Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada Research Centre Turns 50

Research Centre mission: To deliver the best treatments to children in Quebec and all over the world.

For 50 years, scientific breakthroughs at Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada’s Research Centre have turned dreams into reality: transforming new knowledge into new approaches for diagnosing, treating and curing pediatric musculoskeletal diseases.

In 1973, following our integration into the Quebec healthcare network, Shriners Children’s management, with the approval of the provincial government, created the first research center within the Shriners Children’s healthcare network, which has continuously supported the activities of our Montreal center. Thanks to this stable financial support, the Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada Research Centre (formerly known as the Genetics Unit) has contributed to Quebec's vast exchange of knowledge since its inception.

The initial laboratory was located at our hospital’s heritage site on Cedar Avenue, within the former nurses’ living quarters, measuring just 100 square feet. In October 2015, we moved to our new facility adjacent to the McGill University Health Centre. We now have an outstanding healing environment that enhances the staff’s capacity to care for, treat and cure even more children, and a new 19,000-square-foot, state-of the-art Research Centre.

Half a Century of Great Success

Affiliated with McGill University, the Centre's researchers and physicians are dedicated to excellence and innovation using an integrated approach to scientific research, including basic, translational and clinical research. McGill University's excellent reputation and the Centre's scientific successes have attracted world-renowned researchers, who in turn attract students from all over the world to further their training at master’s, doctoral and post-doctoral levels.

During its 50 years, the Research Centre has made significant contributions to the advancement of standards of care, specifically for three pediatric metabolic bone diseases:

• X-linked hypophosphatemia, the most common form of hereditary rickets
• Vitamin D hydroxylation deficiency rickets type 1A (VDDR1A): mapping of the VDDR1A disease gene has led to its cloning, the development of a preclinical model and hormone replacement therapy
• Osteogenesis Imperfecta (or brittle bone disease): the groundbreaking studies of Francis Glorieux, OC, M.D., on adapting bisphosphonates to help children with brittle bones, are among the outstanding examples of knowledge transfer