Rhabdoid brain tumours are the most common brain cancers in infants. Usually these aggressive tumours are treated with intense chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which can have serious side effects. Dr Annie Huang found that these brain tumours come in 2 forms, including one that can be cured using…
We are testing a new digital mental health solution for physicians to better manage the treatment of depression. While many treatment options for depression are available, individual responses to treatment vary tremendously. Almost 70% of patients will not recover after their first treatment attempt…
EEG is a non-invasive, inexpensive, and efficient tool for measuring electrical signals in the brain. The EEGNet platform will provide a standardized, open repository of EEG data for the investigation of biomarkers of brain disorders that manifest themselves during the early years of life, disorders…
This project looks at the acceptability of the Family Check-up (FCU) program for caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The Family Check-up is a brief, evidence-based, assessment-driven intervention that uses a strength-based and motivational interviewing approach to engage care…
Mindfulness is a therapeutic technique that teaches one to focus on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting their feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. Previous research has demonstrated that learning mindfulness can help with navigating grief and benefit overall quality of…
Schizophrenia is a common and serious mental illness characterized by psychotic symptoms, social withdrawal and functional disabilities that are generally lifelong. Response to treatment with antipsychotics is variable and the manifestation of common side effects, including serious motor symptoms, i…
Maintaining the ability to prepare meals independently in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is of paramount importance to the individuals themselves and to their caregivers. Beyond being necessary to feed oneself, meal preparation supports self-esteem and maintenance of social roles. However, numerous diff…
Postpartum mental health problems, including depression and anxiety, affect 15-20% of people and are a serious public health concern. Untreated postpartum mental health problems can be long-lasting, and lead to behaviour problems, brain changes, and risk for later mental illness in children. Rates o…
In 97 per cent of ALS cases and nearly half of cases of frontotemporal dementia, the TDP-43 protein is misplaced to an area outside the cell nucleus of the motor neuron called the cytoplasm. The mislocated TDP-43 may be toxic to motor neurons because it aggregates in the cytoplasm, or because it is …
Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal
Each year, over 1,500 Canadians sustain an acute spinal cord injury (SCI), and join close to 40,000 across our nation living with one of the most physically and psychologically devastating of injuries. Unfortunately, none of the promising treatments that have emerged from animal models of SCI have d…
Moving neuroscience research from the lab and turning it into a product is extremely challenging. Even the most groundbreaking technologies may never improve a patient’s life if the commercialization path is not successfully navigated. For small Canadian start-up companies with a great neurotechno…
Trans women may take estradiol-based gender affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) into their old age. Yet, we know little about the long-term brain health effects of GAHT. We propose to further our understanding of the earliest causes and signs of cognitive and brain aging effects in women by exploring t…
The entry of calcium ions into cells is mediated by a class of protein (called calcium channels) that responds to electrical signals by opening of a calcium-selective pore. Calcium channels are involved in a large number of physiological processes including muscle contraction, hormone secretio…
The brain requires a large amount of energy and oxygen for survival. In order to meet these requirements, the blood supply to the brain is tightly controlled to ensure that active areas receive more blood. Recently, cells known as pericytes, which are found on small blood vessels, were shown to play…
The proposed initiative will make every brain tumour count! We will enhance the Canadian Cancer Registry (CCR) and brain tumour research capacity by providing data on an additional 40% of primary brain tumours diagnosed between 2010 and 2014 to the neurooncology community for the first time. The rat…
This projects looks at a new method to interface with communication devices through brain activity. A brain interface provides access for individuals with brain injury, or who are not typically developing, who experience limited voluntary muscle control. Kaela Shea will investigate the possibilit…
The Azrieli Program in Brain, Mind & Consciousness brings together 22 researchers to examine what consciousness is and how it comes about. The program is part of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, which was founded in 1982 to bring together researchers from across disciplines and borders …
Recording the electrical impulses of neurons with optical methods in the brain will be enormously beneficial for understanding how the healthy brain functions, as well as how diseases of the brain impact its normal function. In this project, the team will develop methods to record electrical activit…
There are an estimated 86,000 people living with a spinal cord injury (SCI) in Canada, with an annual economic burden of $2.67 billion for those surviving the initial injury. Approximately half of SCIs are the result of a traumatic (T) incident (ex. motor vehicle accident, sports injury) and the oth…