A coordinated pathway for researchers, clinicians and industry partners to evaluate, implement and scale innovations that improve care and drive economic growth in Quebec.

Montreal, June 2, 2026— The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute) are proud to announce the launch of the IMPACT Centre, a bold initiative designed to accelerate healthcare innovation and help bring promising technologies, therapies and research discoveries into real-world patient care faster.

Too often, innovative healthcare solutions face barriers that delay their integration into clinical care. The IMPACT Centre was created to help close the gap between scientific discovery and patient impact by providing a clear and coordinated pathway for the development, evaluation, validation and implementation of new technologies and approaches to care.

“Innovation in healthcare has traditionally been driven through research and academia, but the path to bringing these innovations into clinical care is often complex and requires testing in “real world” environments,” says Dr. Alan Forster, Director of Innovation, Performance and Quality at the MUHC and The Institute. “With the IMPACT Centre, we are creating a direct avenue for partners to engage with clinicians, researchers and hospital staff to safely evaluate and optimize solutions that improve care and reduce costs.”

The Centre will support a broad range of initiatives, including artificial intelligence (AI) applications, digital health technologies, advanced therapies, quality improvement projects and innovations designed to improve operational efficiency, patient outcomes and staff wellness. Doing so will help stimulate economic growth and investment in Quebec's industry and facilitate Quebec companies' access to the global market.

A unique innovation ecosystem

The IMPACT Centre builds on the complementary strengths of the MUHC, one of Canada’s most complex and advanced academic health centres and The Institute, internationally recognized for its scientific excellence. Together, they offer exceptional translational research expertise and a dynamic environment where promising innovations can flourish—from discovery and validation to meaningful impact on patient care—within one integrated ecosystem.

Specifically, the IMPACT Centre will provide streamlined access to:

• Clinical environments and world-class research infrastructure;
• Synthetic data (artificially generated data that mimics real-world data without containing information from real individuals) and analytics capabilities;
• Evaluation and implementation expertise;
• Investment and commercialization support;
• Training and guidance in innovation methodologies.

Patients at the heart of the IMPACT Centre’s mission

By accelerating the adoption of rigorously evaluated innovations, the Centre aims to ensure patients gain faster access to safe, effective and validated technologies that improve care.

“Healthcare is entering a new era, where AI, data and emerging technologies have the potential to fundamentally transform how care is delivered,” says Dr. Lucie Opatrny, President and Executive Director of the MUHC. “With the IMPACT Centre, the MUHC and The Institute are creating a more coordinated approach to evaluating, implementing and scaling innovation responsibly—helping ensure patients benefit more quickly from advances that can improve care, strengthen our health system and support our clinical teams.”

“The strength of the MUHC and The Institute lies in our ability to connect discovery with real-world care,” says Dr. Rhian Touyz, Executive Director and Chief Scientific Officer of The Institute. “From precision diagnostics and next-generation surgery to AI, digital health and advanced therapies, our researchers are driving advances across the full continuum of care. Through the IMPACT Centre, we are helping translate this research excellence into concrete solutions that can improve the lives of patients here in Quebec and around the world.”

With the invaluable support from generous donors and the MUHC affiliated foundations, the IMPACT Centre will also help strengthen Quebec and Canada’s innovation ecosystem by supporting entrepreneurship, facilitating responsible partnerships with industry and contributing to economic growth and job creation.

To learn more about the IMPACT Centre, visit: muhc.ca/impact

About the McGill University Health Centre
The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is one of the world’s foremost academic health facilities. Building on the tradition of medical leadership of its founding hospitals, the MUHC provides exceptional multidisciplinary patient-centric care in French and in English. Affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of McGill University, the MUHC continues to shape the course of adult and pediatric medicine by attracting clinical and research expertise from around the world, assessing the latest in medical technology, and training the next generation of medical professionals. In collaboration with our network partners, we are building a better future for our patients and their families; for our employees, professionals, researchers and students; for our community and above all, for life. www.muhc.ca

About the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre
The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute) is a world-renowned biomedical and healthcare research centre. Affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of McGill University, The Institute is the research arm of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC)-an academic health centre located in Montreal, Canada, that has a mandate to provide complex care to its community. The Institute supports over 700 researchers and close to 1,500 research trainees devoted to a broad spectrum of fundamental, clinical and health outcomes research at the Glen and the Montreal General Hospital sites of the MUHC. Its research facilities, including the Centre for Translational Biology, the Centre for Innovative Medicine and the Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, offer a dynamic multidisciplinary environment that fosters collaboration and leverages discovery aimed at advancing precision health throughout the life course. The Institute is supported in part by the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ). rimuhc.ca

Media contact

Fabienne Landry
Communications coordinator, Research, MUHC
FabiennePraesent id dolor porta, faucibus eros vel.landry@muhc.mcgill.ca