Home Page

$5,000 scholarships to 15 students in collaboration with AbbVie Canada

TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2023 /CNW/ - Crohn's and Colitis Canada has awarded 15 post-secondary students each with a $5,000 AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program grant.

"We're thrilled to support these students who are dealing with a lifelong, challenging disease on top of managing their studies," said Lori Radke, President and CEO of Crohn's and Colitis Canada. "We are proud to support these students who are achieving so much and determined to make a difference."

"At AbbVie, we strive to improve standards of care for people living with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and ultimately to empower Canadians with IBD to live life to the fullest," said Tracey Ramsay, Vice President and General Manager of AbbVie Canada. "For the past 12 years, we have partnered with Crohn's and Colitis Canada on this meaningful program, and we're extremely proud that these scholarships will help students living with IBD to pursue higher education and reach their full potential."

The recipients are:

• Brady Elchitz – University of Calgary
• Caleb Tibbs – McGill University
• Carter Hiltz – Dalhousie University
• Diana Marcovici – York University
• Jessica Kilp – McMaster University
• Jack Comerford – Sheridan College
• Leana Al-Ugaily – York University
• Luca Foster – Yorkville University
• Marie-Audrey Roy - Université de Montréal
• Nesrine Aboulhamid – McGill University
• Pranshu Maini – McMaster University
• Samuel Doucet – British Columbia Institute of Technology
• Simon Pan – McMaster University, Clinton Shard Memorial Scholarship Recipient
• Taylor Stephens – University of Alberta
• Venkat Vaibhav – Western University

322,600 Canadians live with Crohn's or colitis today. It is estimated the 470,000 Canadians will be impacted by 2035.

These diseases can be diagnosed at any age, but the typical age of onset is early adulthood, typically between age 20-29, although more diagnoses are now occurring in children. Crohn's and colitis cause the body to attack healthy tissue in the bowels, which causes inflammation of all or part of the gastrointestinal tract. The most common symptoms include severe abdominal pain, nausea, fatigue, internal bleeding, and the unpredictable and urgent need to use the washroom. 

Crohn's and Colitis Canada partnered with AbbVie Canada in 2012 to launch the national AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program to support students in achieving their academic goals while they make a meaningful difference in their communities. The Program has awarded 139 grants to date to help students spend more time on their studies, pursue their passions and get involved with causes close to their hearts. 

To learn more about the AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program and the recipients, visit ibdscholarship.ca.

We are on a relentless journey to transform the lives of people affected by Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis by delivering impact at all stages of life, in every corner of the country, by     

• Finding the cures for these lifelong diseases, and   
• Improving the quality of life of everyone affected by these diseases.   

Our 2023-2026 Impact Strategy creates a roadmap for our journey with a focus on:

• Accelerating the impact of research – address key gaps and success factors; shorten the timeline from discovery to patient impact  
• Reaching further – help more people with Crohn's and colitis and their caregivers with our wide range of programs  
• Boosting awareness and understanding – engage and motivate Canadians  
• Driving system change – advocate and partner to influence change  

Follow us at crohnsandcolitis.ca, @getgutsycanada on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, and at Crohn's and Colitis Canada on YouTube and LinkedIn. 

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.ca. Follow AbbVie Canada on Twitter, on Instagram, or find us on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC)