The University of Ottawa Heart Institute opened the John and Jennifer Ruddy Canadian Cardiovascular Genetics Centre in June 2005.
The first of its kind in Canada, the Centre exemplifies the expertise and vision of Dr. Robert Roberts, President, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer, University of Ottawa Heart Institute and the generosity of John and Jennifer Ruddy. Their gratitude for the care they and their parents received led them to contribute $5 million to the development of the Centre.
This donation was complemented by additional contributions from The Harold Crabtree Foundation; Herb and Dorothy Nadolny and business partner and friends Lyon and Dundi Sachs; the Vered and Besner families; and Cognos Inc. founder Michael Potter and his wife, Véronique Dhieux.
The work of the new Ruddy Centre will be part of the worldwide effort that will identify the human genes that predispose to heart disease. Once the genes are identified, researchers can determine how they cause heart disease and then develop new and more specific therapies for patients. This new Centre will contribute to the creation of a world of personalized medicine where cardiac care will be tailored to the individual, based on their genetic make-up. “Prevention of heart disease requires knowledge of the genetic factors. Researchers believe that the combination of treating these genetic factors and routine risk factors, like cholesterol and hypertension, will eliminate heart disease in the next 50 to 100 years,” said Dr. Roberts.
(This article is reproduced from The Beat, the newsletter of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.)
