Population Health Research Institute (PHRI), a joint initiative of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a global leader in health research. Over the past quarter-century, PHRI has made transformative contributions to patient care worldwide while solidifying Hamilton as a major hub for medical innovation.
PHRI has grown into a world-renowned research powerhouse, employing approximately 300 staff and nearly 60 researchers. The institute manages research funding in the hundreds of millions of dollars and conducts studies involving over 1.3 million participants across 105 countries on six continents. Initially focused on cardiovascular disease and diabetes, PHRI’s research now spans a broad range of global health challenges, including brain health, perioperative care, stroke, infectious diseases, and more.
“PHRI brings together top health practitioners and researchers from across the globe, right here in Hamilton, united in our mission to improve health outcomes worldwide,” said Dr. Hertzel Gerstein, Interim Executive Director and Senior Scientist at PHRI. “I am incredibly proud of our team’s dedication to improving health. We will continue building on our achievements by fostering collaboration, asking the right questions, and generating knowledge that benefits people locally and globally.”
Key Achievements Over the Past 25 Years:
- Revolutionary Heart Disease Prevention:
Development of an affordable combination pill that reduces heart attacks and deaths, now part of the World Health Organization’s essential medicines list.
Establishment of the benefits of several drug classes in preventing serious health outcomes for people with diabetes and other risk factors. - Groundbreaking Discoveries:
New surgical procedures, interventions, and medications that safely reduce deaths, strokes, and other severe health outcomes.
Innovative methods to accelerate hospital discharge. - Global Health Insights:
Research revealing how cardiovascular disease and death rates are influenced by socioeconomic factors and healthcare access across the globe.
PHRI’s impact extends beyond research findings, with medical doctors who also provide patient care at Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, ensuring that local patients benefit first from cutting-edge treatments.
“Hamilton residents can be proud to know they have access to doctors who are also award-winning researchers,” Dr. Gerstein explained. “The breakthrough treatments developed in their community are improving lives and patient outcomes both locally and globally.”
PHRI’s Unique Infrastructure
PHRI’s success can be attributed to its distinctive infrastructure, built over the last 25 years, which includes:
- 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 marking its anniversary with a two-day international symposium, held from November 21 to 22, featuring more than 150 local and global attendees. The event highlights PHRI’s achievements in shaping healthcare guidelines and practices worldwide.
