Hamilton-based institute's discoveries have shaped patient care from local hospitals to WHO guidelines

Global health research leader, Population Health Research Institute (PHRI), a joint institute of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, today marked its 25th anniversary of world-leading health research that has transformed patient care globally while highlighting Hamilton as an international hub for medical innovation. PHRI has grown into a powerhouse research institute employing approximately 300 staff and nearly 60 researchers. The institute manages hundreds of millions in research dollars and conducts studies involving more than 1.3 million participants across 105 countries on six continents.

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Over the past 25 years, PHRI has expanded its research from an initial focus on cardiovascular disease and diabetes to tackle a wide range of critical global health challenges, including brain health, perioperative care, stroke, infectious diseases, and more.

"PHRI brings together top health practitioners and researchers from around the globe, right here in Hamilton, united in our mission to conduct research that improves major health outcomes for people across the world," said Dr. Hertzel Gerstein, Interim Executive Director and Senior Scientist, at Population Health Research Institute. "I'm incredibly proud of our entire organization for their unwavering commitment to improving health outcomes. We will continue building on our achievements that have shaped global healthcare - by fostering collaboration, asking the right questions, and generating knowledge to benefit people in Canada and beyond."

Some of PHRI's achievements over the past quarter-century include:

• Revolutionary Heart Disease Prevention:
  • Development of an inexpensive combination pill that reduces heart attacks and deaths, now included in the WHO's essential medicines list
  • Establishing the benefits of several drug classes to prevent serious health outcomes in people with diabetes and other risk factors
• Groundbreaking Discoveries:
  • New surgical procedures, interventions and drugs to safely reduce deaths, strokes and other serious health outcomes
  • Effective ways of accelerating hospital discharge
• Global Health Insights: Revealing how cardiovascular disease and death rates correlate with socioeconomic factors and healthcare access worldwide

The institute's impact extends beyond research findings. PHRI researchers include medical doctors who care for patients at Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, ensuring local patients are the first to benefit from innovative treatments and have access to leading-edge care.

“Hamilton residents should know they have access to doctors who are also award-winning, world-class researchers," explains Dr. Gerstein. "The breakthrough treatments developed in their community are improving lives and patient outcomes both locally and globally."

PHRI's success stems from its unique infrastructure built over 25 years, including:

• A culture of resource-sharing and cross-disciplinary collaboration
• Advanced capabilities in large clinical trials and epidemiological research
• A proven track record that attracts international funding and top-tier talent to Canada
• A vast biobank with samples from 500,000 study participants

The institute is celebrating its anniversary with a two-day international symposium from November 21 to 22, with over 150 local and global attendees highlighting achievements that have shaped global healthcare guidelines and practices.

About Population Health Research Institute (PHRI)

Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) is a global leader in generating the evidence for evidence-based medicine, addressing a wide range of health challenges in Canada and worldwide. PHRI's diverse research spans cardiovascular disease, diabetes, brain health, surgery, anesthesiology, perioperative care, stroke, kidney disease, obesity, infectious diseases, nutrition, genetics, health systems, virtual care, remote automated monitoring, and more. Through large-scale, high-impact studies involving more than 1.3 million participants across 105 countries, PHRI generates discoveries that improve health outcomes and inform healthcare guidelines globally. PHRI's work has led to breakthroughs in treatments, prevention strategies, and our understanding of disease risk factors. As a joint institute of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, PHRI is headquartered in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The institute's world-class researchers and clinicians are united in their mission to advance human health worldwide. To learn more, visit www.phri.ca and follow us on social media.

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