The Tayfour-Emara Research & Education Fund got an infusion of cash Thursday afternoon as Dr. Fouad Tayfour and Dr. Barry Emara once again stepped up in a big way for the community.
Last year, Dr. Tayfour and Dr. Emara donated $250,000 which led to the creation of the fund.
Over the past year, the fund was used for investing in grants through Windsor Regional Hospital's partnership with WE-SPARK, which allowed for clinical trials and cancer research at Windsor Regional.
This year $330,000 was donated by Dr. Tayfour and Dr. Emara.
Jonathan Foster, Vice President of Emergency, Trauma, Mental Health, Office of Research, Renal, and Regional Cancer Program says the money this year will be used towards research mentorship, data and analytics supports and clinical research training.
"Which can include research fellowships, grants or funding for new research, or funds to support knowledge translation for new researchers, to support them to attend grand rounds, conferences, and educational opportunities that will onboard new research skills. And that really allows us to attract new researchers to Windsor-Essex or new physicians that are looking to have a career that spans both practice and research."
He says the impact of this funding paves the way for the future.
"We're planning as well with our new hospital build to develop a new research innovations park. This foundational work we're doing now is necessary. Without this foundational work we wouldn't be able to plan to be in that future state with that new research park at the new acute care site."
He says WRH is being recognized provincially, nationally and even internationally for their research work.
"There's some award winning research that has come out of our affiliation with WE-SPARK, through our cancer centre, and now through our physicians that are working and practicing throughout the rest of Windsor Regional Hospital. Windsor might be a smaller community but we're definitely becoming really big on the research front and it's because of support like this."
WE-SPARK Health Institute is an innovative partnership between Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, University of Windsor and Windsor Regional Hospital that brings together health research strengths, expertise, and infrastructure from across Windsor-Essex.