DMRF is committed to funding medical research excellence at Dalhousie Medical School. Every day, exciting new developments are being made through the dedicated work of our world-class researchers - but there's more to the story than just that. DMRF is the story of patients, donors, staff, and volunteers - along with our researchers. The combination of these groups of caring individuals, who so passionately devote their time and resources to finding the causes, treatments and cures for life-altering diseases are the stories we want to tell. Read on and keep checking back for more news and announcements about great medical advancements taking place here at DMRF - where breakthroughs begin.
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COVID 19 UPDATE
MARCH 16, 2020:
DMRF is committed to supporting health and wellness regionally, nationally and internationally. During this unprecedented time, that means taking every precaution in order to stop the spread of COVID-19.
In light of recent developments with this novel virus, DMRF’s office will be closed until further notice, effective immediately. Please note that staff will continue to work remotely and will be available by phone and email to all donors, colleagues, partner organizations and the public. We will continue to monitor this situation closely as it evolves.
In addition to taking all necessary precautions against COVID-19, DMRF is committed to supporting world-leading research at Dalhousie that aims to develop vaccines, antiviral drugs and other therapeutics for novel coronavirus.
To make a donation in support of this critical work, please click the “Donate Now” button below.
We appreciate your support, and look forward to seeing you soon.
Health to you and yours,
DMRF
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2020
DALHOUSIE RESEARCHERS WORKING TO CONQUER COVID-19
Researchers seek support to fund world-leading work in vaccine and antiviral drug development
HALIFAX, NS, March 10, 2020— In response to today’s novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, Dalhousie researchers are pursuing the rapid development of vaccines and antiviral drugs, to curtail the outbreak on a global scale.
As an internationally acclaimed institution for research in infection, immunity, inflammation and vaccinology, Dalhousie is a global leader in the discoveries and development of new vaccines, antiviral drugs and other life-saving viral therapies. With a pipeline of world-leading research and development already established, Dalhousie researchers are seeking immediate support to fund work in this area, intended to stop coronavirus in its tracks.
“Our experts here at Dalhousie recently led the development of novel cancer-fighting viruses—now being used to treat melanoma—and brought the world’s first effective Ebola vaccine to human clinical trials at the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology, housed at the IWK,” says Dr. David Anderson, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University. “Drawing on our wealth of expertise and innovative science in this field, we believe we have what it takes to make significant contributions to the global battle against coronavirus.”
Already taking swift action, Dalhousie researchers have quickly established a powerful research network of national and international experts, to maximize existing strengths, resources, and reach common goals, faster.
“We’ve initiated a multi-pronged attack on coronavirus through the COVID-19 Research Network, with collaborators across Canada, in China, and across the world,” says Dr. David Kelvin, Canada Research Chair in Translational Vaccinology and Inflammation and Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Dalhousie University. “Several of our investigators worked on the 2003 SARS coronavirus and developed vaccines for that outbreak, while others are leaders in virology and immunology and have developed drugs to lessen diseases caused by varying viral infections. We are working around the clock to solve the novel coronavirus problem, but we cannot do this without proper funding support.”
In order to complete this critical work, Dr. Kelvin and his colleagues are urgently seeking support from the community. Public donations can support the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs for coronavirus, to curtail the current outbreak and prevent additional outbreaks in future.
To learn more, or to make a donation to world-leading research at Dalhousie in this area, visit dmrf.ca or call (902) 494-3502.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jill MacCannell
Communications Consultant, Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation
902.471.7080
Jill.Maccannell@dal.ca
ABOUT DALHOUSIE MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) provides much needed support for researchers at Dalhousie’s Faculties of Medicine, Health and Dentistry by fundraising to attract the best resources available to bolster their leading-edge work. Whether it’s talent, equipment, training, or space, DMRF exists to strengthen health research to positively impact health and wellness regionally, nationally and internationally. Collaboration is crucial to our success and we nurture strong relationships with research institutes across geographic borders that share our quest for innovative outcomes.