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| Congratulations to the 2025 Hopewell M.I.N.D. Prize finalists! Congratulations to Drs. Aravind Ganesh and Jianhai Zhang; Drs. Wilten Nicola and Jafar Shamsi Chamyousefali; and Drs. Jiami Guo and Lizheng Wang who will pitch their project ideas to a panel of expert judges this December 2025. The winning team will receive $1-million towards their proposed project. Visit the M.I.N.D. prize page to learn more about the finalists, their ideas and the philanthropy behind the award. |
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In this edition of BrainWorks:
- News: Progress for SCI and hydrocephalus patients, grants for youth initiatives and Summit reflections
- Awards: CIHR results, Royal Society fellows and more
- Upcoming Events: Leadership at the Speed of Science, Cannabis and HERO seminar
- Recent Publications: Migraine, MS and Stroke are some of the great publications in this issue
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New implant restores blood pressure balance after spinal cord injury
Neuroscientists and neurosurgeons from Canada, Switzerland and the Netherlands collaborated on life-changing research and innovation. In a rare double publication in both Nature and Nature Medicine, a pair of landmark studies by Dr. Aaron Phillips, PhD, UCalgary, Dr. Grégoire Courtine, PhD, EPFL, and Dr. Jocelyne Bloch, MD, UNIL, describe the development of a targeted therapy to address blood pressure regulation in 14 participants across four clinical studies conducted at three separate medical centres in Canada, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The result is a compact, adaptable system capable of restoring blood pressure stability through targeted neuromodulation that can be controlled through an app. Read about this innovative research here. Further reading at Inside Precision Medicine.
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UCalgary researchers show brain shunts significantly benefit older adults with hydrocephalus
A groundbreaking double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - A Randomized Trial of Shunting for Idiopathic Normal-Pressure Hydrocephalus - published in the New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrates that surgical treatment with a shunt produced significant improvements in walking speed and balance after just three months. The benefit to those in the group where the shunt was activated and functioning was so improved that the trial was halted early due to its efficacy. Read the full story here and watch the interview on CTV news .
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High-tech devices headed to a couple of Calgary schools
A new pilot project at two Calgary schools aims to allow children who may have never walked before to do so with a little robotic help. The Trexo walking device, a made-in-Canada project, is a wearable exoskeleton that will guide a child's legs forward using motors at the hips and knees. Dr. Elizabeth Condliffe, who heads the project said it opens up new possibilities for children with conditions like cerebral palsy and spina bifida. Read the full article here. | Watch the video detailing the project here
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$2.5 million CIHR grant invests in youth-led research to improve health and wellness services Alberta youth in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities will benefit from new federal funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Indigenous Services Canada. The grant will help expand Kickstand, Alberta’s Integrated Youth Services (IYS) Hub, to more locations across the province, says Dr. Gina Dimitropoulos, PhD. Learn more about this vital funding boost here. |
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Calgary-based psilocybin research on alcohol use disorder needs more people to study Dr. Mayo's team at the U of C is leading a study into the effects of psilocybin on alcohol use disorder - and is looking to recruit patients for this long term study. Read more | Learn more about participating in the study
Study assesses genetic testing to optimize mental heath interventions in children Two University of Calgary led research projects are helping to build the largest-ever collection of human genomic data in Canada. One of the funded projects is led by Dr. Paul Arnold, MD, PhD. The project focuses on precision medicine and youth mental health. Read more here. |
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Why nurturing the gut microbiota could resolve depression and anxiety Links between gut microbes and mental health could lead to large-scale trials of probiotic interventions. This article in Nature looks into Andrew Moseson's journey through depression and the clinical trial that changed his life in 2023.
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Reflections on the G7 Canada Brain Economy Summit
The University of Calgary was front and centre this summer as global leaders in brain health gathered in our city to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, improve government policy and increase investment. More than 100 academics, researchers, policymakers and business leaders gathered in Calgary in June for the G7 Canada Brain Economy Summit. Read the recap interview with HBI director Dr. David Park here.
