Subventions financées

Pain doesn’t feel the same at every hour of the day. Many people notice their pain is worse at night or first thing in the morning, but we don’t yet understand why.

The brain is one of the most energy-demanding organs in the body, yet it has no energy reserves. To function properly, it relies on a finely tuned process that increases local blood flow whenever neurons become active: a process known as neurovascular coupling (NVC). This link between brain activity and blood flow is what allows brain imaging techniques like functional MRI (fMRI) to visualize “brain activity.”

Brain disorders are among the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, affecting about 3.6 million Canadians. While we know that genetics play an important role, the specific genetic causes remain unknown for most people with the disorders.

In Canada, 1 in 20 people live with depression. While many treatment options exist, a significant number of individuals do not respond adequately to current therapies, highlighting the urgent need for more effective solutions. One effective alternative to medication is theta burst stimulation (TBS).

Melanoma, an aggressive skin cancer, often evades even today’s best immunotherapies. A surprising contributor is the nervous system. Tumors grow new nerve fibers and “talk” with nearby pain‑sensing neurons (nociceptors).

The primary motor cortex in the brain is responsible for voluntary movement. It has also been proposed to be one of the sites for motor memory formation and storage. Therefore, when the motor cortex is damaged following a stroke, we lose the ability to execute movements that were formerly part of normal daily life.

Anxiety disorders affect women twice as often as men; symptom profile and response to treatment are also different depending on biological sex. This sex difference in anxiety disorders – and mood disorders in general – is well documented, yet, we still have an incomplete understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms at play.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common brain-related condition in children leading to challenges with attention and impulse control. As a result, children often struggle to stay focused or stop themselves from acting impulsively.