Alan Evans receives Order of Canada
Career of breakthroughs in neuroimaging recognized with one of the nation’s highest honoursA career that took an uncharted trajectory has been recognized with the Order of Canada, one of the country’s top honours.
AI analysis of healthcare records reveals key factors in autism diagnosis
Scientists argue the criteria we use for diagnosing autism may need revisionWithout clear and effective biological tests for autism based on genes, brain or blood measurements, diagnosis today still largely depends on clinical assessment. The standard way of doing this is by observing how the individual fits the criteria for autism listed in gold standard manuals like the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5).
Latest Alzheimer’s drug shown less effective in females than males
Since becoming only the second Alzheimer’s-modifying drug to gain American FDA approval in 2023, sales of lecanemab, known by its brand name Leqembi, have risen steadily, reaching $87-million USD in the last quarter of 2024.
Project to create AI model for ALS receives Génome Québec funding
$400,000 will fuel public-private collaboration to discover new disease biomarkers
Prescribing anti-swelling drug reduces immune response weeks after last dose
Mapping immune cell diversity reveals dexamethasone’s impact on brain cancer immunotherapy
Swelling caused by brain cancer is a problem that can lead to serious side effects and even death. While controlling swelling is important, a new study shows that a commonly prescribed anti-swelling drug suppresses the immune system for weeks after dosage, inhibiting the body’s ability to fight the cancer.
Six principal investigators from The Neuro receive CIHR grants
Projects include important research on Parkinson’s, glioblastoma and dementia
An open solution to improving research reproducibility
Academic and industry scientists collaborate on a new method to characterize research antibodiesStructural Genomics Consortium researchers at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) of McGill University, in collaboration with scientists from 11 major antibody manufacturers representing approximately 80 per cent of global renewable antibody production, have developed and standardized an Open Science platform to characterize research antibodies.
At-home neurological disorder diagnosis project receives major funding
$1M grant from The Weston Family Foundation will pave the way for earlier intervention in REM sleep behaviour disorder and Parkinson’s diseaseREM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is an often debilitating condition that causes people to act out in their sleep, sometimes violently. What’s worse, people with the disorder often go on to develop Parkinson’s disease.
Research on new stem cell models receives $2.6 million
Thomas Durcan’s project will dissect the role of microglia in degenerative conditions, to identify new therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's treatmentAn innovative new program based at The Neuro has received $2.6 million from the CQDM and the Brain Canada Foundation.
Bilingualism makes the brain more efficient, especially when learned at a young age
MRI data from large sample shows increased whole-brain connectivity in people with a second languageNeuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to build connections within itself, adapting to the surrounding environment. The brain is most plastic in childhood, forming new pathways in reaction to stimuli such as language.
Recreating a hallmark of Parkinson's disease in human neurons
Scientists use stem cells to follow development of protein bodies characteristic of neurological diseaseLewy bodies are a hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) and other related neurological conditions. Understanding why and how they develop is critical to developing better treatments.
Alan Evans elected Fellow of the Royal Society
Honour is recognition for a lifetime of leading researchAlan Evans, a researcher at The Neuro, James McGill Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery and co-director of the Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, has been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, joining a class of scientists that includes a Nobel laureate and a former Chief Medical Advisor to the US President.
Two Neuro projects funded by international partnership
Researchers will study how hormones affect brain cancer and the role of neural circuits in social skillsThe Paris Brain Institute and the Institut Pasteur have partnered with The Neuro to fund two groundbreaking studies, each receiving more than $440,000. These projects are part of an international collaboration to address future challenges in neuroscience.
$10.6M grant supports innovative autism project
McGill Translational Platform in Autism Research will help uncover the disorders’ neural foundations
A new project at The Neuro, McGill University and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) has been awarded $10.6M in financial support as part of the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) Innovation Fund.
Making AI a partner in neuroscientific discovery
New paper argues that Large Language Models can reveal breakthroughs humans alone cannotThe past year has seen major advances in Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT. The ability of these models to interpret and produce human text sources (and other sequence data) has implications for people in many areas of human activity.