Last month, Grand River and St. Mary’s Hospitals announced the University of Waterloo as the site of their new hospital to advance patient care in our region. Scheduled to open in 2034, this state-of-the-art facility is being created to meet the needs of our region’s growing population and accelerate scientific and technological advances for health care in Canada.
This exciting development follows the groundbreaking of the Waterloo Eye Institute, another important resource for our community. Made possible with the support of alumni and partners, this new institute within the School of Optometry and Vision Science will provide vital services for patients and fuel top-tier research to enhance eye health, brain health and other areas of care.
We’re proud to work with our regional partners to shape the future of health in our communities. As a research powerhouse that was created to meet industry needs, the University of Waterloo stands apart for its ability to address real-world problems. In addition to the School of Optometry and Vision Science, our University is home to 16 research chairs specializing in health and medical technologies and several health and medical-focused schools, including the School of Pharmacy and the School of Public Health and Health Systems. Complementing their leadership, innovators across the University’s six faculties have fostered a growing institutional focus on the rapidly evolving field of health technology.
Technological advances will dramatically change the health-care sector in the coming years. Remote monitoring, for example, will enable more patients to move out of hospital beds and back into their homes. Artificial intelligence (AI) will equip physicians to personalize medical treatment plans. Robotics will help to ease labour-intensive processes, allowing caregivers to focus on the areas where they can have the greatest impact.
These are all areas of demonstrated strength for our researchers, alumni and students. Working together with community partners, these innovators will be able to gain an even deeper understanding of the challenges facing our health-care sector, and then test and implement solutions that have the potential to improve patient experiences and our overall quality of life.
When those solutions are ready for commercialization, the Innovation Arena will support our researchers, alumni and students in bringing their technologies to market. Located at our Health Sciences Campus in downtown Kitchener, this 90,000 square-foot facility will be the new home of Velocity, the University’s flagship incubator. It will be equipped with labs and workshops to support a range of activities, including microbiology, data analysis and prototyping – providing critical resources for entrepreneurs in health and other sectors.
We look forward to celebrating the impact of these industry trailblazers in the years to come. As we support their future success, we will also prioritize exploratory science to ensure future generations have the knowledge they need to innovate. Our Nobel Laureate, Donna Strickland, is a perfect example of a scientist whose groundbreaking research led to critical advances in health care. Developing chirped pulse amplification with her supervisor and fellow Nobel Laureate, Dr. Gérard Mourou, resulted in laser eye surgery that has benefitted millions of people worldwide. With our commitment to researchers like them, who focus on emerging fields of study, we will lay the groundwork for future discoveries that will have the power to transform our lives.
Our vibrant network of researchers, alumni, students and community partners has already delivered so many important advances in the field of health. As we continue to grow our partnerships with other leaders in the sector, we will create exciting new opportunities to combine our strengths to the benefit of health care in Canada and around the world.
Nenone Donaldson
Vice-President, Advancement