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2010 Ottawa Hospital Gala raises $125,000 in support of groundbreaking research


December 4, 2010

More than 500 of Ottawa’s business leaders filled the Westin Ottawa this evening to celebrate the tremendous achievements of three local researchers who are shaping the future of health care.

The 2010 Ottawa Hospital Gala presented by Nordion raised $125,000 in support of research at The Ottawa Hospital. Throughout the evening Melissa Bowerman, Dr. Lynn A. Megeney, and Dr. John C. Bell were honoured for their innovative ideas which have led to new discoveries in their respective fields.
  • Melissa Bowerman was awarded the Dr. Ronald G. Worton Researcher in Training Award for her promising work in developing new treatments for Spinal muscular atrophy.

  • Dr. Lynn Megeney was awarded the Dr. Michel Chrétien Researcher of the Year Award for his groundbreaking work on stem cell development.

  • Dr. John Bell was awarded the Dr. J. David Grimes Research Career Achievement Award for his pioneering work on oncolytic viruses for cancer therapy.

“Innovation is the only way to make progress and discover new treatments to fight disease,” said Steve West, CEO of Nordion Inc. “We salute the efforts of the researchers at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute as they push forward the frontiers of science and medicine for the benefit of us all.”

All proceeds raised through The Ottawa Hospital Gala support research being conducted at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) – the research arm of The Ottawa Hospital and an affiliated institute of the University of Ottawa.

In the past seven years, The Ottawa Hospital Gala presented by Nordion has raised more than $855,000 for advancements in health science right here in Ottawa.

The Ottawa Hospital is a multi-campus, academic health sciences centre, serving 1.2 million residents of Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, both in English and French. It provides care for more patients than any other hospital in Canada, and boasts specialty centres in cancer, heart, kidney and vision care, as well as rehabilitation services. For more information, visit The Ottawa Hospital Web site at www.ottawahospital.on.ca.

The Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s mission is to inspire and enable people to support the highest quality health care at The Ottawa Hospital and lifesaving research at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. For more information, visit The Ottawa Hospital Foundation Web site at www.ohfoundation.ca.

The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) is the research arm of The Ottawa Hospital and is an affiliated institute of the University of Ottawa, closely associated with the University’s Faculties of Medicine and Health Sciences. The OHRI includes more than 1,500 scientists, clinical investigators, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and staff conducting research to improve the understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human disease. www.ohri.ca

For more information, please contact:

Ingrid Gingras
Media Relations and Marketing Officer
The Ottawa Hospital Foundation
Tel.: 613-798-5555, ext. 18718
igingras@ottawahospital.on.ca

Jennifer Paterson
Director, Communications and Public Relations
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
613-798-5555 ext. 73325
jpaterson@ohri.ca