Shannex donates $3.5M to Maritime universities for healthy aging research

Shannex, which offers senior care services in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario, is donating more than $3 million to three Maritime universities for healthy aging research.

The company says it will give $2 million to Dalhousie University and $500,000 to Mount Saint Vincent University, both located in Halifax, while $1 million will go to the University of New Brunswick (UNB).

“We believe the sector and universities need to work together to find solutions through research that addresses the huge demand for healthy aging support that is ahead of us, to ensure we have a longevity-ready society, one that is inclusive and focused on the opportunities of this wonderful new reality,” said Jason Shannon, president of Shannex, in a news release from the company.

Dalhousie will use the money to create the Shannex Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Healthy Aging, along with a research lab on those topics, according to the release.

UNB’s donation will be used to establish the Shannex Research Chair in Aging Transitions, the Shannex Aging Lab, the Shannex Long Term Care Summer Institute, and the Care of the Older Adult certificate.

Mount Saint Vincent will create the Shannex Research Chair in Workforce Wellbeing with the $500,000.

“We share with our partners at Shannex the belief that a healthy workforce is key to providing services that facilitate healthy aging,” said Dr. Joël Dickinson, president and vice-chancellor of Mount Saint Vincent, in the release. “As home to the Nova Scotia Centre on Aging and a number of other world-leading experts in related fields like nutrition, MSVU is perfectly positioned to be a key research partner in Shannex’s commitment to helping older adults live long and healthy lives.”