Canada has one of the highest rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the world, with a staggering one in every 140 Canadians affected by the condition. To date, there is no cure for this lifelong illness.
But the Andlauer family hopes to change that. That’s why, in September 2024, they made a $3-million gift to support the Genetic Environmental and Microbial (GEM) Project — a global research project led by Sinai Health’s Dr. Ken Croitoru that aims to predict, prevent and eventually cure IBD.
For individuals living with IBD, especially those diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, symptoms can be debilitating. Through funding from Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, the GEM Project has already made some incredible breakthroughs in defining indicators in the microbiome that identify an individual’s risk for the disease.
For the Andlauer family, the research into a cure for IBD is deeply personal.
Lucie Andlauer, a business leader and mother of three, has coped with the illness for most of her life. She is a patient of Mount Sinai Hospital’s Centre for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, one of the world’s leading programs for advanced IBD treatment and research, where she’s been able to experience Sinai Health’s life-changing, compassionate approach to care first-hand.
With their generous donation, the Andlauer Family is making it possible for Sinai Health to continue building on the GEM Project's research advancements. Through the Andlauer Family IBD Translational Research Program, they have established funding for a full-time research position, equipping a dedicated IBD scientist to continue pushing the boundaries of discovery and clinical application further in efforts to find a cure.
“We can find a cure. We can stop people from getting this illness,” says Lucie. “If we can do anything to move the needle on IBD research, if that’s the legacy our family can leave behind, we’ll be ecstatic.”