Acclaimed Toronto-based vocalist raises awareness of Hebrew University’s Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada

TORONTO, June 16, 2011 /CNW/ – Juno Award-winning singer Sophie Milman will be visiting Israel as a guest of the Canadian Friends of Hebrew University (CFHU) to help raise awareness of the Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC).

The internationally renowned jazz vocalist will perform at the university convocation and at the Canadian Awards Dinner where Israeli researchers and students receive scholarships and awards donated by CFHU supporters. She will also hold a special Israeli concert at the Zappa Club on June 18th in Hertzliya.
The 28-year-old, Toronto-based Milman was born in Russia, and moved to Israel with her parents when she was six, settling in Haifa. It was there that she was first exposed to the jazz music that inspired her career. She moved to Canada at age 16, and this will be her first trip back to perform in Israel since then. CFHU, Hebrew University and IMRIC will be tracking Milman’s visit through blogs, Facebook and Twitter.

IMRIC is bringing together the best minds from the scientific disciplines, from across Israel and Canada, to create innovative approaches to meet the challenges of medicine in the 21st century. CFHU is raising $50 million to harness the incredible talent of researchers at the IMRIC and their Canadian partners.
“Sophie Milman shows how a product of Israel and Canada can reach amazing heights in her field – likewise, IMRIC symbolizes the cooperation between these two countries that will lead to breakthroughs in the medical field,” says Rami Kleinmann, National Director, CFHU.

IMRIC conducts fundamental and applied research in biomedicine unlocking the mysteries of disease and finding the keys to their causes, treatment, and prevention. This work is vital to understanding most illnesses that challenge medical science, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases and infectious diseases.

Through the recently launched website www.imric.org, visitors are able to learn about IMRIC, its researchers, and Canadian-Israeli collaborations, and join the conversations about ongoing medical research via new social media platforms.

Milman says she is excited to be returning to Israel to promote the “groundbreaking” research by IMRIC, and the “wonderful partnership between Israel and Canada”.
About the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University:

Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University (CFHU) is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the awareness, leadership, and financial support of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. CFHU also facilitates medical research collaborations through the Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC). IMRIC, at the Hebrew University brings together the world’s greatest scientists from across disciplines and across countries to create innovative approaches to meet the challenges of medicine in the 21st century. Founded in 1944, CFHU has chapters in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, and has been an integral force in Hebrew University’s rise to international prominence. For information, see www.cfhu.org and www.imric.org
About the Hebrew University of Jerusalem:

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is a multidisciplinary institution of higher learning and research where intellectual pioneering, cutting-edge scientific discovery, and a passion for learning flourish. Ranked among the world’s leading universities, the Hebrew University is a teaching and research center of international renown, with ties extending to and from the worldwide scientific and academic community. Faculty and alumni of The Hebrew University have won seven Nobel Prizes in the last seven years. At the Hebrew University, Israelis of all backgrounds receive a university education where excellence is emphasized, and where special programs and conferences attract students and academics from around the world. The Hebrew University opened in 1925, 23 years before the State of Israel was established. The first Board of Governors included Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Martin Buber and Chaim Weizmann.