TRIUMF’S LIFE SCIENCES DIVISION
Supporting discovery, education, and innovation.
The mission of TRIUMF’s Life Sciences program is to save lives every day through the production of radioisotopes and development of novel and more powerful radiochemical and radiopharmaceuticals (radiotracers). We produce and prepare certain commercially unavailable radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals for distribution to researchers, to design and synthesize radiotracers with optimal properties for imaging biological targets and to develop novel tracer imaging systems. The program also includes projects making use of particle beams directly, such as FLASH therapy and beta-detected NMR (betaNMR).
In addition to performing world-class research and making new discoveries, Life Sciences at TRIUMF builds on long-standing collaborations with the the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health and BC Cancer, for which we routinely provide various tracers for animal and pre-clinical studies.
Our Research
The Life Sciences Division at TRIUMF pursues both fundamental and applied research and development under three core pillars: studies and applications with ions beams, nuclear chemistry, and the application of isotopes to understand life at the molecular level. To achieve this goal, the division of Life Sciences relies on all accelerators at TRIUMF – from 13 to 500 MeV, including the emerging electron linac, all of which hold potential as key drivers for research in all core areas. Together with our radiochemistry and beta NMR laboratories, the division maintains cutting-edge facilities and expertise in research and development of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals for use in nuclear medicine, radiotherapy and the broader life sciences.
Our Team
The Life Sciences team is responsible for the design, installation, operation and maintenance of components and systems required for radioisotope production and processing facilities for tracers to be used in research projects, both at TRIUMF and at other laboratories.
Our Facilities
Research performed in the Life Sciences Division covers a wide spectrum of research. The Life Sciences Division combines cutting-edge expertise in the research and production of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals for use in nuclear medicine and the broader life sciences sector.