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null Message from the Executive Director, RI-MUHC

Vassilios Papadopoulos, D.Pharm., PhD

Dear colleagues and friends of the RI-MUHC,

It has been over a year since the move to our new facilities, and I am wondering if time could fly any faster. It seems that we settled at the Glen much longer than a year ago, and the same is true for our colleagues who moved from the Royal Victoria Hospital heritage site to the renovated Montreal General Hospital (MGH) research facilities. Some of our community is still spread around various buildings awaiting the renovation of facilities to accommodate the Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE). I trust that this will happen soon. 

The RI-MUHC is now reorganized into three centres and eight disease- and science-focused research programs, each program crossing all three centres. Our technology platforms are fully functional and the Centre for Innovative Medicine (CIM) open for service – not yet completed, but with daily progress toward that end. Indeed, the official inauguration of the CIM is happening this spring. 

Almost eight years ago we set up a strategic research plan for the reorganization and development of our Research Institute between the new Glen site and the MGH. Looking back to judge whether we did what we set up to do, I can report that indeed we did. It was not easy. It took a lot of effort, perseverance and, yes, certain sacrifices. However, I believe that today we are better than we were in 2008, and this signals the right time to begin work on our next strategic research plan. To achieve this, we have assembled an international scientific advisory committee to help us evaluate the present and design the future. 

The new infrastructure and technology available to RI-MUHC researchers positions us to compete successfully for extramural funding. We are, however, navigating numerous changes that have taken place at the CIHR, and it may take our research community some time to adapt. I am glad to report that thanks to the many and thorough internal reviews performed, our success rate for the first pilot competitions has been excellent. I would like to thank all our members who participated in the review process. Your advice was critical and a key factor in our success.

Thank you all for your continuous support. 

Vassili

─ March 2016