Funded Grants

Brain cancers can be exceptionally challenging to treat, and new therapies are needed.

Mitochondrial dysfunctions are observed before and during the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the accumulation of toxic Tau protein in neurons leads to the formation of neurofbillary tangles, cell death, and cognitive impairments.

This project is a Phase II study involving 100 participants across 8 ALS clinics across Canada. The trial, led by the Principal Investigator of the Canadian Neuromuscular Disease Registry (CNDR) and the Chair of the Canadian ALS Research Network (CALS) will examine whether pimozide, a drug already approved by Health Canada for use in psychoses like schizophrenia and Tourette’s syndrome, might slow progression of ALS.

Motor neurons are extremely complex cells. Not only do they have an intricate set of inner workings, but they have a long wire-like portion called an axon that connects the central nervous system to muscles called an axon.

Dr. Peter McPherson, professor at the Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University will receive one year of support to work on the connection between the most prominent known cause of ALS, a mutation in a gene called C9ORF72, and a previously unrelated critical cellular function called endosomal membrane trafficking.

Dr. Lutz is currently completing his post-doctoral fellowship entitled “Epigenetic mechanisms of childhood maltreatment”, in which he investigates the strong relationship between childhood malnutrition and mental health outcomes.

Dr. David and his research team are studying the mechanisms that control the delivery and release of iron in the nervous system.

One of the hallmarks of ALS is the presence of abnormal clumps inside motor neurons that contain various substances which include, in the majority of cases, something called TAR DNA–binding protein 43 (TDP-43).

The overall goal of this research program is to identify genomic markers that predict small vessel disease of the brain.