Canadian Research News

For the complete article from LabCanada.com, please click here.

SickKids Foundation and the University of Toronto announced today a $2 million dollar donation from BMO Financial Group, which establishes the BMO Financial Group Chair in Cardiology. World-renowned SickKids clinician and researcher, and University of Toronto professor in paediatrics, Dr Andrew Redington has been named the inaugural chair holder.

The $2 million gift will allow Dr Redington to continue to pursue research and contribute to the understanding of congenital heart disease and heart function. Dr Redington's group is currently studying a novel technique developed at SickKids, that has already been shown to protect the heart and other organs from damage due to restricted blood flow during heart surgery.

"Through BMO's generosity and Dr Redington's vision, today's announcement effectively solidifies SickKids as a world leader in children's cardiac medicine," said Mary Jo Haddad, president and CEO at SickKids. "An endowed chair for our head of cardiology is a powerful tool in both retaining people like Dr Redington while recruiting others with similar credentials in the years to come."

Under The Labatt Family Heart Centre headed by Dr Redington, SickKids currently performs 80% of all children's heart transplants in Canada and cares for 80% of all the children in Ontario with congenital heart defects. More than 60% of children requiring heart surgery are under one year of age, and almost a quarter of children requiring surgery are in their first month of life.