Strategic Alignment with the University of Alberta
Our Centre was not only inspired by our research and the need to expand the field of precision and molecular nutrition but also developed as a direct response to this institutional call to action. The University of Alberta’s Forward with Purpose Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation underscores the urgency of addressing grand societal, economic, and environmental challenges through strategic investments in research infrastructure. Recognizing this, our initiative aligns with five of the six grand challenges outlined in the plan and directly supports the University’s five-year strategy to harness its globally recognized strengths for maximum impact.
In line with this Strategic Plan, our core facility integrates with key institutional research priorities, including Precision Health, AI4Society, Food & Bioresources, and Health. Additionally, it adheres to core principles of research excellence by: (1) building upon our existing research strengths, (2) maintaining flexibility to adapt to emerging opportunities, (3) fostering cross-campus collaborations that integrate genotyping and phenotyping approaches, (4) promoting interdisciplinary interactions, (5) embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles within research environments, and (6) maximizing research impact through effective knowledge translation. Our Centre stands as a tangible realization of this vision, bridging cutting-edge research with real-world applications to drive scientific advancements, policy influence, and meaningful community engagement.
This core facility is uniting the efforts across various Colleges, Faculties, and Institutes, fostering local collaboration and with national and international partners, all the while amplifying our community engagement initiatives
Local interdisciplinary collaboration: integrating colleges, faculties, and institutes with the Centre for Precision and Molecular Nutrition. Every main user involved in our initiative holds membership, often in leadership roles, in one or various Institutes. Abbreviations: ADI: Alberta Diabetes Institute; AMII: Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute; ATI: Alberta Transplant Institute; CRINA: Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta; CVRC: Cardiovascular Research Center; CVRI: Cardiovascular Research Institute; HNRU/CRU: Human Nutrition Research Unit/ Clinical Research Unit; iSMART: Institute for SMart Augmentative and Restorative Technologies and Health Innovations; NMHI: Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute; PADL: Physical Activity Diabetes Lab; RRC: Rehabilitation Research Centre; TMIC: The Metabolomics Innovation Centre; VIGOUR: Canadian VIGOUR Centre; WCHRI: Women and Children's Health Research Institute.
Faculties We Serve at the UofA
Governance
The governance structure includes five key bodies.
1. The Oversight Board will advise the Scientific Committee and provide key stakeholder input into the Centre's strategy, with members including university leaders and industry and patient partners.
2. The Scientific Committee, comprised of the Scientific Directors and Node Leaders, will be responsible for developing the Centre's long-term vision, scientific priorities, and strategic, management and resource allocation plans.
3. The International Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC) ensures the Centre’s strategic and scientific progress aligns with global advancements in precision nutrition and provide expert guidance on scientific milestones, infrastructure development, and collaborative opportunities, including clinical trials and data integration platforms.
4. The EDI Committee is responsible for ensuring that EDI principles are consistently applied across all activities and initiatives.
5. The Operating Committee report to the Scientific Directors and operationalize the long-term vision and plans of the Scientific Committee.