New health sciences complex in Mississauga

Toronto, ON – A new $36 million health sciences complex is to be built at the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus. The new facility will house the academy of medicine along with other health-related disciplines.

The university, in recognizing the need for increased physical space for the academy of medicine, also recognized the opportunity to create a hub for health sciences and interdisciplinary education, said Professor Ian Orchard, vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga. “This complex will integrate the learning of our students, the delivery of health and science education and the research that drives both forward. Students, scientists, community health care workers and physicians will work side by side, building on the strength of U of T Mississauga’s science programming and the strength of community healthcare.”

Two years ago, the provincial government announced funding to expand medical school enrolment across Ontario. U of T Mississauga, U of T’s Faculty of Medicine and two community-based hospitals in Mississauga – Credit Valley Hospital and Trillium Health Centre – formed a partnership to create a fourth U of T medical academy, focused on community-based generalist care.

The complex will be central to the delivery of medical education at the academy, Orchard noted. Equipped with state-of-the-art instructional, student support and biomedical research facilities, the complex will provide advanced technologies for students to interact and share learning experiences on all teaching sites at the other medical academies. Other features of the complex will include large classrooms, problem-based learning rooms and research space for chemistry, forensics, psychology and molecular biology.

The first complement of students is expected on campus in August 2010, Orchard said.

The $36 million facility received $14.7 million from the province. The university will be seeking the remainder from the private sector and government.