December 7, 2000
SickKids scientist appointed inaugural scientific director of CIHR’s Institute of Genetics
Dr. Roderick McInnes, a Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) senior scientist, has been appointment the inaugural scientific director of the Genetics Institute of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
"To become the inaugural scientific director of the Genetics Institute at what is undoubtedly the most dramatic period in the history of genetic research is a truly exciting prospect," said Dr. McInnes, head of the HSC Developmental Biology Research Program and holder of the Anne and Max Tanenbaum Chair in Molecular Medicine. "I look forward to working with the Canadian genetics community, already one of the finest in the world, to improve the excellence of our research enterprise."
Federal Health Minister Allan Rock and CIHR president Dr. Alan Bernstein appointed a total of 13 inaugural scientific directors to lead CIHR’s network of virtual institutes at an announcement in Ottawa on December 5. Along with Genetics, the other institutes are: Aboriginal Peoples’ Health; Cancer Research; Circulatory and Respiratory Health; Gender and Health; Healthy Aging; Health Services and Policy Research; Human Development, Child and Youth Health; Infection and Immunity; Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis; Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes; Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction; and Population and Public Health.
"These individuals will, with the Governing Council, lead the revolution in health research in Canada," said Dr. Bernstein. "Each scientific director will help create a climate of excellence and innovation for the health research communities in the private, public and voluntary sectors to accelerate our understanding of health and illness."
The scientific directors, appointed to a four-year term, will be charged with building national research initiatives in their area of research, creating strategic partnerships with the public, private and voluntary sectors, and fostering the translation of research results into improved health. The institutes will begin to develop strategic plans early in the new year, and will start their implementation in April 2001. Scientific directors will manage their institute from where they currently conduct their own research.
"It is very appropriate that The Hospital for Sick Children will serve as the home for the CIHR’s Genetics Institute given our major role in genetic research in Canada for the past several decades," said Dr. Manuel Buchwald, chief of Research at HSC. "We are very proud of Dr. McInnes and his accomplishments."
For more information, please contact:
Public Affairs
The Hospital for Sick Children
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