NOSM and HSF Announce New Research Chair in Aboriginal and Rural Health

On Monday, September 9, 2013, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM), Heart and Stroke Foundation (HSF), and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) introduced Dr. Sheldon Tobe as the new HSF/NOSM Chair in Aboriginal and Rural Health at the NOSM.

The creation of the HSF/NOSM Chair in Aboriginal and Rural Health is the result of a significant collaboration and a shared vision between the three organizations. A total of $3 million in funding from HSF and the MTCU, equally shared, has established an endowment that will support the research endeavours of the Chair well into the future. This has been further supplemented by NOSM with a $1 million multi-year commitment in start-up and operating funding.

“The Foundation is delighted with the appointment of Dr. Sheldon Tobe as the inaugural Heart and Stroke Foundation/Northern Ontario School of Medicine Chair in Aboriginal and Rural Health,” says Vincent Bowman, Director of Research, Ontario for the HSF. “He is a highly-regarded investigator who brings the right mix of experience, skills and tools to effectively engage with Aboriginal and rural community stakeholders in designing and implementing research that addresses priority cardiovascular health needs.”

Tobe’s research focuses on improving the lives of people who are at risk of, or who have been diagnosed with kidney disease by focusing on the diagnosis and control of hypertension. He has worked closely with many Canadian Aboriginal communities with his current research projects on blood-pressure management and introducing chronic-disease management programs for cardiovascular risk reduction.

The main focus of Tobe’s proposed research in the role of HSF/NOSM Chair in Rural and Aboriginal Health is to improve cardiovascular outcomes, reduce mortality, and increase quality of life for people with, or at risk of developing cardiovascular-renal disease. The primary goal of Dr. Tobe’s proposed research is preventing heart attack and stroke. Strategies to accomplish this goal include collaborations and partnerships with community members, community and academic health-care providers, and institutions.

“I am thrilled with the addition of Dr. Sheldon Tobe to our complement of researchers. Dr. Tobe has pre-established connections with Aboriginal communities and a very specialized expertise to share with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Dr. Tobe’s research focuses on improving cardiovascular outcomes, with the primary goal of preventing heart attack and stroke – initiatives that I am very excited about,” said Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM’s Dean. “Dr. Tobe’s passion for research and experience will assist us in working towards the School’s vision of Innovative Education and Research for a Healthier North . On behalf of NOSM, I congratulate Dr. Tobe and wish him every success.”

Additionally, through the generosity of TD Bank Group, the HSF has secured a $100,000 gift that will support second-year NOSM medical students in conducting research in Aboriginal communities. Over the next three summers, eight medical students will be funded to return to a community in which they have already lived to address a unique cardiovascular research concern that the community itself has identified. This funding expands HSF’s partnership with NOSM, and provides a critical bridge in helping the next generation of physicians and scientific investigators gain valuable research experience in a collaborative and culturally-sensitive way.

About the Northern Ontario School of Medicine
The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is committed to the education of high quality physicians and health professionals, and to international recognition as a leader in distributed, learning-centered, community-engaged education and research.　

About the Heart and Stroke Foundation
The Heart and Stroke Foundation’s mission is to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery. A volunteer-based health charity, we strive to tangibly improve the health of every Canadian family, every day. ‘Healthy lives free of heart disease and stroke. Together we will make it happen’. Heartandstroke.ca .