World leading health research at Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and the University of British Columbia received a significant boost in Tuesday’s provincial budget. B.C. Finance Minister Carole Taylor dedicated $35 million to further research in brain diseases and bone and joint health.
The Brain Research Centre at UBC Hospital was awarded $25 million to support research and explore new treatments for illnesses and injuries affecting the brain. $10 million was awarded to the Centre for Hip Health and Musculoskeletal Research at Vancouver General Hospital to advance research in bone and joint health.
“Our programs are based on the concept of applying research knowledge to provide the best care to patients,” said Dr. Max Cynader, director, Brain Research Centre at UBC Hospital and Canada Research Chair in Brain Development at UBC. “This support from the provincial government enables us to stay positioned as a world leader in neuroscience research and help us in our goal of creating healthier lives for all British Columbians.”
The Brain Research Centre at UBC Hospital has been at the forefront of neuroscience research since its formation in 1997. It is a partner of the University of British Columbia and UBC Senate approved. It works closely with patient clinics at UBC Hospital, VGH, and GF Strong, and its facilities support the work of neuroscientists around the province. In the past two years, more than 20 investigators have joined the Brain Research Centre including clinician researchers in the area of MS, Depression, Stroke, and ALS. Additionally, 20 spin-off companies have been formed since the Centre’s inception 10 years ago.
The Centre for Hip Health & Musculoskeletal Research at VGH is the world’s first research centre for hip health. Investigators are undertaking innovative research to decrease the burden of poor bone and joint health and provide groundbreaking new treatments and surgical innovations to prevent, halt, or reverse its impacts. The Centre’s programs will positively impact the health of people all across the province. The Centre for Hip Health is a partner of the University of British Columbia and UBC Senate approved.
“This funding significantly moves us toward our goal of providing innovative solutions to effectively address the burden of bone and joint problems on the people of BC and Canada. The new facility at Vancouver General Hospital will bring together researchers, surgeons, and other health care professionals to provide groundbreaking new treatments and techniques in hip, knee, and other bone and joint care”, said Dr. Heather McKay, director, Centre for Hip Health at VGH, and professor in the departments of Orthopaedics and Family Practice at UBC.
VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation continues to raise $5.4 million for the Centre for Hip Health at VGH to unlock previously awarded federal funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation for new equipment and research.
This funding announcement comes on the heels of recent awards by Industry Canada, establishing the Prostate Centre at VGH, and a new centre in the Prevention of Epidemic Organ Failure at VGH and St. Paul’s Hospital, as national Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research. The Brain Research Centre at UBC Hospital was one of the first programs in Canada to earlier receive this designation.
With nearly $80 million annually in research funding, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute is one of Canada’s top funded health sciences institutes. Every dollar spent on research returns $6 to $8 in benefits to the economy of British Columbia.
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