Over $2.2 million for health research at the IRCM - A record annual amount given to the institute by the IRCM Foundation

Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM)

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 30, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - This week, at the annual dinner Hommage à la découverte (A tribute to discovery), the IRCM Foundation announced that $2,260,077 will be given to the IRCM for the year 2015. This record amount will help support the institute's scientific projects and training activities.

"I would like to thank all our volunteers for their remarkable work, whether they were part of our ambassadors committees or helped organize and carry out our events," said André J.P. Couillard, President of the IRCM Foundation. "Thanks to their concerted efforts, and to everyone who supports the IRCM Foundation, we can give these sums to the institute and help support health research."

The event, which brought together nearly 400 people from the business, academic and philanthropic sectors, was chaired by Martin Thibodeau, President of Quebec Headquarters at RBC Royal Bank.

"I am honoured to chair the IRCM Foundation's annual dinner for a second consecutive year, which demonstrates how much the work conducted at the institute means to me," mentioned Mr. Thibodeau. "The IRCM has a very important distinctive feature, that is to say that it houses both basic research and medical practice, allowing them to feed off each other. RBC is therefore especially proud to associate itself with and contribute to the development of this jewel of biomedical research in Montréal."

The event also served as an opportunity to pay tribute to the Fondation J.A. DeSève, a long-standing ally for the IRCM. This loyal partner has donated over $9.1 million to the IRCM Foundation since 1978, including nearly $6 million to support diabetes research.

"IRCM researchers have made significant scientific breakthroughs in several fields, including diabetes," said René Goulet, trustee for the Fondation J.A. DeSève. "For our foundation, of course, what matters most are the concrete results of research for the health of countless children, men and women, here and abroad. We are therefore pleased to be able to contribute to these discoveries by supporting the IRCM's high-calibre scientists."

The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, Prime Minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993, attended the dinner as a guest of honour and spoke about his personal experience with diabetes and the IRCM clinic. 

"After being diagnosed, I wanted to see the best diabetes expert in the country and was referred to the IRCM Clinic," said M. Mulroney. "In my opinion, if it wasn't for the support and excellent care I receive at the institute, I would no longer be here. For many years now, my wife Mila and I have been contributing to the IRCM Foundation to advance health research and, to me, this has been one of my life's best investments."

The 2015 annual dinner raised a net amount of $255,235, which will used in part to grant scholarships to IRCM students and postdoctoral fellows, thus supporting the next generation of researchers.

About the IRCM
The IRCM (www.ircm.qc.ca) is a renowned biomedical research institute located in the heart of Montréal's university district. Founded in 1967, it is currently comprised of 35 research units and four specialized research clinics. The IRCM is affiliated with the Université de Montréal, and the IRCM Clinic is associated to the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM). It also maintains a long-standing association with McGill University. The IRCM is funded by the Quebec ministry of Economy, Innovation and Export Trade (Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et des Exportations).

About the IRCM Foundation
Also created in 1967, the IRCM Foundation (www.ircm.qc.ca/fondation) is an essential partner for the institute. Thanks to individuals who hold dear the IRCM's future, the IRCM Foundation is able to fulfill its mission and support scientific projects, technological development and training activities at the IRCM, thus contributing to the institution's growth and success.

SOURCE Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM)

Image with caption: "The IRCM Foundation's 2015 annual dinner - Left to right: Tarik Möröy (IRCM President and Scientific Director), Louise Lambert-Lagacé (Chair of the IRCM's Board of Directors), Martin Thibodeau (Honorary Chairman; President of Quebec Headquarters at RBC Royal Bank), André J.P. Couillard (President of the IRCM Foundation) (CNW Group/Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM))". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20151030_C5092_PHOTO_EN_533245.jpg

Julie Langelier, Communications Coordinator, IRCM, 514-987-5555, [email protected]