The Canadian Neonatal Brain Platform
Principal Investigator:
- Gregory Lodygensky, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre
Team Members:
- Steven Miller, The Hospital For Sick Children
- Tim Oberlander, BC Children's Hospital and BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre
- Lionel Carmant, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center
- Thuy Mai Luu, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre
- Adam Kirton, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute
- Anne Synnes, BC Children's Hospital and BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre
- Margot Taylor, The Hospital For Sick Children
- Ruth Grunau, Child & Family Research Institute
- Pierre Bellec , Université de Montreal
- Hilary Whyte, The Hospital For Sick Children
- Julie Gosselin, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre
- Child & Family Research Institute
- CHU Ste Justine Foundation
- Hospital for Sick Children
Project Overview
The neonatal brain is exquisitely vulnerable to the biological consequences of prematurity, birth asphyxia and congenital heart defects. Brain injury and abnormal maturation in the neonatal period is associated with long-term changes in microstructure and connectivity underlying significant cognitive, motor, language and behavioral disorders.
Our understanding of clear cerebral disruptors of brain development and the extent of their impact are still limited, mostly due to the lack of robust noninvasive biomarkers with high sensitivity and high specificity, difficulties in conducting studies in newborns and the use of small isolated cohorts. A better understanding of suspected causal factors and ways to minimize their effect have yet to be addressed.
To address this challenge, the Canadian Neonatal Brain Platform brings together a unique, multidisciplinary team of researchers and clinicians to define new strategies to identify causes of brain dysmaturation and develop strategies to minimize brain injury occurring during the neonatal period.