The main objective of AATHEN is NOT to fund research. Instead, AATHEN shows two main goals.

The first objective of AATHEN is divided into three points: 
1) Spark collaborations to facilitate future research funding (renewals and new grants) on ARBs by major funding agencies (CIHR, Mitacs, Heart & Stroke Foundation, NSERC).
2) Leverage the Applicants’ current expertise and research infrastructure to initiate the first step of a critical technology development aimed at testing and screening the +30 never-published, UBC-designed and synthesized ARB-like molecules to identify new lead compounds specifically for the Applicants’ non-BP-related indications.
3) Translate non-BP drug response biomarkers to these ARB-like molecules, as we have observed therapeutic properties in absence of BP lowering.

The second objective of AATHEN include the development of a training environment that will foster translational innovation, new talents, academic drug development, ensure adequate UBC-based supply of ARB analogues and drug development tools (such as AT1R and AT2R KO animals and cell lines), and support equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
If successful at securing GCRC funds as a new UBC research cluster, AATHEN will create translational synergies between existing ARB research programs and unpublished ARB-like analogues and biomarkers, which will lead to additional research funding, identification of new lead compounds, new therapeutic tools and drug response biomarkers for a range of illnesses.