Sinai Health is celebrating the announcement of a generous $20-million gift from the Tanenbaum Family Foundation that will see a global centre of excellence for high-performance sport science and sports medicine established at the University of Toronto.
The Tanenbaum Institute will bring together the renowned clinical and research leadership of the Dovigi Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Clinic and the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Sinai Health, the leading sport science research of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education and the sports medicine research expertise of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.
“The Tanenbaum Institute will enjoy a remarkable head start, thanks to the amazing research and clinical sports medicine leadership we have amassed here at Sinai Health through the Dovigi Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Clinic and across U of T,” said Dr. Gary Newton, President and CEO of Sinai Health. “Establishing this landmark Institute is only the beginning. We look forward to transforming high-performance sport together with our many industry, government, and community partners.”
The Tanenbaum Institute for Science in Sport will help model and predict athlete performance and improve health outcomes based on a wealth of data from across the Greater Toronto Area. This new knowledge will support high-performance athletes across a spectrum that includes world-class professional, non-professional and para-athletes, including from diverse and underrepresented communities, as well as athletes striving for high-performance optimization in recreational sports.
The Institute will catalyze U of T and Sinai Health’s sport science and sports medicine expertise, generating novel insights and innovative technologies and interventions that improve athlete performance, health, safety, and well-being; reduce risk of injury; accelerate and optimize recovery and rehabilitation; and advance high-performance sport in a manner that is safe, welcoming, inclusive, and accessible to all.
To this end, the Tanenbaum Institute will work in partnership with sports clinics, associations, and organizations, including Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) and its teams: the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC and the Toronto Argonauts, as well as the Toronto Marlies, Raptors 905 and TFC 2.
“I truly believe that sport unites us, inspires us, and offers all people a path toward becoming their best selves,” said Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of Tanenbaum Family Foundation and MLSE. “The Tanenbaum Institute will bring together sports medicine, sport science and data science to encourage athletic engagement, enhance performance and accelerate recovery and rehabilitation. I’m proud to join with U of T and Sinai Health in transforming athlete health and well-being.”
Larry and Judy Tanenbaum’s gift will be combined with more than $20 million in additional support from U of T and Sinai Health. This investment will establish a Directorship and Research Acceleration Fund to support bold, innovative research across the Institute, the University, and Sinai Health; create a ground-breaking new Chair in Sport Science and Data Modelling, a Chair in Musculoskeletal Regenerative Medicine, and a Professorship in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine; and provide funding for a range of cutting-edge research, innovations, and clinical programs.
“Today marks a monumental step forward in support of Canadian high-performance athletics, one that will lead to improved athlete performance, safety and well-being,” said University of Toronto President Meric Gertler. “Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Larry and Judy Tanenbaum, the Tanenbaum Institute for Science in Sport will become one of the world’s leading centres in the field. And the Institute will be truly unique, combining the strengths of U of T’s top-ranked research programs and sports medicine departments with leading clinical care centres at Sinai Health, all in the heart of one of the world’s most celebrated sporting cities.”
The Institute combines a diverse array of sport science and sports medicine talent. The Institute’s research and clinical foci will include mild traumatic brain injuries, orthopaedics, regenerative medicine, biomechanics, wearable physiological and training monitoring technologies, technologies in para sport, mathematical and statistical modelling applied to individual athlete and team analytics, nutrition, individual and team psychology and health, exercise physiology and more.
This latest gift from the Tanenbaum Family Foundation builds on an impressive philanthropic legacy at U of T, Sinai Health and beyond. At Sinai Health, Larry and Judy Tanenbaum have made several transformative investments. In 2013, the Tanenbaums gave $35 million to rename the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (LTRI), accelerating Sinai Health’s biomedical research institute.