As director of the new Glycomics Institute of Alberta, Lara Mahal wants to build connections among experts in the field — as well as the wide range of researchers who may not realize the impact glycomics could have on their work. (Photo: Supplied)
University of Alberta Glycoscientist Lara Mahal has launched the Glycomics Institute of Alberta at the university. Glycomics are an understudied area of science, Mahal explained, but they play “a critical role in every major disease.” The institute will focus on building connections between the field’s experts and among researchers; providing education such as workshops for students and researchers; and offering resources through its website, including access to databases and research videos. “We want to educate the larger biomedical community about the importance of sugars, which has really been undervalued,” said Mahal. “It’s about communication, collaboration and education — those are really our main mandates.”
(AB)UAlberta