$7M donation supports new stem cell research centre

Ottawa, ON – Canadian investor Eric Sprott, and his wife Vizma, have made a $7-million donation to the Ottawa Health Research Institute (OHRI), the research arm of the Ottawa Hospital. The gift will go toward the creation of an endowment fund to support the new Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research.

The endowment fund will ensure future growth of the centre, which will officially open in November. The permanent fund will allow some of Canadas leading scientists to further advance stem cell research that could one day lead to cures for some of humanitys most debilitating diseases.

The 30,000 sq-ft facility will be the largest research centre in Canada devoted to the study of stem cells. It will house approximately 120 researchers, who will also be affiliated with the University of Ottawas Faculty of Medicine.

Stem cells have the potential to revolutionize medicine and possibly lead to cures for diseases like Alzheimers, Parkinsons and Diabetes, says Dr Ron Worton, CEO and scientific director of the OHRI. The new centre will mean untold benefits for people in our community, now and in the future.

The donation will catapult the Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa to the forefront of stem cell research and regenerative medicine in Canada, says Dr Michael Rudnicki, director of the new centre and a professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa.