Research and education in Windsor-Essex's medical field will again be made possible by a grant supported by two Windsor ophthalmologists.
Doctors Fouad Tayfour and Barry Emara made their annual contribution to the research and education fund that bears their name, handing over $200,000 during an event Tuesday afternoon at the Windsor Surgical Centre.
Jonathan Foster, Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) Vice-President for Emergency Services, Trauma, Mental Health, Office of Research, Renal, and Cancer, told WindsorNewsToday.ca that the continued support of the doctors has made a difference.
"It's been in place since 2022, so we've had a really great year-over-year investment from both Doctors Tayfour and Emara into this research fund, and it's really helped grow our program in research at Windsor Regional Hospital," said Foster.
The fund is used in conjunction with Discovery Grants issued by the WE-SPARK Foundation, which is comprised of local healthcare systems, the University of Windsor, and St. Clair College. The concept was launched in 2020, but progress was slow due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Foster said, however, that once things got underway, results were evident almost immediately.
"When the Tayfour and Amara grant came along two years into our work, that really helped us propel ourselves into starting a number of clinical trials, testing research medications, and giving patients access to the latest, most cutting-edge treatment centre available," said Foster.
Foster added that the educational aspect has helped keep talent in the medical field in Windsor-Essex by encouraging professional relationships and developing a practice base.
Counting Tuesday's donation, Foster said about a million dollars has been invested.
