How will research be improved in the redeveloped MUHC?
Patients who are treated in a research intensive university teaching hospital such as the MUHC have access to the most up-to-date screening and treatment practices, newer medications and novel therapies that, in many cases, result in better quality of life and improved survival rates.
As the largest health sciences research institute in Quebec, the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) is home to a broad spectrum of research, including fundamental biomedical research, patient oriented and applied clinical research, health services and health systems evaluation, and epidemiological (population based) studies. Currently, however, research activity is spread out in 32 buildings on five sites.
A brand new research facility planned for the Glen Campus will offer 450,000 sq.ft. of space for both fundamental and clinical research. At the heart of this facility will be a Centre for Innovative Medicine (CIM), featuring dedicated research beds, a day hospital for clinical research, and outpatient research areas. Surrounding this Centre will be core research platforms in fundamental and evaluative sciences, where researchers will analyze the results obtained in the CIM. This innovative and integrated approach, unique in Canada, will allow for translational research - the transfer of knowledge from the laboratory to clinical trials, and from clinical trials to wide acceptance by doctors and patients.
Research will also be an important component of the Mountain Campus, and will be closely aligned with the patient-care programs provided at this site. Approximately 150,000 sq.ft. of dedicated research space will be allocated to this campus.
Through its Research Institute, the MUHC is a key player in Montreal's burgeoning biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, contributing significantly to this city's knowledge-based economy.
Consolidating its activities on two campuses will allow the RI-MUHC to promote greater interaction and collaboration between basic researchers and clinician-scientists working in a variety of disciplines. The intellectual synergy that will be created will also serve as a magnet for recruiting the next generation of brilliant scientific minds to the MUHC.
