Mr. Robert Ho is a philanthropist who has donated millions of dollars to health care institutions and universities.

In 2009, his gift of $15 million to the Robert H.N. Ho Research Centre at Vancouver General Hospital enabled the establishment of a state of the art home to three internationally renowned research programs – the Vancouver Prostate Centre, the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, and the Ovarian Cancer Research Institute. The new centre facilitates cross-pollination of ideas between the disciplines, and greater discoveries and developments to further propel BC’s reputation in the global scientific community.

Two years later, Mr. Ho’s $10 million gift to Lion’s Gate Hospital supported the Greta and Robert H.N. Ho Centre for Psychiatry and Education. His public support expressed a positive and powerful message about mental health which is unfortunately surrounded by stigma.

Mr. Ho’s transformational gifts to health care in British Columbia, totalling $25 million, leave a tremendous philanthropic legacy. He has also made an investment into the scientific knowledge and medical expertise of our province.

Beyond health and medicine, he is also an advocate of Buddhist philosophy and its role and relevance in a contemporary setting. His $4 million donation to UBC in 2005 established North America’s first centre of Buddhist studies. This, and another $4 million donation to University of Toronto, was part of several donations to universities in Canada and the United States to promote academic dialogue and understanding of Buddhism. He has received many awards including an honorary Doctor of Laws from UBC.