Sunnybrook Research Institute
Encyclopedia
Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI) is the research component of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
in Toronto
, Ontario
. It is one of the largest research centres in Canada, second only to the University Health Network
within the Toronto Academic Health Sciences Centre Network. SRI is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto
.
Conducting over $100 million in research every year, SRI is home to a number of breakthroughs that have transformed health care. The research institute supports the activities of over 200 scientists and clinician-scientists, over 200 research associates, engineers, physicists and technicians and over 300 students and trainees that works in 250000 square feet (23,225.8 m²) of state-of-the-art research space in northeastern Toronto. They work to prevent disease and develop treatments that enhance and extend life. These aims derive from SRI’s core vision: to achieve discovery and its translation into clinic to set best practices.
The Centre for Image-Guided Therapeutics will add more than 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) of research space at Sunnybrook and will bring together 55 scientists and clinician-scientists from across the hospital along with more than 180 research trainees. Unique facilities within the Centre will include:
Some of their major industrial partners include GE Healthcare
, Pfizer Canada Inc., Philips
, sanofi pasteur
and Siemens
.
Several spinoff companies have emerged from SRI, including VisualSonics Inc., Sentinelle Medical Inc. and Profound Medical Inc.
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, abbreviated SHSC and known simply as Sunnybrook, is an academic health sciences centre located in Toronto, Ontario....
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. It is one of the largest research centres in Canada, second only to the University Health Network
University Health Network
University Health Network is a medical centre that comprises three teaching hospitals affiliated with the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine....
within the Toronto Academic Health Sciences Centre Network. SRI is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
.
Conducting over $100 million in research every year, SRI is home to a number of breakthroughs that have transformed health care. The research institute supports the activities of over 200 scientists and clinician-scientists, over 200 research associates, engineers, physicists and technicians and over 300 students and trainees that works in 250000 square feet (23,225.8 m²) of state-of-the-art research space in northeastern Toronto. They work to prevent disease and develop treatments that enhance and extend life. These aims derive from SRI’s core vision: to achieve discovery and its translation into clinic to set best practices.
Disciplines and Programs
Each scientist at Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI) belongs to a discipline and a program.Research Disciplines
- clinical epidemiology
- clinical integrative biology
- combined health services sciences
- imaging
- molecular and cellular biology
Research Programs
- brain sciences
- cancer (Odette Cancer Centre)
- cardiac (Schulich Heart Centre)
- musculoskeletal (Holland Musculoskeletal Centre)
- trauma, emergency and critical care
- veterans and communities
- women and babies
Core Facilities and Services
Sunnybrook Research Institute has an extensive offering of core facilities that serve internal and external users:- 1.5T MRI
- 3T MRI
- Antibody
- Cytometry (Centre for Cytometry and Microscopy)
- Genomics
- Genotyping (Murine Genotyping Facility)
- Histology
- Hybridoma
- Proteomics
- Transgenic
- Tumour Bank
Large-Scale Projects
In 2008, Sunnybrook received a $74.6 million award, the largest grant in the hospital’s history, from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) Research Hospital Fund. This award will establish the Centre for Research in Image-Guided Therapeutics. The first of its kind in Canada, the centre will develop and test novel medical imaging technologies and therapeutics such as new vaccines, drugs, biological agents and imaging devices, and translate them into clinical practice in the areas of cancer, cardiac, musculoskeletal and neurosciences.The Centre for Image-Guided Therapeutics will add more than 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) of research space at Sunnybrook and will bring together 55 scientists and clinician-scientists from across the hospital along with more than 180 research trainees. Unique facilities within the Centre will include:
- Canada’s first biomedical device development lab;
- the world’s first MRI-guided focused ultrasound surgery facility;
- a minimally invasive electrophysiology and vascular procedures facility; and
- a neurointervention facility.
Other Large-Scale Projects
- Advanced Regenerative Tissue Engineering Centre
- Breast Cancer Research Centre
- Centre for Molecular and Cellular Response and Repair
- Centre for Mother, Infant, and Child Research
- Centre for Studies in Aging
- Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery
- HOPE Research Centre
- Imaging Network Ontario
- Imaging Research Centre for Cardiac Intervention
- Ontario Consortium for Cardiac Imaging
- Toronto Angiogenesis Research Centre
- Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Registry
Commercialization
Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI) is active in commercializing its research. They have issued a total of 64 patents and currently have 29 active licences.Some of their major industrial partners include GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare is a division of GE Technology Infrastructure, which is itself a division of General Electric . It employs more than 46,000 people worldwide and is headquartered in Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom. GE Healthcare is the first GE business segment to be headquartered...
, Pfizer Canada Inc., Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, sanofi pasteur
Sanofi pasteur
Sanofi Pasteur is the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group. It is the largest company in the world devoted entirely to vaccines.- History :...
and Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
.
Several spinoff companies have emerged from SRI, including VisualSonics Inc., Sentinelle Medical Inc. and Profound Medical Inc.
Breakthroughs
Some of Canadian and world firsts at Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI) include the following:- Immunologists at SRI were the first in the world to create a simple system to generate T cells in a Petri dish. This discovery points the way to the eventual development of clinical therapies for people with devastated immune systems like those with AIDS.
- Cell biologists at SRI showed that lower doses of chemotherapy given with antiangiogenic drugs significantly delays the growth of tumours in preclinical models. Clinical trial teams worldwide are now seeking to validate this molecular breakthrough.
- Neuroscientists at SRI showed that bright artificial light therapy is as effective as antidepressant medication in the treatment of winter depression. They also showed that it works faster and produces less agitation and sleep disturbance, and fewer palpitations.
- Heart and circulation researchers at SRI provided evidence to suggest that artery grafts from the forearm should be used in place of vein grafts from the leg for heart bypass surgery. This finding challenges more than 30 years of surgical practice.