Grand River Hospital and the University of Waterloo working together is nothing new.
What is new, and was announced Friday, is a formalized partnership between the two organizations.
Under the terms of the partnership, university-affiliated researchers will be given easier access to space at Grand River Hospital’s sites.
The two organizations will also look to align their health care research priorities.
“The content of the research agenda is driven by what we’re doing here,” said Tina Mah, the hospital’s vice-president of planning, performance and research.
“This adds a dimension … to how we provide care.”
Even before Friday’s announcement, the hospital and the university were working together on 50 different projects, including James Danckert’s work on using MRI results to learn more about the brains of stroke survivors.
“Solidifying this relationship is really just going to grow what we’re doing already,” Danckert said, adding that the access would also make it easier for Waterloo researchers to get grants for their studies.
Collaborations between the two organizations are expected to focus on the areas of aging, cancer and ongoing care.
In Danckert’s case, that means helping study the brains of 700 stroke survivors over the next three years – possibly finding ways to improve care for people in that situation.
