THE INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2025
EXECUTIVE MESSAGES
A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER, DR. RHIAN TOUYZ
This year, our Annual Report celebrates Discovery that Matters—research that is not only innovative, but also deeply meaningful in advancing care, supporting equity, strengthening communities and shaping the future of health.
At The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute), our mission is clear: to create clinical impact through interdisciplinary science. Every day, our researchers, clinicians, trainees and partners work across disciplines and borders to turn ideas into advances that have impact and that improve lives. The discoveries featured in these pages reflect our shared commitment to precision health at all ages across the life-course, ensuring that the right care reaches the right person at the right time.
2025 marked the official launch of our 2030 Vision, a roadmap that positions The Institute as a global leader in transformative discoveries. Guided by five research priorities—from integrating data science to advancing health equity—and supported by four enabling priorities, we are building the environment, tools and partnerships needed to accelerate progress.
This year also brought remarkable moments of discovery. In our laboratories, fundamental science uncovered new insights into the mechanisms of health and disease, laying the groundwork for tomorrow’s treatments. At the clinical interface, our teams led high-impact trials and developed novel diagnostics and therapies that are directly advancing patient care. Our epidemiologists drove insights to inform prevention strategies, health policy and clinical decision-making. This progress has been possible thanks to the trust and expertise shared among our teams, our patients and our partners locally, nationally and internationally. Together, they remind us why discovery matters—it is the beginning of better health for all.
I extend my sincere thanks to our Board of Directors, our partners at the MUHC and McGill University, our hospital foundations, donors, patient partners and funding agencies. Together, we will continue to push the boundaries of research, delivering impactful discoveries that truly matter.
A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, DR. SARAH PRICHARD
As Chair of the Board of Directors of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, I am honoured to share in the celebration of our Institute’s remarkable achievements this year. The collaborative spirit, unwavering dedication and boundless creativity of our scientists, trainees and staff embody the very heart of our mission. Together, you are transforming bold ideas into real-world impact—advancing health equity, innovating treatments and strengthening communities here at home and around the world.
Our Institute stands out not only for what it discovers, but also for how it empowers people and enriches lives. Thank you to everyone who contributes to this vibrant community of excellence and compassion. I look forward to the continued journey ahead and to all that we will accomplish together.
A MESSAGE FROM THE MCGILL UNIVERSITY HEALTH CENTRE
At the heart of our mission is a simple but powerful idea: discovery must matter. It must lead to better care, improved lives, and stronger communities. That’s why our research efforts are focused not just on innovation for its own sake, but on impact—advances that truly make a difference.
Through major clinical trials, including world firsts, we are opening doors to new treatments and care pathways that were once thought out of reach. We are committed to ensuring that these breakthroughs reach everyone by embedding equity into each stage of our research so that the care we improve is appropriate and accessible to all. Progress is made possible through a growing and much-needed alignment between our hospital operations and The Institute’s activities.
Together, we are building a culture where scientific discovery is deeply connected to the care we deliver every day. Central to this culture is our people. We therefore aim to recruit and retain the brightest minds in science, who share a passion for meaningful, mission-driven work. Their contributions are essential to growing our research capacity and ensuring that the discoveries we make today will shape a healthier tomorrow.
We congratulate The Institute’s leadership—Dr. Rhian Touyz, her deputy executive directors and program leaders—and teams for their accomplishments, as well as the Board of Directors and The Institute’s committees for their sage counsel and strategic input during the 2024-2025 year. We are grateful for their shared purpose and for the momentum that comes from being united in pursuit of discovery that matters. Finally, we thank The Institute’s partners, notably McGill University amongst others, and the various funding bodies for supporting the efforts of Canada’s third largest and Quebec’s leading hospital-based research institute and, de facto, the patient care provided across the McGill University Health Centre and province.
A MESSAGE FROM MCGILL UNIVERSITY
Congratulations to our partners at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute) on another year of exciting discoveries in health and biomedical research.
Covering areas as diverse as tuberculosis, cancer, rare diseases and pregnancy complications, the breadth of our joint research projects undertaken over the past year is unified by a dedication to foster cutting-edge investigations that leverage the latest technologies to find solutions to the pressing, unmet and global needs of the communities we serve, working in close partnership with those communities.
As both a teaching and research institution, McGill is fortunate to be able to partner with The Institute to provide our researchers – many of them clinician-scientists – and our trainees with world-class facilities and real-world opportunities to undertake projects that have a tangible impact on the healthcare of the diverse populations we serve.
We look forward to another year of meaningful discovery in support of our joint mission to advance care and shape the future of healthcare locally and beyond.
