Today, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) and McMaster University announced that internationally-renowned researcher and clinician, Dr. Rick Austin, has been appointed the inaugural holder of the AMGEN Canada Chair in Nephrology.

Established in March 2007 through a $3 million investment made by the Canadian division of AMGEN—a leading human therapeutics company in the biotechnology industry—the AMGEN Canada Chair in Nephrology supports the translational research mandate of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University by moving findings from “bench to bedside.”

During his open-ended term as the AMGEN Chairholder, Dr. Austin plans to pursue research into the causes of and treatments for atherosclerosis: a hardening of the arteries that is often seen in patients living with kidney disease.  Work in Dr. Austin’s laboratory has identified the defining the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in endothelial cell dysfunction and the accelerated development of atherosclerosis.   He and his team are now investigating strategies to inhibit the ER stress response pathways as a potential therapy to prevent or delay the onset of cardiovascular disease in kidney disease sufferers.

Dr. Austin is a molecular/cellular biologist and holds the position of Professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology at McMaster University.  In March 2008, he was appointed holder of the AMGEN Canada Chair in Nephrology at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.  At this morning’s public announcement of that appointment, Dr. Austin remarked, “I am humbled by this opportunity to pursue an avenue of research that will have a tangible impact on the lives of so many.  It’s what all of us in the field of healthcare strive to do…discover how we can make the lives of patients better by furthering our understanding of illness and disease.  As a scientist, and as a human being, I couldn’t ask for more than that.”“When a disease afflicts so many patients, it is incumbent upon all of us to do what we can to ensure top calibre researchers like Dr. Austin have the resources they need to discover the causes of, and best treatments for kidney disease,” said Dr. Daniel Billen, Vice-President and General Manager at Amgen Canada. “At AMGEN our mission is to serve patients and we are committed to science as the means of helping patients fight serious illness. We are proud to support this ground breaking research.”

Nephrology is a medical specialty focused on the study of the kidney, its structure, function and the diseases and ailments that can affect its proper functioning.  Right now, almost 2 million Canadians are estimated to have, or be at risk for kidney disease.  Every day, as many as 14 Canadians learn their kidneys have failed and over 17,000 Canadians are currently on dialysis. 

St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) is the regional specialized centre for end stage renal (kidney) disease and dysfunction for Central South Ontario, and serves the residents of Hamilton, Brant, Halton, Niagara, Haldimand, and Norfolk with transplantation and dialysis treatment.  The Division of Nephrology is one of the fastest-growing research and clinical care programs at St. Joseph’s Healthcare and McMaster University. 

Media Inquiries:
DebbieSilva
Media RelationsCoordinator
St.Joseph’s HealthcareHamilton
905.522.1155, ext.33037
dsilva@stjoes.ca