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The Douglas-Bell Canada Brain Bank: supporting human brain research in Canada and beyond

Project Overview

The Douglas-Bell Canada Brain Bank (DBCBB; douglasbrainbank.ca), based at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute (McGill University affiliate), has become one of the most important brain banks in the world. Founded in 1980 and currently in its 40th year of operation, the DBCBB currently houses and manages over 3,600 brains, as well as a large relational database containing demographic, clinical and developmental histories from the donors. The DBCBB is one of the rare brain banks in North America to collect brains from people who suffered from different neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias, as well as diverse mental disorders, including schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, substance use disorders, obtained from individuals who did or did not die by suicide (special collaboration with the Coroner’s office). The DBCBB is internationally recognized, and thus receives tissue requests from a large number of neuroscientists from Canada and abroad. Requests for tissues come from leading international laboratories focusing on neurobiological processes as diverse as the normal expression of brain genes, histological changes associated with brain aneurysms, epigenetics processes associated with chronic cocaine use, and the neurobiological consequences of early-life adversity, to name just a few. More than 1,000 brain samples are prepared and sent to 30-50 researchers each year (only 15 associated members are listed due to sizing constraints). Samples obtained from the DBCBB have been essential to several scientific breakthroughs reported in studies published in high-impact journals.

Principal Investigator

Gustavo Turecki , Douglas Hospital Research Centre

Team Members

Naguib Mechawar, Douglas Mental Health University Institute

Partners and Donors

Douglas Hospital Research Centre

Réseau Québécois sur le Suicide, les Troubles de L’humeur, et les Troubles Associés

Project Ongoing

The Douglas-Bell Canada Brain Bank: supporting human brain research in Canada and beyond

  • Grant Type

    Platform grants

  • Area of research

    Neurotechnology

  • Disease Area

    Other

  • Competition

    2019 Platform Support Grants

  • Province

    Québec

  • Start Date

    2021

  • Total Grant Amount

    $2,137,500

  • Health Canada Contribution

    $1,068,750

Contact Us

1200 McGill College Avenue
Suite 1600, Montreal, Quebec
H3B 4G7

+1 (514) 989-2989 info@braincanada.ca

Please note all online donations will receive an electronic tax receipt, issued by Brain Canada Foundation.

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Territorial acknowledgement

The offices of Brain Canada Foundation are located on the traditional, ancestral territory of the Kanien'kehá:ka Peoples, a place which has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst nations. We honour and pay respect to elders past, present and emerging, and dedicate ourselves to moving forward in the spirit of partnership, collaboration, and reconciliation. In our work, we focus our efforts on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, particularly those that pertain to improving health for Indigenous Peoples and that focus on advancing our own learning on Indigenous issues.

© 2025 Brain Canada Foundation

Registration number: 89105 2094 RR0001

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  • About
    • What We Do
    • EDI Action Plan
    • Leadership
    • Team
    • Annual Report
    • Publications
    • Careers
  • Brain Conditions
    • One Brain
    • ALS
    • Autism (ASD)
    • Brain Cancer
    • Brain Injury
    • Dementia
    • Epilepsy
    • Mental Illness
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Parkinson’s
    • Stroke
    • More
  • Research
    • Programs
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Program Partners
    • Announcements
  • Impact
    • Research Impact Stories
    • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
    • Brain Health in Indigenous Communities
    • Women’s Brain Health
    • Mind Over Matter
  • How You Can Help
    • Ways to Give
    • Start a Fundraiser
    • Workplace Giving
    • The Great Minds
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