Gairdner Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Gairdner Foundation was created in 1957 by James Arthur Gairdner to recognize and reward the achievements of medical researchers whose work contributes significantly to improving the quality of human life. Since the first awards were made in 1959, the Gairdner Awards
Gairdner Foundation International Award
The Gairdner Foundation International Award is given annually at a special dinner to three to six people for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science. Receipt of the Gairdner is traditionally considered a precursor to winning the Nobel Prize in Medicine; as of 2007, 69 Nobel...

 have become Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

's foremost international award. They hold up the pinnacle of achievement as a mirror to Canadians, and in so doing, play a role in helping Canada achieve its goals of excellence.

The Gairdner Foundation is a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

 devoted to the recognition of outstanding achievement in biomedical research
Biomedical research
Biomedical research , in general simply known as medical research, is the basic research, applied research, or translational research conducted to aid and support the body of knowledge in the field of medicine...

 worldwide. The Gairdner Foundation is proud of its 50 year history of awarding the world's most creative and accomplished biomedical scientist
Biomedical scientist
A biomedical scientist is a scientist trained in biology, particularly in the context of medicine...

s. The Awards recognize scientific discoveries from every field of bioscience
BioScience
BioScience is a peer-reviewed monthly sometimes daily scientific journal that is published by the American Institute of Biological Sciences . The content is written and edited for accessibility to researchers, educators, and students alike...

. We are also proud of the Canada Gairdner Wightman Award
Gairdner Foundation Wightman Award
The Gairdner Foundation Wightman Award is given from time to time to a Canadian who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in medicine and medical science. 2009 it has been renamed to Canada Gairdner Wightman Award. Previous winners are:...

, which identifies for particular recognition, Canadian leaders in medical science.

In February 2008 the Federal Government
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...

 announced a $20 million allocation to the Gairdner Foundation to increase the prizes to $100,000 each, and institute a new individual prize in Global Health
Global health
Global health is the health of populations in a global context and transcends the perspectives and concerns of individual nations. Health problems that transcend national borders or have a global political and economic impact, are often emphasized...

. Commencing in 2009, the Awards have been renamed the Canada Gairdner International Awards.

Awards

The Canada Gairdner International Awards
Gairdner Foundation International Award
The Gairdner Foundation International Award is given annually at a special dinner to three to six people for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science. Receipt of the Gairdner is traditionally considered a precursor to winning the Nobel Prize in Medicine; as of 2007, 69 Nobel...

 are given annually to individuals from a diversity of fields for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science.

The Canada Gairdner Global Health Award recognizes those who have made scientific advances in one of four areas: basic science, clinical science or population or environmental health
Environmental health
Environmental health is the branch of public health that is concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment that may affect human health...

. The advances must have made, or have the potential to make a significant impact on health in the developing world.

The Canada Gairdner Wightman Award is given to a Canadian who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....

 and medical science.

Board of directors

A 12 member Board of Directors consisting of 4 members of the Gairdner family and 8 leading figures in Canadian business and scientific life oversee the work of the Foundation. The Directors provide logistical support to the Medical Review Panel and the Medical Advisory Board, and are also engaged in fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...

 for the Foundation and planning for its future growth.
  • Lorne Tyrrell, M.D. Ph.D. (Chair), Edmonton, AB
  • Lynne Upton (Vice-Chair), Victoria, BC
  • M. Jacques Bougie, Montreal, QC
  • Bren L. Gairdner, Spruce View, AB
  • Gary Goldberg, Toronto, ON
  • Edward Kisling, Victoria, BC
  • Brandt C. Louie, Vancouver, BC
  • Kevin Lynch, PC, Ph.D., Ottawa, ON
  • Ann McCaig, Calgary, AB
  • L. Jacques Menard, Montreal, QC
  • Eric Newell, Edmonton, AB
  • Joseph Rotman, Toronto, ON
  • Melissa Todd, Waterloo, ON
  • John H. Dirks, M. D., Toronto, ON- President & Scientific Director (ex-officio)

Medical Advisory Board

The Medical Advisory Board (MAB) comprises a group of scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...

s from across Canada, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

 and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. Each January, the MAB meets in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

 to review the nominations submitted by the Medical Review Panel. After an in depth study and lengthy discussion of each nominee, comparing their work with others in their respective field, secret ballot
Secret ballot
The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum are anonymous. The key aim is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation or bribery. The system is one means of achieving the goal of...

s are cast and the five or six annual winners chosen.

The members of the Medical Advisory Board are:
  • John H. Dirks, M.D. (Chair) The Gairdner Foundation, Toronto, ON
  • Alain Beaudet, M.D., Ph.D., Canadian Institutes of Health Research
    Canadian Institutes of Health Research
    Canadian Institutes of Health Research is the major federal agency responsible for funding health research in Canada. It is the successor to the Medical Research Council of Canada. It aims to create new health knowledge, and to translate that knowledge from the research setting into real world...

