London ON – (September 14, 2005) The London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) and the City of London today announced the Robarts Research Institute as the next recipient of the Featured Company of London Award. Robarts President and Scientific Director, Dr. Mark Poznansky will receive a commemorative plaque from Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco at the city council meeting on September 19.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by the City for our efforts at Robarts to advance our understanding and ability to treat and prevent disease,” said Dr. Mark Poznansky, Robarts President and Scientific Director. “Canadian scientists are currently responding to some of the most challenging and expensive diseases in history: heart disease, stroke, diabetes and Alzheimer’s among them. Our work is ultimately all about creating new ways to improve the health of people worldwide and that can only continue with the full support of citizens here in London and beyond.”
Interdisciplinary science is key at Robarts with physicians and physicists, biologists and engineers among the many scientific disciplines under one roof. The Institute has core research strengths in genomics, cell biology and medical imaging with applications in neurological, cardiovascular- and immune-related disorders including heart disease, stroke, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
Established in 1986, Robarts Research Institute is an independent facility focused solely on medical research. The Institute has grown from 160 people working in 1990 to more than 600 staff in 2005, attracting research grants from premiere funding agencies in Canada and the U.S. in excess of $35 million. Robarts scientists publish their research in top-ranked journals and are in demand around the world as research collaborators and invited speakers.
Among their many awards: eight of Robarts’ principal investigators hold prestigious Canada Research Chairs; six are Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario Career Investigators; four are among Who’s Who in Canada and two were named to the Royal Society of Canada in 2004. In addition, Dr. Poznansky was named to the Order of Canada this year.
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For more information, please contact:
Lesley Cornelius, Director Business Development, Life Sciences
London Economic Development Corporation
Tel: 519-661-5010
Dr. Mark Poznansky, President and Scientific Director
Robarts Research Institute
Tel: 519-663-3785
