When Acadia University researcher Dr. Nicoletta Faraone and her team made headlines and social media buzz this spring with their tick research breakthroughs, they garnered something greater than likes and clicks — they inspired a remarkable act of generosity.

Impressed by her work, Peter and Susan Gordon of Ontario have donated $755,000 to support the creation of the Canadian Tick Research and Innovation Centre (CTRIC) at Acadia, the first facility of its kind in Canada.

"Given the serious public health consequences of a sharply rising tick population in many parts of the country, it's critical that we expand our understanding on an expedited basis,” the Gordons said. "We are delighted to support this important Canadian research initiative being led by Dr. Nicoletta Faraone and her colleagues. We hope our initial support will also attract additional funding from other stakeholders."

Slated to open in Acadia’s Huestis Innovation Pavilion in 2026, the CTRIC will strengthen national efforts to understand, prevent, and manage ticks and tick-borne diseases through dedicated tick rearing, pathogen testing, and repellent evaluation.

The Gordons’ contribution lays the foundation for the new centre and, they hope, will spark additional government and industry investment to expand Canada’s leadership in this area.

“The Gordons saw a good news story and wanted to help create another,” said Leigh Huestis, executive director of Acadia’s Office of Industry & Community Engagement. “Their generosity is inspiring. It reminds us that when research is supported and shared, it has the power to change lives and strengthen communities.”

As climate change brings warmer winters and a widening tick range, tick-borne diseases are a growing threat. In addition to rising Lyme disease cases, pathogens such as Anaplasma, Babesia, Rickettsia, and Powassan virus are also spreading across Nova Scotia, Canada, and internationally.

Thanks to teams led by Dr. Nicoletta Faraone (Chemistry), Dr. Laura Ferguson (Biology), and Dr. Kirk Hillier (Biology), Acadia has become a trailblazer in tick research, surveillance and repellent development and testing. The university’s discoveries have already generated practical solutions with economic and social impact.

And while the forests and fields near Acadia may be literally crawling with ticks, research requires carefully bred specimens.

Currently, Canadian researchers must import ticks from a U.S. lab — at a gobsmacking $5 USD per tick. Those ticks also differ genetically from Canadian populations, limiting the accuracy of domestic studies.

Acadia’s CTRIC will close this critical gap by establishing a “tickery” — a nursery for ticks — to supply genetically relevant, Canadian-bred specimens (such as blacklegged and dog ticks) for research that can better serve our public health needs.

“Controlled breeding eliminates environmental and genetic variables, ensuring results are consistent and scientifically valid,” says Dr. Faraone. By maintaining colonies that reflect the genetic diversity of ticks found in Canada, we can study species that are locally relevant and provide data that directly supports Canadian public health and product development.”  

The CTRIC will also make Acadia a go-to source for Canadian-bred ticks, meeting a growing demand among government, academic, and industry researchers who currently have to shop south of the border.

“The Made-in-Canada movement probably didn’t have ticks in mind,” joked Leigh, “but the CTRIC is a perfect example of Atlantic academic researchers tackling a real-world problem on home turf. We hope this progress keeps gaining momentum and leads to discoveries that benefit communities across Canada and the world.”