Since 2001, Michael Smith Health Research BC has been helping BC researchers launch careers, create life-changing innovations, and attract additional research investment.
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Dr. Michael Adachi: Developing sensors for rapid detection of biomarker proteins for Alzheimer’s disease
Dementia affects more than 500,000 Canadians today, and that number is expected to rise significantly in the coming years. Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, can begin developing in the brain many years before symptoms appear. Researchers are studying special markers in the blood that may help detect Alzheimer’s earlier. Dr. Michael Adachi's team has developed a fast, simple, and highly sensitive blood test designed to detect these markers, with the goal of making Alzheimer’s screening and monitoring more accessible for patients and healthcare providers.
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Dr. Daniel Andrews: LNP-mRNA as a treatment for neurological dysfunction of Gaucher Disease
Dr. Andrews's research project is developing a new approach to treating severe brain disorders that uses the same mRNA and lipid nanoparticle technology used in COVID-19 vaccines to help the brain produce its own therapeutic proteins. The goal is to create new treatments for disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and Gaucher disease, and to open the door for better therapies for many currently untreatable brain conditions.
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Dr. Juanita-Dawne Bacsu
Dr. Juanita-Dawne Bacsu is a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Nursing and Population Health, the founding director of the Population Health and Aging Rural Research Centre, and an assistant professor in the School of Nursing at Thompson Rivers University. She is the co-lead of the Engagement of People with Lived Experience of Dementia (EPLED) Program with the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging. Dr. Bacsu’s research focuses on reducing dementia-related stigma and improving the health equity of rural older adults living with dementia. Her research interests include dementia, stigma, cognitive health promotion, rural health, age-friendly environments, and health policy.
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Dr. Mariko Sakamoto: Co-Creating Age and Dementia-Friendly Communities: A Community Engaged Program of Research
Dr. Mariko Sakamoto's research works directly with people living with dementia to help create more age- and dementia-friendly communities. By involving people with lived experience in planning and research activities, the project aims to support aging in place, improve quality of life, and ensure communities better meet the needs of older persons living with dementia.