The PHRI 20th Anniversary Symposium: The Future of Global Health was held on November 19 and 20th, 2019 in Hamilton, Canada, with almost 200 participants from five continents. Keynote speakers were Richard Peto, Oxford University, opening the day with a look back at progress in health over the last half century; and Robert Califf, founding member of Duke Clinical Research Institute, now with Google Health, closing off the event with a talk on leveraging advanced data analytics and technology to improve health.
A total of 24 speakers, and six panel discussions, covered everything from neglected cardiovascular diseases, to future approaches to better prevention, including: Clara Chow, Academic Director, Westmead Applied Research Centre, University of Sydney, Australia; Dorairaj Prabhakaran, VP, Research and Policy, Public Health Foundation of India; Mpiko Ntsekhe, Professor, Cardiology, University of Cape Town, South Africa; and many other esteemed clinician-researchers who have worked with PHRI over the past two decades.
See full agenda [PDF], including information about speakers, panelists and moderators. PHRI’s YouTube channel has full video recordings of 16 presentations given over the two days of the PHRI symposium.
Highlights of Gala Dinner
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra at dinner
The two-day symposium ended with a gala dinner at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, including a surprise “flash mob” performance of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra (strings section and conductor) in the middle of the dinner to delight and entertain our esteemed guests.
Another gala highlight was the recognition given to Professor Lisheng Liu, a cardiovascular research pioneer in China, who traveled at age 91 to Hamilton from Beijing to congratulate Salim Yusuf and the rest of PHRI on the 20th anniversary.
Also during the gala dinner event, the Bongani Mayosi UCT-PHRI Scholarship for 2019/2020 was presented to Tafadzwa Machipisa, PhD student at University of Cape Town (genetics of rheumatic heart disease.) She is currently working for the past year with Gui Pare and the Genetic & Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory at PHRI. Tafadzwa was presented the scholarship by Pare as well as Mpiko Ntsekhe.
Prof. Liu with Salim Yusuf and Janette Panhuis
PHRI’s COO, Janette Panhuis, presented Robyn Knickle, director of development at the Hamilton nonprofit anti-poverty organization, Neighbour to Neighbour, with a donation to continue supporting literacy and math programs in local elementary schools.
