Brain Canada and Heart & Stroke announce recipients of $6 million research grant
TORONTO , Sept. 12, 2022 /CNW/ – Today, Brain Canada and Heart & Stroke announce that Canadian researchers Peter Liu and Douglas Lee have been awarded the $6 million Heart-Brain Connection IMPACT Award. . These researchers will lead two multidisciplinary teams that will bring together nearly 100 members from institutions across the country.
From left: Trudy Hall, Dr. Douglas Lee, Dr. Gustavo Saposnik, Peter Chaban. Dr. Lee and Dr. Saposnik are principal investigators of UNEARTH CVD: Using New Approaches for Early Recognition of Transient Ischemic Attack, Heart Failure, and Connections with Vascular Dementia. (Heart and Stroke/Brain Canada) (CNW Group/Heart and Stroke Foundation)
“We are delighted with the caliber of both teams and the innovative and thoughtful research programs they have designed,” says Dr. Viviane Poupon, President and CEO of Brain Canada. “By bringing together leading and diverse experts from across the country, including people with lived experience and Indigenous peoples, they will drive discovery beyond what would be possible for a single researcher or institution.”
The four-year projects will study pressing issues linking heart and brain health with the goal of making changes in patient care and improving outcomes for people in Canada. Currently, one person in Canada dies every five minutes from heart disease, stroke or vascular cognitive impairment, surpassing other diseases. In fact, 20% more people die from conditions related to the heart and brain than from all cancers. The impact of these heart-brain connections on people’s lives and on the health care system is profound, especially considering that our health care system is designed on a “single disease” model, with different conditions treated by different specialists These projects challenge this system through extensive collaboration.
The teams will begin work on their projects in 2022 and there are plans to bring the two teams together to share updates on their work as early as 2023. “Putting research into action by sharing knowledge and results are critical components of this award,” says Doug. Roth, CEO of Heart & Stroke. “We are confident that these teams, these projects and this approach to research will accelerate much-needed change in how we explore heart disease and brain disorders.”
Beneficiaries of the IMPACT heart-brain connection award:
BHRIITE (Integrative Innovation Team Effort for Brain and Heart Research), directed by Dr. Liu, University of Ottawa Heart Institute
“Our program starts from talking to patients who were falling through the gaps created when heart and brain diseases are treated and researched separately,” explains Dr. Liu, principal investigator of BHRIITE. “We aim to change the fundamental disconnect between brain and heart conditions and developing new tools to predict who is at risk and how severely with new diagnostic blood tests and new ways to take pictures of the heart and brain. Together with patient partners, we will also test new treatments that can be used to protect both the heart and the brain.”
This diverse team will integrate lived patient experience with expertise in molecular manipulation, in-depth cognitive and cardiac testing, pharmacology, systems biology, clinical trials, epidemiology, biostatistical modeling, machine learning and artificial intelligence. It will also include components such as an Indigenous-led curriculum to build a network of Indigenous health mentors and trainees to support Indigenous capacity to engage in research.
UNEARTH CVD (Using new approaches for early recognition of transient ischemic attack, heart failure and connections with vascular dementia)directed by Dr. Lee, Ted Rogers Center for Heart Research at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, UHN, Toronto and Dr. Gustavo Saposnik, St. Michael’s Hospital, a Unity Health Toronto site
“By bringing together a team of leading Canadian experts in stroke neurology, cardiovascular disease, aging, general internal medicine, family medicine, sex and gender, health services research, basic science, biomedical engineering, biostatistics, bioethics, intel… artificial intelligence and machine learning, will find better ways to diagnose potential strokes early and prevent devastating effects such as paralysis” says Dr. Lee, Principal Investigator of UNEARTH CVD.
The team will also develop new methods to diagnose early decline in brain function so patients can receive preventative strategies and study the intersection between heart failure and dementia that could radically change the way doctors treat these conditions in the future The project will also include engagement with indigenous researchers and the inclusion of indigenous peoples with lived experience.
Funding for the Heart-Brain Connection IMPACT Award is made possible by the Canadian Brain Research Fund (CBRF), an innovative agreement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada) and the Brain Canada Foundation, and Heart & Stroke.
To date, Health Canada has invested more than $130 million through the CBRF, which has been matched by Brain Canada and its donors and partners.
About Brain Canada
Brain Canada is a national not-for-profit organization that enables and supports excellent, innovative and paradigm-changing brain research in Canada. He has a unique and invaluable role as a national convener of the brain research community. We join people, labs and platforms across the country, as well as institutions, organizations and sectors, to drive innovation and foster an interconnected brain research system. Our work enables Canada to excel and make even greater contributions to global research to understand the brain and brain disorders. Join us in funding brilliance daily, braincanada.ca.
About the heart and stroke
Life. We don’t want you to miss it. That’s why Heart & Stroke has been leading the fight to beat heart disease and stroke for 70 years. We must generate the next medical breakthroughs, so Canadians don’t miss out on precious moments. Together, we are working to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery through research, health promotion and public policy. Heartandstroke.ca @HeartandStroke
SOURCE Heart and Stroke Foundation
For more information: Melissa Arauz, Brain Canada, [email protected], 514-377-6461; Kate Comeau, Heart and Stroke, [email protected]902-412-6523