SARS-CoV-2, the strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19, has continued to evolve at a rapid pace in the last two years, leading to the emergence of new, tougher variants and a surge in breakthrough infections of fully vaccinated and boosted people around the world.
As a result, there is a pressing need to develop new, safe, cost-effective vaccines that provide broader coverage and are accessible to people everywhere. Fortunately, that is entirely possible thanks to trailblazing startup Refana, which has a strong connection to the engineering faculty, dating back to the 1980s.
Mark Turchan (BASc '83, systems design engineering, MASc '85, systems design engineering) and his brother Glenn Turchan (BASc' 87, geological engineering, MASc '90, civil engineering) are early investors in the company.
“Our investment is part of what University of Waterloo's Faculty of Engineering built into our problem-solving DNA,” says Mark. “It is all about solving big problems that can have a tremendous positive impact on the world while getting rewarded for doing so,” Glenn adds.
Go to 'Waterloo grads invest time and money in COVID-19 vaccine solutions' for the full story.