Video: Dr. Stephen Waldman discusses the benefits to the unique partnership between the two institutions
TORONTO – In his research lab in downtown Toronto, Dr. Stephen Waldman grows living cartilage that’s an exact match to the human anatomy.
If some patients need prosthetic limbs, they could be made of metal and plastic – both materials that can wear out and need replacement over time. It’s Waldman’s hope that in the future, Canadians could rely on the cartilage he grows and fosters in his lab.
His research even extends to growing cartilage for the ears, nose or throat, which holds huge promise for victims of severe burns or accidents. Cartilage is normally taken from people’s ribs – which can lead to infection issues – but Waldman’s project aims to take a few isolated cells, grow them and reconstruct a functional living replica of his patients’ ears or other parts of the body.
He said a new partnership between the hospital and university he works at in the heart of downtown Toronto will help lead the way to new, innovative ways of helping Canadian patients across the country.
On Wednesday, St. Michael’s Hospital and its next door neighbour Ryerson University announced a 20-year partnership in collaborating on projects in biomedical science and technology.
The downtown neighbours are creating a virtual entity known as iBest – the Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Science Technology.
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The key to the initiative is the creation of a 22,000-square-foot home in the Keenan Research Centre where 15 Ryerson academics and 40 students will work alongside St. Mike’s doctors and scientists. They’re calling the partnership “bench-to-bedside” research.
“It’s one thing to be an academic and to do research but to be able to apply that research to patients, it’s the reason why we’re here and to do that we all need to work as a team, scientists and clinicians together,” Waldman told Global News.
He’s a chemical engineering professor at Ryerson and associate scientist at St. Mike’s. He’s already opened a lab at the Keenan Research Centre. Now that his university has aligned with St. Mike’s, he has quick access to doctors who may have patients who need his help.
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When he’s ready to start clinical tests, he can collaborate with doctors caring for patients with knee arthritis or emergency room surgeons.
Waldman’s work is only one of the projects that could flourish now that the scientists and doctors can work side-by-side, the university said in a press release.
“Not only are we neighbours, we are both focused on providing innovative new research opportunities and building an innovative-zone learning platform for students,” Ryerson University President Sheldon Levy said in a statement.
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The school and hospital already pair up with internships and other opportunities for students in nursing, psychology, clinical dietetics and midwifery.
Construction on the new facility is slated to start in the spring with a 2015 move-in date.
carmen.chai@globalnews.ca
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