Centre History
WIIIC was originally founded as the Center for Human Immunology (CHI) in 2010 by Dr. Bhagi Singh via a Canadian Institutes for Health Research Network Grant. In the same year as its founding, the CHI became Western Universities representative at the Federation of Clinical Immunological Societies (FOCIS). The CHI was founded on a long history of scientific and clinical excellence in Basic and Clinical Immunology at Western University. Major milestones included the introduction of cyclosporine in clinical transplantation in the 1980’s, the first human small bowl transplant in the late 1980’s, the establishment of the MRC-JDFR Program in Diabetes in the 1990’s, establishment of CFI/ORDCF programs in Diabetes and Transplantation in the 1990’s, and in 2003 the establishment of the first Canadian FOCIS Center of Excellence in Clinical Immunology. A review in 2005 by Thomson Scientific identified Western’s immunology program as the most influential immunology center in Canada over the first 5 years of the 21st century. Based in this success, the CHI led from 2012-2015 the Canadian Human Immunology Network and continued to promote the advancement of immunology research at Western University and across Canada.
Since then, CHI has evolved to include immunological, inflammatory, and infectious processes beyond human immunology, recognizing the interconnectivity of environmental, ecological, sociological, economic, and political factors. This led in 2022 to the redevelopment of the CHI as the Western Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Centre, with the goal of promoting collaborative research programs that can meet modern medical and research challenges.
