The human brain is incredibly complex, managing everything from our breathing and movement to our thoughts, emotions and memories.

According to the World Health Organization, brain-related disorders are among the leading causes of disability worldwide, significantly impacting people’s health and well-being.

There is a critical need to better understand how the brain functions and to develop novel treatments and interventions that can improve or retain brain health.

Thanks to funding from the Juravinski Research Institute (JRI), a team of researchers is charting a course to make Hamilton an international leader in brain health imaging and research.

The new Hamilton Integrated Brain Health Research Platform will combine clinical care, research, big data and artificial intelligence, with the goal of discovering new ways to improve brain health.

The research platform has three core pillars:

• Research registry: By gathering detailed brain data and images from current patients and community members, the research team will build a unique database to improve the diagnosis, prognosis and personalized treatment of brain diseases.
• Learning health system: By integrating real-world patient data to generate evidence, the platform will assess brain-based biomarkers to improve care immediately. This learning health system will foster new opportunities for collaboration and education among patients, clinicians and researchers.
• Pilot testing novel brain-based treatments: The platform will launch early-stage studies to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of groundbreaking new treatments, such as deep repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (which uses powerful magnetic fields to stimulate the brain), on brain diseases including dementia, substance use disorder and chronic pain.
  The data will lay the foundation for clinical trials, ultimately bringing the treatments into widespread use.

“The platform will allow us to make important discoveries in brain-related research areas such as psychiatry, neuroscience, aging, neurology and pediatrics,” said Lehana Thabane, chair of the JRI scientific committee and vice-president of research at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.

“We are excited about the potential to significantly advance research and patient care, setting the stage for Hamilton’s global leadership in brain health.”

The research team includes members across Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, led by James MacKillop, with Benicio Frey, Justin Lee, Ipsita Goswami, Mike Noseworthy, and Maura Marcucci from Humanitas University.

The JRI is improving the health of Canadians by advancing groundbreaking research at Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. The institute and its projects are funded through the generosity of the late Hamilton philanthropists, Charles and Margaret Juravinski, and the Juravinski Foundation. Join Charles and Margaret in making a lasting legacy to pioneering health research by making a gift in support of the JRI.