    , Ottawa, ON
  • John Bell, D.M. F.R.C.P. Oxford University, UK
  • Elizabeth Blackburn, Ph.D. University of California, San Francisco
    University of California, San Francisco
    The University of California, San Francisco is one of the world's leading centers of health sciences research, patient care, and education. UCSF's medical, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, and graduate schools are among the top health science professional schools in the world...

    , USA
  • Sydney Brenner, D.Phil. F.R.S. The Salk Institute
    Salk Institute for Biological Studies
    The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is a premier independent, non-profit, scientific research institute located in La Jolla, California. It was founded in 1960 by Jonas Salk, the developer of the polio vaccine; among the founding consultants were Jacob Bronowski and Francis Crick. Building...

    , San Diego, CA, USA
  • Linda B. Buck, Ph.D. Howard Hughes Medical Institute
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a United States non-profit medical research organization based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It was founded by the American businessman Howard Hughes in 1953. It is one of the largest private funding organizations for biological and medical research in the United...

    , Seattle, WA, USA
  • John R. G. Challis, D.Sc., Ph.D., F.R.S.C. University of Toronto
    University of Toronto
    The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...

    , Toronto, ON
  • David Colman, Ph.D. Montreal Neurological Institute
    Montreal Neurological Institute
    The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital is an academic medical centre dedicated to neuroscience research, training and clinical care. The Institute is part of McGill University and the Hospital is one of the five teaching hospitals of the McGill University Health Centre, in Montreal,...

    , Montreal, QC
  • Suzanne Cory, Ph.D., Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
    Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
    The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research is Australia's oldest medical research institute.In 2011, the institute is home to more than 650 researchers who are working to understand, prevent and treat diseases including blood, breast and ovarian cancers; inflammatory diseases such as...

    , Parkville, Australia
  • Victor Dzau, M.D. Duke Hospital South, Durham, NC, USA
  • Jeffrey Flier, M.D. Harvard University
    Harvard University
    Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

    , Boston, MA, USA
  • Cyril B. Frank, M.D. University of Calgary
    University of Calgary
    The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...

    , Calgary, AB
  • Jack Gauldie, Ph.D. (Co-Chair, MRP) McMaster University
    McMaster University
    McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...

    , Hamilton, ON
  • Michael Hayden, PhD. University of British Columbia
    University of British Columbia
    The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...

    , Vancouver, BC
  • F. Ulrich Hartl, Professor M.D. Max-Planck-Institut
    Max Planck Society
    The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes publicly funded by the federal and the 16 state governments of Germany....

    , Munich, Germany
  • Robert Horvitz, Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...

    , Cambridge, USA
  • Philip A. Marsden, M.D. (Co-Chair MRP)
  • Roderick McInnes, Ph.D. University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
  • Benjamin Neel, M.D., Ph.D., Ontario Cancer Institute
    Ontario Cancer Institute
    The Ontario Cancer Institute is the research division of Princess Margaret Hospital, part of the University Health Network of the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine. As Canada's first dedicated cancer hospital, it opened officially and began to receive patients in 1958, although its...

    , Toronto, ON
  • Ronald E. Pearlman, Ph.D. York University
    York University
    York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....

    , Toronto, ON
  • Richard Rachubinski, Ph.D., University of Alberta
    University of Alberta
    The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...

    , AB
  • Robert Roberts, M.D., FRCP(C), MACC, Ottawa, ON
  • Guy Rouleau, M.D., PhD. Université de Montréal
    Université de Montréal
    The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...

  • Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, USA
  • J. G. P. Sissons, M.D., F.R.C.P., F.R.C. Path., University of Cambridge
    University of Cambridge
    The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

    , Cambridge, UK
  • Ralph M. Steinman, M.D. Rockefeller University
    Rockefeller University
    The Rockefeller University is a private university offering postgraduate and postdoctoral education. It has a strong concentration in the biological sciences. It is also known for producing numerous Nobel laureates...

    , New York, NY, USA
  • Lap-Chee Tsui, Ph.D. F.R.S. F.R.S.C. University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Michael Tyers, Ph.D. University of Edinburgh
    University of Edinburgh
    The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...

    , UK

Medical Review Panel

The Medical Review Panel (MRP) is composed of a group of leading scientists from across Canada who provide a "first screening" of the nominations for the Gairdner Awards, submitting their long and short list to the Medical Advisory Board.
The members of the Medical Review Panel are:
  • Stephen Archer, M.D., University of Chicago
    University of Chicago
    The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...

    , Chicago, USA
  • Samuel Aparicio, Ph.D., UBC/ British Columbia Cancer Association, Vancouver, BC
  • Cheryl Arrowsmith, Ph.D., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
  • John Bell, Ph.D., Ottawa Health Research Institute
    Ottawa Health Research Institute
    The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute is a non-profit academic health research institute located in Canada’s capital city of Ottawa. The OHRI’s mission is to excel in research, education and innovative patient care. As of February 2006, the OHRI houses approximately 325 scientists and clinical...

