Celebrating Research & Innovation, Thanks to Generous Donors

Innovation and inspiration were in the air at the Montreal General Hospital Foundation (MGHF)’s Impact & Innovation Evening, which took place October 16, 2025, at Montreal’s Maison Alcan.

Visionary researchers, generous philanthropists, medical leaders, and members of the business community gathered to celebrate the impact of our Foundation’s support of research and innovation! Together, we celebrated the MGHF’s Research Award recipients. Through our 2025 Research Awards, over $2.8M will be invested in more than 120 promising research projects led by 78 researchers.

Thanks to generous benefactors – many of whom were present and met the researchers benefitting from their donations – these funds help advance projects ranging from surgical innovation to cancer care, neurology, mental health, and much more.

Special thanks to our Impact & Innovation Evening Co-Chairs: Jean-Christophe Bédos and Sébastien Vilder, and our Honourary Committee: Élaine Beaudoin, Sharon Stern, Lory Wang, and Alex Yip.

Philanthropy With Purpose

“Our Foundation is proud that more than half our philanthropic support goes towards research and innovation! Thanks to our donors, we’re honoured to fund transformative initiatives that impact the lives of patients across the province and beyond,” says Stephanie Riddell, President & CEO of the MGHF.

“Philanthropy is essential for innovation. It accelerates discovery, enables bold ideas, and empowers researchers to turn potential into progress,” says Dr. Rhian Touyz, Executive Director and Chief Scientific Officer of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute). “To the Foundation and its donors, thank you. We are so grateful for your generous support. To all Research Award recipients, congratulations!”

Hosted by Annie DeMelt (who hosts our Taking the Pulse interview series), this prestigious evening offered a unique opportunity for guests to appreciate why supporting medical research is so essential, discover transformative projects poised to transform the future of healthcare, and connect with the visionary minds behind them.

Ambassadors of Innovation

The event showcased an ambassador of innovation: Dr. Gerald Fried, Professor of Surgery, Associate Dean, Education Technology & Innovation, Director, Steinberg Centre for Simulation and Interactive Learning, McGill University. This former MUHC Surgeon-in-Chief is a world-renowned leader in surgical innovation and education. His many achievements include creating a training model incorporated into the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery Program required for American board certification; creating McGill’s Surgical Innovation Program; and co-founding the Clinical Innovation Platform (CLIP) startup incubator at the heart of the of the Montreal General Hospital (MGH-MUHC) and The Institute.

“I met Gerry when I was a medical student on his service and he has been a mentor and guide for me ever since,” says MUHC Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Liane Feldman, who now has the same position once held by her mentor and leads the ambitious Future of Surgery initiative supported by our Foundation. Referencing Dr. Fried’s pioneering work in laparoscopic surgery – now ingrained into everyday medical practice – she revealed to the audience that, back in the day, she was the very first clinical fellow in the fellowship Dr. Fried established to train other surgeons in laparoscopic operations!

“Dr Fried has always been interested in innovation and technology and was an early adopter putting McGill at the forefront of this revolution,” she says. “He continues to advance surgical training through AI-powered simulation.”

“Innovation occurs by creating an intersection of disciplines that often function in silos,” says Dr. Fried. “That is why we started a clinical innovation and entrepreneurship graduate program (the first of its kind in Canada) and built the CLIP as a home to our students, startups, and clinical thought leaders. Special thanks to the MGHF for supporting this vision, as has been their tradition throughout my career. They support the CLIP, engage their donors, and created their own innovative Impact Investment Program through which our successes will give back to the systems that made their work possible.”

Dr. Fried’s influence as a champion of innovation is an inspiring example of the impact of supporting and mentoring new generations of researchers – who, in turn, will go on to make discoveries destined to transform healthcare.

The Impact of Your Support

Illustrating the profound impact our Research Awards had on previous recipients, who have achieved amazing things, the evening featured interactive booths showcasing innovations and startups shaping the healthcare of tomorrow: Juno Technologies, a startup supported by our Impact Investment Program, presented their device for menstrual pain relief. Scientists Alexander Baldwin and Alexandre Reynaud shared unique digital brain therapies including a video game to help treat amblyopia. The Surgical Performance Enhancement and Robotics Centre (SuPER) team presented a virtual OR and surgical AI demo.

Thanks to all our generous donors, volunteers, and sponsors, including BMO Groupe financier and Canso Investment Council Ltd. Congratulations to all our 2025 Research Award recipients!