Newsroom

Ottawa Health Research Institute changes name to Ottawa Hospital Research Institute


April 22, 2009

After eight years, the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute is changing its name to the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. The OHRI was formed on April 1, 2001 as the research arm of The Ottawa Hospital and an affiliated institute of the University of Ottawa. It has grown rapidly to become one of the top hospital-based research institutes in Canada, with more than 1,400 researchers, trainees and staff and more than $90M in funding.

“We believe that the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute more clearly describes who and what we are,” said Dr. Duncan Stewart, CEO and Scientific Director, OHRI, Vice President, Research, The Ottawa Hospital and Professor of Medicine, University of Ottawa. “We felt it was particularly important to have a clear, recognizable name at a time when we are gaining increasing recognition, both locally and around the world.”

The new name comes at the end of a highly successful year at OHRI that included:
  • Major research findings that had an impact around the world, improving patient care in areas such as heart disease (BART study) and lung disease (asthma study).
  • Important progress in developing new stem cell therapies for blindness, heart attack and auto-immune disease as well as oncolytic viruses for cancer.
  • Awarding of a highly competitive $32M grant for new research facilities from the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
  • Training of more students than ever before (450 in total), in partnership with the University of Ottawa.

The OHRI is encouraging use of the new name immediately, recognizing that full updates to the website (www.ohri.ca / www.irho.ca) and to promotional materials will take some time. Costs associated with the name change are expected to be minimal, as the logo design is not changing and staff have been asked to use up existing materials before ordering new ones.

“The Ottawa Hospital supports this name change,” said Dr. Jack Kitts, President and CEO, The Ottawa Hospital. “Research at OHRI is key to The Ottawa Hospital’s goal of providing the best, most innovative care to the people of Ottawa and Eastern Ontario.”

“The University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine is closely associated with The Ottawa Hospital and its research institute, the OHRI, because we share the same goals of excellence in training and research,” said Dr. Jacques Bradwejn, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa. “We fully support this name change because it better reflects the integral and close relationship of the OHRI with The Ottawa Hospital.”

Backgrounder: Quick Facts about the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI)
  • Partners: OHRI is the research arm of The Ottawa Hospital and an affiliated institute of the University of Ottawa, closely associated with the University’s Faculties of Medicine and Health Sciences.
  • Governance: The OHRI is governed by a Board of Directors that includes 12 prominent members of the Ottawa community, as well as senior leadership of The Ottawa Hospital, the University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.
  • Staffing: 105 scientists, 337 investigators, 450 students and postdoctoral fellows and 555 research staff.
  • Funding: $92.2M in 2007-2008, with the majority from external grants, contracts and salary awards.
  • Commercialization: 5-10 patents per year and seven startup companies overall.
  • Publications: Approximately 500 per year.
  • Clinical trials: Approximately 600 ongoing.

Media Contact
Jennifer Paterson
Director, Communications and Public Relations
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
613-798-5555 ext. 19691
jpaterson@ohri.ca