(OTTAWA, ONTARIO)
– More than 425 guests were on hand tonight at the Ottawa
Congress Centre to celebrate research excellence at the 2007
Gala for Research, presented by MDS Nordion, and organized
by The Ottawa Hospital Foundation. The black-tie event, an
evening of elegance, fine dining and entertainment, raised
$105,000 for the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and
honoured three outstanding researchers.
Dr. Michael McBurney received the Dr. J. David Grimes Research
Career Achievement Award for playing a crucial role in building
the Ottawa health research community by founding and leading
the Centre for Cancer Therapeutics. His research has had a
major impact on our understanding of cancer and stem cells.
Dr. Ruth Slack was named Researcher of the Year for experiments
revealing how an important factor in the brain is involved
in both energy production and cell death. This work has important
implications for the development of new therapies for disorders
such as stroke and Parkinson’s disease.
Kelly McClellan received the inaugural Dr. Ronald G. Worton
Researcher in Training Award. Kelly's research has focused
on understanding how stem cells give rise to new brain tissue,
with the eventual goal of developing novel stem cell-based
therapies.
“We are proud to be associated with these award recipients
and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute,” said Steve
West, President of MDS Nordion, the title sponsor of the Gala
for Research. “Their research represents a commitment
to excellence and innovation that we value at MDS Nordion.”
“The guests were elegant and the room looked fantastic,”
said Michael LeClair, Chair of the Ottawa Hospital Foundation.
“Tonight’s gala featured an impressive décor
which incorporated blown-up microscopic images of cells and
neurons from the labs of some of the Research Institute's
world-renowned researchers.”
Also on hand to celebrate health research were Dr. Duncan
Stewart, CEO and Scientific Director of the OHRI, Dr. Jack
Kitts, President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital, Yves Tremblay,
Chair of The Ottawa Hospital Board of Governors, and Susan
Doyle, President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.
The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) is a multi-campus,
academic health sciences centre, serving 1.5 million residents
of Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, both in English and French.
It provides care for more patients than any other hospital
in Canada, and is one of the largest acute care hospitals
in the country. It boasts specialty centres in cancer, heart,
kidney and vision care, as well as rehabilitation services.
Working together with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute,
the University of Ottawa, and other partners, TOH is gaining
national recognition for high-quality patient care, teaching
and research. It ranks as one of the most efficient teaching
hospitals in the country. For more information, visit The
Ottawa Hospital Web site at www.ottawahospital.on.ca.
The Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s mission
is to inspire and enable people to support the highest quality
health care at The Ottawa Hospital and lifesaving research
at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.
For more information, visit The Ottawa Hospital Foundation
Web site at www.ohfoundation.ca.
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For more information, please contact:
Stephen Blais
The Ottawa Hospital Foundation
Communications Advisor
Tel.: (613) 798-5555, ext. 18718
stblais@ottawahospital.on.ca
Jennifer Paterson
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Director, Communications and Public Relations
Tel.: (613) 798-5555, ext. 19691
jpaterson@ohri.ca
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