TORONTO, Nov. 14, 2012 /CNW/ - Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D) President Russell Williams announced the creation of three university scholarships today, during the association's Annual General Meeting (AGM). The three $25,000 scholarships, which recognize past Chairs of the Rx&D Board, will support students studying life sciences at McMaster University, the University of British Columbia and Queen's University.
"Partnerships between academic medical centres and industries have always been of utmost importance to realize fully the benefits of bio-medical research and ensure continued advances in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease," said Mr. Williams during the AGM, which brought industry and stakeholders together to explore ways in which to better collaborate to realize improved health outcomes for Canadians within a more sustainable health care environment. ''We would like to honour three Canadian leaders in a manner that reflects their principles and beliefs as well as our industry's. Education and research are the backbone of our work and the base for our county's future."
The Deborah M. Brown Scholarship in Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization will be created in honour of Mrs. Deborah M. Brown, Outgoing Chair of the Rx&D Board (2012), and President and Managing Director, EMD Serono. This scholarship will be awarded to a student in a new cross-disciplinary Bachelors/Master's program in biomedical discovery and commercialization at McMaster. Rx&D and EMD Serono have each contributed $25,000, and McMaster has contributed an additional $25,000 for a total amount of $75,000 over 5 years.
The Ronnie Miller Scholarship in Personalized Medicine has been created in honour of Mr. Ronnie Miller, past Chair of the Rx&D Board (2011) and President & CEO, Hoffmann-La Roche Limited. It will be awarded to a graduate student of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of British Columbia, whose work will provide a significant contribution to the British Columbia Personalized Medicine Initiative (BCPMI). Rx&D and Hoffmann-La Roche Limited have each contributed $25,000, for a total of $50,000 over 5 years.
The Paul Lucas Scholarship for the Faculty of Health Sciences has been created in honour of Mr. Paul Lucas, past Chair of the Board of Rx&D and retired CEO of GlaxoSmithKline Inc. Rx&D has contributed $25,000 to the scholarship, and this commitment has been matched by Mr. Paul Lucas and his wife Mrs. Linda Lucas for a total of $50,000. The scholarship will be awarded to a student of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen's University.
"Looking towards the future, it is our intention to award one scholarship every year for each past chair to a renowned Canadian institution in order to encourage students who excel in a field of life sciences to pursue their higher education," added M. Williams.
About Rx&D
Rx&D is the association of leading research-based pharmaceutical companies dedicated to improving the health of Canadians through the discovery and development of new medicines and vaccines. Our community invests more than $1 billion in research and development each year to fuel Canada's knowledge-based economy. Guided by our Code of Ethical Practices, our membership is committed to working in partnership with governments, healthcare professionals and stakeholders in a highly ethical manner.
SOURCE: CANADA'S RESEARCH-BASED PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES (RX&D)
Isabelle Robillard
Media Relations
Telephone: 613-236-0455 (extension 831)
E-mail: [email protected]
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