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Congratulations to the 2025 Hopewell M.I.N.D. Prize winners! Drs. Jiami Guo and Lizheng Wang received $1 million in funding for their project, "Targeted Primary Cilia Protein Degradation for Neuroinflammation Modulation in CNS Diseases", advancing research in this underexplored area and paving the way for future therapies for central nervous system disorders such as stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. Read the full story on UToday here. Building on this momentum in brain and mental health research, the 2026 M.I.N.D. Prize has officially kicked off, with Expression of Interest forms due on March 6. Learn more about how you can help bring bold and innovative ideas to life with this impactful award.
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In this edition of BrainWorks:
- News: Updated Stroke Guidelines, Innovation Funding, Top Radiologists Trained at UCalgary
- Awards: Killiam Awards, Renewed Research Chairs, Vanier Scholarships
- Upcoming Events: Mathison Littman Research Day, Tinnitus Seminar and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders Day
- Recent Publications: Stress, stroke outcomes and lung scarring are a few of the published topics featured
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UCalgary study changes drug guidelines worldwide for treating acute ischemic stroke
Findings from the AcT Trial, led by the University of Calgary stroke research team, showed that the drug tenecteplase, a safe, well-tolerated drug commonly used as a clot buster for heart attacks, was an effective treatment for acute ischemic stroke. It is now endorsed in updated treatment guidelines by major regulators including Health Canada, the U.S. FDA, and the European Medicines Agency, meaning faster, simpler care when every second counts. Read the full story.
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New guidelines for treating migraines in emergency departments
Researchers co-led by the University of Calgary migraine team have helped update how acute migraine attacks are treated in emergency departments. The new evidence-based guidelines recommend offering treatments like occipital nerve blocks and certain injectable therapies to improve pain relief and reduce reliance on opioids, bringing more consistent, effective care to migraine patients when they need it most. Read the full story.
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UCalgary receives more than $4.7 million in funding for innovative research
UCalgary researchers have secured more than $4.7M through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund, supporting new infrastructure for 19 projects across campus. The announcement includes several Hotchkiss Brain Institute–connected researchers: Dr. Hedwich Kuipers, Dr. Scott Ryan, Dr. Suirong Chen, and Dr. Adriana Zardini Buzatto, are helping accelerate discoveries in areas such as neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and advanced imaging. Read the full story.
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| Did you know some of the world’s top radiologists trained at UCalgary? For more than a decade, the University of Calgary’s EFW Radiology Fellowship Program has trained exceptional radiologists who now practice and lead around the world. Hotchkiss Brain Institute member Dr. Johanna Ospel shares her experience in the program, highlighting the importance of hands-on mentorship, advanced imaging, and a collaborative training environment that helps shape future leaders in neuroradiology and neurointervention. Read the full story. When Science Meets Leadership HBI and Mathison Centre researchers joined astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield to explore the intersection of stress, leadership, and performance at the Leadership at the Speed of Science Summit, held in October 2025, highlighting how insights from neuroscience can help leaders navigate stress and thrive in today’s fast-paced world. Read the event highlights. Australia–Canada symposium strengthens Melbourne–Calgary research partnership Researchers from the University of Calgary’s Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases and Hotchkiss Brain Institute converged on Melbourne earlier this year for the inaugural AUS-CAN Symposium to discuss the nexus between neuroscience and infectious diseases. Read the full story. |
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Celebrating Clarivate's 2025 Highly Cited Researchers We’re proud to celebrate our members Drs. Sheri Madigan, Tamara Pringsheim, Eric Smith, Sam Wiebe, and Wee Yong, recognized as Clarivate’s 2025 Highly Cited Researchers, placing them among the top 1% of scientists worldwide! The list identifies and celebrates individuals who have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their fields of research - recognizing researchers whose exceptional and community-wide contributions shape the future of science, technology and academia globally. See the complete 2025 Highly Cited Researchers list and in-depth analysis here. |
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Tinnitus: phantom or hallucination? | Feb 9 | Hunter Hub Collision Space
The Faculty of Arts invites you to the second event in the semi-annual Retirees’ Research Series. This session explores new insights into tinnitus and the science of hearing. Recently, exciting therapeutic methods capable of causing long-term reduction in tinnitus loudness and associated effects such as distress have emerged. |
Mathison-Littmann Research Day 2026 | Mar 13 | Foothills Campus
Be part of an inspiring gathering of clinicians, researchers, residents, and trainees as we explore innovations from the lab to the bedside. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and contribute to the future of mental health research and education. Open to anyone working or interested in mental health research. |
Hope for Hypermobility 2026 | April 25 | Hybrid This patient-centered event brings together people living with Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD) and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), along with their allies, clinicians, researchers, and community members. This year’s theme is: “Advocating for Care.” We have 3 exciting guest speakers from across North America. |
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| Top 40 Under 40 — Class of 2025
Billboard Canada’s inaugural 40 Under 40
HBI's Strategic Advisory Board member, Lucas McCarthy, 3x founder and CEO of Showpass, was recognized for his innovative leadership in live entertainment, technology, and entrepreneurship.
Alex Raczenko Pitch Award
Co-founder of Possibility Neurotechnologies, Dr. Kelly and co-founder Erica Floreani received the award at CDL-Rockies for their innovative work on Think2Switch — a brain-computer interface that empowers people with physical disabilities to control devices and communicate using their thoughts.
