Enable healthy lives

Breakthroughs in the health sciences over the last century have enabled us to eradicate polio and smallpox, perform complex surgeries in utero, and cure cancers that used to be death sentences. People are living longer, healthier lives, and globally, we’ve made major progress in reducing child and maternal mortality and increasing vaccination rates. But the COVID-19 pandemic has been a painful reminder that our collective health security is incredibly fragile. 

The University of Toronto, a key partner within one of the largest research hospital networks in North America, has been at the forefront of groundbreaking research, innovative treatments, and public health expertise on COVID-19. It’s work that builds on U of T and its hospital and research partners’ rich history of medical breakthroughs, starting with the world-changing discovery of insulin in 1921 and continuing with achievements like inventing the electronic pacemaker, pioneering transplantable stem cells, and myriad advances in understanding the genetics of disease. 

Today, that work continues with cutting-edge research and clinical practice tackling the most pressing global health challenges. Our multidisciplinary scholars are developing new therapies with precision medicine and regenerative medicine to treat heart disease, cancer, and replace failing organs. They’re working with artificial intelligence, neuro-robotics, and music therapies that improve quality of life. They’re unlocking the biology of brain health, confronting the global mental health crisis, exploring the links between physical activity and chronic disease, and examining the broader biologic, social, cultural, and environmental determinants of health. They are also applying Indigenous traditional knowledge to make all forms of care more inclusive. 

By supporting our campaign, you will help us expand our global efforts to combat disease, be ready for the next global health crisis, and protect the health of all Canadians.