BioDiscovery Toronto

BioDiscovery Toronto is an incorporated, not-for-profit organization involving all of Toronto’s major university and hospital research players in the biomedical field, facilitating commercialization by providing industry with streamlined access to innovations and world-class research and expertise, as well as organizing new linkages between research, industry and capital.

BioDiscovery Toronto members include the University of Toronto, Ryerson University, the University Health Network (UHN), the Hospital for Sick Children, Mount Sinai Hospital, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, St. Michael’s Hospital, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. BioDiscovery Toronto receives its core funding from the provincial Ministry of Research and Innovation’s Regional Innovation Network program, the federal government’s NSERC/CIHR Intellectual Property Mobilization Program, and the City of Toronto.

Being located in the new Toronto Medical Discovery Tower of the MaRS Centre puts BioDiscovery Toronto within walking distance of all team members, and helps fulfill its goal of becoming a one-stop shop for collaboration by facilitating public and private sector partnerships, as well as bundling intellectual property from BioDiscovery members.

Among the major multidisciplinary North American public universities, Toronto’s scientific output in the health sciences is more widely cited than that of any other institution, according to Thomson ISI. If major private universities are included in the comparison, Toronto ranks third, after Harvard University (Cambridge, MA) and Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD).

In 2003-04, the research hospitals of the University of Toronto, along with the university and Ryerson, attracted more than $550 million in external funding for research. When combined with the institutions’ own support for salaries and infrastructure, this represents a research investment in excess of $1 billion per year.”

Dr. Shindler was appointed Executive Director of BioDiscovery Toronto at the end of 2005. BioDiscovery Toronto comprises 11 of Toronto's leading research universities and hospital research institutes, and has a mandate to enhance technology transfer and commercialization based on Toronto's world-class biomedical research. BioDiscovery Toronto is developing strategic relationships with local and international industry partners to further its commercial objectives. BioDiscovery's office is located at MaRS, in the core of Toronto's Discovery District.

Dr. Shindler previously served for 6 years as founding President and CEO of Milestone Medica Corporation, a seed venture investment and management company, working with Canada's top biomedical research centres in order to create innovative health products. The fund is fully invested and he continues to serve as a Director of the Corporation.

Between 1990 and 1998, Dr. Shindler served as Senior Executive and Commercial Director of the Canadian Genetic Diseases Network, headquartered at UBC, Vancouver. Before that, with Industry Canada he was responsible for Canada's National Biotechnology Strategy, and also served for two years as Counselor - Science and Technology, at the Canadian High Commission in London, England.

His Ph.D. is from the University of Ottawa with specialization in microbiology and biochemistry.

Media Contact: Dr. David Shindler

101 College St.
Tel: 416-673-6689
Email: biodiscovery@101college.net
M5G 1L7 Canada
www.biodiscovery.ca