Hamilton's McMaster to accept $10 million gift Friday

Julia Chapman, CBC News

McMaster University will accept a sizable gift from an outside donor for research on aging Friday.

A donation of $10-million from McMaster alumna and Toronto-based businesswoman Suzanne Labarge will fund research into the field of “optimal aging.”

Labarge is now retired from senior executive positions at the Royal Bank of Canada. She earned her bachelor's degree in economics in 1967.

Labarge also received an honorary degree from McMaster's DeGroote School of Business in June 2011.

On hand at Friday's announcement will be Labarage, McMaster's president Patrick Deane, John Kelton, the dean of the faculty of health sciences and several researchers working on projects in the field of aging.

“It includes research from engineering to medicine,” said Wade Hemsworth, communications manager at McMaster.
Hemsworth said some particularly interesting research is focused on keeping seniors accident-free in their cars for as long as they are able to drive.

“The research is helping seniors getting in and out of cars,” said Hemsworth. “That's actually where a lot of problems happen.”

To read the full story: http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/story/2012/09/07/hamilton-mcmaster-dontation.html