Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine joins forces with Stem Cells Australia

International collaboration is critical to support the translation of stem cell therapies. The Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine (OIRM) is pleased to announce a new agreement with Stem Cells Australia. This is a significant step forward in developing international relationships that will advance the development of stem cell therapies in Ontario and Australia.

“OIRM is pleased to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Stem Cells Australia, which ensures both our stem cell research communities will benefit from new relationships and information sharing. This agreement will facilitate international collaboration for Ontario’s stem cell research community,” says OIRM President and Scientific Director, Dr. Duncan Stewart.

The agreement will allow both initiatives to benefit from the academic and institutional expertise that each brings to the table and is part of a broader strategy to support international collaboration. This includes sharing best practices in translational research that will accelerate moving stem cell-based technologies into early stage clinical trials and discussing how best to incorporate patient perspectives in research and cell therapy clinical trials design.

Commenting on the agreement, Stem Cells Australia’s Program Leader Professor Melissa Little said, “We have been greatly impressed by the approach OIRM have taken to progress research discoveries and are delighted to have an opportunity to work with them to support research, translation and commercialization of innovative regenerative medicine and stem cell technologies.”

Representatives from OIRM met with Stem Cells Australia and other stakeholders at the 2018 International Society for Stem Cell Research Conference in Melbourne to discuss potential projects and provide information to the Australian initiative as it develops the next stage in its research program. This formal agreement will allow the organizations to begin to develop shared activities and programs to support their ongoing goals.

About the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine

The Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine (OIRM) is a non-profit stem cell institute dedicated to transforming discoveries into clinical trials and cures. Through our commitment to collaboration and partnerships, we leverage our resources to fund and support promising advances. OIRM is a passionate champion for investigators and their patients as we build a healthier future for Ontario, Canada, and the world.

About Stem Cells Australia

Stem Cells Australia was established in 2011 with the support of the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council’s Special Research Initiatives scheme, with the objective of discovering how to regulate stem cells. Stem Cells Australia is now capitalising on its initial research findings to harness the potential of stem cells for diagnostic, therapeutic and biotechnological purposes. The consortium links over 300 experts in bioengineering, nanotechnology, stem cell biology, advanced molecular analysis and clinical research across 14 Australian universities and research institutes. The University of Melbourne is the administering organisation for the initiative.

For more information, please contact:

Krista Lamb
Director, Communications and Marketing
Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Krista.lamb@oirm.ca
647-403-5627