NHSA Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Canadian Experts to Advance Innovation in Healthy Aging

June 6, 2019

The Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Canadian experts on healthy aging to promote knowledge exchange, innovation and support research collaboration between Canada and the United States. North of England.

Representatives of the NHSA and Canada at BIO 2019: (Left) George MacGinnis, Director of the Healthy Aging Challenge, Research and Innovation in the UK; Professor Jennifer Boger Laboratory Director ITWIL (Smart Technology for Wellness and Independent Living), Schlegel Chair in Independent Living Technology, Institute for Research on Aging, Assistant Professor, Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo , Canada; Professor David J Burn FMedSci, President of the Northern Health Science Alliance, Vice Chancellor and Acting Professor of Movement Disorders Neurology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University Medical School, United Kingdom; Keith Miller, Head of Corporate Engagement, NHSA.

The aging of the population is a global challenge for developed countries and healthy aging has been identified as one of the major challenges of the UK's industrial strategy.

This protocol brings together various Canadian organizations and a group of NHSA member institutions and stakeholders as part of the Canada-North England Collaboration on Healthy Aging, which will identify and address key challenges. and opportunities related to aging through knowledge exchange research partnerships and business collaboration.

Nicola Wilson, Acting Director General of the NHSA, said:

Meeting the needs of our aging population is a key area of ​​activity for the NHSA and sharing knowledge about healthy aging with our international colleagues will be critical to improving the health of the world.

This Memorandum of Understanding represents for the North of England a tremendous opportunity to work with our Canadian peers to help promote innovation in the field of healthy aging.

Northern England has world-renowned universities, research institutes, academics, clinicians and researchers. We are excited to work with such expertise in the region and to learn and share ideas with our partners in Canada, who are doing groundbreaking work. around aging. "

The Memorandum of Understanding follows a Canadian mission to northern England late last year, organized by the NHSA and supported by the Network for Science and Technology. innovation (SCO) of the Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO).

The Canadian organizations involved in the agreement are: the Center for Aging and Brain Health Innovation; Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research; Network of AGE-WELL Centers of Excellence; McMaster University on behalf of the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging; University of Waterloo; and the STAR Institute of Simon Fraser University.

Ine Wauben, Executive Director, McMaster Institute for Research on Aging and Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, said:

We look forward to working with the NHSA to advance research on aging and common initiatives related to the aging of our population at the international level. "

The purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding is to share research and development knowledge on accelerating health technologies and technology adoption, forging relationships, and for building partnerships. research to address international challenges and create potential channels for future business collaboration.