Snyder estate donates $67.5M towards medical research at U of C

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One of the most generous donors to the University of Calgary is leaving a posthumous gift of $67.5 million to further medical research that includes creating miniature human organs for testing.

It’s the second-largest donation ever received by the university, following a $100-million gift granted in 2014 by Geoffrey Cumming to the Cumming School of Medicine.

The latest donation comes from businesswoman and longtime philanthropist Joan Snyder, who died in April at the age of 90 but whose generosity lives on, say recipients.

“Joan Snyder is a true friend to our community,” said U of C president Ed McCauley.

“It’s no exaggeration to say the University of Calgary’s research excellence has been catalyzed by her support.”

Snyder’s donations to the U of C, Mount Royal University and other organizations has now topped $100 million.

Of her latest donation, $35 million will fund the Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, and will enhance the development of precision medical technology to tackle challenges such as imaging the human immune system.

It’ll also further work on growing miniature organs in laboratories that can be used to test new treatments less invasively and more safely.

“It’s a remarkable gift, it’s hard to overstate the impact this will have,” said Dr. Derek McKay, director of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases.

“It’s really going to sustain our organization going forward in perpetuity.”

The money will enable the institute to purchase new equipment and attract the best research minds, he said.

One of the areas of study involves extracting stem cells from patients and culturing them into simplified human organs, which are then the subject of experimental treatments, said McKay.

“It allows you to look into cell-to-cell interaction and, coming from humans, it allows you to test drugs and see if they have positive impact on a human organ,” he said.

“It really goes to the core of precision medicine.”

Other research furthered by the donation focuses on how immune cells interact and eat bacteria, he said.

“If we understand what bacteria are capable of, we can harness that healing power,” said McKay.

“We’re well-positioned on this, and this donation just gives us more impetus.”

Snyder created the research institute with a $9-million gift in 2008.

Another $30 million will create the Joan Snyder Fund for Excellence in Kinesiology, expected to enhance an already internationally renowned faculty of kinesiology, says the U of C.

“Her love of community and advocacy for sport and healthy living has changed lives, here and around the world, and will continue to do so well into the future,” said Dr. Penny Werthner, provost and former dean of the faculty.

“The faculty wouldn’t be where it is without Joan’s support, and this new gift will take sport-science and varsity athletics at UCalgary to new heights.”

A further $2 million from the philanthropist — who earned the moniker “grandmother of women’s hockey” — will benefit female hockey at the U of C, and $500,000 will aid in preserving the U of C’s art collections.

The philanthropist was inspired to advance the sport by meeting with the gold medal-winning Canadian women’s team at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, which led her to sponsor the Calgary Inferno of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League.

In 2013, Snyder was named to the Order of Canada for her contributions to sport, education, social services, the arts and health care in Alberta.

Calgarians may recognize Snyder’s name on display at the University of Calgary or at the Joan Snyder arena at WinSport’s Markin MacPhail Centre.

Others that have benefited from Snyder’s generosity include the Heritage Park Foundation, the Calgary Zoo, Wood’s Homes Foundation, the Calgary Foundation, the University of Saskatchewan, Agape Hospice and the Calgary Humane Society.

U of C officials and other admirers of Snyder on Friday held a celebration of life for the beloved philanthropist.

Medical researcher McKay said it’s hoped Snyder’s donations will encourage others to do the same.

“It allows us to be nimble and take advantage of other leveraging opportunities, to go after additional partners,” he said.

“She was a real force of nature.”

BKaufmann@postmedia.com

Twitter: @BillKaufmannjrn