Photo: Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre
In the late 1990s, Dr. Marco Marra was completing his postdoctoral fellowship in genomics (the study of genes) in St. Louis, Missouri. At the time, only a few places in North America had genome centres. One day, Marco received a phone call from a colleague of Nobel Laureate Dr. Michael Smith, inviting him to help build a new genome centre in Vancouver. After several conversations, Marco decided to return home to help bring that vision to life.
Marco joined Michael and BC Cancer leaders to create the world’s first genome sequencing centre embedded within a cancer clinic — now known as Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre (GSC) at the Provincial Health Services Authority. Genome sequencing reads all the genetic information, or DNA, in a cell. This helps researchers identify changes in DNA that may cause disease and develop more personalized treatments.
In 2001, Marco became one of the first researchers funded by Michael Smith Health Research BC (then called Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research). The funding helped him develop new technologies at the Genome Sciences Centre to study thousands of genes at once and identify those linked to cancer. This work led to new tools for earlier diagnosis and improved treatment strategies for a disease that affects thousands of people.
“I’ve always felt that the ability of Michael Smith Health Research BC to fund fundamental research shows real enthusiasm for this work and has the potential for transformation,” says Marco. “The funding helped me, but the benefits went beyond me alone. It also helped BC Cancer, the universities, and the evolving genomics community by creating more resources for more people and supporting organizational transformation.”
Marco has played a key role in advancing genome science in Canada. In 2003, he led the team that produced the first genome sequence of the virus responsible for the global outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The research confirmed that SARS was a coronavirus and showed that genome sequencing could help scientists respond quickly to emerging infectious diseases.
Marco was director of the GSC for 20 years. During that time, the centre received over $1 billion of research funding and trained more than 1,000 highly qualified personnel in genomics, computational biology, and bioinformatics. Marco has led major cancer research projects that have identified new mutations, biomarkers, and treatment targets in ovarian, cervical, brain, and breast cancers, as well as leukemias and other diseases. This work is helping researchers better understand how cancers develop and how they can be treated more effectively.
“Recognition with a Health Research BC award is something to be proud of. It’s an investment in people and can be game changing,” says Marco. “I was an early recipient, and it helped launch my career.”
Dr. Marco Marra
Dr. Marco Marra is Professor in the Department of Medical Genetics and the Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Distinguished Scientist at BC Cancer Research Institute. He is co-founder and was Director of Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre for more than two decades. Marco is known for his work in genomics and precision cancer genomic medicine and has been a leader in driving the expansion of genomics in Canada.
He has trained and mentored the following Health Research BC-funded researchers:
- Suganthi Chittaranjan, UBC
- Malachi Griffith, UBC
- Jaswinder Khattra, UBC
- Sander Lambo, BC Cancer
- Maria Mendez-Lago, BC Cancer
- Ryan Morin, UBC
- Olena Morozova, UBC
- Sorana Morrissy, UBC
- Jill Mwenifumbo, BC Cancer
- Michelle Ng, UBC
- Trevor Pugh, UBC
- Greg Vatcher, UBC
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