World-class research facilities: “From bench to bedside”

Today, Mr. Normand Rinfret, Director General and CEO of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), and Dr. Vassilios Papadopoulos, Executive Director and Chief Scientific Officer of the Research Institute of the MUHC (RI-MUHC), are proud to inaugurate the RI-MUHC's new research facilities at the Glen site, with Mr. Yves Bolduc, Quebec Minister of Higher Education, Research and Science. 

“We are proud to inaugurate the Research Institute today, as this represents the first step in the redeployment of MUHC 2015 at the Glen site,” stated Dr. Papadopoulos. “Biomedical and research facilities, combined with renovated labs and redesigned care units at the Glen and the Montreal General Hospital, will redefine how our researchers and students conduct cutting-edge research, with the ultimate goal of advancing 21st-century medicine.”

Today, hundreds of healthcare professionals, members of the research community and industry partners toured the ultramodern facilities, where RI-MUHC researchers, students and staff will be moving at the end of the month.

“The dream of the RI-MUHC at the Glen site has become a reality, and this move represents a historic transformation for Montrealers and Quebecers,” stated Mr. Rinfret. “This new home will be a platform for an integrated approach to research, clinical care and education. Our researchers will continue to foster the RI-MUHC's, world class reputation here and around the globe.”

The RI-MUHC at the Glen was designed to allow researchers and clinicians to work closely together under the same roof. Pediatric and adult research activities will be combined so that scientists can study the onset and impact of diseases on individuals throughout their lifespan. The complexity of medical problems such as diabetes, cancer and respiratory diseases, amongst others requires researchers and medical staff to collaborate to better understand these diseases and more easily develop new diagnostic tools, improved therapies, and more strategic approaches to population health.

Research activities will be divided into three pillars:

• The Centre for Translational Biology (CTB) will be the hub for fundamental research. Scientists will work in open laboratory units with state-of-the-art equipment and computer systems to develop novel curative compounds.
• The McConnell Centre for Innovative Medicine (CIM), integrated within the hospital, will specialize in clinical trials and research to transform discoveries into new treatments.
• The Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE) will include specialists in epidemiological, statistical, economic and biopharmaceutical research who will evaluate the impact of new treatments, diets and environmental factors on health. 

“The RI-MUHC's high-tech facilities at the Glen site along with those we are upgrading at the Montreal General Hospital will let us push the boundaries of medicine like never before. We will therefore remain at the forefront of research and excel in our mission to improve health outcomes,” concluded Dr. Papadopoulos.

The Redevelopment Project of the Research Institute of the MUHC required an investment of $210 million for construction and design costs, to which must be added $100 million for research equipment. The funds come from the Government of Quebec ($160 million), a $100 million grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and a contribution of $50 million from donations to the MUHC foundations through the Best Care for Life campaign.

Read the inaguration speech made by Dr. Vassilios Papadopoulos, General Director of the RI-MUHC

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