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Million dollar gift targets costly group of diseases
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Contact:
Erica Branda, University Advancement, 604.291.3353/778.231.1274, ebranda@sfu.ca
David MacLean, Dean, Health Sciences, 604.291.5361, dmaclean@sfu.ca
Julie Ovenell-Carter, Media & PR, 604.291.4323, joc@sfu.ca
Erica Branda, University Advancement, 604.291.3353/778.231.1274, ebranda@sfu.ca
David MacLean, Dean, Health Sciences, 604.291.5361, dmaclean@sfu.ca
Julie Ovenell-Carter, Media & PR, 604.291.4323, joc@sfu.ca
May 31, 2006
The Milan and Maureen Ilich Foundation is donating the last $1 million needed to establish a $4 million endowed research chair in statistics and information sciences for arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases. They join donors Merck-Frosst Canada Ltd., the Lohn Foundation and Simon Fraser University in supporting this partnership between SFU and the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada (ARC).
According to Health Canada, arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases cost the nation’s health care system $16 billion per year and represent Canada’s second most costly group of diseases. In 2000, arthritis and other rheumatic conditions affected nearly four million Canadians over age 15 – approximately one in six people. By the year 2026, Health Canada estimates that more than 6 million will have arthritis.
The research chair will work both at SFU and with Dr. John Esdaile at ARC to apply statistics and information science toward understanding the causes of arthritis and evaluating the effectiveness of new methods for its prevention and management. International recruitment for a leading researcher will begin this fall.
"Maureen and I attended a reception hosted by ARC. We were both impressed how Dr. Esdaile and others were working hard to help those with arthritis,” says Milan Ilich. “Maureen has suffered with arthritis for many years, so we made this donation in hopes that it would assist Dr. Esdaile and his team in helping Maureen and others who suffer with the disease."
“This research chair will serve as the foundation for the world’s only interdisciplinary research partnership devoted to arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases,” says SFU president Michael Stevenson. “The program will combine the public health research strength of SFU’s new faculty of health sciences with the practical clinical expertise of researchers at the Arthritis Research Centre.”
SFU’s faculty of health sciences brings a dynamic interdisciplinary approach to new programs in public and population health, global health, infectious disease, mental health and addiction and environmental health. Currently, more than 130 professors in a variety of disciplines are involved in health-related research at SFU.
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According to Health Canada, arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases cost the nation’s health care system $16 billion per year and represent Canada’s second most costly group of diseases. In 2000, arthritis and other rheumatic conditions affected nearly four million Canadians over age 15 – approximately one in six people. By the year 2026, Health Canada estimates that more than 6 million will have arthritis.
The research chair will work both at SFU and with Dr. John Esdaile at ARC to apply statistics and information science toward understanding the causes of arthritis and evaluating the effectiveness of new methods for its prevention and management. International recruitment for a leading researcher will begin this fall.
"Maureen and I attended a reception hosted by ARC. We were both impressed how Dr. Esdaile and others were working hard to help those with arthritis,” says Milan Ilich. “Maureen has suffered with arthritis for many years, so we made this donation in hopes that it would assist Dr. Esdaile and his team in helping Maureen and others who suffer with the disease."
“This research chair will serve as the foundation for the world’s only interdisciplinary research partnership devoted to arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases,” says SFU president Michael Stevenson. “The program will combine the public health research strength of SFU’s new faculty of health sciences with the practical clinical expertise of researchers at the Arthritis Research Centre.”
SFU’s faculty of health sciences brings a dynamic interdisciplinary approach to new programs in public and population health, global health, infectious disease, mental health and addiction and environmental health. Currently, more than 130 professors in a variety of disciplines are involved in health-related research at SFU.
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