Genome British Columbia is excited to be returning to the College of the Rockies in Cranbrook for another community focused public talk. The talk is part of Genome BC’s Bringing Genomics Home speaker series, which aims to connect and encourage dialogue between academic researchers in the field of genomics and the general public.

Community members are welcome to join Drs. Catalina Lopez-Correa and David Charest from Genome BC for a lively and engaging presentation: Putting Genomics to Work: Tools for Environmental and Agricultural Challenges. This discussion will explore how genomic tools can be used to help the environment adapt to climate changes and agricultural shifts and the types of research projects in B.C. that exist in these areas.

“We look forward to returning to Cranbrook for another public talk,” said Dr. Catalina Lopez-Correa, Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President, Sector Development. “This time we will be shifting gears from a health focus to looking at how genomics is used in the natural resource sectors- especially in regards to improving environmental conditions and the food we eat. It will be an interesting evening with plenty of time for audience interaction and questions.”

“The Genome BC event offers an incredible interactive learning opportunity for our students, faculty and community members,” said Andrena Heigh, Biology Instructor at College of the Rockies. “We are fortunate to have these speakers come to our community and share their expertise on topics that affect all of us. This is our seventh year hosting this popular event and we are very much looking forward to it.”

This free public talk begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 9 at College of the Rockies, Lecture Theatre 250- 2700 College Way, Cranbrook. For more information and to register for this free event.

Catalina Lopez-Correa joined Genome BC as Vice President, Sector Development and CSO in January 2016. With over 18 years of international experience in both the academic and private sectors, Catalina brings her deep understanding of genomics to the Genome BC leadership team. Catalina holds an MD from UPB University in Colombia, a Masters in Genetics from Paris VII/Pasteur Institute and a PhD in Medical Biosciences-Genetics from KULeuven in Belgium. Most recently she was the Vice-President and CSO, Scientific Affairs, at Genome Quebec where she was instrumental in developing competitive teams for national and provincial research projects, and raising the profile of Genome Quebec on the global stage.

Since joining the organization in 2005, Dr. David Charest has brought his years of management and scientific research experience from academia and industry to several positions at Genome BC. As part of his current position as Director, Sector Development, David manages Genome BC’s involvement with the agriculture & agri-foods and fisheries & aquaculture sectors. This involves engaging and partnering with various stakeholder groups to develop applied genomics-related solutions to meet the needs
of sector users.

Genome British Columbia leads genomics innovation on Canada’s West Coast and facilitates the integration of genomics into society. A recognized catalyst for government and industry, Genome BC invests in research, entrepreneurship and commercialization in life sciences to address challenges in key sectors such as health, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, agri-food, energy, mining and environment.

Genome BC partners with many national and international public and private funding organizations to drive B.C.’s bioeconomy. In addition to research, entrepreneurship and commercialization programs, Genome BC is committed to fostering an understanding and appreciation of the life sciences among teachers, students and the general public.

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