Summary
Jennifer Walker of First Nations University of Canada is receiving research funding from the Alzheimer Society Research Program for her work studying the increasing rate of dementia among First Nations people in Saskatchewan.
She is working with local researchers and their work will help inform and improve dementia care services in Indigenous communities.
The Alzheimer Society program announced it has bestowed $3.4 million to 24 Canadian applicants from across the country through this year’s research competition. Researchers are working to find new prevention and treatment strategies, enhancing patient care, and in finding a cure.
“Research funding is critical for advancing scientific discoveries and producing breakthroughs that enable people with dementia to live well and bring us closer to a cure,” said Nalini Sen, program director. “We’re proud of our program and to be able to provide opportunities to many of Canada’s bright and talented minds.”
Other recipients include:
Heather Cooke of the University of British Columbia, who is seeking to better understand how incivility and bullying among long-term care workers influences dementia care. The results will help improve staffing practices and policies and enhance the quality of life for both residents and staff.
Jannic Boehm, Université de Montréal, is hoping to develop a “peptide” that will penetrate the blood-brain barrier and access neurons in the brain. If successful, this tool could be used to help maintain and promote brain function in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Matthew Parsons or Memorial University, St. John’s, will investigate when and where toxic proteins in the brain, the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, begin to impair brain cells and disrupt the formation of memories. He hopes these findings will ultimately lead to new treatments.