The Foundation

The Molly Towell Perinatal Research Foundation was established in 1988 by Dr. Molly Towell and registered as a private foundation by Corporations Canada. Over the past 33 years, funds have been provided to support Molly Towell Fellowships to encourage and assist post-doctoral research training for students who have demonstrated ability and commitment to a career in basic biomedical research in perinatal or neonatal medicine. In addition, the Foundation has previously provided start-up New Investigator awards for operating and equipment costs to assist young investigators in establishing a career funding stream. These awards have been provided to young researchers in several Canadian universities, as well as the USA, Australia and UK. Since 1990, the MTPRF has provided over $2 million in support for 55 investigators from 15 institutions in Canada and across seven provinces. (See section on Previous Awardees).

The overall goal of the Molly Towell Perinatal Research Foundation is to encourage perinatal research in Canada. According to Dr. Towell’s direction, the Foundation will support original and innovative research, which she defined as the pursuit of new information derived from basic or clinical research. Purely epidemiological research or clinical trials, however, will not be considered.

Molly Towell also recognized the importance of communication and collaboration within our research community. As such, she directed the Board to use its discretion to support meetings of the highest quality where new research findings could be shared amongst investigators. The Foundation has supported local, national and international conferences. In particular, the Foundation was instrumental in establishing the annual Western Perinatal Research Meeting in Banff and subsequently supported the Eastern Perinatal Investigators Meeting in Kingston. The MTPRF has been a major sponsor of the Canadian National Perinatal Research Meeting since 2014 when the two meetings amalgamated.

The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors with administrative support provided by the Maternal, Infant, Child and Youth Research Network (MICYRN). The administrative home for MTPRF is located at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute and on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. MTPRF is committed to the principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity in its governance, policies, and allocation of funding as outlined by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

2023 Board Members

The current members of the MTPRF Board include:

  • Dr. Alan Bocking (President)

  • Dr. Douglas Wilson (Vice President)

  • Ms. Jane Bryans (Director)

  • Valerie C. Lambert, CPA, CA, ICD.D (Director)

  • Dr. Pascal Lavoie (Director)

  • Brian Phillips (Secretary-Treasurer)

  • Dr. Sandra T. Davidge, PhD, FCAHS, FRSC (Director)

Alan Bocking

Dr. Alan Bocking is a professor emeritus in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Toronto and associate scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto. He is the former Gordon C. Leitch Chair of the University of Toronto, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Chief of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Mount Sinai Hospital, the University Health Network and Women’s College Hospital. Prior to that, he was the chair/chief of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Western University, London, Ontario. Dr. Bocking’s main areas of study are the mechanisms underlying infection–mediated preterm labour including the role of the vaginal microbiome. He is the founding chair of the Steering Committee for the Ontario Birth Study, which is a longitudinal pregnancy cohort established to study the mechanisms underlying pregnancy complications as well as the developmental origins of health and disease. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (CanFASD) Research Network.

 

Douglas Wilson

Dr. R. Douglas Wilson is a professor in the Department Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine University of Calgary 2008 to present and is the past Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology for CSoM and Alberta Health Services Calgary Zone. He was previously a professor at UBC (Obstet Gynecol/Medical Genetics) 1985-2001 and the University of Pennsylvania (Surgery / Obstet Gynecol) 2001-2008. He is a core member of the Alberta Strategic Clinical Network MNCY (Maternal Newborn Child and Youth) and co-chair of the MNCY Maternal -Fetal Committee. He is a member of SOGC and a member of the SOGC Board (Alberta rep) and co-chair of the SOGC Guideline Management Oversight Committee. His research interests include quality improvement, maternal morbidity and mortality, ERAS–Cesarean Delivery, VBAC, PTB screening, congenital anomalies, prenatal diagnosis (screening, non-invasive imaging (ultrasound, MRI, low radiation CT), invasive prenatal diagnosis (chorionic villus sampling, amniocentesis, cordocentesis, fetoscopy), fetal therapy (closed shunts (chest, bladder); open maternal-fetal surgery, fetoscopic laser TTTS, TRAP, other monochorionic pathology), RCT for fetal diagnosis and therapy, maternal serum DNA/RNA fetal analysis; and prenatal maternal counselling re fetal anomalies. He has over 300 peer-reviewed publications and more than ten book chapters.

 

 

Sandra T.Davidge

Dr. Sandra Davidge is the Executive Director of the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute, a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Alberta and Professor in the Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Physiology in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. Dr. Davidge is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Dr. Davidge serves on many national and international advisory panels and serves on the editorial board for the American Journal of Physiology, Hypertension and Biology of Sex Differences. Her research program encompasses studying cardiovascular function as it relates to 1) complications in pregnancy (preeclampsia and maternal aging) and 2) developmental origins of cardiovascular disease. This research includes a focus on understanding the long-term impact of pregnancy complications on maternal and offspring cardiovascular health to develop early intervention and prevention strategies for improving long-term health. With her team of trainees, for whom she has mentored numerous undergraduate and graduate students along with postdoctoral fellows, Dr. Davidge has published over 300 original peer-reviewed manuscripts and review articles in these areas.

 

Brian Phillips

Brian Phillips joined the Board in 2012 after a lengthy career in portfolio management, and upon retirement from Phillips Hager and North Investment Management. He has enjoyed being on numerous NFP boards, where he held senior officer roles. Brian’s focus is governance, and fiscal oversight.

 

Jane Bryans

Jane has been a board member of the foundation since its inception in 1989, shortly before Molly’s death. As a good friend of Molly’s she was helpful during the establishment of the foundation. Through her late husband she had connections with many in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and in Paediatrics. Jane has been dedicated to enacting Molly’s wishes for the foundation and her continual presence and commitment is primarily responsible for the foundation’s success. She is pleased to note in her own words that, “She is known as The Corporate Memory of the institution.”

 

Valerie C. Lambert, CPA, CA, ICD.D

Valerie spent most of her career in the resource sector in BC. She served as Vice-President of BC Gas and as Treasurer of BC Hydro. She worked internationally for three years for The World Bank, focusing mainly on East Asia project development. Valerie also spent many years serving on NFP Boards. She is a Founding Director and Past Chair of BC Women’s Hospital Foundation. She is the current Executive Director of Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver, continuing her passion for the charitable sector. Valerie is on the Board of BC Hydro and Powerex. She is also on the Board of Coast Capital Savings and recently completed her term as Finance Chair and Board member at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club. Valerie is the proud mother of two grown children and enjoys golf, skiing, hiking and reading in her spare time.

 

Pascal Lavoie

Dr. Pascal Lavoie is a clinician-scientist and neonatologist at the British Columbia Children's and Women's Hospitals, and a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia. His research program focuses on the development of the immune system in newborns, specifically in relation to prevention and treatment of neonatal sepsis. Beside his contributions to research and clinical neonatal care, he is passionate about supporting of the next generation of clinician-scientists in Canada through his role in the Canadian Child Health Clinician-Scientist Program. He is also currently the interim division head and acting medical director of the Neonatal Program at BC Women's Hospital.