Shaping the Future of Canadian Brain Research

When Dr. Monica Seger and her family first partnered with Brain Canada in 2012 to establish the Dr. Hubert van Tol Travel Fellowship, they planted the seed for a legacy that continues to strengthen Canada’s neuroscience community.

Through more than a decade of support, the Seger-van Tol family has created meaningful opportunities for emerging researchers who will shape the future of brain science.

A Vision Takes Flight

The Dr. Hubert van Tol Travel Fellowship began with a clear purpose: to empower early-career researchers by giving them access to the training, conferences, and international collaborations that accelerate scientific growth. Named in honour of the late Dr. Hubert van Tol, a pioneering neuroscientist and Dr. Seger’s husband, the fellowship removes financial barriers that often limit promising researchers at a critical stage in their careers.

“Trainees have brilliant ideas and boundless energy. We want to help offer the kind of opportunities and experiences that transform good researchers into exceptional ones.” – Dr. Monica Seger

From Travel Awards to Rising Stars

As Brain Canada’s programs evolved, so did the Seger-van Tol family’s commitment. The Dr. Hubert van Tol Travel Fellowship became a cornerstone of the Rising Stars Trainee Awards program, one of Brain Canada’s flagship initiatives supporting the next generation of neuroscientists. This evolution strengthened the original vision to give Master’s students, PhD students and postdoctoral fellows the resources, mentorship, and visibility they need to launch impactful research careers.  

The Rising Stars program provides crucial support to talented trainees as they build preliminary data, develop professional networks, and gain hands-on experience that will fuel long-term success.

Where Research Programs and People Connect

Recently, Dr. Seger visited Rising Star and Dr. Hubert van Tol Travel Fellowship recipient Sofia Gentile at the University of Toronto’s Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Under the supervision of Dr. Naomi Visanji, Gentile is advancing research focused on progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting motor and cognitive abilities that involves the toxic accumulation of tau in brain. By using a new technique called Imaging Mass Cytometry that will enable them to use brain tissue to identify brain structures, blood vessels, nerve cells, tau protein, and more, the team will gain important insights into how the immune system and inflammation interact with tau in PSP to better understand how the disease develops.

Dr. Visanji herself is a recipient of a Brain Canada Future Leader in Canadian Brain Research grant, creating a powerful example of how strategic investment in researchers at early stages of their career generates ripple effects across the neuroscience ecosystem. A Future Leader mentoring a Rising Star, both supported by donors who believe that the future of neuroscience depends on trusting and investing in early-career researchers.

“My ultimate goal is to become a leading researcher in neurodegeneration, with a strong focus on mentorship and education, uplifting the next generation of female scientists.” – Sofia Gentile

While established scientists receive considerable support, emerging researchers often face a critical funding gap precisely when they need resources most. Supporting them early enables discoveries that will define the next era of neuroscience.  

“Seeing these researchers at work reinforces why this matters so much,” Dr. Seger reflects. “We’re not just funding projects. We are investing in people whose passion, dedication and questioning will shape the future of brain research.”