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brain canada is harnessing these strengths and moving basic research on mental illness forward. as a catalyst and convener of canada’s brain research community, brain canada funds big teams doing bold research, with a focus on supporting high risk, high reward projects. it develops research talent, and enables platforms that researchers need to share knowledge and data and learn from each other to accelerate progress. we must build on this momentum and renew our investment in brain research. now is not the time to abandon investing in fundamental science.
dr. gustavo turecki leads a brain canada-supported platform at the douglas mental health university institute in montreal. called the douglas bell canada brain bank , it houses more than 3,600 brains from individuals who experienced neurodegenerative diseases and mental illnesses and makes samples available to researchers in canada and around the world. these samples have been used to discover important facets of brain health, such as the effects of early life adversity, which is a major predictor of mental illness; the precise cell types affected in men who have suffered from major depression and how they differ from those affected in women; and indicators of a patients’ response to treatment for depression, to name a few examples. making platforms such as the brain bank available and accessible helps to build capacity and offers a cost effective way to share cutting edge equipment, technology, and services, enabling bold research that no researcher could pursue on their own.
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dr. viviane poupon is president and ceo of brain canada, a non-profit organization headquartered in montreal, quebec that amplifies, accelerates, and funds brain research in canada .
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