Five additional scholarships to be awarded among record number of applications
Toronto, ON, June 28, 2017 – In celebration of Canada 150, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and AbbVie announced today that five additional AbbVie IBD Scholarships of up to $5,000 will be awarded to students who live with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis for the upcoming school year, bringing the total number of scholarships offered to 15.
“Canada has one of the highest rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the world, with most cases diagnosed in individuals between the ages of 15 and 30,” said Mina Mawani, President and CEO of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. “As one in 150 Canadians live with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, Canada 150 is an important opportunity to raise awareness of these chronic diseases, and these scholarships benefit young Canadians during a difficult time in their lives.”
“This year, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada received a record number of scholarship applications at just under 400. The recipients of the scholarship will be determined by the selection committee,” said Kate Lee, Vice President, Research and Patient Programs.
“We are extremely proud of our longstanding partnership with Crohn’s and Colitis Canada on the AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program,” says Stéphane Lassignardie, General Manager of AbbVie Canada. “Since 2012, the AbbVie IBD Scholarship has supported nearly 60 Canadian students navigating post-secondary education while living with a chronic disease and we are pleased to extend our support to even more youth this year in celebration of Canada 150.”
Past recipients of the AbbVie IBD Scholarship credit the program for helping them focus on their studies while offering a platform to share their advice and experience with other students living with Crohn’s or colitis. Rachel Meehan received the scholarship in 2016 while completing her master’s degree from the University of Guelph. “During my undergrad, I took on too much at once and didn’t appropriately manage the symptoms of my Crohn’s disease,” said Meehan. “Receiving the AbbVie IBD Scholarship meant one less thing to worry about when I returned to school for my master’s degree.”
The five additional recipients will be selected from applications received during the initial call for applications, which closed on June 1, 2017.
About the AbbVie IBD Scholarship
In its sixth year, the annual AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program will recognize 15 individuals across Canada who are living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Each winner is awarded an educational grant of up to $5,000 CAD. The scholarship is available to students of any age who are enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary educational institution in 2017. Visit
ibdscholarship.ca for more information.
About Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
Crohn's and Colitis Canada is the only national, volunteer-based charity focused on finding the cures for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and improving the lives of children and adults affected by these diseases. We are one of the top two health charity funders of Crohn's and colitis research in the world, investing over $100 million in research to date. We are transforming the lives of people affected by Crohn's and colitis (the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease) through research, patient programs, advocacy and awareness. Visit
crohnsandcolitis.ca for more information. Follow us on
Twitter,
Facebook or
Instagram at @getgutsycanada.
About AbbVie
AbbVie is a global, research-driven biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative advanced therapies for some of the world's most complex and critical conditions. The company's mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to markedly improve treatments across four primary therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, virology and neuroscience. In more than 75 countries, AbbVie employees are working every day to advance health solutions for people around the world. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at
www.abbvie.ca or follow us on Twitter at
@abbviecanada
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For more information, or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Corey Michaels
Smithcom Ltd.
416-894-4704
corey.michaels@smithcom.ca
Rasheed Clarke
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
416-920-5035 ext. 215
rclarke@crohnsandcolitis.ca