A new research chair will be launched at the University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, made possible by a $2.5-million donation from The P. Austin Family Foundation.
The Pamela and Paul Austin Chair in Precision and Regenerative Medicine will accelerate research on personalized approaches to drug discovery, delivery and tissue regeneration. The University of Toronto is a leader in this field, with researchers in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering already working to identify new drug targets in cancer and design new strategies for tissue repair.
“Our family’s philanthropy has been focused on sustaining healthy communities, particularly with respect to building capacity within our healthcare system and facilitating the adaptation of new technologies and advancements in care. We believe that the advancements in precision and regenerative medicine at the University of Toronto are compelling and offer significant momentum toward understanding and impacting injury and illness,” says Paul Austin. “We are enthusiastic about supporting the potential for discoveries that may have a transformational impact on treating diseases, and ultimately improving the lives of so many.”
The P. Austin Family Foundation is the charitable foundation of Pamela and Paul Austin. The foundation has supported numerous initiatives in medical research, including establishing the Pamela and Paul Austin Centre for Neurology and Behavioural Support at the Baycrest Centre to accelerate research into dementia, Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative disorders, the Guided Therapeutics (GTx) International Fellowship program at the Techna Institute for the Advancement of Technology for Health at UHN, and the Pamela and Paul Austin Research Center on Aging at the Center for Computational Medicine at Hebrew University of Jerusalem to name a few.
“We are truly honoured by the Austin Family Foundation gift, and I am grateful to Pamela and Paul for their generous support of the research innovation at U of T Engineering,” says Dean Christopher Yip. “Their contribution will enable the advancement of knowledge, which will ultimately make a difference for patients, families and our communities.”
The new chair in precision and regenerative medicine in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry will be named in the coming months.
