Funded Grants

RNA medicines—short strands of nucleic acids that can turn genes “up” or “down”—have changed how we treat brain diseases. For example, nusinersen for spinal muscular atrophy and tofersen for ALS are given by spinal injection to reach the brain and spinal cord. These breakthroughs show that RNA drugs work in the nervous system. However, before these treatments can reach patients, they must be tested in living systems to ensure safety and effectiveness.

Understanding how the brain works at the molecular level is one of the outmost important challenges. Tiny structures inside brain cells are constantly changing to support learning, memory, and behavior, in health and disease. To see and study these structures, scientists use powerful microscopes that go far beyond what standard microscopes can achieve and perform molecular scale imaging. This field is called optical nanoscopy, and it allows researchers to visualize individual proteins and molecular events inside living brain tissue.

Brain and nervous system disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, autism, and brain cancers are among the most devastating health challenges of our time. They affect over 600,000 Canadians and millions worldwide, with cases expected to rise sharply in the coming decades.

Chronic pain affects millions of Canadians and is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Neurological and psychiatric conditions more broadly represent an immense burden, affecting one in three people and costing billions each year. Yet progress in developing new treatments has been slow.

Innovative methods that enable brain-derived proteins to be measured in blood samples are transforming the field of neurology. For example, it is now possible to use a blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease and to monitor treatment in Multiple Sclerosis. This project will establish The University of British Columbia (UBC) Platform for Neurology Biomarker Innovation (PNBI).

The Neuro’s Virtual Integrated Patient Platform (NeuroVIP) is an innovative initiative designed to accelerate the discovery of new treatments for brain and nervous system disorders. Many neurological conditions such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, and ALS, remain poorly understood and lack effective therapies. NeuroVIP addresses this challenge by bringing together patient data, biological samples, and powerful research tools into a single, open science platform that is accessible to scientists in Canada and worldwide.

Research studies help us understand neurological health and develop better treatments; however, traditional research is often too slow, too expensive, and excludes people who live far from cities or face systemic barriers. ResearchAlly is changing that.

Therapeutic breakthroughs in Huntington Disease (HD), Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Parkinson Disease (PD), and other neurodegenerative disorders have been accelerated by access to generously donated human samples. The HD Biobank at the University of British Columbia focuses on neurodegenerative disorders and is a leader in the collection of HD samples globally.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease that destroys the motor neurons needed for movement, speech, and breathing, but new research shows that other spinal cord cells called interneurons may be affected even earlier.

Personalized Modeling and Optimization of Transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation in Major Depressive Disorder