Montreal Dermatology Research Institute (MDRI)

What Montreal Dermatology Research Institute (MDRI) does

Montreal Dermatology Research Institute (MDRI), operating also as Institut de recherche en dermatologie de Montréal (IRDM), is a registered Canadian charity (Registration No. 80835 5564 RR0001) founded in 2017 by three Quebec-based dermatologists — Dr. Catherine Maari, Dr. Chantal Bolduc, and Dr. Robert Bissonnette, with Dr. Bissonnette serving as President and Secretary. The organization's stated mission is to advance knowledge in skin biology and pathology to better prevent, screen, diagnose, and treat dermatological diseases. MDRI is not a technology product company; its core activity is administering grant programs to fund dermatology research conducted by independent researchers holding primary academic appointments at Montreal's four universities (Université de Montréal, McGill University, Université du Québec à Montréal, and Concordia University). Grant funding has been awarded annually from 2022 through 2025, with a 2026 grant program launched in September 2025. Research themes have expanded from the original 2021 focus on skin-related neglected tropical diseases to broader dermatology, including atopic dermatitis, pediatric autoinflammatory diseases, skin cancer genomics, and AI-assisted dermatology triage.

MDRI funds its operations through individual and organizational donations, issuing tax receipts for contributions of CAD $50 or more (restricted to Canadian donors). It offers a structured partnership tier system — Platinum ($5,000+), Gold ($2,000+), Silver ($1,000+), and Bronze ($500+) — providing logo placement and social media recognition. In addition to its core grant program, MDRI co-administers a one-year in-person research fellowship with the International Eczema Council (IEC), funded by a financial contribution from Sanofi-Aventis Canada, targeting early-career dermatologists in atopic dermatitis. The organization promotes its activities through a website (irdm.ca) with a blog/news section, social media channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), press releases, and direct outreach to Montreal-area academic networks. The organization is a small, non-profit entity with no disclosed headcount, no venture or private equity backing, and no subsidiaries or M&A activity.

Name

Montreal Dermatology Research Institute (MDRI)

Legal name

Montreal Dermatology Research Institute

Website

https://irdm.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Montreal Dermatology Research Institute (MDRI) is a Montreal-based registered charity that funds dermatology research through annual grants to academic researchers at Montreal's four universities, and co-administers an atopic dermatitis fellowship with the International Eczema Council funded by Sanofi-Aventis Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dermatology Research Grant Funding

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

Keywords

• Dermatology research grants
• Medical research funding
• Skin disease research
• Academic research grants
• Nonprofit research charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a registered charity, MDRI generates revenue through donations from individuals and organizations. Tax receipts are issued for donations of $50 or more. Registration No. 80835 5564 RR0001. The organization cannot issue tax receipts for donations from outside Canada.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MDRI is a registered Canadian charity that administers an annual multi-year research grant program providing financial support to independent academic researchers at Montreal's four universities (Université de Montréal, McGill University, Université du Québec à Montréal, Concordia University) for research on the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of dermatological diseases, including skin-related neglected tropical diseases. It also operates a Research Fellowship Program in partnership with the International Eczema Council for early-career dermatologists focused on atopic dermatitis. The organization funds its activities through charitable donations and corporate sponsorship.

Product overview

The Montreal Dermatology Research Institute (MDRI) / Institut de Recherche en Dermatologie de Montréal (IRDM) is a registered charity founded in 2017 by Dr. Catherine Maari, Dr. Chantal Bolduc, and Dr. Robert Bissonnette. It is not a technology product company; its core offering is a research grant funding program that provides multi-year financial support to independent researchers affiliated with Montreal's four universities (Université de Montréal, McGill University, Université du Québec à Montréal, Concordia University) for research on dermatological diseases and skin-related neglected tropical diseases. MDRI also facilitates a Research Fellowship Program in partnership with the International Eczema Council (IEC) for atopic dermatitis research. The organization operates an online donation platform and a grant application portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MDRI Research Grant Program A multi-year grant funding program administered by MDRI that provides financial support to independent academic researchers holding primary appointments at Montreal's four universities (Université de Montréal, McGill University, Université du Québec à Montréal, Concordia University) for research on the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of dermatological diseases, including skin-related neglected tropical diseases, atopic dermatitis, skin cancer, autoimmune skin diseases, and pediatric dermatology. Recipients have included Dr. Martin Olivier (2022), Dr. Philippe Lefrançois and Dr. Ivan Litvinov (2023), Dr. Zhuo Ran Cai and Dr. Carolyn Jack (2024), and Dr. Maryam Piram and Dr. Elena Netchiporouk (2025).
• MDRI-IEC Research Fellowship Program A 1-year in-person research fellowship program for early-career dermatologists focused on atopic dermatitis research, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Delivered in collaboration with the International Eczema Council (IEC) and funded through a financial contribution from Sanofi-Aventis Canada. Fellows gain access to international opinion leaders in dermatology and develop leadership skills.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grant program has funded research annually from 2022 to 2025, supporting multiple researchers in dermatological disease research
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Eczema Council (IEC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 March 2023MDRI collaborates with IEC to promote a research fellowship program for early-career dermatologists interested in atopic dermatitis research, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Fellows gain in-person access to key international opinion leaders in dermatology and develop new leadership skills.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Eczema Association: US patient-advocacy and research-funding organization focused on eczema. Comparable in that both invest in atopic dermatitis research and support affected patients, though NEA operates at a much larger national scale with broader programming.
• Skin Cancer Foundation: US-based nonprofit with a broader mission around skin cancer education, prevention, and research funding. Comparable as a dermatology research and grantmaking organization, though significantly larger and more established than MDRI.
• British Association of Dermatologists: UK-established dermatology membership organization running research grants and clinical trial networks. Thematically comparable dermatology research funding body, but operating in a different geographic market.
• American Academy of Dermatology: Largest US dermatology professional membership organization, with substantial research funding programs and grants. Operates in the same dermatology research space but at a much larger scale with broader professional and educational mandates.

Regional players

• Eczema Society of Canada: Canadian nonprofit that supports Canadians with eczema through education, advocacy, and research funding. Comparable thematic focus on atopic dermatitis with a national Canadian scope, but smaller and patient-led rather than researcher-led like MDRI.
• MUHC Foundation: Montreal-based foundation raising funds for the McGill University Health Centre, where multiple MDRI grantees hold appointments. Operates as a comparable Quebec hospital research funding body with overlapping researcher networks.
• Fondation du CHUM: Montreal-based hospital research foundation affiliated with the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal. Several MDRI grant recipients are CHUM-affiliated; operates as a regional peer in Quebec medical research philanthropy.

Direct peers

• Dermatology Foundation: US-based nonprofit that funds dermatology research through career-development and research grants. Closely comparable grantmaking model and mission, serving a different geographic market.
• Canadian Dermatology Foundation: National Canadian charity that funds dermatology research through grants and awards. Most directly comparable to MDRI as a Canadian dermatology-specific research grantmaking foundation, but with national scope and a larger endowment.
• International Eczema Council: Global council of dermatology experts focused on atopic dermatitis research, education, and mentorship. Directly comparable as MDRI's named partner for the atopic dermatitis research fellowship, both organizations invest in dermatology research and emerging dermatologist development.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/IRDM_MDRI
• Facebookfacebook.com/IRDM-102037012329942
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irdm-mdri
• Instagraminstagram.com/irdm_mdri

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Montreal Dermatology Research Institute (MDRI)