By Julia Nowicki, for the Lambda

Laurentian University, along with Capital Projects, is expecting a new edition to the already growing campus. The School of Education will be the home of a new laboratory, built for Laurentian University’s Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research Unit (CMRU).

Construction on the lab began in July 2015 and the lab is expected to be completed and open in March/April 2016.

The Laurentian Board of Governors approved $4 million in expenditures for the project, which will be paid for by grants and research funding.

The equipment in the lab will be used for biomedical studies and analyzation of tissues from cellular to whole animal levels.  The project was initiated with the goal of training graduate students and post-doctorate fellows.

“Along with the scientists at CMRU led by Dr. Rui Wang, this Unit has received millions of dollars of external research funding, trained hundreds of highly qualified personnel, and published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers in leading journals.  The team will make significant contributions to Laurentian’s position as a leader in university-based research excellence in Canada,” commented Laurentian administration.

This world-class laboratory is also expected to boost the image of Laurentian University as a modern academic institution.

“Biomedical research is gaining momentum at Laurentian University. The arrival and establishment of CMRU will bring new talent to the campus, boost our research collaboration, and foster the training of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. It will build up our critical mass in biomedical research, increase our CIHR funding and funding from other health research agencies, and will also create new opportunities for research and innovation in the areas of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity,” said Dr. Rui Wang, Vice-President of Research at Laurentian University and leader of the CMRU research team.

The team is expected to be occupying space in the School of Ed. as early as Dec. 2015.

-Photo by Kayla Perry