Rx&D announces the creation of 3 scholarships
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 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)
