荔枝视频

In the spring of 2014, 荔枝视频 alumnus Andreas Dauter, then 14, was experiencing troubling symptoms during strenuous activities like skiing 鈥� fatigue, nausea, even some fainting spells at school. 

Something was wrong, but it took him two full years to get answers. 

At the time, precision medicine 鈥� an approach that considers the combined value of diagnostic testing, and inclusive of each person鈥檚 medical imaging, genetics, environment and lifestyle 鈥� was in its infancy. But today it could have predicted much sooner that Dauter, BHSc鈥�21, has X-linked dilated cardiomyopathy 鈥� a genetic condition that can lead to heart failure.

Thanks to a $12-million gift from visionary entrepreneur and community leader Susan Nelson, BA鈥�70, precision medicine 鈥� a research priority at the 荔枝视频鈥檚 Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) 鈥� is about to gain even more momentum.

The will establish a provincewide data platform that securely links anonymized diagnostic tests, such as imaging and electrocardiogram tracings, with laboratory, medication and health-outcomes data. 

This will allow researchers and physicians to identify patterns and insights that can help them answer questions about how best to detect diseases sooner and select the most effective treatments for each patient.

鈥淜nowing a gift to accelerate this work would create added value and benefit patients, caregivers, doctors and researchers, gives me a great feeling of happiness,鈥� says Nelson. 

鈥淢y past experience working with hospitalized children made me so aware of how difficult the diagnosis and treatment area is.鈥� 

Personal experience also propelled her decision. 

鈥淲e learned so much when I got an autoimmune disease, inflammatory myositis, because it showed us the advantages of connecting with other medical facilities across the province and North America,鈥� the philanthropist and business leader says. 

Nelson wanted to bring more cutting-edge health care advancements to all Albertans, through a home-grown solution. And, because of her background in high tech and artificial intelligence, Nelson realized CSM researchers are well positioned to lead efforts to sort 鈥� and investigate 鈥� Alberta health data more efficiently.

鈥淪usan is a very strategic and very focused person,鈥� says fellow philanthropist Gordon Case, Nelson鈥檚 husband. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just identifying the problem; she鈥檚 able to see the easiest and quickest solutions.鈥�

Nelson鈥檚 gift will help fund the Centre鈥檚 operation through 2032. Nationally recognized as a driver of social impact, she also hopes to inspire future philanthropic support. 

鈥淚 hope others think about how they can make a difference, how they can leverage and create something that will benefit many people 鈥� that鈥檚 so valuable in today鈥檚 world,鈥� Nelson says.

Building on U荔枝视频 precision medicine infrastructure and expertise

The Nelson PULSE Centre builds on the CSM鈥檚 leadership and success in connecting datasets to improve heart-health outcomes at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute. Now, thanks to Nelson鈥檚 philanthropic spirit, the model will expand into other key areas such as stroke, critical care, women鈥檚 health and more.

鈥淪usan Nelson is an incredible role model for how philanthropy can accelerate innovation and improve lives,鈥� says Dr. Ed McCauley, PhD, president and vice-chancellor of U荔枝视频. 鈥淪usan is an extraordinary alumna and longtime U荔枝视频 supporter who is helping us turn research into real-world solutions. 

鈥淗er latest gift positions U荔枝视频 to be a global leader in precision medicine, and we are deeply grateful.鈥�

CSM Dean , MD鈥�85, applauds Nelson鈥檚 generosity and foresight, noting that her donation 鈥渨ill allow Alberta researchers to make cutting-edge advancements in personalized medicine, making health care faster and more customized for everyone.鈥� 

Anderson adds he鈥檚 thrilled the CSM鈥檚 precision medicine research leadership and vision to advance equitable, personalized health care through data, AI and machine learning, has attracted Nelson鈥檚 lead gift. 

Anonymous health data super bank to power action

Nelson鈥檚 commitment will foster province-wide collaboration, including with other Alberta universities, and further catalyzes innovation to improve health care for all patients, says Dr. James White, MD, director of The Nelson PULSE Centre. 

Right now, disconnected banks of health information exist across the province. The Centre has already established infrastructure that can securely link diagnostic scans, lab results, prescriptions and hospital visits to other health information, such as lifestyle and how patients access care. 

This will be done in an anonymized way to protect patient privacy. AI and other tools will allow researchers, health administrators, doctors and nurses to uncover patterns and trends in the data that can better inform personalized patient care, or model how they might respond to a treatment 鈥� the opposite of 鈥渙ne-size-fits-all鈥� medical treatment. The Nelson PULSE Centre will work closely with health-care providers to help them bring this improved level of care to patients.

鈥淪usan鈥檚 shared vision for The Nelson PULSE Centre is critical to its success,鈥� says White. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an ambitious goal to bridge health-data resources from an entire province and bring them together for innovation. 

鈥淲e want to make sure that all faculties and institutions gain access to this information to maximize its impact.鈥�

Patient-centred approach

Dauter says he knows Nelson鈥檚 generosity will transform precision medicine. 

鈥淪usan鈥檚 gift means that patients will have diagnoses faster,鈥� says Dauter, himself now a precision medicine researcher working towards his PhD while studying genetic disease at CSM. 

鈥淭hey鈥檒l get treatment that is better and they鈥檒l get it earlier, so these lifesaving years can actually be given back to them and give them and their families a bright future. 

His heart condition is stable and he feels confident in his highly personalized treatment plan.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 really the difference precision medicine makes.鈥