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| 2024 Hope for Tomorrow Research Competition
- Dr. Philip Barber
- Dr. Richard Frayne
- Dr. Eric Smith
Fellow to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS)
Dr. Valerie Taylor
$2.5M Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant
Dr. David Nicholas, along with fellow Mathison Centre members and co-applicants:
- Dr. Paul Arnold
- Dr. Gina Dimitropoulos
- Dr. Carly McMorris
2025 Royal Society of Canada Fellows
- Dr. Bruce Pike
- Dr. Frank Stahnisch
2025 Royal Society of Canada College Member Dr. Chad Bousman
Owerko Centre Catalyst Grant Dr. Elizabeth Condliffe
Spring CIHR results - UCalgary had 29 recipients, bringing in $30M! 12 of these are HBI members, which is 41% of the funding total at $12.4M. Congratulations to all CIHR recipients, including confirmed HBI members below:
- Dr Christophe Altier
- Dr Stephanie Borgland
- Dr Jackson Cone
- Dr Paolo Fedrico
- Dr Lara Leijser
- Drs Leah Mayo & Rita Henderson
- Dr Alex McGirr
- Dr Shalina Ousman
- Dr Bruce Pike
- Dr Guang Yang
- Dr Wayne Chen
- Dr. Vee Yong
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Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards
- Dr. David Borkenhagen, PhD, Supervisor: Dr. Paul Arnold
- Dr. Tahereh Rashnavadi, PhD, Supervisor: Dr. Pierre Levan
- Dr. Anastasiia Stepanchuk, PhD, Supervisor: Dr. Peter Stys
Alzheimer’s Society awards
- Dr. Derya Sargin: Alzheimer’s Society of Canada New Investigator Operating Grant
- Dr. Jonathan Epp: Alzheimer’s Society Proof of Concept Grant
- Dr. Cindy Barha: Alzheimer’s Society Proof of Concept Grant
Alzheimer’s Society of Canada Postdoctoral Award
Dr. Joel Burma
Vanier scholarships for 2025 - Congrats to the following HBI PhD students
- Syed Kazim Haider, Biomedical Engineering, Supervisor: Dr. Colin Dalton
- Zainab Khan, Neuroscience, Supervisor: Dr. Naweed Imam S. Syed
- Arazdeep Minhas, Neuroscience, Supervisor: Dr. Christopher Adam Kirton
- Jessica Scheufen, Neuroscience, Supervisor: Dr. Matthew Hill
2025 Distinguished Alumnus Award from The State University of New York at Oswego
Dr. Antoine “Tony” Dufour, Class of 2005
2025 Banting Postdoctoral Fellows
- Dr. Isabelle Poitras, PhD, Supervisor: Dr. Sean Dukelow
- Dr. Marissa Nivison, PhD, Supervisor: Dr. Sheri Madigan
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Leadership at the Speed of Science Summit | Oct. 1 | BMO Centre
This full-day summit explores how neuroscience and performance research can help leaders thrive under pressure. Hear from scientists, and executives, including keynote speaker Col. Chris Hadfield, in conversations hosted by Jay Ingram. HBI members Dr. Matt Hill, Dr. Leah Mayo, and Dr. Araba Chintoh will also share insights on stress, mental health, and leadership. |
Understanding Cannabis - All You Need to Know | Oct 7 | 6 pm - 7 pm | Virtual
Join experts from the Mathison Centre and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Dr. Leah Mayo, Dr. Matt Hill and Dr. Monty Ghosh, as they provide an in-depth overview about cannabis and address any myths and facts about the drug, its use and effect on mental health. |
Canadian HERO study | Oct. 17 | 10 am - 11 am | HSC G384 & Virtual The HERO study is giving parents, providers, and communities new ways to measure child stress and resilience to better support healthy development. Join the Mathison Centre and Palix Foundation, Alberta Family Wellness Initiative for a seminar with Dr. Patricia Silveira, MD, PhD, (McGill University), principal investigator of the HERO study. |
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Exploring the relationship between pain catastrophizing and migraine in youth: A longitudinal clinical cohort study
This study, published in
Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, explores the relationship between pain catastrophizing and migraine-related outcomes (i.e., migraine-related disability and headache frequency) between visits with a neurologist in a clinical population of children and adolescents with migraine. Read the
full study here.
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Time Post-Stroke and Upper Extremity Stroke Motor Recovery Rehabilitation: A Meta-Analysis Understanding the impact of timing of post-stroke motor recovery research trials is critical for clinical care. The effectiveness of upper extremity rehabilitation interventions may be underestimated when studied exclusively in the chronic phase, with some of the observed differences potentially attributable to variations in baseline severity. Read the full study here in Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair. |
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| Safety and effectiveness of the Walk ‘n Watch structured, progressive exercise protocol delivered by physical therapists for inpatient stroke rehabilitation in Canada: a phase 3, multisite, pragmatic, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised controlled trial
Although clinical guidelines support high repetitions of walking after stroke, practice is slow to change. We undertook an implementation trial to enable entire stroke units to use the Walk ‘n Watch structured, progressive exercise protocol. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Walk ‘n Watch implementation package on patient outcomes after 4 weeks in an inpatient stroke rehabilitation setting. Full results in The Lance Neurology. Age-related changes in sleep architecture: Effects of body mass index, sex, and mental health in community-dwelling adults using at-home polysomnography
As people get older, their sleep gets lighter, shorter, and more fragmented. This study found that sex, body weight (BMI), and mental health all influence how sharply these changes happen. They used a new measurement Odds Ratio Product (ORP) and at-home sleep tracking, polysomnography (PSG) to get a better, continuous view of sleep depth. Read the full study in Sleep Medicine. A Buccal Mucosal Oximeter Accurately Measures Arterial Oxyhemoglobin Saturation
A new mouth-worn oximeter accurately measures blood oxygen and heart rate by scanning tissue inside the lip. Early testing shows it matches standard methods and could offer a more comfortable way to monitor breathing or or sleep problems. Full study published in Med Devices (Auckl). Factors Associated With Persisting Symptoms After Concussion in Adults With Mild TBI: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
This systematic review and meta-analysis, in JAMA Network Open explores whether specific acute clinical factors are associated with the development of persisting symptoms after a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) in adults. |
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