AHFMR News

AHFMR appoints new Board of Trustees Chair

(Edmonton, AB) Thursday, December 1, 2005... The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Gail Surkan as Chair of the AHFMR Board of Trustees, effective November 30, 2005. Ms. Surkan succeeds Mr. Harley Hotchkiss who had been Chairman of the Board since February 1, 2000 and a member of the AHFMR Board of Trustees since March 31, 1999, Ms. Surkan was first appointed to the AHFMR Board of Trustees by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta on March 15, 2000.

Ms. Surkan received a degree in economics with distinction from the University of Saskatchewan. She served four terms as Mayor of Red Deer from 1992 to 2004 and also served on Red Deer City Council from 1986 to 1992. Ms. Surkan has extensive experience as a consultant and analyst in various fields including strategic planning, tourism, northern communities, regional development policy, and economic development.

Ms. Surkan is a member of the University of Alberta Board of Governors as well as a member of the board of directors for a number of other organizations. She served as both Chair and Vice-Chair for the Provincial Health Council, a body created to evaluate health reform and report to the Legislature.

Since 1980, AHFMR has awarded more than $800 million to researchers at the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, the University of Lethbridge, and their affiliated institutions. AHFMR was highly commended for the excellence of its achievements and activities in a report prepared by members of an International Board of Review in June 2004. In acknowledgement of this success the Alberta Government has pledged an additional $500 million to the Foundation's endowment, which now stands at $1 billion. The endowment supports an annual investment of approximately $45 million in health research in Alberta.

AHFMR supports more than 600 researchers and students at the Province's three universities. The foundation supports a community of researchers who generate knowledge that improves the health and quality of life of Albertans and people throughout the world. AHFMR's commitment is to fund health research based on international standards of excellence and carried out by new and established investigators and researchers in training. For more information, visit www.ahfmr.ab.ca.

Please call Dwayne Brunner, AHFMR Communications Coordinator, at (780) 423-5727 for further information.