Overview of the Montreal Diabetes Research Center

Diabetes mellitus is a devastating disease, which is reaching epidemic proportions throughout the world. The Montreal Diabetes Research Center (MDRC) consists of a group of leading-edge scientists mainly located in the Montreal area, but also Quebec City, Sherbrooke and Ottawa, who perform basic, clinical and population health research in the fields of diabetes and its complications, as well as obesity and the metabolic syndrome.

More specifically, the MDRC regroups 52 research teams of basic scientists and clinicians from six universities (Universit� de Montr�al, McGill University, Universit� du Qu�bec � Montr�al, Universit� Laval, Universit� de Sherbrooke, University of Ottawa) working in various aspects of both type 1 and 2 diabetes and their complications as well as cardiometabolic disorders. The MDRC was created in 2005 thanks to a major Canada Foundation of Innovation (CFI) infrastructure grant with Dr Marc Prentki as lead investigator. Two subsequent leading-edge CFI infrastructure grants were awarded to the MDRC in 2008 and 2013. The objective of the MDRC is to foster innovative basic, applied and clinical diabetes research and to provide an exceptional student training environment. See our report of activities 2005-2014 for an overview of the MDRC (PDF).

Vision

As a leading-edge diabetes research center in Canada and worldwide in which basic, applied and clinical research are integrated, we search to understand the mechanisms implicated in diabetes and its complications and wish to very significantly contribute to its prevention, treatment and cure.

Mission

By bringing together multidisciplinary teams of researchers from six universities and their affiliated hospitals, the ultimate goals of the MDRC are to:

• Improve diabetes patients� care and clinical outcomes by fostering innovative multi-disciplinary research and synergistic collaborations.
• Provide enabling research infrastructures, funding, communication and administrative supports as well as strategic and scientific leadership.
• Develop partnerships with other diabetes centers, industry and diabetes organizations.
• Foster exceptional training of students and young investigators in a stimulatory environment.

The MDRC is supported directly by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Universit� de Montr�al and McGill University; and indirectly by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the US National Institutes of Health and the Canadian Diabetes Association.