$1M funding establishes research fellowship

Toronto, ON – The Black Family Foundation (BFF) has made a $1 million donation to establish The Black Family Vascular Surgery-Interventional Radiology Research Fellowship in support of the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at University Health Network. The integrated fellowship is the first of its kind in Canada, combining training in both Interventional Radiology (IR) and Vascular Surgery (VS).

The fellowship will give either a vascular surgeon or interventional radiologist the opportunity to focus on a year of protected research time, followed by a year of clinical work in IR, VS, or a combination of both. Research would concentrate on analyzing current clinical data sets to identify areas of improvement as well as assessing the application of new medical technology and its impact on patient care.

“This hospital has a long history of innovation, including leading integrated cardiac care in Canada, and thanks to The Black Family Foundation’s generosity, we will be able to continue this enhanced level of research training for the next generation of vascular and interventional radiology healthcare providers,” said Dr. Barry Rubin, Program Medical Director of the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. “For the more than 1,000 patients who rely on the Interventional Radiology and Vascular Surgery departments each year, it means improved treatment methods and overall patient care.”

Having completed their medical degrees and residencies, Black Family Fellows will train in a highly complex sub-specialty by working under the guidance of experienced vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists who practice in an integrated team environment. As they acquire advanced skills, Black Family Fellows will advance discovery in their field by undertaking innovative research projects, the results of which will be published in peer-reviewed journals. The Black Family Vascular Surgery-Interventional Radiology Research Fellowships will influence patient care standards around the world as the Fellows take their new found knowledge and research back to their home countries and integrate it into their own healthcare practices.

“The opportunity to offer this research fellowship each year will enhance the academic experiences we can offer to highly qualified trainees from around the world and further the research goals of the collaborative practice between IR and VS,” said Dr. Thomas Lindsay, Head of the Division of Vascular Surgery at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre.

“As Canadians, we are blessed to have such an advanced healthcare facility as the Toronto General Hospital that provides some of the best integrated and gold-standard cardiovascular care in the world. We’re proud to support the incredible work of the doctors, staff and researchers,” said June Black, Chair of the BFF.

Recruitment for The Black Family Vascular Surgery-Interventional Radiology Research Fellows will begin early this year.