Support to Research Projects to Improve Brain Health

Backgrounder

April 28, 2023

Health Canada, through the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF) Program has committed an overall federal investment of $200 million to Brain Canada in support of brain health discoveries. Awarded through Brain Canada's 2021 Platform Support Grants Program, these projects are supported by Health Canada and matched funding from Brain Canada's sponsors, donors and partners. These projects will improve health outcomes for Canadians by advancing knowledge of the brain through research.

These projects include:

Enabling Neuroscience Research Approaches for Brain, feeLings and Emotions (ENABLE): An Innovative Platform for Clinical Trials in Mood Disorders

Benicio N. Frey, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

Health Canada/CBRF funding: $1,201,159.10

Total grant amount: $2,402,317.40

The ENABLE platform aims to provide the Canadian neuroscience community with a standardized way of collecting data from individuals with a range of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. This will also allow more efficient recruitment of patients for clinical trials, in turn increasing the pace of research and discovery in mood disorders. The platform will benefit collaborative partnerships among academic, community, industry and government stakeholders working to enhance depression research and make this data openly available to the neuroscience research community.

The Neuro's Virtual Integrated Patient Platform

Guy Rouleau, The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital), Montreal, QC Health Canada/CBRF funding: $2,955,450.00

Total grant amount: $5,910,900.00

The project will develop a new neuroscience-focussed Virtual Integrated Patient Platform to accelerate recruitment for drug precision trials for people with neurodegenerative conditions including dementia, Parkinson's disease, and ALS. Patient information will be shared through this integrated platform to provide patients with insight into how their contributions are accelerating this research.

The SMART Platform for Advancing Foundational and Translational Neuroscience

Vivian K. Mushahwar, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

Health Canada/CBRF funding: $1,530,000.00

Total grant amount: $3,060,000.00

The Sensory Motor Adaptive Rehabilitation Technology (SMART) Platform is available to all neuroscientists, doctors, engineers, therapists and computer scientists with an interest in neurological conditions. This national resource aims to help develop medical devices and interventions for people with mobility impairment and improve the lives of Canadians by enabling them to participate fully in society and the workplace.

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