Microscope file photo courtesy of © Can Stock Photo Inc. / DarrenBakerMicroscope file photo courtesy of © Can Stock Photo Inc. / DarrenBaker
London

Lawson Among Top Canadian Research Institutes

For the fourth year in a row, the work conducted at Lawson Health Research Institute has landed London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care London among the top ten research hospitals in the country.

Lawson, the affiliated research institute of London's hospitals, ranked eighth on the 2017 list of Canada's Top 40 Research Hospitals. The annual list is compiled by Research Infosource.

“In a challenging funding environment, Lawson and our two hospital partners continue to enable our researchers in their pursuit of scientific knowledge that can be applied directly to patient care,” said Lawson Scientific Director Dr. David Hill in a statement.

Hospital-based research institutes from across Canada were analyzed using several metrics, including total research income from the previous fiscal year. In 2016, Lawson's research income increased by 7.3% from the previous fiscal year.

“Despite our own modest increase in funding in 2016, Canada as a whole requires significant investment in scientific discovery to increase the well-being of Canadians and build a robust economy," said Hill, who is a strong advocate for increased scientific funding. "Support for health research makes Canada healthier, wealthier, and smarter.”

Over the past year, Lawson research teams have identified a protein that could be used to treat glaucoma, launched a second clinical trial to put Type 2 diabetes into remission, demonstrated that walking and talking can be an effective predictor of dementia, and used smart technology to help patients with mental health issues.

“One of Lawson’s strengths is the diversity of our research. Our research expands the continuum of life – from birth to death – and people in this region are among the first to benefit from the advances we are making across the health spectrum,” said Hill.

Lawson has more than 1,700 researchers, support staff, and trainees working at hospital sites throughout the city. It also partners on over 600 research projects annually with approximately 8,000 clinical subjects enrolled in over 2,500 active clinical trials.

University Health Network in Toronto, which has five research affiliates, took the number one spot on the annual list.

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