Cancer (Princess Margaret Hospital); cardiac care, diabetes, infectious disease organ transplants and the treatment of complex patient needs (Toronto General Hospital); neuroscience, musculoskeletal health and arthritis, community health (Toronto Western Hospital)

3 research centres, affiliated with the University of Toronto:

• Ontario Cancer Institute:
  • The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute
  • The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research
• Toronto General Research Institute 
• Toronto Western Research Institute
  
  

Discoveries:

• The first clinical use of insulin for diabetes by Drs. Frederick Banting and Charles Best
• Discovery of the blood-forming stem cells enabling bone marrow transplant by Drs. Ernest McCulloch and James Till
• PMH's bone marrow transplant unit was the first in Canada to perform allogeneic transplants and has the longest surviving bone marrow transplant recipients in the world
• The world's first clinical use of Heparin as a blood thinner by Dr. Gordon Murray
  Introduction of lumpectomy for breast cancer by Dr. Vera Peters
• First cloning of the T-cell receptor genes, significant in the field of immunology by Dr. Tak Mak 
• The successful use of a patch technique to repair ruptures in the heart by Dr. Tirone David
• Canada's largest HIV/AIDS clinic - the Immunodeficiency Clinic at TGRI and home to Dr. Sharon Walmsley who determined the efficacy of a new treatment for HIV
• Treating patients with depression with deep brain stimulation by Drs. Sidney Kennedy and Andres Lozano
• Discovery of the cancer stem cell in leukemia and colon cancer by Dr. John Dick
• The efficient growth of heart cells from embryonic stem cells by Dr. Gordon Keller
• Improving donor lungs to make them suitable for transplantation (Dr. Shaf Keshavjee)
• Garnered recognition for programs in orthopaedics and rheumatology, and the hand program (TWH)

Awards:

• Inductees into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame: Drs. James Till, Ernest McCulloch and Tak Mak
• Dr. Peter Singer awarded CIHR's Michael Smith Prize in Health Research—Canada's Health Researcher of the Year in the Category of Health Services and systems and Population Health Research (TGRI)
• Dr. Peter St. George Hyslop awarded the Killam Prize for his seminal research into the causes and mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease (TWRI)
• Order of Canada awardees include Drs. Wilfred Bigelow, Daniel Bergsagel, Alastair Cunningham, Tirone David, Alan Hudson, Michael Baker, Charles Tator, Tak Mak, James Till and Ernest McCulloch
• Order of Ontario awardees include Drs. Michael Baker, Tak Mak, Frances Shepherd, Tirone David, James Till and Ernest McCulloch
• Gairdner International Awardees include Wilfred Bigelow, Victor Ling, Tak Mak, Ernest McCulloch and James Till
• Drs. James Till and Ernest McCulloch were awarded the Lasker Award to recognize research contributions which have made major advancements in the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure and prevention of human disease
• Dr. John Dick is awarded The American Association for Cancer Research, GHA Clowes Memorial Award—the most prestigious award within the international cancer research community—for his innovative contributions to uncovering the biological origins and development of human leukemia.
  
  

Current research programs include:

• Brass Family Drug Development Program
• Krembil Neurosciences Centre
• Philip S. Orsino Cell Therapy Facility
• Wharton Head and Neck Centre
• The Life Sciences Discovery Centre (Partnership with IBM)
• T. Robert Beamish Family Convergence Centre of Medical Discovery
• Shanghai-Toronto Institute for Health Research
• Peter Munk Cardiac Centre
• STTARR Innovation Centre
• Advanced Optical Microscopy Facility
• Centre for Global eHealth Innovation
• Arthritis & Autoimmunity Research Centre (AARC)
• McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine
• McLaughlin Centre for Molecular Medicine
• McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health
• Toronto Ovarian Cancer Research Network

Following the 2007 UHN Research strategic plan entitled "The Advanced Therapeutics Research Platform" which comprises seven themes (based on Foundation and Specialty areas). Together, these themes establish a powerful and comprehensive platform for strategic medical and health discovery at UHN.

Dr Igor Jurisica, Ontario Cancer Institute

Stem Cell Research in the Toronto Region