifying funding opportunities for joint ventures. She and her Melbourne counterparts have already received funding for a four-year grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia for their work on testing live bacterial treatments. Work Professor McCoy has enjoyed with the added benefit of missing a Canadian winter.

“It was certainly great to escape the Calgary winter. Melbourne is a vibrant city with lots to offer, so there is no way I have been able to experience everything! However, I am enjoying the sunshine, the coffee and the collegiality of Melburnians.”