On Friday, April 28th, the Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health hosted an eclectic mix of academics, health professionals, businesses, bank community representatives, health unit and hospital administrators, elected officials, creative cultural community representatives, and Research Chairs. The purpose of the meeting was to explore and discuss opportunities for connecting the various sectors to advance health research in rural southwestern Ontario. The challenges and opportunities involved in business development in the health care field and knowledge translation to rural residents were important topics of discussion.

As part of the meeting, Dr. Ryan Gibson and Dr. Al Lauzon were both appointed Research Chairs with Gateway Centre of Excellence. Dr. Gibson was appointed as the Research Chair in Rural Economic Development and Dr. Lauzon appointed as the Research Chair in Rural Change and Development. Over the coming months, Drs Gibson and Lauzon will be engaged with Gateway Centre for Excellence in a variety of research and community initiatives. Further information about Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health can be found at http://www.gatewayruralhealth.ca.