The University of Alberta and the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) are deepening scientific collaboration thanks to a new partnership that brings together their mutual expertise in artificial intelligence and combating viral diseases in an effort to speed the development of new therapies.
Sam Hawgood (left), chancellor of the University of California San Francisco, and Bill Flanagan, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Alberta, sign a memorandum of understanding to bring together the two universities' expertise in AI and biomedical research. (Photo: Quantitative Biosciences Institute)
The memorandum of understanding, signed Dec. 8 in San Francisco, links the U of A's might in AI and virology with UCSF's Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), a world-leading hub for interdisciplinary biomedical research.
"This agreement provides an outstanding opportunity to advance AI-driven biomedical innovation," says U of A president Bill Flanagan. "Together, we can expand our leadership and expertise as we address some of the world's most pressing challenges."
The partnership's major goal is to advance research into complex neurological conditions such as autism and ADHD, as well as infectious disease. Scientists across both institutions bring complementary expertise with the hope of uncovering new therapeutic targets that could guide future treatments.
One early area of interest, for example, includes understanding what triggers neuroinflammation during infections such as the Epstein-Barr virus an area where the U of A has already built significant strength.
"Our combined expertise creates a synergistic and powerful resource," says Joanne Lemieux, vice-dean of research in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry and one of the scientific leads on the initiative, alongside fellow U of A biochemistry professor Olivier Julien. "This partnership will uncover new research directions, and it will enhance our ecosystem for training and discovery in both AI and biomedical sciences."
This memorandum builds on years of collaboration between researchers at both institutions. UCSF is consistently ranked among the world's top universities in life sciences, particularly in immunology, neuroscience, molecular biology and clinical medicine. Recent global rankings have placed the U of A as Canada's top AI university and fifth worldwide in artificial intelligence.
For Alberta researchers, joining forces with QBI brings access to a broad global network and advanced tools in structural biology, chemistry and quantitative biosciences. Meanwhile, QBI gains the opportunity to collaborate with one of the world's most active research hubs for AI in health, while accessing Alberta's unique digital health environment, strong virology community and rapidly growing ecosystem of AI-focused biomedical researchers.
"This is an elite, internationally renowned health group that values the U of A's expertise in AI and biomedical research, and wants to help us amplify our ability to tackle the world's most complex problems," says David Bressler, U of A vice-president (international and enterprise).
Lemieux also points to the growing role of the Alberta Machine Learning Institute (Amii), whose recent recruits include Canada CIFAR AI chairs working at the intersection of molecular biology and artificial intelligence. She says the "bilingual AI and biology expertise emerging in Edmonton will be central to the success of the new partnership."
Beyond strengthening research, the agreement will promote training, exchanges and joint events. Both institutions plan to pursue shared funding opportunities, host symposia, and support student and trainee mobility between Edmonton and San Francisco.
The agreement also positions both universities to explore new academic-industry pathways for developing and commercializing biomedical discoveries, especially those rooted in AI. With QBI's strong history of entrepreneurial activity, the collaboration could open doors for Alberta researchers looking to bring new diagnostics or therapeutics to the global market.
