Posted on Sept. 5: Shoppers Drug Mart commits $750,000 to McMaster University research chair

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/bienenstock.jpg” caption=”John Bienenstock Chair in Molecular Medicine”]Shoppers Drug Mart today announced a $750,000 donation to McMaster University to endow a research chair in molecular medicine.

Arthur Konviser, senior vice-president, corporate affairs, Shoppers Drug Mart, announced the creation of the John Bienenstock Chair in Molecular Medicine at a news conference at McMaster University. Contributions from the University and other donors bring the total funding for this chair to $2 million.

The health and well being of the community has always been an integral component of the Shoppers Drug Mart philosophy. “As members of the community healthcare team, we are pleased to support a healthcare initiative of this magnitude,” said Konviser. “By working together, Shoppers Drug Mart and McMaster University will make a difference in lives of others suffering from debilitating diseases. The 30 Shoppers Drug Mart stores in the Hamilton area were instrumental in helping us make this responsible contribution.”

McMaster University is well positioned to lead the world in the development of important biotechnology inventions. The John Bienenstock Chair in Molecular Medicine allows for the continuation of research into the development of gene-based medicines that will be used to treat acquired diseases such as cancer, inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and asthma, and infectious diseases such as tuberculosis.

Jack Gauldie, chair of McMaster's Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine, is the inaugural chair holder. Gauldie is a world-renowned expert in the field of molecular regulations of inflammation and immunity. He coined the term “gene therapeutics” to describe his innovative combination of immunology and gene therapy that is used to stimulate the immune system and fight diseases. Gauldie's team is the first in Canada to use this approach.

“Researchers in McMaster's Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine have gained international recognition for their work in cell and molecular biology and genomics. The establishment of this chair will allow us to be more focused on gene therapeutics to aid in the battle against diseases including selected cancers, respiratory diseases and gastrointestinal disorders,” said Gauldie. “If we can figure out how to stimulate the immune response, we will have the keys to slow it down or change it. Then we may be able to halt the progression of these chronic, debilitating diseases.”

The research chair is named for John Bienenstock, recognized as a world expert on mucosal immunology and allergy. He joined McMaster in 1968  one of the dream team' of brilliant scientists  who helped build what was then an upstart medical school' into an internationally renowned institution. Bienenstock has recently embarked on another voyage of medical discovery that holds the promise of a new era in medicine as the first director of the Brain-Body Institute that will initially focus on the relationship between asthma and the brain.

McMaster University President Peter George hailed the gift as a true investment in the future. “Molecular medicine represents a new frontier. The secrets it may unlock have the potential to revolutionize medicine and our understanding of illness and disease. Researchers who work in this emerging field of knowledge are truly at the forefront of a new era in medicine.”

Molecular medicine is certain to be at the center of medical research and innovation for the next decade, said John Kelton, dean and vice-president, Faculty of Health Sciences. “With our dedicated and talented team of researchers, McMaster University is sure to be at the forefront of gene transfer and therapy innovations.”

Shoppers Drug Mart (Pharmaprix in Quebec) is Canada's largest retail drug store group and is one of the most recognized names in Canadian retailing. The company's more than 830 licensed drug stores are located in prime locations in every province and two territories.

Photo caption: Pictured from left are Jeff Hanbali, Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist owner; Peter George, McMaster President; John Kelton, dean and vice-president, Faculty of Health Sciences; Jack Gauldie, chair of McMaster's Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine, and the inaugural chair holder; Arthur Konviser, senior vice-president, corporate affairs, Shoppers Drug Mart; and John Bienenstock, professor, Clinical Immunology and Allergy.