Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) and Brain Canada make a two-year commitment to fund Saskatchewan Brain Health research through SHRF’s Solutions Program
Brain Health is essential for physical health and a fundamental pre-requisite for mental health and well-being throughout our lives. From promoting optimal brain development and cognitive health throughout the lifespan – to preventing, diagnosing and treating numerous neurological conditions, research on brain health is an exciting frontier and holds great promise for solutions that will both improve lives and reduce healthcare burden.
Partnership Supports New Solutions Focus Area
Tackling challenges as important as brain health takes courageous partnerships, imagination and determination. SHRF and Brain Canada are bringing neurological conditions to the forefront by collaborating to make Brain Health the focus of SHRF’s Solutions Program for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 research grant competitions.
As the provincial funder for Saskatchewan, SHRF is uniquely positioned to mobilize Saskatchewan’s research ecosystem to focus and coordinate diverse skills and perspectives and make a lasting impact in this important area. Through our Solutions Program over the past five years, SHRF has worked closely with our partners to provide competitive, peer-reviewed research funding to interdisciplinary teams, including knowledge users, who are developing and implementing innovations to address pressing health needs in Saskatchewan.
Brain Canada is a leading national convenor and enabler of the Canadian brain research community. For more than 25 years, Brain Canada’s vision has been to understand the brain as a single, complex system. This ‘One Brain’ approach means that every discovery has the potential to have an impact across a spectrum of brain diseases and disorders. Brain Canada is dedicated to increasing collaboration, supporting a robust pipeline in the field of brain research, and focusing on outcomes that will benefit patients and families.
Focusing on What Matters
SHRF’s Solutions Program is unique, in part due to its targeted approach to funding.
The Solutions Program is a key opportunity for SHRF to collaborate with research funding partners to pool our resources, streamline the workload for everyone involved, and make significant progress in strategic areas of need in the province.
Brain Canada and SHRF are committed to building on Saskatchewan’s strengths and legacy and transforming the brain health research landscape in Saskatchewan. Our commitment will support the development of collaborative home-grown solutions for the most pressing brain health issues and real needs identified by stakeholders, and fuel efforts to find ways to utilize research knowledge for the benefit of Saskatchewan people and beyond.
“We are thrilled to launch this exciting new partnership to build capacity in Saskatchewan, drive innovative brain research, and improve health outcomes,” says Dr. Viviane Poupon, Brain Canada President & CEO. “By powering solutions here in Saskatchewan, this partnership will create a ripple effect, driving advancements in brain health that will benefit people across the country.”
Collaborating with Brain Canada to launch this new Solutions focus area is proof that together, we can achieve more. This new partnership represents a shared commitment to finding home-grown solutions that will improve the lives of those affected by neurological conditions. Our collective efforts will make a lasting difference for the people of our province and beyond.
SHRF CEO Patrick Odnokon