    , Ottawa, ON
  • Samuel Benchimol, Ph.D., York University, Toronto, ON
  • Mick Bhatia, Ph.D., McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
  • Eric Brown, Ph.D., McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
  • Benoit Chabot, Ph.D., Université de Sherbrooke
    Université de Sherbrooke
    The Université de Sherbrooke is a large university with campuses located in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada and Longueuil, a suburb of Montreal approximately west of Sherbrooke. It is one of two universities, and the only French language university, in the Estrie region of Quebec.In 2007, the...

    , Sherbrooke, QC
  • Jacques Corbeil, Ph.D., Université Laval
    Université Laval
    Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...

    , Quebec City, QC
  • Ann Chambers, Ph.D., University of Western Ontario
    University of Western Ontario
    The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...

    , London, ON
  • Stephen Collins, MBBS, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
  • James Cross, Ph.D., University of Calgary, Calgary, AB
  • Roger Deeley, Ph.D., Queen's University
    Queen's University
    Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...

    , Kingston, ON
  • Jacques Drouin, FRSC, Institute de Récherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montreal, QC
  • Jack Gauldie, Ph.D. (Co-Chair), MacMaster University, Hamilton, ON
  • Volker Gerdts, University of Saskatchewan
    University of Saskatchewan
    The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...

    , Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
  • Ronald Gill, Ph.D., University of Alberta
    University of Alberta
    The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...

    , Edmonton, Alberta
  • Denis M. Grant, Ph.D., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
  • Jeremy M. Grimshaw, MBCHB, PHD, FRCGP, University of Ottawa
    University of Ottawa
    The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...

    , Ottawa, ON
  • Philip Hieter, M.D., University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
  • Jack H. Jhamandas, M.D., Ph.D., University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
  • Jean-Pierre Julien, Ph.D., Université Laval, Quebec City, QC
  • Jonathan Lytton, PhD, University of Calgary Calgary, AB
  • Philip A. Marsden, M.D. (Co-Chair), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
  • Jean Marshall, Ph.D., Dalhousie University
    Dalhousie University
    Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...

    , Halifax, NS
  • Ravi Menon, M.D., University of Western Ontario London, ON
  • Ralph Meyer, M.D., Queen's University, Kingston, ON
  • Rafik-Pierre Sékaly, Ph.D., Université de Montréal, Montreal
  • Stephen Scherer, Ph.D., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
  • Jeff Wrana, Ph.D., Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute
    Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute
    The Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada was established in 1985 by an endowment from the Lunenfeld and Kunin families. It comprises 36 principal investigators, has a budget of C$90 million , has over 200 trainees and approximately 600 staff...

    , Toronto, ON

Student Outreach Program

The Gairdner National Program sees current and past awardees fan out across the country to speak to medical and science faculty at 18-22 universities from St John's to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

. Since 2001 they have also given lecture
Lecture
thumb|A lecture on [[linear algebra]] at the [[Helsinki University of Technology]]A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history,...

s to selected senior high school and CEGEP
Cégep
CEGEP is an acronym for , which is literally translated as "College of General and Vocational Education" but commonly called "General and Vocational College" in circles not influenced by Quebec English. It refers to the public post-secondary education collegiate institutions exclusive to the...

 students. During the lecture, which is 15 to 20 minutes long, the scientist is asked to address two questions: How did I get into the field? What is the question I have been working on? The lecture is followed by a question period, which is invariably lively.

The aims of the high school lectures are to encourage these students to consider entering science programs and perhaps eventually undertake careers in either science or medicine. This year lectures took place in Charlottetown
Charlottetown
Charlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...

, Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...

, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

 (at York and University of Toronto), Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....

, London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...

, Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...

, Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...

, Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....

, Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

, Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...

 and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

. At several universities these lectures have become part of the overall student recruitment program.

Students are selected by their schools and an individual at each university coordinates the event. This year we reached over 3500 high school/CEGEP students.

One of the somewhat unexpected results of the senior high school program has been the pleasure that nearly every scientist has expressed at being given the opportunity to speak to a younger audience.

2010 Gairdner National Program

Each October, as part of the Gairdner's mandate to communicate the work of medical researchers to others, the most recent Canada Gairdner awardees, along with awardees from years past, visit universities across Canada to provide academic lectures on their area of expertise

http://www.gairdner.org/calendar
2010 Gairdner National Program schedule
  • Dalhousie University, NS
  • Memorial University, NL
  • University of PEI, PEI
  • University of Montreal, QC
  • Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute, TB
  • McGill University, QC
  • London, ON
  • University of Laval, QC
  • Vancouver, BC
  • Calgary, AB
  • Waterloo, ON
  • Kingston, ON
  • Winnipeg, MB
  • Edmonton, AB
  • Hamilton, ON
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