Fiera Capital is committing $120,000 over the next three years to encourage health care innovation among racialized communities

MONTREAL, Sept. 7, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Underrepresentation in health and medical research funding is a real issue in today's world. To address this continued lack of diversity, Fiera Capital Corporation (TSX: FSZ) ("Fiera Capital" or the "Company"), a leading independent asset management firm, alongside the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Foundation and in collaboration with the Research Institute of the MUHC (RI-MUHC), are pleased to announce the launch of the Fiera Capital Awards for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Health Care.

Funding can be harder to come by for researchers from Black, Indigenous or other racialized communities. As such, supporting researchers' diverse points of view and innovative ideas early on can have a significant impact on their ability to push the boundaries throughout their careers and on their future success.

"At Fiera Capital, we believe that diversity of thought and perspective is what fuels innovation and allows us to build sustainable prosperity for our society," said Jean-Philippe Lemay, Global President and Chief Executive Officer, Fiera Capital. "Motivated by this purpose, we strive to help individuals who have the grit and expertise to make a difference in our communities. As such, we are proud to partner with the MUHC Foundation in giving young scientists an opportunity to innovate in a particularly risk-averse environment and to help shape the future of health care."

The Fiera Capital Awards for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Health Care will aim to recognize excellence in research and to break the systemic barriers and root causes of racial inequalities. To that end, Fiera Capital is committing $120,000 over the next three years, providing support to MSc and PhD research students with high-risk early-stage innovative ideas with a great potential for advancing medical research.

"By taking deliberate action and cultivating organic opportunities with organizations such as the MUHC Foundation, we sincerely hope that we can address historic diversity issues and move from aspiration to progress," added Lyne Lamothe, Global Chief Human Resources Officer. "Research and Innovation that is representative of our diverse society is essential to foster an equitable health care system and healthier communities."

As Quebec's largest research hospital, an international leader in clinical and patient-focused research, and a driving force in innovation and health start-ups, the MUHC is well placed to be the epicentre of that change for researchers from diverse backgrounds in Quebec and in Canada.

"We must uplift diverse voices and ideas so that no medical discoveries are left on the table," said Julie Quenneville, President & CEO, MUHC Foundation. "World-class research needs scientists of all backgrounds to bring unique perspectives to the lab so our physicians can provide better care at the bedside. We are grateful to Fiera Capital for supporting early-career researchers from underrepresented communities."

The RI-MUHC will post the call for proposals later this fall. MSc and PhD research students with early-stage innovative concepts or approaches that have a great potential for advancing medical research will have to submit their application, and the finalists will be chosen by the scientific advisory committee.

Fiera Capital is a leading independent asset management firm with a growing global presence and approximately C$156.7 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2022. The Company delivers customized and multi-asset solutions across public and private market asset classes to institutional, financial intermediary and private wealth clients across North America, Europe and key markets in Asia. Fiera Capital's depth of expertise, diversified investment platform and commitment to delivering outstanding service are core to our mission of being at the forefront of investment management science to create sustainable wealth for clients. Fiera Capital trades under the ticker FSZ on the Toronto Stock Exchange. www.fieracapital.com

Headquartered in Montreal, Fiera Capital, with its affiliates in various jurisdictions, has offices in over a dozen cities around the world, including New York (U.S.), London (UK), and Hong Kong (SAR).

In the U.S., asset management services are provided by the Company's affiliates who are investment advisers that are registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or exempt from registration. Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training. For details on the particular registration of, or exemptions therefrom relied upon by, any Fiera Capital entity, please consult this webpage.

Additional information about Fiera Capital Corporation, including the Company's annual information form, is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Foundation raises funds to support excellence in patient care, research and teaching at the McGill University Health Centre, one of the top university hospitals in Canada. Our Dream Big Campaign to change the course of lives and medicine is raising millions of dollars to solve humanity's deadliest puzzles: infectious diseases; end cancer as a life-threatening illness; fix broken hearts through innovative cardiac care; detect the silent killers—ovarian and endometrial cancers—early; create the best skilled health care teams in Canada; and much more. We are rallying our entire community to solve the world's most complex health care challenges. muhcfoundation.com

The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) is a world-renowned biomedical and healthcare research centre. The institute, which is affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University, is the research arm of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) – an academic health centre located in Montreal, Canada, that has a mandate to focus on complex care within its community. The RI-MUHC supports over 450 researchers and around 1,200 research trainees devoted to a broad spectrum of fundamental, clinical and health outcomes research at the Glen and the Montreal General Hospital sites of the MUHC. Its research facilities offer a dynamic multidisciplinary environment that fosters collaboration and leverages discovery aimed at improving the health of individual patients across their lifespan. The RI-MUHC is supported in part by the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS). rimuhc.ca 

SOURCE Fiera Capital Corporation

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