Kathryn JohnsonOn September 15, the University of Alberta announced the new Dianne and Irving Kipnes Health Research Institute. Established by a $25 million gift from The Dianne and Irving Kipnes Foundation, the institute will focus on areas including artificial intelligence (AI) and health data, accelerating access to care, and lymphedema research.
It was also announced that the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (ECHA) will be renamed to the Dianne and Irving Kipnes Health Research Academy to honour the Kipnes’ “decades of transformative support for the U of A and [its] health care partners,” U of A President and Vice-chancellor Bill Flanagan said.
Housed in the college of health sciences, the new institute will be located in the renamed building.
ECHA renamed to honour the Kipnes family
The event honoured the legacy of the late philanthropist Dianne Kipnes and her impact on the U of A. As a couple, many of the Kipnes’ philanthropic contributions have gone towards medical research initiatives at the university. Among these include the Dianne and Irving Kipnes Chair in Radiopharmaceutical Sciences and the Dianne and Irving Kipnes Endowed Chair in Lymphatic Disorders.
“Philanthropy isn’t just about writing a cheque — it’s about believing in people, ideas, institutions, and helping them reach their full potential,” Irving Kipnes said at the event. “We’ve been fortunate to see what happens when the beliefs get matched with resources. Deliveries are made, opportunities expand, entire fields now move forward faster than ever.”
Dianne’s daughter Kendra Walker shared that Dianne’s experiences as a therapist at the psychiatric walk-in clinic at the U of A Hospital, and as a cervical cancer patient, reflect the goals of the new institute.
“The aim to reduce average treatment time, the promotion of interdisciplinary work, and innovative treatment methods are values that Mom would have worked with as part of the walk-in clinic team over 30 years ago,” Walker said.
New health research institute to help accelerate health-care solutions
Three foundational pillars comprise the operational vision of the institute. These include lymphedema research and training, health research translation, and AI and health, Dr. Brenda Hemmelgarn, dean of the college of health sciences and faculty of medicine and dentistry, explained.
Building on the work of the Dianne and Irving Kipnes Endowed Chair in Lymphatic Disorders, the lymphedema research and training pillar focuses on expanding lymphedema research and “train[ing] future health professionals in manual lymphatic drainage and other treatments,” Hemmelgarn said.
Additionally, the new Health Research Translation Unit will help medical research turn into treatments for patients faster.
Towards the goal of innovating health research, the university recently launched its AI + Health Hub comprised of researchers across 10 faculties.
“By combining our world class expertise in AI with our rich health data environment, we are uniquely positioned to translate discoveries from the lab and into practice in ways that are both responsible and impactful,” Vice-dean (clinical research) of the faculty of medicine and dentistry, Neesh Pannu said.
“This is not about technology for its own sake. It’s about making a real difference in people’s lives, and thanks to the foresight of the Kipnes family, we will now have the infrastructure to accelerate that work and extend its impact for generations to come.”
