- Brain Canada Foundation is supporting three new brain research platforms in British Columbia and Alberta through its 2025 Platform Support Grants, with nearly $4.7M in funding aimed at advancing research in neurological and mental health conditions.
- At the University of Calgary, researchers are launching ResearchAlly, a digital platform that enables remote participation in neuroscience and mental health studies using smartphones, wearables, and online tools, with a focus on improving access for underserved and rural communities.
- Researchers at the University of British Columbia are also advancing the Platform for Neurology Biomarker Innovation (PNBI), which is developing blood-based tests for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and other neurodegenerative disorders to support earlier and more accessible diagnosis.
- A second UBC-led initiative will expand the HD Biobank, one of the world’s largest collections of tissue samples for neurodegenerative disease research, helping accelerate discoveries in Huntington disease, Parkinson disease, and Alzheimer’s disease through broader national and international collaboration.
Takeaways:
Brain Canada is using these Platform Support Grants to build durable infrastructure in Western Canada that can change how brain and mental health research is done, not just fund single projects.
ResearchAlly in Calgary should make participation in neuroscience and mental health studies easier for people in rural and underserved communities by using smartphones, wearables, and online tools, which can diversify data and speed up recruitment.
UBC’s PNBI platform aims to turn blood into a more practical diagnostic window for Alzheimer’s, MS, and other neurodegenerative diseases, while expansion of the HD Biobank will grow one of the world’s key tissue repositories for disorders like Huntington, Parkinson, and Alzheimer’s, supporting Canadian and international collaborators.
Source: CA Newswire
