Game-changing $10-million gift positions Sinai Health at the forefront of ageing research
TORONTO, Feb. 8, 2023 /CNW/ - The generosity of long-time supporter Dani Reiss has placed Sinai Health at the forefront of research into healthy ageing in this country. Thanks to Reiss' game-changing $10-million gift, Sinai Health has established the Dani Reiss Innovation Fund for Healthy Ageing Research.
The fund will enable Sinai Health to conduct leading-edge research into the fastest-growing age group in the country – older Canadians. As Chairman and CEO of Canada Goose, Dani has always been invested in promoting healthy physical activity, particularly as our population ages.
"My hope is that this research will ultimately help all Canadians. Enhancing quality of life in ageing and better understanding the effects of ageing on dementia and Alzheimer's disease is an area of research that's incredibly important and deeply personal for me," says Dani, who is on the Sinai Health Board of Directors. "I've seen firsthand how investment in discovery research can move society forward and I'm hopeful this research may positively impact future generations."
"The new fund will power innovative studies and discovery research aimed at improving our understanding of the ageing process and ageing-related diseases," says Louis de Melo, Chief Executive Officer, Sinai Health Foundation. "It will also facilitate training of the next generation of ageing-focused researchers, provide cutting-edge equipment and generate new scientific knowledge related to ageing."
Support will be provided to two of Sinai Health's most accomplished scientists: Dr. Graham Collingridge and Dr. Daniel Durocher, funding research into Alzheimer's disease and cellular deterioration that comes with ageing.
Dr. Collingridge is a senior investigator at Sinai Health's Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (LTRI) and is also the Director of the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disorders at the University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine. He is the holder of the Krembil Family Chair in Alzheimer's Research and a professor in the department of physiology at the University of Toronto. Dr. Collingridge is renowned for his research into mechanisms that drive memory formation and loss. The Dani Reiss Innovation Fund will allow him to expand his work into how the ageing process increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease and investigate ways to reduce the effect.
"The fund will enable my team to better understand the molecular causes of dementia," says Dr. Collingridge. "We aim to develop better, more targeted drug therapies for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. It's extremely valuable to have this support because it enables us to explore studies that we couldn't otherwise pursue."
Additionally, the Dani Reiss Innovation Fund will support the recruitment of two fellows – Dani Reiss Fellows – who have expertise in neurodegeneration and ageing.
"Ageing, by definition, takes a long time. And because of the magnitude of the work ahead of us, it would be difficult to move the dial or have an impact on our ageing population without this type of long-term funding," says Dr. Durocher, Associate Director of Discovery Science at the LTRI.
Dr. Durocher's area of expertise is in investigating how cells detect and repair damage to their DNA, which has implications for neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and the ageing process. Ageing is associated with cellular senescence, a process by which cells stop dividing due to the accumulation of DNA damage, leading to the gradual deterioration of cell and organ function.
The Dani Reiss Innovation Fund will enable Dr. Durocher's team to conduct research into senescence and translate their insights into the pursuit of new therapeutics. Not only will Dr. Durocher and his colleagues explore how some cells are able to evade senescence but they will also seek to understand the role of DNA damage and its repair in ageing, eventually supporting efforts to develop new therapies.
Sinai Health Foundation takes the vision of Sinai Health's physicians, clinicians, scientists, and health-care providers and helps turn it into a reality. Philanthropy is essential for advancing research, care and outcomes for those facing cancer, a high-risk pregnancy, stroke recovery and other conditions and diseases. Thanks to philanthropy, Sinai Health Foundation helps fund world-class facilities and offers patients access to some of the most impactful clinical trials and studies that have taken place over the past 30 years. For more information, please visit our website at www.supportsinai.ca.
SOURCE Sinai Health Foundation
Media Contact: Rebecca Stoneman, Director, Content and Communications, [email protected], 647-272-7490
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