Concordia University To Build Innovative Centre For Health Research And Training

Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness
Also Included In: Preventive Medicine;  Medical Students / Training
Article Date: 17 Oct 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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Judith Woodsworth, President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University is delighted to announce the creation of the PERFORM Research Centre. The acronym PERFORM stands for Prevention, Evaluation, Rehabilitation, FORMation. The Centre will become a reality thanks to a grant of $34,972,317 from the Federal and Provincial Governments, through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program.

The PERFORM Centre will be a multi-disciplinary centre located on the Loyola campus (7141 Sherbrooke St. West), bringing together mainly researchers from the field of Exercise Science specializing in behavioral medicine and clinical exercise physiology. They will work in close collaboration with hospitals and university health centres in the Montreal area but also with international partners.

"The PERFORM Centre will be unique in Canada allowing Concordia University to reinforce its world leadership position in the field of exercise physiology and athletic therapy", says Woodsworth. "It will comprise research into the benefits of physical activity and nutrition, the training of therapists and the delivery of clinical evaluation and rehabilitation services to Montrealers".

The centre will be built at the southern end of the Loyola Campus, connecting with the existing sports and recreation facilities, and measuring almost 12,000m2 in size. It will be the site of laboratories for specialized teaching and training in athletic therapy and cardiorespiratory physiology. It will also have therapeutic facilities for people with sports injuries or with health problems such as cancer, cardiac or respiratory diseases.

"One of the exceptional characteristics of the PERFORM Centre", says Woodsworth, "is its potential to add complementary expertise in research and professional formation to the existing health care network".

Construction of the Perform Centre will start in early 2010 and completed in 2011.

Source:
Fiona Downey
Concordia University