McEwen Centre Launches
Leading the Way in Regenerative Medicine

Last year, stem cell research took a large step forward with the opening of the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine at UHN.

UHN Celebrates with Scientific Symposium
More than 300 members of the scientific community attended the scientific symposium which launched the festivities. Centre Director Dr. Gordon Keller, an internationally acclaimed embryonic stem cell scientist and co-chair of the symposium, was also officially introduced to the Toronto research community.

World-renowned researchers—including Drs. John Dick , Rudiger von Harsdorf, Thomas Waddell, Michael Fehlings, Janet Rossant, Derek van der Kooy, and keynote speaker Dr. George Daley—described stem cells and their significance to various biomedical fields, showcasing their unique ability to change the face of medicine and health on numerous fronts.

Following the symposium, a tour of the facilities—with musician Sir Bob Geldof among the attendees—continued the celebration. The event ended with a gala reception and dinner hosted by philanthropists and lead donors Robert and Cheryl McEwen.

Centre Focuses on Research & Commercialization
As a key component of UHN's regenerative medicine research priority platform, the Centre focuses on three specific areas: repair and regeneration, origins and models of disease and new tools for discovery. Heart disease, diabetes, blood cell disorders and spinal cord and neurodegenerative diseases are the core fields of investigation, while research in other diseases, including those of the lungs, as well as muscular/skeletal and gastro/intestinal conditions, will also be pursued.

In addition to establishing the Centre, which is located on the 8th floor of the Toronto Medical Discovery Tower , funding will allow regenerative medicine researchers from across UHN and across Toronto to attract new trainees through new postdoctoral fellowships as well as to pursue new modes of commercialization via enhanced support for this program.

"This is truly an exciting opportunity," says Dr. Keller. "There is an enormous pool of talented regenerative medicine researchers in Toronto. My goal as the Director of the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine is to create an environment that will foster cross-disciplinary interactions and encourage investigators to work synergistically towards the development of innovative regenerative medicine approaches."