Message from the Chief
|
Dear Friends:
The Research Institute at The Hospital for Sick Children upholds an exceptional standard of scientific research and discovery which is guided by our vision of Healthier Children. A Better World. It goes to the heart of what we do to prevent disease, find cures and transform children’s health.
With complete knowledge of the human genome sequence, we are closer to understanding the molecular basis of human disease and to developing promising new and effective therapies. We determine the causes, progression and treatment of children’s diseases from fetal origins to adult outcomes. We translate innovative, high-impact ideas into new paradigms, treatments and technologies and then place them in the hands of the global community for all children. The Research Institute's social science knowledge is used to help people make healthier choices by understanding the effects of environmental factors, health-related behaviors and social influences.
Our comprehensive structure integrates research endeavors and resources right across the health continuum. In asking relevant scientific questions we employ collaborative in-depth research, fully integrated programs and empowered independent researchers. We are a team of scientists, professional staff, students and trainees, organized into seven programs that encompass different aspects of scientific discovery supported by state-of-the-art core facilities, databases and outstanding resources such as our Clinical Research Office.
We care about the future of Canadian health research and we are passionately involved in educating the next generation of researchers and clinician scientists. We are a teaching hospital; our scientists and researchers are affiliated with the University of Toronto. Our Research Training Centre provides necessary information and resources for clinician-scientists interested in training at our Institute. We welcome all inquires about training at our Research Institute.
Equally critical to the future of Canadian health research is obtaining sustained commitments for funding support; the Research Institute operates in a singularly competitive funding era. This challenge requires steadfast advocacy on behalf of both health research and specifically child health research. We are grateful to many generous donors who contribute to the SickKids Foundation. Further infrastructure and operating grants are provided by key sources including the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Research Fund, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Genome Canada/ Ontario Genomics Institute and leading disease-focused agencies and foundations. Through MaRS Innovation, SickKids Corporate Ventures supports the Research Institute’s commercialization efforts to solicit new and committed financial partners. In tandem, these SickKids partners enable us to move from brainstorm to bench to bedside to backyard.
I invite you to explore the newly redesigned SickKids Research Institute website to learn more about our work and our team.
Dr. Janet Rossant
Chief of Research