McGill University Health Centre joins with National Research Council Canada to promote innovation in research
The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) are proud to announce ratification of a scientific partnership agreement. Beginning June 1, 2007, researchers from the Research Institute of the MUHC (RI MUHC) will be moving into the laboratories of the NRC Biotechnology Research Institute (NRC-BRI) in the Montreal borough of Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
“This project confirms that we are determined to encourage excellence in research,” said the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the NRC. “Today, we are not only inaugurating a new partnership, but also celebrating an innovative approach, a first between a university and a federal agency, in support of one of the key national priorities—health and wellness.”
In addition to benefiting from the NRC-BRI’s ultramodern facilities and leading-edge expertise in health biotechnologies, RI MUHC will have at its disposal the NRC’s expertise in biotechnology transfer and intellectual property management for better marketing the fruits of its research. This partnership will allow for close interaction with pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies.
“We are proud that the research institute of one of Canada’s largest university hospital centres is establishing a presence at our site and becoming one of our partners,” added Dr. Pierre Coulombe, NRC President. “Its researchers will have direct access not only to NRC expertise, but also to all its leading-edge technology platforms. This directly reflects our partnership facilities’ objective of helping researchers invent, develop their innovations and market them successfully.”
“Because the NRC Biotechnology Research Institute is the largest biotechnology research and development centre in Canada, this is an interesting and profitable agreement for us,” said Senator W. David Angus, Chair of the MUHC Board of Directors. “This new partnership is another demonstration that we plan to intensify development of new inventions. It also demonstrates our desire to build solid alliances between the public and private sectors, in order that patients may benefit from the latest innovations in health and biotechnology.”
Moreover, the NRC-BRI will benefit from the expertise of the MUHC in health sciences and clinical research, as well from the skills of the RI MUHC in health care and biomedical research. The federal agency will also benefit from its special relationship with the Montreal university hospital centre on the level of medical practices and hospital-specific applications.
“By promoting new synergies among the scientific community, the different levels of government and the business world, we will be allowing innovative ideas to grow,” said Dr. Arthur T. Porter, MUHC Director General and CEO. The advantage of this new partnership is that it enables Montreal and Quebec to position themselves better internationally in biotechnology development.”
About the McGill University Health Centre
The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. The MUHC is a merger of five teaching hospitals affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University—the Montreal Children’s, Montreal General, Royal Victoria, and Montreal Neurological hospitals, as well as the Montreal Chest Institute. Building on the tradition of medical leadership of the founding hospitals, the goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the health care field, and to contribute to the development of new knowledge. www.muhc.ca
The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) is a world-renowned biomedical and health care hospital research centre. Located in Montreal, Quebec, the institute is the research arm of the MUHC, a university health centre affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University. The institute supports over 500 researchers, nearly 1,000 graduate and post-doctoral students, and operates more than 300 laboratories devoted to a broad spectrum of fundamental and clinical research. The Research Institute operates at the forefront of knowledge, innovation and technology and is inextricably linked to the clinical programs of the MUHC, ensuring that patients benefit directly from the latest research-based knowledge. For further details visit: www.muhc.ca/research.
About the National Research Council of Canada (NRC)
Recognized globally for research and innovation, Canada’s National Research Council (NRC) is a leader in the development of an innovative, knowledge-based economy for Canada through science and technology. www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.
The NRC Biotechnology Research Institute is the largest NRC laboratory in Canada dedicated to R&D in biotechnology. It employs more than 800 people, including NRC personnel, students, guest researchers and scientists, who work in three main sectors of research: health, bioprocess and environment. NRC-BRI is a federal government institute that maintains ties with industry and universities to generate benefits for Canada. www.irb-bri.cnrc-nrc.gc.ca