UPEI welcomes Dr. Ian Gardner, Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Aquatic Epidemiology. He begins work this month in his new post at UPEI’s Atlantic Veterinary College.

The CERC program was created by the government of Canada to build on the country’s growing global reputation for research and innovation. Each of the 19 chairs is funded up to 10 million dollars over seven years to establish ambitious research programs.

Dr. Gardner comes to UPEI from the University of California Davis. At UPEI, he will examine health interactions between farmed and wild fish populations and develop cost-effective testing strategies and surveillance programs for the prevention and control of diseases in aquatic food animals. His research will help aquaculture regulators in Canada make science-based decisions to maintain healthy food production in our marine environments, as well as provide the knowledge needed to help improve nutrition for human populations around the world.

The announcement last year of Dr. Gardner’s CERC, along with the rest of the chairs across the country, made a media splash across the country.

“The veterinary college at the University of Prince Edward Island made the final cut and managed to recruit a candidate, while research powerhouses such as McGill University did not. Professor Gardner, an Australian, said the UPEI offer came at the right time in his career. The small size of the campus and the attention devoted to his field there was an attraction.” -Canada’s $200-million lure pulls in 19 big name researchers, Globe and Mail.

“UPEI won one of the 19 new Canada Excellence Research Chairs, each funded at $10 million, and each a cottage industry unto itself. Says Lynch: ‘UPEI has become a mini-Waterloo,’ citing the research-driven university that gave the world the BlackBerry.” -How a few people with a dream can make a difference, Montreal Gazette.

“‘We were told we were trying to recruit Nobel laureate-stature people to Canada because good people attract good people. That’s axiomatic. That was the objective,’” said Derek Burney, who heads the selection board of the Canada Excellence Research Chair program.” -How Canada poached academic stars from around the globe, Globe and Mail.

The Office of Research Development welcomes Dr. Gardner, and the culmination of research excellence at UPEI that his appointment represents.