When Naomi Azrieli, O.C., DPhil, first stepped into the role of Chair of Brain Canada, she brought with her not only deep philanthropic experience, but a profound belief in what bold scientific inquiry could make possible. Over the next eight years, that conviction helped fuel a period of transformative growth for the organization, one defined by ambitious partnerships, national-scale investments in capacity building, and a renewed recognition of brain research as essential to the future health and well‑being of Canadians.
Celebrating the impact of Future Leaders seed funding
For every $1 we spend in seed funding through the Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research program, Future Leaders will attract an additional $7.75 to build on their findings. Since 2019, the Future Leaders program has supported 131 promising early career researchers with $100,000 each to pursue bold ideas, advance their research programs, and launch their careers. This seed funding has allowed Future Leaders to:
Brain Canada launches Brain Awareness Week 2026. This global initiative unites organizations worldwide to increase public awareness and highlight the critical importance of brain health. By funding groundbreaking research and strategically developing research talent , Brain Canada is generating impact that is improving brain health, national productivity, and quality of life for millions of Canadians.
Brain Canada and ALS Society of Canada (ALS Canada) are proud to announce six Canadian research teams receiving funding through the 2025 ALS Canada–Brain Canada Discovery Grants, a $1.5 million investment supporting projects designed to deepen scientific understanding of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and accelerate the development of potential treatments.
The human brain is one of the most complex structures in the universe, and we still know remarkably little about it. Across Canada, a new generation of scientists is working to change that. Brain Canada’s new podcast, Bold Minds: Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research, brings their stories to you.
Brain Canada and Parkinson Canada are pleased to announce the winners of the Canadian Open Parkinson Network (C-OPN) Data Challenge. This research grant opportunity, launched and funded in partnership between Parkinson Canada and Brain Canada, was designed to accelerate Parkinson’s research through innovative use of the C-OPN database.
The brain influences the heart; emotional states like sadness and joy can influence heart rhythms and blood pressure. And the heart sends signals back to the brain through nerves and hormones, affecting things like mood, attention, and stress levels.
When Dr. Monica Seger and her family first partnered with Brain Canada in 2012 to establish the Dr. Hubert van Tol Travel Fellowship, they planted the seed for a legacy that continues to strengthen Canada’s neuroscience community.
The 2025 Clinical Research Fellowship and Trainee Awards
Brain Canada and The ALS Society of Canada (ALS Canada) are proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 ALS Canada–Brain Canada Clinical Research Fellowship and Trainee Awards.
Brain Canada is proud to announce the 2025 Rising Star Trainee Award recipients, a new cohort of trainees (master’s students, PhD students and postdoctoral fellows) whose work is advancing our understanding of brain health across Canada.
Brain Canada and The ALS Society of Canada (ALS Canada) are proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 ALS Canada–Brain Canada Clinical Research Fellowship and Trainee Awards.
In 2016, Yasser Iturria-Medina, Ph.D., and his post-doctoral supervisor at the time, Alan Evans, Ph.D., published findings that quietly helped shift how scientists think about Alzheimer’s disease. Today, that work has informed several therapeutic patents and opened the door to a distinct class of drug targets currently being tested on patients around the world.