2025 Killam Awards
- Dr. Jörn Davidsen – Killam Annual Professor
- Dr. Pamela Roach – Killam Emerging Research Leader (CIHR)
- Dr. Isabelle Poitras – Killam Postdoctoral Laureate
- Predoctoral Laureates: Jay Patrick Cavanagh, Alexander Cuncannon (also recipient of the Donald N. Byers Memorial Prize), Selena Fu, Kazim Haider, Queenie Li, Anees Bahji, Emma Stanley, and Jenney Zhu.
Dr. Michael Hill: Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Induction We’re thrilled to share that HBI member Dr. Michael Hill has been named to the 2026 Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. A co-lead of the landmark ESCAPE trial, Dr. Hill’s work has transformed stroke care worldwide. His induction will take place in Calgary on June 18, 2026.
Arch Award Recipient: Dr. Haruna Dika Congrats to former HBI Trainee Dr. Haruna Dika, PhD'15, who was supervised by Dr. Cam Teskey, on winning the 2025 Arch Award in International Career Achievement.
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ASTech Award Winners: Calgary Stroke Program Team For their impactful work transforming stroke treatment and improving outcomes for patients worldwide, they received the ASTech Awards Researcher of the Year.
Dr. Ranita Manocha Wins Two Awards Dr. Manocha's contributions have been recognized with two honours: the 2025 CSM Clinical, Adjunct and Research Award and an Outstanding Achievement Award in Science, Technology, Engineering, the Environment, and Mathematics at the 2025 South Asian Inspiration Awards.
2025 Patient Experience Award from Health Quality Alberta Congratulations to the Calgary Zone Music Therapy Program, a collaborative team across HBI, Mathison, and Alberta Health Services, along with many dedicated therapists, students, volunteers, and patient partners.
New Frontiers in Research Fund Exploration Grant
Julia Kam, PhD, and Kara Murias, MD, PhD, have received the grant, which supports world-leading interdisciplinary, international, high-risk / high-reward, transformative and rapid-response Canadian-led research.
New and Renewed Canada Research Chairs
- Deinera Exner-Cortens
- Carly McMorris:
- Steven Prescott
- Karolina Skibicka
Three HBI Trainees Awarded Vanier Scholarship Congratulations to Araz Minhas, Jessica Scheufen, and Zainab Khan on receiving the prestigious 2025 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.
Congratulations to Dr. Tolulope Sajobi Dr. Tolulope Sajobi, PhD, has been appointed Head of the Department of Community Health Sciences at the Cumming School of Medicine.
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A Scoping Review on the Role of the Microbiome as a Factor in the Bidirectional Association Between Obesity and Depression
Obesity is a chronic illness highly comorbid with mental health conditions, particularly depression. Among the factors involved in this association, inflammation is a consistently identified link. This review explores the emerging role of the gut microbiota as a modulator of inflammation and its potential involvement in the pathophysiological processes linking obesity and depression. Read the
full study here in
Current Diabetes Reports.
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| Perceived quality of life, fatigue and the metabolic cost of walking in generalized hypermobility spectrum disorder and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Individuals with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD) often experience chronic pain, leg fatigue and/or pain, which may contribute to a higher metabolic cost of walking. How these subjective measures may manifest in an elevated metabolic cost of transport and perceived pain at varying walking speeds remains to be evaluated. Full results in Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences. |
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| The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments Task Force Recommendations for the Use of Probiotics, Prebiotics, Synbiotics, and Fecal Microbiota Transplants in Adults With Major Depressive Disorder
Approximately one-third of adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) experience limited response or intolerable side effects with existing pharmacotherapies. As such, innovative treatments targeting novel biological pathways are under investigation. One promising area of research is the gut microbiome and its influence on mood. Clinical studies have begun evaluating microbiome-targeted interventions such as probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as potential treatments for MDD. Read the full study here in The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Pre-hospital treatment duration and efficacy of remote ischaemic conditioning in the RESIST randomised-controlled trial
Remote ischaemic conditioning (RIC) initiated pre-hospital did not improve 90-day functional outcomes after acute stroke in the RESIST trial. The duration of treatment pre-reperfusion modifies treatment effect for other neuroprotective therapies. We examined whether the effects of RIC might be modified by the duration of pre-hospital treatment. Full study here in European Stroke Journal. A network of basolateral amygdala projection neurons contributes to stress-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is reliably activated by psychological stress in both humans and rodents and influences diverse behavioral and physiological processes involved in stress adaptation. However, functional organization of distinct BLA circuits and their contribution to stress-induced activation of the neuroendocrine response is unclear. Findings from the study suggest that a network of BLA projection populations is broadly activated by acute stress and collectively contribute to neuroendocrine regulation. Full study here in Science Advances. Nociceptor neurons suppress alveolar macrophage-induced Siglec-F+ neutrophil-mediated inflammation to protect against pulmonary fibrosis
Pulmonary fibrosis results from persistent and pathological tissue repair, which is therapeutically challenging to attenuate and often fatal. The immune processes involved in fibrosis remain ill defined. Certain nociceptors were discovered to be protective, providing insights into how the nervous system impacts the progression of fibrotic lung diseases. Full study here in Immunity, and lay summary here. Investigating changes in vape use among Canadian youth from 2014 to 2022
Vape use among Canadian adolescents has increased over time, posing a significant public health concern in Canada. However, the rate of increase may vary year to year because of regulatory initiatives related to the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) and the pandemic. Therefore, we aim to examine how the rate of vape use changed between 2014 and 2022 while also investigating differences in vape use by province and sociodemographic characteristics. Read the full study in Canadian Journal of Public Health. |
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